When my best friend left town for a work trip, she asked me to watch her house. I agreed, not knowing I’d uncover her husband’s betrayal—and his secret plan to take everything from her. But when I told her the truth, she didn’t thank me. She accused me instead.
They said friends were the family you chose. I used to believe that with all my heart. Jessica had been my best friend since college, and even after all these years, we remained close.
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We’d laughed, cried, and shared almost everything. But my intuition had never screamed louder than the day I met Mark, Jessica’s husband. Something about him felt wrong.
Cold eyes with a warm smile. Like someone pretending to be kind but hiding something darker underneath. I didn’t like him then. And I liked him even less now.
One day, Jessica and I were sitting on her porch, like we had so many times before.
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The air was soft with late spring heat, warm but not heavy, and her cat, Taco, sprawled on the sunlit tiles like royalty, one paw twitching in a dream.
Jessica stirred honey into her tea, slow and quiet. Then she looked up at me with that guilty little smile I knew all too well—the kind she wore when she wanted something but didn’t want to ask.
“I need a favor,” Jessica said. Her voice was soft, like she already knew I wouldn’t like what was coming.
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I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms. “What kind of favor?”
She avoided my eyes. “I’m flying to New York next week. Big marketing pitch. I’ll be gone five days.”
I waited. She still hadn’t asked anything real.
“Could you check in on the house?” she added. “Feed Taco, water the plants, maybe bring in the mail. Just keep it from looking empty.”
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I raised an eyebrow. “And your husband? What’s he doing while you’re gone?”
She looked down at her tea. “He said it’s not really his thing.”
I blinked. “What’s not his thing?”
“Taking care of the house. Feeding the cat. He said it’s not a man’s job.”
friendship
I scoffed and shook my head. “So, he can close real estate deals and wear cufflinks before noon, but a can of cat food is too much?”
Her jaw tightened. “Mark’s just not domestic. That’s just how he is.”
I leaned forward. “Jess, I love you. You know that. But you’re doing it again.”
She frowned. “Doing what?”
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“You’re making excuses for him. Again. He doesn’t do much, but you keep defending him. Why?”
Her voice got louder. “You’ve never liked him. From day one. You always look for reasons to hate him.”
“I had reasons, Jess. I still do. My gut said no the moment I met him.”
She pointed a finger at me. “You’re alone, Lee. And that’s not his fault.”
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I flinched. That one hit hard, but I kept my voice steady. “You think I’m jealous? You think I want your life?”
She stood up and crossed her arms. “You never gave him a chance. You decided you didn’t like him before you even heard him speak.”
Before I could answer, the sliding door opened behind her. Mark walked out like he owned the world. Crisp polo. Perfect hair. Phone in hand, thumbs tapping.
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“What are we talking about?” he said. “Me again?”
“Just your refusal to feed the cat,” I said.
He gave that smug smile I hated. “I delegate where it makes sense. It’s called efficiency.”
I turned to Jessica. “He hasn’t looked up from that phone. Who’s he texting so much?”
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“It’s work,” she said. “He has a big client. Real estate.”
I stared at his screen. “Must be a very flirty deal.”
Jessica slammed her glass down. “Enough. If you’re going to keep insulting him, maybe you shouldn’t help.”
I sighed. “I said I’d do it, and I will. For you. Not for him.”
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Mark looked up. “Try not to rearrange the furniture.”
I smiled. “Wouldn’t want to upset your kingdom.”
But I was already planning to keep my eyes open.
It was late afternoon when I pulled into Jessica’s driveway. The sky looked strange—dark clouds rolled in slow, and the air felt still, like it was waiting for something bad to happen.
woman from behind at night
I parked and walked up the steps. The back door key was warm in my hand. I unlocked it and stepped inside.
Taco was there right away, rubbing against my leg, purring loud like always. He had no idea what was going on.
I bent down and gave him a quick scratch behind the ears. “Hey, buddy,” I whispered. “Let’s get you some food.”
cat playing
I filled his bowl and poured some water, then walked around the kitchen. I checked the plants in the window and the mail on the counter. Everything looked normal. Too normal. That’s when I heard it.
Laughter.
A man’s voice—Mark. And then a woman’s laugh followed.
couple kissing
I froze at the bottom of the stairs. My heart pounded. I moved slowly, quiet as I could. The bedroom door was open just a little. I stepped closer and peeked in.
