I had planned our family vacation hoping it would be a chance to bond with my husband and son. Instead, I was led into a betrayal that turned our perfect getaway into a nightmare. What happened there is something I will never forget.
Family vacations are supposed to bring us closer together, right? At least, that’s what I had always believed.
But this time, what started out as a cherished family tradition turned into the worst moment of my life.
Being a working mother has never been easy, but I have always taken pride in finding a balance between career and family.
My job keeps me so busy that sometimes I come home long after dinner and find the lights off.
Despite this, I always made sure my family had everything they needed.
My husband, Mark, also had a steady job, but things changed when he was laid off a couple of years ago. He did odd jobs here and there, contributing what he could, but most of our household expenses fell squarely on my shoulders.
Honestly, I didn’t mind. That’s what you do for your family, isn’t it?
But lately I had started to notice the cracks.
My work left me less time to connect with Mark because by the time I got home he had already fallen asleep, which made me feel like we were growing apart.
However, I didn’t think much about it. I thought we would reconnect on our annual vacation.
Our annual vacation is a tradition that we have kept alive over the years. No matter how difficult things were financially, we always made time to get away for a few days together.
I really appreciated it because I saw it as an opportunity to reconnect as a family and create memories that would last a lifetime.
This year, I wanted the trip to be very special. Especially since Mark had been having a hard time finding a decent job lately. I thought this would cheer him up.
“We need this,“ I said to Mark one night, after an especially exhausting day at work. ‘A few days away from it all, just the three of us.’
“But I don’t have a job and…”
“No buts,” I said. ”I’ll take care of everything. And I’m sure you’ll get a job when you come back from the trip with a fresh mind. Don’t worry, okay?”
“Okay,” he smiled. ‘Thanks for everything you do for us. I’m sure Eric will love the trip too.’
Our son, Eric, is 20 and at university. Like most guys his age, he’s absorbed in his world of parties, friends and social media. But when I called him to tell him about our vacation plans, he seemed really excited.
“Yes, Mom, I’m in!“ he exclaimed. ‘I can’t wait to spend time with you.”
Hearing that made my heart glad.
However, a day later, Eric called me again with a request. ’Mom, is it okay if I bring my girlfriend?”
His girlfriend? That was news to me.
“I guess so,” I said hesitantly. “What’s her name?”
“Jessica,” he said. ”She’s great. You’ll love her.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about the idea. On our vacations we had always been the three of us alone, and adding a new person, someone I didn’t know, felt strange. But Eric seemed very excited and I didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm. He told me he had been seeing her for three months.
“Okay,” I finally said. ”She can come with us.”
As the trip approached, I threw myself into the planning. I wanted everything to be perfect.
But I didn’t know that this vacation wouldn’t be about bonding or relaxing. It would become one of my worst nightmares.
Jessica met us at the airport, looking like she’d stepped out of a magazine. Her elegant attire, perfectly styled hair and radiant smile immediately caught everyone’s attention, including Mark’s.
He seemed particularly charmed by her, carrying her luggage and even complimenting her choice of shoes. I took it as a gesture of courtesy.
After all, she was Eric’s girlfriend. What was there to worry about?
Jessica seemed nice at first, but soon some strange things started to happen.
During dinner on our first night, I thought I’d try to bond with her.
“Jessica, have you had a chance to see Eric play basketball yet?” I asked.
Her eyes widened and she hesitated before replying: “Basketball? We’ve never talked about that.”
My eyebrows went up. Basketball had been Eric’s passion for years. His social media was full of team photos and game summaries. How could his girlfriend of three months not know about it?
I looked at Eric, who was busy sending messages and didn’t notice.
The next day, Eric suggested we try water skiing. His face lit up as he described how much fun it would be, but Jessica frowned.
“I don’t like water sports,” she said.
Wait… Didn’t Eric know already? I thought. How strange.
At that moment, Eric’s enthusiasm diminished, but he quickly recovered and suggested that we do some sightseeing instead.
Later, while we were all relaxing by the pool, I overheard Jessica asking Eric what his major was.
“Biology, right?” she said with a giggle. ”I can’t believe I keep forgetting.”
My heart sank. What was going on?
This young woman who claimed to be my son’s girlfriend had no idea about his passion for basketball. She didn’t know his major. And she didn’t even seem particularly interested in learning. And Eric? He constantly pampered her, brought her drinks, carried her bag and even sat in the lawn chair she didn’t like.
