When Ellie’s family returns from their Christmas getaway, they’re shocked to find their house egged and a cryptic note left behind. Determined to uncover the culprit, Ellie checks the security footage, only to discover the vandal is someone very close to her. Confronting the person reveals years of hurt and manipulation that nearly tears their bond apart. Can Ellie handle it?
Christmas has always been about family. That’s why, for the last four years, my husband Ethan, our seven-year-old daughter Maddie, our five-year-old son Noah, and I had made it a tradition to escape to the islands.
Just the four of us, basking in the sun, recharging before the whirlwind of holiday dinners and social obligations hit.
Two children at the beach | Source: Midjourney
And this year was no different. Or so I thought.
When we pulled into our driveway after the trip, I froze.
Our house looked like a crime scene.
Raw eggs dripped from the walls in sticky streams, the porch was littered with broken shells, and even the holiday wreath I’d lovingly crafted was a splattered, smelly mess.
A house covered in eggs | Source: AmoMama
“What the hell?” Ethan muttered, stepping out of the car, Noah on his heels.
“Mom, what happened?” Maddie asked from the backseat.
“I don’t know, sweetheart,” I said, feeling a knot tighten in my chest.
Noah crouched beside the mess.
A little girl sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney
“Could a bird do this, Dad?” he asked.
I tried to keep calm for the kids, but inside, I was fuming.
Who would do this?
We were good neighbors — no, we were great neighbors! I baked cookies for new families, helped organize block parties, and I never turned down a chance to lend a hand.
This wasn’t random vandalism. It was targeted. It had to be.
A plate of cookies | Source: Midjourney
Then Ethan found the note. It was stuffed under the doorframe, the edges crumpled and damp. He handed it to me.
This is for what you took from me before Christmas.
I stared at the words, my mind racing.
What had I taken? And from whom?
That night, after putting the kids to bed, Ethan and I went straight to the security cameras. As we scrolled through the footage, my stomach churned.
A piece of paper on the floor | Source: Midjourney
The camera captured a hooded figure sneaking up our driveway, cartons of eggs in hand. Each throw was deliberate, as though they’d rehearsed the motion. This wasn’t a prank; it was a vendetta.
“This is insane,” Ethan said. “Who even does this anymore? This is a drunken prank for rowdy teens. Eggs and toilet paper.”
Then, something about the figure made me freeze. The way they tilted their head. The way their shoulders slumped between throws. My breath caught in my throat.
A person holding a carton of eggs | Source: Midjourney
“No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “It can’t be.”
But it was.
The hooded figure vandalizing our home was my mother.
The next morning, I left Ethan with the kids and drove to my mom’s house. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly I thought I might snap it in two.
A woman in a car | Source: Midjourney
When I rang the bell, she opened the door with her usual warm smile.
“Ellie! What a surprise!”
“Why?” I blurted, skipping the pleasantries. “Just explain why.”
Her smile faltered.
“Why what? Explain what?” she asked.
A woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney
“Why would you do that to us? Don’t even try to hide it, Mom. Come on!”
She blinked, her face going pale as she tried to figure out what to say. Then, she looked away, her expression clouded with guilt.
“Come sit down, El,” she said.
“I don’t want to sit down, Mom. I want to know why you took it upon yourself to mess up my house.”
A woman standing in a living room | Source: Midjourney
“It was because of your mother-in-law,” she said finally, her voice tight.
“What does Gloria have to do with it?” I asked.
“She called me, Eleanor,” my mother snapped, anger seeping into her voice. “Right before Christmas, she called to gloat about how you and Ethan were taking her on your precious island vacation. She said you made her feel so included, so special. And that she got quality time with the kids. And me? Oh, I was just left here to sit alone in the cold.”
An older woman at the beach | Source: Midjourney
I stared at her, completely stunned.
“Mom,” I said softly. “We didn’t take Gloria with us. That’s not true at all. She wasn’t on the trip, I promise!”
My mom’s eyes widened.
“But then… why would she say that?”
“To hurt you,” I said, my voice soft but firm. “To make you feel exactly this way. To drive a wedge between us. Why would I take Gloria and not my own mother?”
An upset woman | Source: Midjourney
She sank onto the couch, covering her face with her hands.
“I was so angry, Ellie. I felt invisible, like I didn’t matter to you anymore. And I… I lost control.”