Mark was on the bed. Half his shirt was unbuttoned. Next to him was a woman, wearing Jessica’s robe, sipping from her favorite glass like she owned the place.
“I told you it would work,” Mark said. He raised his glass and took a sip. “She signed it without reading. Didn’t even ask questions. Just trusted me like always.”
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The woman laughed. “Are you sure this gives you the house?”
Mark leaned back against the pillows. “Yes. Once I get it notarized on Friday, it’s done. She thinks it’s just boring bank papers. Something about refinancing. I made it sound simple.”
The woman looked around the room. “What about all her stuff? Clothes? Books?”
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He waved his hand. “We’ll throw out what we don’t want. Maybe sell a few things. I already packed some boxes. The rest is trash. The cat’s going too.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Wow. She’s going to be crushed.”
Mark smirked. “She won’t be. We’ll be long gone before she knows. I’ve been looking at condos in Miami. Pool, gym, all that. This place will be listed by the time she gets back.”
couple holding hands
I felt sick. I couldn’t listen anymore. My foot hit the edge of the stair. A soft creak.
Mark’s head turned. “Did you hear that?” he asked, voice sharp.
I didn’t wait. I ran. Down the stairs. Out the back door. Into my car. My hands shook as I grabbed my phone. I hit Jessica’s name.
female driver
“Lee?” she answered. “What’s going on?”
“There’s a woman in your house. With Mark. I saw them. I heard everything. He tricked you into signing papers. He’s stealing your house.”
She didn’t answer right away.
Then she said, “You’re lying.”
woman with phone
“I’m not. Jess, please believe me—”
“You’ve always hated him. You’ve been waiting for a reason to tear us apart. You’re jealous. And now you’re making up stories.”
“No, I’m trying to help you. I’m trying to protect you.”
Her voice turned cold. “Don’t call me again.”
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Click. The line went dead.
Later that evening, my doorbell rang. I opened it. Mark stood there. Calm. Hands in his pockets.
“She told me everything,” he said. “About your little story.”
I didn’t blink. “I’m not afraid of you.”
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He stepped closer. “You should be. Keep pushing, and someone’s going to get hurt.”
I knew Jessica wouldn’t believe me unless she saw everything with her own eyes. Words wouldn’t be enough.
Not even tears would move her. Jessica was too in love with him. Too loyal. Too proud.
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She wouldn’t walk away without something solid. Proof she could touch. Proof she couldn’t explain away.
That’s why I did something I hated—something that felt cold and cruel, but also right.
I downloaded a fake call app. I set it up to look like the hospital was calling her.
phone on the table
The message said I had been in a car accident. It said I was in the emergency room and not waking up.
I knew it was wrong to scare her like that, but it was the only thing that would pull her back fast.
And it worked.
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Six hours later, there was a knock at my door. Jessica stood there, breathing hard. Her hair was messy. Her eyes were wide. She looked like she had run the whole way.
“Are you okay?” Jessica asked as she rushed inside. Her face was pale, and her breath came fast. She looked like she had been crying.
“I’m fine,” I said. “There was no accident. I’m not hurt. I made it up.”
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“You lied to me?” she shouted. Her voice shook. “What the hell, Lee? Why would you do that?”
“Because you wouldn’t listen,” I said. “You wouldn’t hear me. I had to bring you back. I needed you to see it for yourself.”
She stared at me, her eyes wide and full of pain. For a moment, I thought she might hit me. But then she took a deep breath and said, “Okay. Show me.”
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We drove to her house. Neither of us spoke. The silence felt heavy.
When we reached her block, I parked a few houses down. We got out and walked slowly. At her window, we stopped and looked inside.
Mark was on the couch with the same woman. They were kissing like they didn’t have a care in the world.
couple kissing
Jessica didn’t speak. She took out her phone. Her hands shook, but she snapped photo after photo. Her jaw tightened.
“I want to go inside,” she said.
We walked to the door. It was unlocked.
Inside, everything was different. The scent of her favorite candle was gone.
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The hallway was cold and quiet. Black trash bags lined the wall. Boxes were stacked on top of each other.
Sharp words written across them: “JUNK,” “DONATE,” “TRASH.” Her life was being packed away like it meant nothing.
