Chris’ parents didn’t accept his relationship with Amanda. When she announced her pregnancy at the dinner, they rushed to call her a cheater because they had just gotten some shocking medical results. Their lives would never be the same.
“I just want to get this over with,” Chris sighed in front of his parents’ house door.
“They’re your parents, honey. We want them to finally accept me and come to our wedding, right?” his wife, Amanda, caressed his arms.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Chris grunted. “I really don’t care about that, Amanda. I’m sorry, but if they can’t accept the woman I love, I don’t want anything to do with them.”
“Please, honey. We have to make peace with them. What about the future? They’re family. We want them to be a part of our children’s lives, don’t we?” Amanda continued, smiling slightly. The problem is that the young, beautiful woman didn’t see the tightening of her husband’s mouth.
Chris tried to keep his composure after her words, but he only barely managed. “Yeah. I guess,” he muttered through his stiff lips.
“That’s… fine. When are you going to quit your job?” he continued.
“OK! Now, cheer up. We’re in this together,” Amanda perked and hugged his side.
Chris’s mother, Mrs. Castillo, opened the door with her signature fake grin, only slightly lifting her lips.
“Hello, Amanda. It’s nice to see you,” she said, nodding her head subtly and moving, so they could walk through the door.
Chris wanted to roll his eyes. It had been years since he and Amanda got together. They were engaged, and his parents still viewed her as the woman who “ruined their plans.” They wanted their son with someone else and were salty about his decision.
***
When Chris graduated from college and got his first job, his parents introduced him to Ciara, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Geoffrey. Her father was on a local private clinic board and highly well-respected in their town.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Chris came from the Castillo family, and they had always been wealthy thanks to their great-grandfather’s investments. Chris didn’t care much for that stuff. His parents were obsessed with status and what others would say.
However, he made the most amazing friends at college who came from all walks of life. It truly changed his life, and he realized that the girls he had been exposed to through private school and country club parties were not for him. He wanted a real woman.
And Amanda appeared. He had been at his job for a couple of years and collided with her on his way out of a parking lot. It was love at first sight for him, so he tried to joke, smile, and invite her out straight away.
She worked at a nearby building and was not happy about his advances. But eventually, she said yes to a date, and they had been together since.
The first time she met his parents was a disaster. They told Chris to break things off as soon as she left the restaurant table for the bathroom.
“She’s an assistant. Why can’t you date Ciara? She adores you. This is not the girl for you,” his mother said quietly, but her face showed desperation and disgust.
“Listen to your mother, son. You must marry a woman from your own… ugh… class. It won’t work otherwise,” his dad joined in, shaking his head.
“The two of you need to shut up. I will not listen to this. Ciara is a vapid little princess, and I don’t want to be near her… ever!” he said, forcefully but still discreetly enough.
Amanda returned to the table, and the dinner continued. His parents never had much of a poker face, so this meeting wasn’t pleasant. However, it was worse after those comments, and Amanda sensed it.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
He explained everything later, and she understood, telling him to give his parents time. But it had been a while, and they had yet to warm up. They behaved to her face but grumbled behind her back. Mostly, they tolerated her, especially since they got engaged. Meanwhile, she remained hopeful. Amanda was a glass-half-full kind of person. Therefore, she still called his mother to plan dinners and included her in some of the wedding details.
The only thing Amanda had not been open about was the fact that they were already trying for a baby. She wanted that to be a surprise. With some luck, Mr. and Mrs. Castillo would finally warm up when they started having babies.
***
As they sat at his parent’s dinner table, Chris could only think of wrapping this gathering up quickly. He had something to tell his fiancée, and it was extremely urgent. It might change the nature of their relationship forever. She might even decide to leave him.
“They don’t know what they’re missing. Let them eat cake in their country clubs while you and I find real happiness.”
He had actually talked to his parents about this a few days ago when he received the news. They didn’t have a lot to say about it. Their faces showed sadness and concern, but they remained their stoic selves.
