Newlywed bliss shatters when Sarah’s husband, Jake, accuses her of cheating after “smelling cologne” in their bedroom. Alone and humiliated, Sarah pieces together the truth — and it’s far from what Jake expected.
It had only been two weeks since Jake and I said our vows. Two weeks of riding that post-wedding glow like it was some invincible wave. It felt like we were untouchable. No one told me how quickly that feeling could collapse.
A happy woman | Source: Midjourney
Jake’s mom had the accident on a Sunday morning. I was folding laundry when he got the call. One second, he was tapping his phone on the counter, scrolling through some meme page, and the next, his face drained of color.
“Mom’s hurt,” he said, already pulling on his hoodie. “Dad accidentally hit her with the car.” His voice cracked on that last part. “Her hip… it’s bad. She needs an urgent replacement.”
I grabbed the keys for him. “I’ll drive.”
Car keys | Source: Pexels
“No, no. I’ll be faster.” His eyes met mine, wild and unfocused. “I’ll call you when I know more.”
He kissed me on the side of my head, and then he was gone. Just like that. I stood in the kitchen, the faint smell of detergent in the air, trying to process what he’d just said. His dad hit his mom with the car?
Hours later, he called to say he’d be staying at his parents’ house to help care for her post-surgery. I told him it was fine. It was. What kind of wife would I be if I didn’t understand that?
A woman holding a cell phone | Source: Midjourney
Three days later, on Wednesday morning, I was halfway out the door for work when I heard the front lock turn behind me. My heart jumped. Jake?
He stepped in wearing the same hoodie and worn jeans. He grinned when he saw me, but as I hurried forward to greet him, he stopped in his tracks. His nose crinkled and his eyes darted across the apartment like he was searching for something.
“Hey, babe! I didn’t know you were coming back today,” I said.
A man in an apartment | Source: Midjourney
He didn’t smile. He didn’t even look at me, just kept scanning the place. Then his eyes locked on me, hard as stone.
“Who’s been here?” he asked, his voice sharp as a blade.
“What?” I blinked, stunned. “No one’s been here, Jake. It’s just me.”
He tilted his head toward the bedroom. “Then why does it smell like cologne in there?”
A frowning man | Source: Midjourney
I laughed, but it came out too light, too nervous. “Cologne? What are you talking about?”
“You tell me,” he shot back, stepping past me toward the bedroom. “Smells like a man’s been in here.”
I stared after him, frowning. “Maybe it’s something from outside,” I offered. “Maybe it’s… I don’t know. The windows were open all day yesterday.”
A woman shrugging | Source: Midjourney
My phone buzzed then. It was a text from a colleague letting me know the boss was looking for me.
“I’ve got to rush,” I called out. “I’m already running late and now Mrs. Thompson is asking for me! See you later, babe!”
I hurried out the door. Work was crazy that day, and I couldn’t wait to get home to Jake. I’d missed him so much while he was away. But when I got home that night, I knew something was wrong.
Apartment corridor | Source: Pexels
My key didn’t fit. I yanked it out, checked it, and tried again, but it was useless. I peered at the doorknob like a fool, and that’s when it hit me: Jake had changed the locks.
I banged on the door and called for Jake, but he didn’t reply. So I called his phone. It rang once before going straight to voicemail. I called again. Same thing. Texts went unanswered, too.
I sat on the stairs of our apartment complex, head in my hands, feeling too stunned to cry. I thought about calling the landlord, but what would I even say?
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
I had nowhere else to go, so I went to my mom’s place. She was shocked to see me, and just as confused as I was when I tried to explain why I was there.
“Why don’t you try calling Jake’s brother?” she suggested, placing a cup of tea in front of me. “Those two are so close… if anyone can help you figure out what’s going on, it’s Nick.”
“You’re right,” I muttered, wiping my eyes.
Tears in a woman’s eye | Source: Pexels
I stepped into the living room with my tea and called Nick. He picked up on the third ring.
“Hey,” I said, breathless. “Have you talked to Jake?”
“Yeah,” he said, his voice colder than I’d ever heard it. “He doesn’t want to talk to you.”
I stood up, gripping the phone tighter. “What? What are you talking about?”
A stunned woman | Source: Midjourney
“Look, Sarah,” he sighed like he was tired of me already. “He knows what you did. You should just own it.”