Jessica’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “Mark!”
indoor garbage bag
He turned around fast, eyes wide. “Jessica? What the hell are you doing here?”
She stepped forward. Her voice was loud. Her hands were tight fists at her sides. “What am I doing here? Are you serious? You liar! You cheat! You’re throwing away my life like it’s trash!”
The woman on the couch jumped up. She grabbed her purse and started moving toward the door. “I’ll just—”
woman
“Sit down!” Jessica snapped. “I’m not finished.”
Mark raised both hands. “Jess, wait. This isn’t what it looks like.”
She laughed, but it sounded sharp and cold. “Not what it looks like? You’re kissing another woman in my house! She’s wearing my robe. Drinking from my glass. You’re tossing my things in garbage bags. And you’re telling her my house is yours now?”
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Mark looked nervous. “You signed the papers. You didn’t even read them.”
“You tricked me,” Jessica said. Her voice was shaking now. “You told me it was for refinancing. You stood in front of me and lied.”
He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. They’re signed. It’s legal. It’s done. You just ruined everything.”
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Then he turned to me and pointed. “This is her fault. Lee. She’s been against me from the start. She poisoned your mind.”
Jessica took one step toward him. “No, Mark. You did this all by yourself. Lee told the truth. You think you can break me? You think you can take everything I own and leave me with nothing?”
She shook her head. “You’ll be left with nothing. Just your ego. And that won’t help you now.”
woman
Mark’s face twisted. “You’ll regret this.”
“No,” Jessica said. Her voice was calm now. “You will.”
She pointed at the door. “Get out. Both of you. I don’t want to see either of you in this house again.”
The woman ran out first. She didn’t look back. Mark stood there a second longer.
door
His jaw was tight. His fists clenched. Then he turned and walked out. He slammed the door behind him.
Jessica didn’t move. She didn’t cry. She didn’t scream. She just stood there. Still and quiet.
I looked at her. “You’re awfully calm.”
female friendship
She turned to me. “Because I already knew. I’ve felt it for a while. I knew he was cheating. I saw the strange paperwork. I just didn’t want to believe it. I needed proof.”
“You could’ve told me,” I said.
“I didn’t want it to feel fake,” she said. “I needed him to think I still trusted him. And I needed you to act normal. You did.”
I nodded. “So… you used me?”
female friendship
She shook her head. “No. I trusted you. Even when I acted like I didn’t. You stood by me.”
“I always will,” I said.
She gave me a small smile. Then she looked at the bags and boxes. “Let’s clean this up. I’ve got a life to rebuild.”
female friendship
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My Boyfriend Invited Me to Thanksgiving with His Family, but When They Showed Me Their Family Photos, We Were All Shocked
When Liz joins her boyfriend Jim’s family for Thanksgiving, she’s charmed by their warmth and quirky traditions, until an innocent dive into family photo albums takes a creepy turn. A mysterious woman appears in the background of decades-old pictures, sending the family into a supernatural panic. But just as chaos peaks, Jim drops a bombshell…
Thanksgiving at Jim’s family home felt like stepping into a holiday movie. You know, the kind with twinkling lights, a crackling fireplace, and the scent of homemade pie wafting through the air.
A cozy living room | Source: Midjourney
His mom, Eleanor, buzzed around the kitchen with effortless grace, pulling out a golden-brown turkey and buttery rolls. His dad, Harold, delivered groan-worthy dad jokes at regular intervals, while his younger brother, Max, showed me the quirky traditions that made this family unforgettable.
“Here,” Max said, handing me a ridiculous turkey hat with googly eyes. “It’s mandatory for the family photo.”
I laughed as Jim slipped one on too, rolling his eyes in mock despair.
A woman wearing a turkey hat | Source: Midjourney
“Yeah, welcome to the clan, Lizzie,” he said. “We’re all prisoners to Mom’s traditions.”
I didn’t feel like a prisoner at all. This was the kind of family dynamic I’d always dreamed of. It was the laughter, the warmth, and everyone working in sync, even if it was chaotic. I loved it all.
After dinner, as we settled into the cozy living room, Eleanor clapped her hands.
“Now, Liz, since you’re new to the fold, it’s time for the tradition!”
A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney
Jim visibly stiffened next to me.
