Alice’s son had always been a happy child, but lately, he would shrink away whenever her new husband, Sam, walked into the room. At first, she brushed it off as fussiness. But then, her son told her something about Sam that sent a shiver down her spine.
Being a single mother was never part of the plan.
When I married my first husband, Daniel, I had dreams of building a life together and raising our child in a home full of love.
But fate had other ideas.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
Jeremy was barely a few weeks old when I woke up one morning to find Daniel gone.
At first, I thought he had gone for a walk or stepped out for coffee. But then I noticed his closet was empty and his suitcase was missing.
His toothbrush was also gone.
I panicked and immediately called his phone, but it went straight to voicemail.
Then, I called his best friend, Chris.
A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels
“Hey, Chris, have you heard from Daniel? He’s not home.”
Silence. Then a sigh.
“Alice, I… I think you should sit down before I tell you what’s going on.”
That’s when I learned the truth.
Daniel hadn’t just left me. He had run away to another country with another woman.
A woman he had been seeing behind my back for months.
I spent weeks in a daze after learning where my husband was. I was unable to eat, sleep, or function properly.
And the worst part was that I blamed myself for everything. Was I not enough? Did I do something wrong? Why did he leave us like this?
A woman looking outside her bedroom window | Source: Midjourney
But when I finally gathered the courage to face the truth, I realized it had nothing to do with me. He was the one who was selfish. The one who betrayed our family.
And I refused to let his betrayal define me.
Soon, I threw myself into work, determined to give Jeremy the best life possible. My mother looked after Jeremy while I juggled my job.
Slowly, the pain faded, and I started finding happiness in small moments. I found myself laughing at Jeremy’s giggles and adoring the way he called me “Mommy.”
With time, I realized we were doing just fine.
Then I met Sam.
A man standing outdoors | Source: Midjourney
It was a hectic afternoon at my favorite coffee shop. Jeremy was at daycare, and I had just wrapped up a long morning at work.
I reached into my purse to pay, only to realize my card wasn’t working.
“Oh, come on,” I muttered, trying again.
Still nothing.
The cashier gave me a polite but tired look, and I felt the heat of embarrassment creep up my neck. Just as I was about to put my coffee back, a deep voice spoke up behind me.
“Let me get that for you.”
A woman holding a cup of coffee | Source: Pexels
I turned to see a tall man with warm brown eyes. He pulled out his card and tapped it against the reader.
“Oh no, you don’t have to—”
“Really, it’s fine,” he said with a charming smile. “It’s just coffee.”
I hesitated before sighing. “Alright. But give me your number so I can pay you back.”
He chuckled. “Deal.”
That was how it started. A simple act of kindness. A number exchanged. A text here and there.
A man using his phone | Source: Pexels
Over time, I learned Sam was an insurance broker. He was two years older than me and didn’t mind the fact that I came with a little boy.
I still remember the day I told him about Jeremy.
“Alice, that’s wonderful!” he cheered. “I love kids.”
For the first time in years, I felt hope bloom inside me. Maybe love wasn’t off the table after all.
We dated for a year before getting married, and Sam was everything I could have wished for. He was attentive and patient and never made me feel like I was “too much.”
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
The best part was that Jeremy bonded with him instantly, giggling at his silly jokes and reaching for his hand whenever we walked together.
That’s when I let my guard down for the first time in a LONG time. That’s when I believed we were finally a family.
But then… my life took an unexpected turn. Never in a million years had I thought I’d experience something like this.
A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
It all started the day my mother pulled me aside. She had this look of concern on her face.
“Alice,” she began in a hushed tone. “Don’t you see that he’s always whining around Sam?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Just watch him. Every time Sam’s around, Jeremy looks different.”
At first, I brushed it off as my mother being overly protective. She had always been wary of men after what Daniel did to me.
But later that evening, I started paying attention.
A boy sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
Jeremy was his usual cheerful self when it was just the two of us. He laughed, played, and chatted endlessly about his day at daycare. But the moment Sam walked into the room, something changed.