I pressed my hand to my mouth. “Are you serious right now?” I whispered. “What are you even talking about, Nick?”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
He hung up.
A cell phone | Source: Pexels
I immediately texted Jake again, demanding to know why he was mad at me. This time, he replied.
“You cheated on me while I was looking after Mom. Our apartment stinks of your lover’s cologne! How dare you bring another man into our bed?”
I couldn’t believe what I was reading, but it didn’t stop there.
A woman staring at her cell phone | Source: Midjourney
Another text arrived from Jake.
“Our marriage is over! I’ve told my whole family what you’ve done…”
Tears flooded my eyes as I read all the cruel names he called me after that. Jake and I had been together for five years… how could he think I’d be unfaithful to him only two weeks into our marriage?
An emotional woman | Source: Midjourney
More texts arrived in quick succession, but these were from Jake’s mom.
“Return the ring. It’s not yours anymore. It was $19,000, and we’re not letting you walk away with it.”
My breath caught in my throat. I sat up straighter, staring at my screen in shock.
“Jake is meeting with a lawyer tomorrow. An annulment can be done quickly since it’s only been 2 weeks.”
A woman holding a cell phone | Source: Midjourney
An annulment? Before I could finish processing that, the next text arrived.
“We’ll be sending your things soon. Tell us if you’d rather have them dropped off or shipped.”
My fingers curled into the blanket on my lap, gripping it like it was the only thing keeping me grounded. I kept reading the messages until I finally turned off my phone.
A woman holding a cell phone | Source: Pexels
I sat there, staring at the little gold band on my finger, wondering how we got here. Two weeks ago, we were untouchable.
I didn’t sleep that night. My mind wouldn’t stop spinning. By 2 a.m., I was replaying every little detail, looking for a clue.
And then it hit me: the wipes.
A woman holding wipes | Source: Pexels
The smell in our apartment wasn’t cologne. It was the lemon-cedarwood wipes I’d taped behind the fan in our bedroom. I’d done it on purpose after cooking fish for dinner — Jake hated the smell of fish.
My heart started pounding so hard it felt like it might break my ribs. I grabbed my phone and texted him.
“Check behind the fan. Look in the bathroom trash for the packaging. It’s the wipes, Jake. It’s not cologne. It’s not a man. It’s the wipes.”
A woman texting | Source: Midjourney
Then I waited.
The next morning, I was sitting with my mom at the kitchen table, trying to act like I hadn’t just experienced the emotional collapse of my life. My coffee was cold, and I didn’t care. My phone buzzed.
Jake.
I looked up at my mom, and she nodded. “Go on, baby.”
A mature woman | Source: Midjourney
I walked to the door. Through the window, I saw him standing there. Shoulders slouched. His eyes were red. His hands shook as he wiped at his face.
He knocked once. Just once.
I opened the door but didn’t say anything. I just watched him.
“Sarah,” he choked out, his face crumpling. “I’m so sorry.”
A man standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
I folded my arms, leaning against the doorframe. “Are you?”
“It was a mistake,” he said, voice cracking. “I-I let my head get… I wasn’t thinking. I just—” He looked up at me, eyes wild. “Please come home.”
My breath hitched, and before I knew it, I was stepping forward, arms wrapping around him. His warmth crashed into me, his breath shaky against my hair. Relief poured out of him in a broken sob, and for a moment, I let myself believe it was going to be okay.
A couple hugging | Source: Midjourney
I went home with Jake that evening, but I couldn’t get over what had happened. I couldn’t stop thinking about the lock change, the cruel texts, and Jake’s mom demanding my ring back like I was a thief.
The names Jake had called me circled my thoughts. One little misunderstanding was all it had taken for him and all his family to turn on me. We’d known each other for five years… we were supposed to be family.
The next night, I packed my things.
Suitcases on a bed | Source: Pexels
I carried my suitcase out into the living room, where Jake was watching TV.
“I’ve been thinking…” I started, leaning over to switch off the TV as I spoke, “about how quick you were to believe I was cheating on you, how you refused to talk things through with me, how easy it was for you to throw me out like trash.”
“Baby, I said I’m sorry.” He stared at me like he couldn’t believe this still bothered me.
A man on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
“I know, but saying sorry doesn’t mean we aren’t broken, Jake.”
“I’ll make it right, I swear! I love you.”