“Mom, no, let’s skip it this year. We don’t need to do that every time I bring someone home!”
“Oh, don’t be silly, honey!” she said, waving him off. “You’ll love this, Liz! We always show Jim’s baby photos, and let me tell you, darling, it’s a hoot!”
Jim groaned.
A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
“Brace yourself, babe,” he muttered to me, picking up his glass of whiskey.
Eleanor emerged from the hall with a gigantic, worn photo album. She flipped it open with gusto, and the room lit up with laughter.
This. I loved this. My family hadn’t been very close. My parents tried when we were younger, but at some point, they realized that they didn’t want to do the close parenting thing. For Thanksgiving this year, my brother was with his friends and my parents were in China.
A glass of whiskey on a coffee table | Source: Midjourney
“Oh! I love this one!” Eleanor said.
It was a photo of baby Jim, and he was undeniably adorable. He was sitting in a high chair, covered in spaghetti. Then there was another one of him as a toddler wearing an oversized Spiderman costume. The captions, written in Eleanor’s cheerful scrawl, were as embarrassing as promised.
“Look at this one!” Max howled. “Jim in the tub with rubber ducks!”
A little boy in a bathtub with rubber ducks | Source: Midjourney
Jim buried his face in his hands while everyone laughed.
“I hate this tradition,” he mumbled, though I could see a hint of a smile.
Then Eleanor turned a page, and the atmosphere shifted.
My eyes landed on a photo of the family posing in their front yard. It was a charming scene—little Jim holding Max’s hand, Eleanor smiling brightly, and Harold standing proudly behind them.
A woman looking at an album | Source: Midjourney
But in the background, blurred yet unmistakable, was a woman. She wasn’t smiling, and something about her felt… off.
“Who’s that?” I asked, pointing to the figure.
Eleanor frowned.
“Who’s who, dear?”
A woman looking concerned | Source: Midjourney
“There,” I said, leaning closer. “Behind you all. The woman.”
The room grew quiet. Everyone leaned in, and Harold’s face went pale.
“I… I don’t remember anyone being there,” Eleanor said, her voice trembling slightly.
“Maybe it’s a neighbor?” Max suggested, but his tone was uncertain.
A close up of an older man | Source: Midjourney
He turned the page, and my stomach dropped.
There she was again!
This time, she was standing under a tree in the background, her face partially obscured by shadows.
Eleanor clutched her chest.
“What is happening? Who is she? Why is she in our photos? Max, pass me my rosary!”
A rosary on a table | Source: Midjourney
“This… this doesn’t make sense. These pictures are years apart. How could the same woman be in different places?” Harold muttered.
“I need to call Father Thomas,” Eleanor said, pacing the living room. “This is not normal!”
Jim, sitting silently beside me, started shaking slightly. At first, I thought he was overwhelmed. Then I realized he was holding back laughter.
A panicked older woman | Source: Midjourney
“Oh my goodness,” Eleanor whispered, her eyes wide. “Is she a ghost? Has she been following us all these years? I told you, Harold! That house we lived in before this one wasn’t right! I told you something felt off…”
Max flipped through the album frantically. The mysterious woman appeared in photo after photo—at the park, behind a picnic table, peering through a window.
And at every page turn, Eleanor’s face paled even further.
A stack of albums on a table | Source: Midjourney
“This is why I always told you to sage the house, Harold! You never listen to me, do you? Look now! I don’t know whether to laugh or cry!”
Jim finally lost it, doubling over with laughter.
“Mom, stop! Stop!” he gasped, tears streaming down his face.
Eleanor spun around, suddenly furious.
A woman holding a large bundle of sage | Source: Midjourney
“Why are you laughing, Jim?” she asked. “This isn’t funny! Not at all!”
My boyfriend wiped his eyes, barely able to speak through his laughter.
“Because… because I know who she is.”
Everyone froze, myself included. What was this man on about?
A laughing man | Source: Midjourney
“What? You what?” Eleanor shrieked, throwing a cushion at him.
Jim grinned, holding up his hands.
“Okay, okay! Calm down! It’s just a prank.”
“It’s a what?” Harold gasped.
“Excuse me, what?” Eleanor said, holding her chest.