“If Amanda leaves you, let her do it,” his mother told him, but that would kill Chris. So, he had been afraid of telling her the truth.
“So, Amanda,” his father began, snapping Chris out of his thoughts. “How’s work?”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Oh, Mr. Castillo. Work is going great. My boss has this huge event coming up, and I’m helping plan everything. It’s been fun, actually,” she replied, happy they showed interest in her.
“That’s… fine. When are you going to quit your job?” he continued.
“Excuse me?”
“Quit. To become a housewife,” Mr. Castillo clarified.
“I’m not quitting,” Amanda said, confused.
“She’s going to keep working, Dad,” Chris intervened, peeved.
“That’s… just fine. Amanda is a modern woman after all, darling,” his mother said, not quite smiling but not angry either.
“Well, I don’t know my plans yet. It’ll depend on the future,” Amanda said and swallowed nervously. “Speaking of which, I have an announcement. I’m pregnant!”
There was extreme silence at the table, which seemed to expand for hours, but it was only a few seconds. Amanda had been sure that a baby was everything this family needed to accept her finally, but she had no idea what Chris had just discovered.
The first person to break the silence was Mrs. Castillo. “He’s infertile!” she yelled, seething. Her eyes were almost red from anger.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Chris was frozen in complete shock. They had been intimate for a while without protection, hoping for this. But he just got medical results proving that he couldn’t father anyone. That meant… that Amanda had cheated.
“YOU WORTHLESS TROLLOP!” his mother screamed some more. “YOU CHEATED NO MY SON AND GOT PREGNANT? NOW YOU WANT TO BABY-TRAP HIM?”
“Baby trap him? Mrs. Castillo, Chris and I have been trying for months. We wanted to surprise you and start our family right away. What do you mean by infertile? That’s impossible!” Amanda shook her head rapidly, not knowing what to do.
Mr. Castillo wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin and stood. “Get out of this house immediately. Never show your face near my son again, or we will get a restraining order,” he threatened quietly.
“Sir! Chris, please. Do something. I don’t understand!” Amanda begged her fiance, but Chris couldn’t move. Suddenly, Mrs. Castillo grabbed Amanda’s hair and started pulling her toward the front door.
“Get out of here now!” the older woman yelled like a banter.
Amanda held onto her hair to prevent more pain, but she repeatedly called out to Chris. It was futile. He was still at the table, looking at his plate and not moving.
“CHRIS!” Amanda shouted finally as the heavy front door slammed.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
***
The next few days were a confusing blur. Chris moved out of their shared apartment, leaving the medical results on their kitchen countertop. He also left a Post-it.
“I was concerned and got tested. I’m infertile. Completely. I hope you have a happy life, but it won’t be with me,” he wrote, breaking Amanda’s heart.
That doctor had to be wrong. She was pregnant, and it was 100% Chris’s baby. She hadn’t been with anyone else for many years. How was this possible? And why wouldn’t he talk to me?
Despite her best efforts, Chris refused contact. When she went to his parent’s house, they called the police, who told her to leave or risk being arrested.
“Fine! I’ll leave! I’ll raise this beautiful baby on my own! You’re the one missing out, and when you realize the truth, it’ll be too late!” she screamed towards the mansion and walked away.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
Despite what the Castillo family tried to imply, Amanda didn’t need to trap anyone. She might not be from a wealthy family, but she had a great job. Her company had a fantastic maternity leave policy, and the entire team was ready to support her dearly. Her boss loved her, so she wasn’t worried.
“What? No, that was just our plan,” Mrs. Geoffrey chuckled, waving her hand.
The problem was facing an utterly different future without Chris and as a single mom. But if others could do it, she could too.
Therefore, she had the baby, named him Paul, and did her best. It was suffocating doing everything alone at times, but she persevered every day for her son. The only problem was that her baby was a carbon copy of Chris. It was impossible to miss.