I shook my head, slow and steady. “Love doesn’t change the locks on me. Love doesn’t end with a text.”
His face twisted with regret. “Please.”
A sad man | Source: Midjourney
“I’m going back to my mom’s,” I said, grabbing my suitcase and heading for the door. “I need space.”
“Sarah, please!”
But I shut the door.
For the next week, he sent me long, heartbroken texts. Pages of apologies. I read them all. I didn’t reply.
A woman frowning at her phone | Source: Midjourney
I lay awake at night, thinking about it. If someone else told me this story, I’d laugh at how stupid it sounded. He thought it was cologne. It was lemon wipes. But I didn’t laugh. It wasn’t funny.
Two weeks into marriage, and I’d already learned this much: People who love you don’t turn on you that fast.
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.
My Brother Makes Our Grandma Do Everything around the House — When I Saw Her Washing the Floors I Taught Him a Lesson
My Brother Makes Our Grandma Do Everything around the House — When I Saw Her Washing the Floors I Taught Him a Lesson
When Mike’s careless attitude toward his elderly grandmother reaches a boiling point, his sister devises a cunning plan to teach him a lesson. What starts as a simple party quickly unravels, exposing family tensions and leaving Mike humiliated in front of friends and family.
Hi! My name’s Mia, and here’s my story. My grandma moved into my brother’s house a few months ago after hers was sold. She needed money for medical bills, and living with him seemed like a great idea. She never complained about it, and I thought they were having a great time until I came to visit…
Mia cooks as her grandmother does the dishes | Source: Midjourney
During my first week there, I saw my grandma cook, clean, do laundry, and tend to the yard day after day. Not once did my brother lift a finger to help. Despite Granny’s back problems, he told her to do more and more with this bored, entitled tone.
“Granny, can you iron my shirts?” he would call out from the living room.
“Sure, dear,” she would reply, forcing a smile.
Grandmother mowes the lawn | Source: Midjourney
“Granny, the yard needs mowing,” he would say while playing video games.
“Of course, I’ll get to it,” she would answer, wincing as she stood up.
One afternoon, I found her mopping the floors. Her hands were red and dry, with knuckles sticking through pale skin. She moved slowly, pain evident in every step. That’s when I broke down and decided I couldn’t stay quiet any longer.
Mia confronts her grandma | Source: Midjourney
“Grandma, why are you doing all this?” I asked, my voice trembling with anger. “You should be resting!”
She looked up, tired eyes meeting mine. “He needs help, dear. He’s busy with work.”
“Busy?!” I exploded. “He’s playing video games all day! This is not fair!”
Grandma sighed. “I don’t mind. It’s just a little work.”
Mike plays video games | Source: Midjourney
But it wasn’t just a little work. It was too much for anyone, let alone an elderly woman with health issues. I knew I had to do something. I decided to organize a party, but not just any party. This would be a party with a twist.
The relationship between my brother and me had always been complicated. Growing up, Mike was the golden child, the one who could do no wrong.
Mike as a child | Source: Midjourney
He was a star athlete in high school, always surrounded by friends and admiration. I, on the other hand, was the quiet, bookish one. I didn’t mind staying out of the spotlight, but it did create a rift between us.
Our parents adored Mike and doted on him, often overlooking his flaws. They saw him as ambitious and driven, while I was seen as the responsible one.
I expected him to help out more around the house. This dynamic followed us into adulthood. When Grandma moved in, I hoped Mike would finally step up and take responsibility.
Mike laughs it off | Source: Midjourney
“Mike, can you at least help Grandma with the groceries?” I had asked one day when I called to check in.
He had laughed. “She’s fine, sis. She likes to stay busy.”
“She’s not a maid,” I had snapped back, frustration boiling over.
“Don’t be so dramatic,” he had replied dismissively.
The struggling grandma | Source: Midjourney
Seeing Grandma now, struggling and in pain, I felt a mix of anger and sadness. Mike had always been self-centered, but this was a new low. I couldn’t stand by and watch any longer.
One evening, I sat down with Grandma after dinner. “Granny, you need to rest. You can’t keep doing all this.”
She patted my hand. “I’ll be fine, sweetie. I’ve handled worse.”
Mia talks to her grandma | Source: Midjourney
“But you shouldn’t have to,” I insisted. “Mike needs to learn to help out. This isn’t fair to you.”