Calm down, Colleen, I told myself. Don’t overthink it. Relationships are complicated, and maybe Jessica just needed more time to connect with Eric.
Even so, something didn’t add up.
Halfway through the trip, I was looking for sunscreen in Eric’s suitcase when I came across a velvet box. Out of curiosity, I opened it and found an impressive diamond necklace.
It looked SUPER EXPENSIVE, and I couldn’t believe that my son had bought something so elegant for his girlfriend.
How had Eric managed to save up? I thought.
Later that same night, I brought up the subject casually.
“Eric, I found the necklace in your suitcase,” I smiled. ”It’s beautiful, and I’m sure Jessica will love it.”
He looked at me with wide eyes, as if I had said something I shouldn’t have.
“Yes, I…” he stammered. ‘I’ve been saving for a while. I really liked it and thought about buying it for her. After all, she deserves it.”
“It’s incredible!’ I pretended to smile. ”I’m so proud of you!”
I was not prepared to believe that my son, a university student on a tight budget, could afford something so extravagant. I decided not to pressure him, but my instinct told me that there was something more to this necklace than he was telling me.
Jessica’s indifference to Eric’s life, her lack of genuine interest, and now this mysterious necklace? Things didn’t add up.
On the last morning of our trip, the hotel was quiet. Mark was having breakfast downstairs, and Eric and Jessica were relaxing by the pool.
I stayed in the suite, drinking coffee and trying not to over-analyze the situation.
It was then that Eric’s phone, which I had left charging on the counter, rang with a notification.
It was a text message. I glanced at it absently, but my eyes widened as I read it.
It said: +$500 to our agreement. Thanks for covering me with the necklace.
The sender? Mark. My husband.
My stomach knotted as my mind tried to connect the dots. I immediately grabbed Eric’s phone and entered the access code (I knew it because I had seen him unlock his phone once).
I knew it wasn’t right to invade his privacy, but something told me I had to look into it further.
The thread of the message unraveled a web of betrayal I could not have imagined.
Mark and Eric had been plotting for weeks, and Jessica wasn’t Eric’s girlfriend. She was Mark’s lover.
Eric had pretended to go out with her as a cover so that Mark could take her on the trip without arousing my suspicions. The “deal” they had made consisted of money that Mark had promised Eric in exchange for his silence. And the necklace? Mark had paid for it with my money.
I stared at the screen as dozens of questions assailed me.
That night, I invited everyone to dinner at the hotel restaurant. I dressed carefully, choosing a pretty dress and matching it with the diamond necklace that my husband had bought for his mistress.
I wanted to appear calm and strong, even though inside I felt like collapsing.
When I entered the restaurant, they all turned to look at me. Jessica’s eyes lit up, but her smile faded when she realized I was wearing her necklace.
“Mom, why are you wearing Jessica’s necklace?” Eric asked. ‘It’s her gift.”
“Oh, is it?’ I chuckled. ”How strange. Because your father bought it with MY MONEY.”
Mark’s face went pale.
“What are you talking about?” he stammered. ‘What…?”
“Stop pretending, Mark,’ I said, rolling my eyes.
Then I turned to Jessica. ”I don’t know what my husband has told you, but he is currently unemployed. He was fired years ago and has been struggling to find a decent job ever since.”
“But I…”
“Shh!” I interrupted her. ”Let me finish. You see, I’ve been paying for everything since he lost his job. Everything, including this trip, the necklace and even the money he promised Eric to go along with this charade.”
“Mom, I didn’t mean to… I mean…“ Eric began.
“I never thought my son could do something like this,” I looked at Eric as tears ran down my cheeks. “I had no idea he was paying my own son to lie to me.”
That was the last thing I said to any of them. I got up and went back to my room.
The next day, I flew home alone. Eric and Mark kept calling me, but I refused to answer any of their calls.
A week later, I filed for divorce. Jessica disappeared when she realized that Mark had no money, leaving him humiliated and alone.
As for Eric, we are working on rebuilding our relationship. He made a mistake, but he is still my son, and I hope he never does anything like this again. I guess he just wanted money and didn’t care what his father wanted him to do. I pray that he will grow up and understand that what Mark did that day was totally unacceptable.
I hope Eric never follows in his father’s footsteps.