His shoulders stiffened, his voice quieted, and sometimes he would start crying for no apparent reason.
It made me realize I needed to talk to Sam about it.
“Hey, can I ask you something?” I said later that night.
He glanced up from his phone. “Of course.”
“Have you noticed how Jeremy acts around you?”
“What do you mean?”
A man sitting in his bedroom | Source: Midjourney
I hesitated. “He… he gets quiet. Sometimes he even cries.”
“Alice, I love that kid,” he said. “I treat him like my own. Why would he—-“
“I know,” I interrupted, unsure if I had offended him. “It’s just… I don’t know.”
He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Maybe he’s adjusting. It’s a big change for him, right? A new father figure. It’s a lot for a five-year-old.”
I nodded, wanting to believe him. He sounded so sincere. But deep down, something didn’t sit right.
A woman looking away while talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney
A few days later, I picked up Jeremy from daycare, and on our way home, we stopped for ice cream. He sat on the bench beside me as he licked his cone.
“Hey, buddy,” I said gently. “Can I ask you something?”
He nodded while enjoying his ice cream.
“Why do you get upset around Sam?”
His smile faded, and he turned the other way.
A boy sitting on a bench | Source: Midjourney
“You can tell me anything, sweetheart,” I said, turning him back towards me. “I won’t be mad.”
“I heard Daddy talking on the phone…” He looked at me. “And he said I’m a problem.”
I couldn’t process that.
“Are you sure, sweetheart?”
Jeremy shook his head.
“Yes. He said, ‘Little Jeremy is a problem.’ I didn’t hear the rest because I ran to my room.” He hesitated before asking in a small voice, “Mommy, will he leave like my first daddy?”
Tears welled in his big, brown eyes. I couldn’t bear that.
A woman talking to her son | Source: Midjourney
I pulled him into my arms, brushing his hair back. “Oh, sweetheart, no. I will never let anyone leave you, okay?”
That night, I confronted Sam.
As soon as Jeremy was asleep, I stood in front of him. “Did you call Jeremy a problem?”
Sam looked up from the couch. “What?”
“Jeremy heard you on the phone. He said you called him a problem.”
For a split second, something flickered in his expression. Something dark.
A close-up shot of a man’s face | Source: Midjourney
But then, his face quickly smoothed over.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Alice, come on. He must’ve misunderstood. I was talking about a guy at work. His name is Jeremy. You know, we’ve been dealing with a mess of paperwork, and I probably said something in frustration.”
I studied his face, searching for any sign of a lie. “So, you weren’t talking about my son?”
“Of course not. I’d never say something like that about him. I love that kid.”
I let out a shaky breath, nodding. Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe Jeremy really had misheard.
A close-up shot of a woman’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll talk to him in the morning,” Sam promised. “I’ll clear everything up.”
And he did.
The next morning, he sat Jeremy down and reassured him that it was all a misunderstanding. My little boy nodded as Sam explained everything. I was relieved to see Jeremy smile.
But when I told my mother about it, she frowned. “Have you ever been to his office? Do you know anyone he works with?”
“I know where he works,” I told her. “I have the address.”
“That’s not what I asked,” she said. “Do you know anyone he actually works with? Have you met any of his coworkers?”
People working in an office | Source: Pexels
I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came. The truth was, I hadn’t. I had never been to his office or met any of his colleagues.
“Alice, something isn’t right,” Mom said. “You need to check.”
I sighed, shaking my head. “Mom, you’re being paranoid.”
“Am I?” she shot back. “Or are you ignoring the signs?”
The next morning, as I packed Jeremy’s lunch, my phone rang. It was my mother. Her voice was urgent.
An older woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
“Alice, I checked,” she said. “That address he gave you? There’s no record of him working there. No one’s ever heard of him.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
“How do you know that?” I asked in a trembling voice.
“Remember Mrs. Parker? She works there,” my mom replied. “She confirmed, Alice. Sam doesn’t work there.”