Her words cut deep because they weren’t entirely wrong.
A woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney
If I’m being completely honest, the truth was that I had let my mom drift to the edges of our lives. I adored her, of course, but between raising two young kids, managing a full-time job, and keeping up with everything else, I hadn’t noticed how isolated she’d become.
Looking back, the signs were there. The hesitation in her voice during phone calls, the way she’d stopped dropping by unannounced, usually with baked treats for us all.
I’d let my schedule get away with me. And I hadn’t thought about the consequences.
A woman working at her laptop | Source: Midjourney
“Mom,” I said gently, sitting beside her. “What you did was wrong. But I understand why you felt hurt. And I’m sorry if I made you feel left out. I’ve let life get away with me, Momma. It’s been a challenge, juggling work and the kids.”
Her face crumpled.
“I’m so sorry, Ellie,” she said. “I’ll fix everything! I promise! I’ll pay for the cleaning, and I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
A crying older woman | Source: Midjourney
“We’ll clean it up, Mom,” I interrupted. “Together. But it starts with us fixing us. No more games. No more letting other people’s words twist how we feel. Okay?”
She nodded, her relief palpable. We hugged, and for the first time in years, it felt like the walls between us were finally coming down.
That afternoon, Mom came over with a bucket of soapy water and a stack of rags. Together, we scrubbed the egg off the walls, the porch, and the windows.
A bucket of soapy water | Source: Midjourney
It was messy, smelly, exhausting work, but somehow, with each streak we wiped away, it felt like we were wiping away years of tension too.
By the time we finished, the house looked — and felt — whole again.
That night, after Ethan and I made grilled cheese sandwiches for the kids and put them to bed, we sat down to talk with a glass of wine.
Grilled cheese sandwiches | Source: Midjourney
“Babe, it was your mom that started this whole thing. Gloria called my mom and told her that she was on vacation with us and was having the time of her life. She made it seem so real that my mom broke.”
“You’re kidding, El,” Ethan said, shaking his head. “She really did that? What on earth was she thinking?”
“I have no idea, but I think you need to talk to her. I need to focus on my mom, honey. She’s been feeling abandoned for years, and this was just her breaking point. I’m sorry, but Gloria is on you.”
A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
“I’ll call her,” Ethan said, his voice firm. “She’ll have no choice but to tell me the truth.”
Ethan went into our bedroom and called his mother, while I called my mom again.
“Mom, why don’t you come over to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us? We’re just going to be at home, okay? Let’s just eat and drink and have a good time!”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
There was a pause on the other end of the line. Then her voice brightened in a way I hadn’t heard in a long time.
“You really mean that?” she asked.
“I do, Mom,” I said. “It’s time.”
On New Year’s Eve, Mom arrived with a tray of homemade dumplings, a chocolate cake, and lamingtons for the kids. She was wearing a sparkling dress that made her look about ten years younger.
A platter of lamingtons | Source: Midjourney
Maddie and Noah rushed to greet her at the door, clinging to her legs as she fussed over them. Ethan handed her a glass of champagne and even managed to make her laugh with one of his notoriously terrible jokes.
At midnight, as the fireworks lit up the sky outside, we raised our glasses together.
“Cheers to new beginnings,” my mom said softly.
Fireworks in the night sky | Source: Midjourney
I looked around the room — at my kids’ happy, sleepy faces, my husband’s arm draped around my shoulders, and my mother, glowing with joy. Something shifted.
A week later, Ethan and I sat down with Gloria at a coffee shop.
“Mom, explain yourself,” Ethan said, adding sugar to his coffee. “And don’t deny anything. Be honest.”
A woman sitting in a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
“I lied to your mother because I was hurt that you guys didn’t invite us. I don’t know why I did it, but I did. I think I felt overcome with loneliness too. You know how the holidays can creep up on widows…”
“Why didn’t you just go over and spend time with her?” I asked, taking a bite of my croissant. “You were both lonely. You could have spent time together and enjoyed the holidays getting to know each other better. You could have watched movies and baked and talked until the early hours of the morning.”
A croissant and coffee at a coffee shop | Source: Midjourney
“I wasn’t thinking, Ellie,” she said, her voice breaking. “I would take it all back in a heartbeat if I could, I promise you that.”
We were all silent for a while.
“So, now what?” Ethan asked.