“Those idiots,” she whispered after putting him down for a nap. “They don’t know what they’re missing. Let them eat cake in their country clubs while you and I find real happiness.”
***
Chris tried to move on with life. His usually cold parents were highly supportive after he moved out of his shared apartment with Amanda. He was thankful for that. The last thing he ever imagined was Amanda cheating on him. It didn’t seem possible despite irrefutable proof.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
But his parents told him everything would be alright soon. And life goes on even when you don’t want it to. He returned to work, found a new apartment for himself, and tried to forget the pain. The future was bleak without Amanda, but his parents tried to cheer him up.
One day, they invited him for dinner, and Ciara was there. Surprisingly, they got along, and she had many interesting things to say. His parents were delighted and encouraged the friendship. Chris didn’t have the fight in him to refuse again.
He started dating Ciara. They were taking things slow, but he didn’t discourage his mother when she talked about a country club wedding. Fine. If this is the life I deserve, I’ll just let them plan everything for me, he thought during his depressing moments.
Amanda was out of his life. He just hoped her baby daddy was a good man.
***
About a year after Paul was born, Amanda was walking down the street, focusing on her cell phone, when she stumbled upon someone.
“I’m so sorry. I wasn’t looking,” she apologized, only to raise her eyes and see Chris. “Oh.”
“Amanda,” he said, swallowing. “Hi.”
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
“Hello,” she replied awkwardly. “Bye.”
“Wait,” Chris grabbed her hand, but the movement made her drop her phone. “Jeez, I’m sorry.”
He picked it up, and the screen lit. There was a picture of her baby as a screensaver, and his eyes zeroed in on it.
“Give me that,” Amanda snatched it from his hands, finally showing her anger. “You don’t deserve to look at him.”
“Him?” he mumbled, breathless from seeing the image.
“Yes. My son,” she said, lifting her chin. “Mine. Alone.”
Her whole demeanor was surprising. He understood why she would lie about cheating at first, but it had been a while since their split. She didn’t have to pretend anymore.
“I guess it didn’t work out with the father,” Chris commented, wanting to be angry and hurt her somehow.
“Yeah. It didn’t,” she raised her eyebrows. “Bye, Chris.”
And she walked away.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
For several days, Chris pondered hard on the situation. He didn’t remember the picture of the baby much, as she had snatched her phone too quickly. But he had stunning blue eyes. Amanda’s eyes were brown. Of course, anyone could be the father.
But her attitude. The way she was accusing him without actually saying anything was highly odd. Was it possible that he had been wrong? That his doctors were wrong?
It didn’t seem likely because he had gone to Ciara’s father’s private clinic. They had all the latest technologies, so the chances of a false result were odd. But… what if?
He couldn’t think about it much because Ciara dragged him to her mother’s house for a meeting with the wedding planner. Yes, they were engaged, and things were moving fast. He didn’t care. He just wanted his parents to shut up about it.
The whole situation was insane. He had no idea why he was there when Ciara and her mother were picking up everything. When his new fiancée took a break, Mrs. Geoffrey focused on him. She talked a bit about the wedding, the future, how she always knew this day would come, etc.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
But suddenly, she said, “Oh, my god, and the babies you two will have. Precious!”
“Life’s too short for grudges.”
“Babies? Mrs. Geoffrey, I’m infertile. You should know that. I got tested at your husband’s clinic, and everyone knows,” Chris explained, frowning.
“What? No, that was just our plan,” Mrs. Geoffrey chuckled, waving her hand.
“Plan?” Chris asked, his voice turning to ice.
Mrs. Geoffrey seemed only to realize then what she had said. Her face turned white, and her hand flew to her mouth. “I mean…. Ehhh, no. Those things have errors… I think IVF can work…” she stuttered through her words.
And Chris knew everything right away.