At that point, I was sure Sam was hiding something from me. And I had to find out what that was.
That evening, I told Sam I had to visit my mother because she wasn’t feeling well. I told him I’d stay there for a few days with Jeremy.
As expected, he didn’t mind. He told me we could stay there as long as my mom needed.
A man talking to his wife | Source: Midjourney
Once we were at my mother’s house, I locked the door behind me and sank onto the couch. I needed to know the truth.
Hiring a private investigator wasn’t something I had ever imagined doing, but desperation pushed me into action.
I needed facts. I needed real, undeniable proof of who Sam was.
Three days later, I got my answer.
“It’s worse than you think,” the investigator said as he handed me a folder.
My hands trembled as I opened it. Inside were phone records, financial statements, and a detailed report of Sam’s past.
His entire life was a lie.
A woman holding documents | Source: Pexels
The office address he had given me? It was fake. There was no insurance company and no coworker named Jeremy.
The investigator had tapped Sam’s phone and uncovered everything. It turned out Sam had been talking to his mother that night, not a colleague.
The investigator told me they were scammers and this was their game.
“He’s been planning to frame you at work,” the investigator continued. “Your job gives you access to financial accounts, right? He’s been setting things up so that if something goes wrong, you’ll take the fall. Once you’re arrested, he gets access to your assets including your savings and your home.”
A man talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
I gripped the folder as I started to realize how Jeremy was a problem for Sam and his mother. If I went to jail, Sam would either have to take care of him or put him in state custody.
He hadn’t just been scamming me. He had been planning to erase me from the equation entirely.
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. “What do I do now?”
“Go to the police, Alice,” the investigator said firmly. “As soon as possible.”
I didn’t hesitate.
A police car standing outside a building | Source: Pexels
With the investigator’s findings, I went straight to the authorities. The evidence was overwhelming.
I found out that Sam and his mother had a long history of conning women. They had been moving from state to state under different identities.
But this time, he had gone further by marrying me. And I guess that was because I had something valuable.
Once I told the cops everything I knew about Sam, they reassured me they wouldn’t let him get away with this. All they needed was a few days to ensure they had enough to arrest him.
I wasn’t there when they took him away, but I heard he didn’t go quietly. He screamed, denied everything, and claimed it was all a setup.
But the evidence spoke for itself.
A man in handcuffs | Source: Pexels
I will never forget the look on his face as the cops led him away in the courtroom. It was like he was trying to tell me he’d return.
But instead of feeling scared, I straightened my back and smiled while looking into his eyes.
After the trial, I took Jeremy out for ice cream because he was the one who saved me from losing everything. Had he not told me about Sam’s conversation with his mother, I wouldn’t be here writing this story for you all.
I’ll always be grateful to fate for giving me such an intelligent boy like Jeremy.
A little boy | Source: Midjourney
My Husband Died in an Accident, but I Never Saw His Body — One Day, I Heard His Voice Coming from Our Little Daughter’s Bedroom
Grief plays tricks on the mind, but this? This was real. Kelly knew her husband’s voice, and she’d just heard it… coming from her daughter’s room. A chill ran down her spine. Jeremy had been dead for two years. So who — or what — was speaking in his voice? Then she stepped inside… and FROZE.
I’m Kelly. I’m 30, and my life has been a rollercoaster of love and loss. My husband, Jeremy, died in a car accident two years ago. I was eight months pregnant with our daughter, Sophia. One moment, I was painting flowers on the walls of her nursery, dreaming about our future. The next, I was getting a phone call that shattered my world.
A pregnant woman looking at her phone | Source: Pexels
I remember that moment like it was yesterday. The paintbrush slipped from my fingers, leaving a trail of pink down the wall.
“Miss Kelly?” the voice on the phone was gentle, practiced. “This is Officer Reynolds…”
“Yes?” My hand instinctively went to my swollen belly. Sophia kicked, as if sensing my fear.