“I’m going to phone Irene and make things right. I’m going to plan a tea party with her and make this better. We’ll fix it. Just you see.”
A tea party setting | Source: Midjourney
“I hope so, Gloria,” I said. “Because we can’t have the kids torn between their grandmothers. I’m not going to allow that.”
“As you should!” she exclaimed. “I wouldn’t allow it either. I’ll fix it, Ellie. Don’t you worry about that, love.”
In the end, we left our mothers to themselves, and slowly but surely, they did fix their relationship. Now, they are mahjong buddies who bake something new every weekend.
And for the record, I can’t stand eggs anymore.
A carton of eggs on a counter | Source: Midjourney
What would you have done?
If you’ve enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you:
When Sarah gets home from the usual errands with her kids, the last thing she expects is to hear her husband spilling his true feelings about her — that she is just a means to an end in his life. But Sarah isn’t about to let Ethan get away with his callous behavior. Instead, she decides to teach him a lesson.
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.
Kate Middleton and her children “upset” with Prince William’s recent decision
Kate Middleton is continuing her cancer treatment outside the public spotlight. It’s been about two months since she shared the news, which shocked royal fans around the world. There’s no news when she could be back on royal duty. However, new reports suggest that King Charles has made his mind up about her possible comeback this summer.
The Princess of Wales has received get-well messages from fans around the world, and when it comes to her family, they have made sure to give her all the support possible. Her parents, siblings, and the entire royal family are there for her one hundred percent. And in everyday life, her husband, Prince William, is her rock.
While Prince William has taken on many responsibilities in his father and wife’s absence, being a husband and a good father is his priority. The future king has been praised for handling the very challenging situation. But on a royal outing just days ago, William revealed that he upset his wife and children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis with a recent decision.
The royal family’s first half of 2024 has been more than just challenging. When Kate Middleton was hospitalized for 13 days after her abdominal surgery, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer.
Kate Middleton – cancer diagnosis
The king canceled all his royal engagements, and Prince William and Queen Camilla began taking on more responsibility regarding royal engagements.
Kate’s absence from public life, not least because of the manipulated Mother’s Day picture, resulted in many conspiracy theories surrounding her. But on March 22, she told the world why she was absent.
“In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London, and at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous. The surgery was successful; however, tests after the operation found cancer had been present. My medical team therefore, advised that I should undergo a course of preventive chemotherapy, and I am now in the early stages of that treatment,” Kate Middleton said in her statement, recorded in the Windsor Gardens.
“This of course, came as a huge shock and William and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family. As you can imagine this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them and to reassure them that I’m going to be okay.”
King Charles and Kate Middleton were both praised for revealing their respective cancer diagnoses. Following Kate’s announcement, visits to the NHS website’s cancer information page increased by nearly five times, and Macmillan Cancer Support experienced a similar surge around Charles’ announcement.\
Meanwhile, the conspiracy theories about Kate reportedly made Prince William very frustrated.
Kate Middleton stayed quiet because of Prince William, royal expert says
In an interview with GB News, author Alexander Larman argued that the conspiracies surrounding Kate Middleton showed that the world is “obsessed by the health of the royal family,” and “look to them so set an example.”
Moreover, Larman claimed that Kate stayed quiet because of Prince William.
“The trolls have carried on to this day. But one thing that’s very interesting is if you look at the difference between the responses,” the author said. “Buckingham Palace came forward very quickly and gave a fairly candid idea of what’s happening with Charles with his illness, and Kensington Palace didn’t.”
“I think that’s because Prince William is much more into the vein of never complain, never explain, which was his great grandfather’s motto, and has always served the Royal Family well,” Alexander Larman continued.
“But it doesn’t hold up in 2024 because you’ve got to allow the idea the information is going to get out into the public, whether you like it or not.”
Prince William has juggled his responsibilities to the Crown and being a father and husband for months. He’s been praised for handling the situation, but experts have argued that he’s also been through a tough time.
On April 18, about a month after Kate’s cancer diagnosis was announced, he returned to royal duty as he visited a food distribution charity.
According to royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams, the “well-timed” outing sent a hidden message that things are returning to normality.
“Royals realize that every single thing they do sends a message in one way or another. It wasn’t just a question of appearing with George at an occasion that was enjoyable,” he told The Sun.