Ciara walked back. “OK, let’s continue,” she said, not reading the room.
“Darling, I’m glad you tricked me, and I get to marry you now,” he said unexpectedly. Ciara’s head turned to him quickly.
“You know about that?” she asked, starting to smile.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Ciara, no!” her mother whispered.
Chris rose from the couch. “Goodbye. I hope you two rot in hell.”
***
Chris got the entire story from his mother, who was on the phone while he drove to Amanda’s apartment. Luckily, she had never moved out of their shared place, and he still had a copy of the key.
“Chris, you don’t understand!” she wailed, and he didn’t care. He demanded the truth.
His results were indeed a plan. A ruse. A scheme. A betrayal. It was all designed so he would dump Amanda and go to Ciara. Somehow, his mother had discovered how much Amanda wanted to have children. They thought they would separate from the news.
But their plan went even better after Amanda’s pregnancy announcement. Mrs. Castillo mustered her best acting and put on that show. Everyone knew. His parents, Ciara’s parents, and the technician they had paid off and fired later to give the erroneous results. His doctor had even been deceived because he had only seen the fake labs and images.
“You will never see me again,” he told his mother and hung up.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
He knocked, realized Amanda was not home, and decided to go in. He entered the second room and saw the beautiful space she had built for their son. It was blue. There were clouds painted on the walls and toys lying around.
Chris also walked into their bedroom and saw that everything was mostly the same. He sat down on her side of the bed and wanted to break down in tears. But he had to contain himself and think hard. How am I going to win her back and apologize for everything? Will she believe me? he pondered, but the tears showed up, and they wouldn’t stop.
Eventually, he fell asleep.
***
“AAAAH!” Amanda yelled after turning on the light in her room. “Get out of here! I’m calling the police!”
“Amanda!” Chris rushed out of the bed. “Amanda! Amanda! It’s me!”
“Chris! Hell! How could you just walk in here? Are you insane? I was about to grab a knife!” Amanda yelled and hit his shoulder slightly; then she saw his tear-streaked face. “Why are you here in the first place?”
“We need to talk…” he looked down, wetting his parched lips.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Unsplash
***
“I guess… I’m not surprised, but it’s… still… so unbelievable,” she said after telling her the entire story.
“Yeah,” Chris nodded. “I’m so sorry. I should’ve believed you. I should’ve asked for more tests. I was shocked by the news, and I didn’t know if you would leave me because you always wanted a family. I was an idiot.”
“Yeah, you were,” Amanda agreed. “But I guess it finally makes sense. Like… everything fits. I’m not saying it’s right. But I get it.”
“Is there any way you can forgive me?”
“Life’s too short for grudges.”
“And is there any way I can be in his life?”
“That I don’t know,” Amanda looked down. “It’s been… hard. It’s been lonely. It’s not what we planned together. I don’t know if there’s any going back.”
She had held back tears until now, as the moisture ran slowly down her face as she remembered all that had happened in almost two years. Chris cried with her.
“I know it’ll take me forever, but I will make this up to you. No matter what happens… even if you and I can’t pick up where we left off, you and him are my family. My only family,” he swore, and Amanda looked into his aching, puffy eyes and knew that he was determined.
For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“First… you should meet Paul, your son,” Amanda began, wiping her face. “And then, we probably need to think about suing Mr. Geoffrey.”
Chris laughed and cried at the same time. She was her cheerful self despite everything, and as usual, she was right. He needed a lawyer.
What can we learn from this story?
- Always get a second opinion. There can always be false results in the medical field, so you should always check with someone else when a diagnosis seems too drastic.
- Give your partner the benefit of the doubt and let them explain. Chris could’ve saved himself so much pain if he had allowed Amanda to speak. The scheme might’ve been discovered immediately.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a woman who thought her husband was infertile until she met two younger men who looked just like him.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
I Found a Note under My Fiancée’s Toilet Seat – I Thought She Was Cheating, but the Truth Turned Out to Be Much Worse
I thought I was getting ready to marry the love of my life until I found something in her house that turned my world upside down! Things got messy when I realized her ex was linked to the item I discovered at her place. Next thing you know, a prenup was mentioned. Read on to hear the full crazy story!