“There’s been an accident. Your husband…”
“No,” I whispered. “No, please…”
A startled woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
They told me the crash was bad — so bad that I shouldn’t see his body. I never got to say goodbye. Just a closed casket at the funeral, and that was it.
“Kelly, honey,” my mom had said at the funeral, holding me as I sobbed. “You need to stay strong. For the baby.”
“How?” I choked out. “How am I supposed to do this without him? He was supposed to be here. He was supposed to hold her…”
Men carrying a coffin | Source: Pexels
Two years later, I was doing my best to keep going, to be strong for Sophia. But the emptiness? It never really left.
And then, two days ago, something happened that made me question everything.
It was just a regular afternoon. I had put Sophia down for her nap in her bedroom and curled up on the couch with a book. The house was quiet. Peaceful.
Until I heard it.
The sound of a window shutting. Not loud — just enough to make me glance up. Probably the wind, I thought. But then, my blood ran cold when I… Oh my God… when I heard JEREMY’S VOICE:
“I love you forever.”
I swear to God, my whole body turned to ice.
It wasn’t a muffled memory in my head. It wasn’t wishful thinking. It was CLEAR AS DAY.
A terrified woman | Source: Midjourney
I sat frozen, my breath caught in my throat. My ears were ringing. My heart pounded so hard I thought I might pass out.
“Jeremy?” I whispered into the silence, my voice trembling. “Baby, is that you?”
No. No, no, no. Jeremy was gone. This was NOT POSSIBLE.
But I heard it. Again.
“I love you forever.”
It was coming from Sophia’s room.
A frantic woman standing at the doorway | Source: Midjourney
I shot up so fast the book tumbled off my lap. My mind raced with possibilities — was someone in there? Was I hallucinating?
Was Jeremy ALIVE?
I rushed down the hallway, barely feeling my feet hit the floor. My hands were ice-cold, and my stomach churned like I might throw up.
“Please,” I whispered as I ran, tears already forming. “Please, if you’re there…”
I pushed open Sophia’s door.
A terrified woman walking into a room | Source: Midjourney
She was sound asleep in her crib, curled up in a little ball, her tiny fingers clutching a teddy bear. The room was just as I had left it. No open windows. No shadows in the corner. Nothing.
But then, I heard it again.
“I love you forever.”
I swore my heart stopped.
“Jeremy?” My voice cracked. “Is this some kind of cruel joke? Please… I can’t… I can’t take this…”
I scanned the room, my hands shaking as I moved toward the window. Something had to explain this.
A little girl fast asleep while holding a teddy bear | Source: Midjourney
My fingers brushed against the glass. It was shut. Locked. Outside, a small tree branch rested against the pane, broken like it had fallen against it.
Okay. That explained the noise. But Jeremy’s voice?
My eyes darted back to Sophia. She stirred in her sleep, hugging the bear tighter.
“Dada,” she murmured in her sleep, and my heart shattered all over again.
And then it hit me.
The bear.
I dropped to my knees beside her crib, hands trembling as I reached for it. Pressed it.
“I love you forever.”
My chest squeezed so tight I thought I might collapse.
A startled woman holding a teddy bear | Source: Midjourney
Jeremy’s voice… It was coming from the bear.
“Oh God,” I sobbed, clutching the bear to my chest. “Oh God, Jeremy…”
I sat on the couch, staring at the bear like it might come to life.
I had no memory of buying this. Had someone given it to Sophia?
And then I remembered. A week ago, we had celebrated Sophia’s second birthday. My mother-in-law, Gloria, had given her this bear.
A little girl celebrating her 2nd birthday | Source: Pexels
“Look what Grandma got you!” I had said, trying to sound cheerful despite the ache in my chest. Another birthday without Jeremy.
I had barely looked at it at the time. It was just another stuffed animal.
But now? Now I needed answers. So I called Gloria.
She picked up on the second ring. “Kelly, hi, sweetie! Everything okay?”
An older woman holding her phone | Source: Midjourney
I gripped the bear tighter. “Did you know this thing plays Jeremy’s voice?”