“It was a question of sending a signal that it was business as usual – as far as that was reasonable to be expected. If Catherine had been there, it would have been fantastic, but no one is expecting that. People wouldn’t expect that after her video message, which I think is the bravest ever on a health issue by a public figure in Britain.”
King Charles could ‘replace’ Kate Middleton with another royal family member this summer
Moreover, Richard Fitzwilliams said that William’s appearance at the food distribution charity also sends a message that not only him but also Kate are on their way to resuming royal duties.
“We know William is going back to royal duties shortly. The royal family obviously needs him. This was an important appearance, simply in the sense that it was what one would call normal. Obviously, with the royal family very little is actually normal at the moment. He is clearly looking after the children as far as feasible. I mean, it’s it’s a burden William has. It sent this message that things some things are going on, more or less as normal,” Fitzwilliams told The Sun.
While Kate Middleton hasn’t been on royal duty for months, it’s been reported that she still has done some work from both her hospital bed and later from home. But those who expect the princess back on royal duty soon might be disappointed.
At least, that’s according to a Daily Mail source, who claims King Charles is looking to other royal family members, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, to take her place in the many critical royal events coming up this summer.
“They’ve got a busy diary coming up, and they need to widen the family at social events. You’ve got a whole week of Ascot. You have four garden parties. You’ve got Trooping the Colour, and you’ve got a state visit before you even start on other things,” the source said.
The source added that King Charles is looking to “bring in some fresh blood,” as he believes they’ve “grown into very sensible, lovely women” who could be a great asset for the royal family.
“I think they are going through hell”
“They have been crying out for that royal glamour that has been missing during a time when his slimmed-down monarchy is in desperate need of bulking up.”
“Beatrice, in particular, has been desperate for her chance to shine. She was once shy, and her style was a little frumpy. But these days she’s ambitious, confident and fashionable. She looks great in photos,” the source concluded.
Kate Middleton and her husband have always prioritized their children’s needs over their own. As the next generation of royals, they have repeatedly shown how they want to modernize the monarchy in raising their children. The couple wants to make their children’s lives as normal as possible, considering they are some of the most famous children in the world.
Even though William has shared that Kate and their children are “doing well” despite the challenging situation, everyone isn’t convinced. Designer Amaia Arrieta, who’s worked closely with the Wales family in the past, told the Telegraph that things aren’t what they might seem.
“I’m heartbroken at the moment. I think they are going through hell,” Arrieta told the Telegraph. “I hope they will be back. It’s really personal.”
As mentioned, Amaia Arrieta has worked closely with the Wales family, mainly sourcing clothing for royal photos.
“Dressing the royals gives me so much pride, I really do care about how they look,” she added, “It’s often a very tight deadline. We would do anything for them… the children always look amazing in the end.”
Prince William says Kate and their children were “upset” over travel decision
Prince William has been back on royal duty for about a month. Kate Middleton generally would have joined him for many outings, but that won’t happen for a while, considering her recovery phase.
However, even though the Wales family knows how things are, it appears that Kate and her children still don’t appreciate everything William does. One of those things happened days ago, as Prince William visited the Isles of Scilly.
The archipelago is located off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, over which William became the Duke when Charles became king in September 2022. During his two-day tour, he made one stop at St. Mary’s Community Hospital, where he chatted with an administrator, Tracy Smith.
“I asked William about his wife Kate and he said: ‘She’s doing well, thanks.’ And I suggested they might like to come for a visit and bring the children,” Smith recalled the meeting as reported by several news outlets.
However, it appeared that Kate and the children didn’t appreciate his decision to travel to the Isles of Scilly alone.
As per Express, William said the trip had “upset” his wife and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis.
He said they were “upset I’m here without them” as he praised the glorious weather.
“My family are very upset I’m here without them. The children will kill me if I don’t go home later,” William said.
William’s claim about his family was undoubtedly humorous, but it most likely tells a bigger story. According to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, the fact that he was away for two nights shows the public that things are going the right way.
“I’ve no doubt that Catherine’s parents will be staying with her, but even so it must be a step in the right direction. Hopefully Catherine is feeling stronger every day and, with the sun now shining, she’ll be able to enjoy the great outdoors which, for her, has always been restorative,” she told OK!.
Let’s wish Kate Middleton all the best in her recovery by sharing this article on Facebook with friends and family.
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