A woman holding a cushion | Source: Midjourney
“It’s Photoshop,” he admitted, still grinning. “I learned it for my design certification course. They said that the edits needed to be convincing to pass. So, I used our family photos as practice.”
Eleanor’s jaw dropped.
“You Photoshopped a creepy woman into our family photos? Why on earth would you do that? Where are the originals?”
“Relax, they’re tucked behind the edited photos.”
A man using his laptop | Source: Midjourney
“Don’t you tell me to relax,” Eleanor said, but we could all see that she had calmed down.
Jim smirked, leaning back on the couch.
“Because you take out these albums every single year and humiliate me in front of whoever I’m dating or family that’s visiting. Every. Single. Time. I told you to stop, and you didn’t. So, I decided to get even with you and Dad.”
A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
Max doubled over laughing. “This is the best thing you’ve ever done, bro!”
Harold, who’d been silent for most of the reveal, finally let out a chuckle.
“Well, you’ve got to admit, Eleanor, this is memorable!”
Her face was a mix of horror and reluctant amusement.
A laughing man | Source: Midjourney
“You scared us half to death, Jim! I thought we were being haunted.”
“Oh, come on, Mom,” my boyfriend laughed. “Admit it, this is way more entertaining than baby Jim in a bathtub.”
For a moment, Eleanor just stared at him, her lips pressed tight. Then, to everyone’s relief, she started laughing. It was the kind of laughter that shook her shoulders and made her wipe tears from her eyes.
“All right, all right,” she said, holding up her hands. “You win. But you’re sorting out that entire album tomorrow!”
A laughing older woman | Source: Midjourney
“Deal,” Jim said, still grinning.
As the laughter died down, Jim turned to me, his expression sheepish.
“So, Lizzie, welcome to the family?” he said.
I couldn’t stop laughing. It was ridiculous, yes, but it also showed me something about Jim. He wasn’t just clever. He knew how to stand up for himself in the funniest, most unexpected ways.
A smiling woman holding a mug | Source: Midjourney
This family wasn’t perfect, but they were wholesome, and they were real. And I adored that.
“Come on, it’s time for ice cream cones with all the toppings,” Harold said. “Jim, for pranking us, you do the scooping!”
That night, as we said our goodbyes, Eleanor gave me a warm hug.
“I hope you’ll come back for Christmas, my dear,” she said, her eyes shining.
A tub of ice cream and toppings | Source: Midjourney
I glanced at Jim and smirked.
“I will,” I said. “But only if the photos are ghost-free.”
Eleanor laughed, and Jim groaned. “You’ll never let me live this down, will you?”
A woman standing in a doorway and laughing | Source: Midjourney
“Never,” I said, slipping my hand into his.
“But I think I’ll sage the house, just in case,” Eleanor said seriously.
As we drove home, turkey hats tucked into the backseat, I couldn’t help but think—I love this goofy, chaotic family already.
A couple sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
Priest Conducting Funeral Service for Wealthy Woman Leaned over Her Coffin – He Was Stunned to the Core by What He Saw
When Father Michael is conducting a funeral service for a woman, he notices an oddly shaped birthmark on her neck, exactly like his own. What comes next is a journey of self-discovery through the grieving process. Will Father Michael get the answers he so desperately wants to find?
The cathedral was silent, veiled in the heavy air of loss. Shadows from towering candles flickered along the marble floor as mourners dressed in black filled the pews, their heads bowed in reverence.
A funeral in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney
Eleanor, known throughout the community as a generous but reserved woman, had left behind both a sizable fortune and an enduring mystery.
Father Michael took a deep breath, the weight of yet another funeral pressing on him as he approached her casket. He’d never met Eleanor in person, yet something about her presence had always seemed familiar, almost hauntingly so.
As he moved closer, a strange compulsion stopped him. It was something that he couldn’t explain.
A priest in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney
He paused, then leaned in, bowing his head to begin the prayer. But as he did, his gaze drifted to her neck, and he froze.
Just behind her ear, a small, purplish birthmark stood out against her pale skin. It was almost shaped like a plum, the same shape and color as the one he had carried his whole life.
“How?” he muttered. “What does this mean?”
A woman in a casket | Source: Midjourney
A chill shot through him, his hand reaching up to press against his neck. He was well aware that everyone was looking at him, but still, he couldn’t help himself.
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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