A shocked man reading a note | Source: Pexels
I had been looking forward to THIS especially exciting day for weeks! What day, you ask? Well, traveling for my brother’s wedding had been exhausting. But I was finally back in town and EAGER to see my fiancée, Carol!
We hadn’t seen each other in a while, and I couldn’t wait to spend some quality and romantic time together. Boy, had I missed her! You’d swear we didn’t talk on the phone and video call several times a day the way I am behaving!
A happy man talking on the phone while walking with his luggage | Source: Pexels
Without wasting any time after my arrival back in town, I was off to see my girl. I arrived at her apartment, and she greeted me with a warm hug and a kiss. It was a normal day hanging out at her place. Everything seemed perfect!
After a bit of catching up, things changed for the worse when I excused myself to the restroom. As I lifted the toilet seat, something strange caught my eye. There, taped to the underside, was a folded note with MY name on it.
A worried-looking man holding an envelope while seated on a toilet | Source: Midjourney
My heart dropped and then started to race. “Why would there be a note for me here?” I whispered to myself. My mind immediately jumped to the worst-case scenario. Had Carol been seeing someone else while I was away? Was it them who left me the note?
Of course, Carol would never check there, so I wondered if that meant some guy had been here since my last visit. I carefully peeled off the tape and unfolded the note. I braced myself for a gut-wrenching confession, something like:
“Sorry buddy, she only told me this morning that she has a guy…”
A stressed man reading a note in the toilet | Source: Midjourney
But what I read was SO much worse! The note read:
Hey, I know you guys are engaged now and everything. But you have to know that this woman took everything from me. From bro to bro, please make sure you get a prenup before signing the marriage documents. Sorry for such a weird spot for the note, I don’t have your number. Call me if you want to know more: (XXX) XXX-XXXX.
A shocked man reading a note | Source: Pexels
I realized that the note was from Carol’s ex-husband, Kevin. I had known about him, of course. And since he had a key to her apartment, it seemed he went in to leave her future husband a message. My fiancée had told me they had parted ways amicably. But this note painted a very different picture.
My hands shook as I reread the message. Could it be true? Was Carol capable of such deceit? I slipped the note into my pocket, determined to find out more without alerting my fiancée. I didn’t want to confront her without having all the facts.
A couple hugging | Source: Pexels
The rest of the evening passed in a blur. Carol didn’t seem to notice anything was amiss, and I struggled to keep up the facade of normalcy. As soon as I got home, I dialed the number from the note. It rang a few times before a man’s voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Kevin?” I asked, my voice trembling.
“Yeah, who’s this?”
“My name is Michael. I’m Carol’s fiancé. I found your note.”
An unhappy-looking man talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
There was a pause on the other end. “I was hoping you would call. Look, man, I know this is a lot to take in, but you need to know the truth about Carol.” I took a deep breath. “What happened between you two?”
Kevin sighed. “We met in college, and everything was great at first. We got married right after graduation,” he shared. “I thought she was the love of my life. But after a few years, things started to change.”
A serious-looking man talking on the phone while holding a beverage | Source: Pexels
My heart started beating fast as he continued. “She became distant and secretive. I found out she had been funneling money out of our joint account into a private one.”
“When I confronted her, she filed for divorce. She then took half of everything I owned because we hadn’t signed a prenup.” I felt a cold chill run down my spine. “Did you try to fight it?”
“Of course I did,” Kevin replied bitterly. “But she had covered her tracks too well. I couldn’t prove anything,” he said reluctantly. “In the end, I lost my house, my savings, everything. I’m still trying to recover financially.”