She sighed, looking weary. “He’s just used to it. He’s always been like this.”
I shook my head. “That doesn’t make it right.”
As I thought about what to do, an idea formed in my mind. It was bold, maybe even a bit risky, but I knew it had to be done. Mike needed a wake-up call, and I was just the person to give it to him. He couldn’t keep getting away with treating Grandma like this. It was time for a change.
Mia has an idea | Source: Midjourney
The plan started to take shape in my mind. I would organize a surprise for Mike, something that would make him see just how much work Grandma was doing. He needed to understand the weight of responsibility and the value of family. And I was determined to make sure he learned his lesson.
On her last day of staying there, I asked my brother Mike for a small party. He agreed, thinking it would be a good way to see old friends.
The party was planned for the evening before I left. Our high school friends, his football team, and even some nostalgic teachers were invited for a BBQ and a celebration.
Party invitation | Source: Midjourney
As the time when everyone was supposed to arrive approached, I got busy with my plan. I yanked all of Mike’s clothes into the laundry bin and dirtied them with ketchup and dirt. He wouldn’t have anything clean to wear.
Next, I put clean dishes in the sink and covered them with soap and ketchup. I made sure to mess up everything Grandma had been doing for him all this time.
Mike was lounging on the couch, oblivious. “Hey, sis, can you get me a beer?” he called out.
Mia dirties the dishes | Source: Midjourney
I rolled my eyes. “Sure, Mike,” I said sweetly. I handed him the beer, knowing chaos was about to unfold.
As the first guests started to arrive, Mike finally noticed the mess. “What the heck happened here?” he muttered, looking around the kitchen. “Grandma, did you forget to clean up?”
Grandma, who was resting in the living room, looked confused. “I’m sorry, dear. I must have missed it.”
Mike sees his dirty laundry | Source: Midjourney
Mike huffed and went to the laundry room. He opened the bin and saw his clothes stained and dirty. “Seriously?” he grumbled. “I have nothing to wear!”
He stormed back into the kitchen, where I was setting out snacks. “What’s going on, sis? Why is everything a mess?” he demanded.
I shrugged. “I don’t know, Mike. Maybe you should ask Grandma.”
Mike tries to tidy up his house | Source: Midjourney
He groaned and grabbed a dirty shirt from the bin, reluctantly putting it on. Guests started coming in, and Mike was running around in his stained clothes, trying to clean up.
“Ugh, my grandma was supposed to clean this already,” he muttered to his friend, Tom. “Because of her, I have nothing to wear!”
Tom raised an eyebrow. “Dude, you’re thirty. Are you serious?” he asked, laughing.
High school friends laughing at Mike | Source: Midjourney
Another friend, Jake, smirked. “Yeah, man. Do your own laundry. What’s wrong with you?”
Mike ignored them and kept trying to clean up. Grandma, despite her exhaustion, got up to help him. “I’m sorry, Mike. I can help now,” she said, grabbing a mop.
“You should have done this earlier, Grandma. Now everything’s ruined.”
Sad grandmother looks down | Source: Midjourney
The room fell silent as everyone watched the scene unfold. Mike’s angry speech echoed in the quiet house. “Why can’t you just do your job, Grandma?” he shouted.
People looked at him in disbelief. One of the old teachers, Mr. Parker, shook his head. “Mike, you should be ashamed. She’s your grandmother, not your maid.”
Mike’s face turned red. He looked around at the judgmental faces of his friends and family. Humiliated, he stomped upstairs and locked himself in his room.
Mad Mike | Source: Midjourney
I turned to Grandma, who looked upset. “Don’t worry, Grandma. Let’s enjoy the night,” I said, giving her a hug.
The guests slowly resumed their conversations, the awkwardness fading away. We enjoyed the BBQ, shared stories, and had a good time. Grandma finally relaxed and laughed with her old friends.
Family enjoying a barbecue | Source: Pexels
As the evening went on, I felt a sense of satisfaction. Mike needed to understand what Grandma had been going through. Hopefully, this would be a wake-up call for him to change his ways.
Grandma smiled at me. “Thank you, dear,” she said softly. “I hope he learns from this.”
Mia hugs her grandmother | Source: Midjourney
“I think he will,” I replied, looking up at the darkened window where Mike had retreated. “He has to.”
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