Silence.
Then, a quiet, almost hesitant, “Oh… did it finally play?”
My stomach twisted. “Finally? What do you mean FINALLY?”
Gloria sighed. “I was wondering when you’d hear it.”
I sat up straighter. “Gloria. What did you do?”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
“Kelly, please,” her voice wavered. “Just let me explain…”
“Explain what?” I demanded, my voice rising. “Explain why you thought it was okay to… to…”
I couldn’t even finish the sentence.
Gloria showed up an hour later, looking almost nervous. She sat across from me, hands folded, eyes scanning my face.
“I just… I thought it would help,” she said softly.
I placed the bear between us. “Help who?”
Two women talking to each other | Source: Midjourney
She exhaled. “Sophia. And you.”
I stared at her.
“Kelly,” she reached across the table, taking my hand. “Every time Sophia asks about her daddy… every time I see you trying to explain… it breaks my heart.”
“And you don’t think this breaks mine?” My voice cracked. “To hear his voice again, out of nowhere?”
Gloria swallowed. “After Jeremy died, I kept thinking about how Sophia would never know her dad’s voice. So I took a recording from your wedding video. You remember his vows?”
My throat closed.
“‘I love you forever,’” she whispered.
Oh my God.
A woman overwhelmed with emotions | Source: Midjourney
“I remember,” I choked out. “He… he practiced those vows for weeks. Said he had to get them perfect…”
She clasped her hands together. “I had it sewn into the bear before her birthday. I wanted her to have a piece of him. To know he’s always with her.”
I blinked hard, staring at the table, my mind spinning.
She had meant well. I knew that. But I felt so blindsided.
“Gloria,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “You should have told me.”
“I know,” she admitted with a fragile smile. “I just… I didn’t want to upset you.”
An older woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
“Upset me?” I laughed bitterly. “I thought I was going crazy. I thought… for a moment, I thought he was…”
“Alive?” Gloria finished softly. “Oh, sweetheart…”
She moved around the table, pulling me into her arms as I broke down.
“I miss him so much,” I sobbed. “Every single day…”
“I know,” she stroked my hair. “He would be so proud of you, Kelly. So proud of how you’re raising Sophia.”
I didn’t know what to say.
I wasn’t angry. I wasn’t relieved. I was just… overwhelmed.
A distressed woman | Source: Midjourney
That night, I sat in Sophia’s room, watching her sleep. The bear was in my lap. My fingers traced the soft fabric as I stared at my little girl — the daughter Jeremy never got to meet.
She looked so much like him. The same curve to her nose, the same dimple when she smiled, and the same sparkling blue eyes.
“You would have loved her so much,” I whispered into the darkness. “She’s perfect, Jeremy. Just perfect.”
I pressed the bear one last time as a familiar voice filled the room and my heart:
“I love you forever.”
A lump formed in my throat. I wiped my eyes quickly, swallowing down the ache.
I missed him.
A heartbroken woman holding a teddy bear | Source: Midjourney
Sophia stirred, her eyes fluttering open. “Mama?”
“Hey, baby girl,” I whispered, reaching to stroke her cheek.
“Bear?” She reached for the teddy.
I handed it to her, watching as she pressed it to her chest. Jeremy’s voice filled the room again.
“That’s your daddy,” I told her, my voice thick with tears. “He loves you so, so much.”
A cheerful little girl holding a teddy bear | Source: Midjourney
“Dada?” She looked at the bear with wide eyes, then back at me.
“Yes, sweetheart. That’s Dada.”
She hugged the bear tighter, closing her eyes. “Love Dada.”
And for so long, I thought I had lost everything. But here, in my daughter’s arms, was a piece of him.
I leaned down and kissed Sophia’s forehead.
“You’ll always have him with you, my sweet girl,” I whispered. “Always.”
The grief was still there. It always would be.
But for the first time in a long, long time… I didn’t feel so alone.
A grieving woman holding herself together | Source: Midjourney
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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