An unhappy-looking man talking on the phone | Source: Pixabay
“Why didn’t you warn me sooner?” I asked, feeling a mix of anger and fear.
“I didn’t know about you until recently. I moved out of state after the divorce,” Kevin explained. “But when I heard through mutual friends that she was engaged again, I had to reach out.”
“I couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.” I sat in stunned silence, processing everything Kevin had said. Could Carol be the manipulative person he described? It seemed so far-fetched from the woman I thought I knew.
A stressed man sitting with his phone | Source: Pexels
“Thank you for telling me,” I said finally. “I need to figure out what to do next.”
“Just be careful,” Kevin warned. “And seriously, get a prenup.” After hanging up, I felt like the ground was pulled out from under me. I didn’t want to believe Kevin, but his story had too many details to ignore. I needed to confront Carol, but I had to do it carefully.
A couple at a restaurant | Source: Pexels
The next day, I suggested we go out for dinner. Carol seemed thrilled, and we went to our favorite restaurant. As we sat down, I tried to gather my thoughts. “Carol, there’s something I need to talk to you about,” I began, trying to keep my voice steady.
She looked at me with concern. “What’s wrong, my love?” I took a deep breath. “I found a note yesterday. Under the toilet seat. It was from Kevin.” Her eyes widened, and she looked away.
An upset-looking woman looking to the side while seated in front of a man | Source: Pexels
“What did it say?” she asked quietly.
“He warned me about you. He said you took everything from him and that I should get a prenup.” Her face turned pale!
“Michael, it’s not what you think. Kevin is lying.”
“Is he?” I asked, feeling a surge of frustration. “Because his story was very detailed,” I challenged her. “Why would he go through the trouble of leaving a note like that if it wasn’t true?”
A man holding the hand of his partner at a restaurant | Source: Pexels
She reached across the table and grabbed my hand. “Michael, please. Kevin was abusive. He controlled every aspect of my life,” she explained. “I left him because I couldn’t take it anymore. He’s trying to ruin my happiness because he can’t stand to see me move on.”
I felt torn. Her words sounded sincere, but so had Kevin’s! “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before?”
“I didn’t want to burden you with my past. I wanted to start fresh with you.”
I pulled my hand away. “I need some time to think about this.”
A couple sitting at a restaurant | Source: Pexels
The drive home was silent.
Carol tried to reach out to me a few times over the next few days, but I couldn’t respond. My mind was spinning with conflicting emotions.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. I kept replaying both conversations in my head, trying to make sense of it all. I decided to do some digging on my own. Over the next few days, I reached out to mutual friends, looked through old records, and even spoke to Kevin again.
A man doing research on a laptop | Source: Pexels
Piece by piece, the truth began to emerge. Kevin had, indeed, been controlling. But there were also signs that Carol had taken advantage of the situation. It was a complex and messy story, with no clear villain or hero.
When I finally confronted my fiancée with everything I had found, she broke down in tears! She admitted to taking money from Kevin but insisted it was only to escape his control. Carol begged for my forgiveness, swearing that she loved me and that things would be different with us.
A woman crying in the arms of a man | Source: Pexels
I felt like I was standing at a crossroads! Could I trust her after everything I had learned? Or was I setting myself up for the same fate as Kevin? In the end, I decided to take her ex’s advice. I asked Carol to sign a prenup.
It wasn’t a perfect solution, but it was a step towards protecting myself. Carol agreed, though I could see the hurt in her eyes. Our relationship wasn’t the same after that. Trust, once broken, is hard to rebuild. But we were both committed to trying. Only time would tell if love could conquer all.
A man handing over paperwork and a pen for a reluctant woman to sign | Source: Pexels
In a similar tale to Michael’s, a woman thought her husband was cheating on her with his female friend. But the truth was something quite unexpected, perhaps even worse. Luckily, what she discovered redefined their relationship in a good way and allowed her husband to truly be himself with her.
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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