My ex-husband was ready to start a new chapter, but there was something about his engagement that didn’t sit right with me. A casual conversation at work turned into a revelation that I couldn’t ignore. He refused to believe me, so I had to show him the truth, no matter how much it hurt.
I was sitting at work, although working as a restaurant manager didn’t leave much time for sitting.
It was one of those rare moments when the dining room was quiet: there were no customers asking for special orders, no complaints from the kitchen, no waiters running around with last-minute problems.
I took a deep breath, savoring that fleeting peace, knowing it wouldn’t last.
My phone buzzed on the counter. I looked at the screen: Aaron. My ex-husband. Out of curiosity, I picked it up and pressed send.
A photo loaded. It was David, our son, with a huge smile on his face and a giant stuffed animal in his hand. Behind him, the lights of an amusement park were shining.
I was overcome with a feeling of warmth. I was glad that Aaron and David were having fun.
Nearby, two waitresses were chatting, their voices light and excited. Lindsey held out her hand, her fingers stretched out to show off a huge diamond ring.
Claire took Lindsey’s hand with wide eyes. “That stone is huge. Probably visible from space.”
Lindsey laughed, tilting her hand to catch the light. “I know, right? How lucky am I?”
Claire raised an eyebrow. “Is he rich or something?”
Lindsey smiled with satisfaction. “He’s not a millionaire, but he’s got money. Enough to buy this, at least.”
I frowned. Lindsey had been going out with Leo, one of our kitchen helpers, for over a year. “You’re not with Leo?” I asked.
“Yes,” said Lindsey, still admiring the ring.
I stared at her. ‘Since when is Leo rich?’
Lindsey finally looked at me. ”Leo isn’t. But my fiancé is. In fact, it was Leo’s idea.”
I blinked. “What?”
“The plan was simple,” Lindsey said. ‘Find a rich guy, marry him, divorce him in a few months and keep the money. Then Leo and I would live the high life.’ She twirled the ring on her finger. ‘We’re halfway there.’
My stomach twisted. ”Don’t you think that’s… cruel?”
Lindsey shrugged. “I don’t love my fiancé, so no.”
“But he might love you,” I said. “He proposed to you, didn’t he?”
Lindsey waved her hand at me. ”That’s his problem. He fell in love with me because I’m so young.”
I stared at her, unable to believe what I was hearing.
I had married young and for love. Back then, Aaron and I believed that love was enough.
But as the years went by, we realized that we were too different. We wanted different things, we faced problems in opposite ways and we saw the world through different lenses.
Parting ways had been painful, but we knew it was the right decision. Even now, I had no regrets.
Aaron was still a good friend and, more importantly, he was a wonderful father to David.
That afternoon, when I got home, Aaron was already at the door with David. My son came bouncing in, his face beaming with excitement.
“Mom, we went on the biggest roller coaster! I wasn’t even scared,” he said, barely breathing.
I smiled and ruffled his hair. “It’s amazing.”
Aaron, however, stood rigid behind him. His expression was tense.
“Is everything all right?” I asked him.
“We need to talk,” he said. ”In private.”
I nodded and led him to the kitchen.
We sat down at the table. Aaron ran a hand through his hair and his fingers drummed lightly on the table.
Something wasn’t right. His shoulders were tense and his gaze was shifting, as if he didn’t know where to start.
I leaned forward. “Aaron, you’re scaring me. Has something happened?”
He exhaled sharply. “No, nothing bad. Actually… it’s serious. But in a good way.”
I frowned. ‘Serious in a good way? What do you mean?”
Aaron hesitated. Then, with a jerk, he said, ’I’m getting married again.”
I blinked. “What? That’s great!” I smiled, trying to reassure him. “I don’t understand why you’re so worried.”
Aaron shrugged. ”I don’t know. Maybe I thought you’d be angry.”
“Angry? Aaron, I’m so happy for you. You deserve to be happy.”
Relief softened his face. He nodded. “Thanks. I’ll tell David later. I wanted you to know first.”
“Of course. I’m sure he’ll be happy for you too,” I said.
Aaron smiled, now more relaxed.
“So… Who is she?” I asked. ”Are you going to show me a picture? How did you meet?”
Aaron laughed. “I knew you’d ask that.” He took out his phone and tapped the screen. “I came prepared.”
He turned the screen towards me. My stomach twisted. I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“That’s Lindsey,” I said, in a flat voice. “One of my waitresses.”
Aaron shifted uncomfortably. ”Yes. That’s why I was worried about your reaction.”
I looked back at the photo, my mind racing. “How did it happen?”
Aaron scratched the back of his neck. ”I met her when I picked David up from the restaurant. Then I saw her on a dating app. We started talking… and here we are.”
I swallowed hard. My hands clenched under the table. I couldn’t keep this to myself.
“Aaron, I have to tell you something,” I said carefully. ‘And it’s not good.”
Aaron’s face tightened. ’If it’s about the age difference, I know. Eleven years. It doesn’t bother us.”
I shook my head. ”It’s not that. Just today, Lindsey was talking about her fiancé. I didn’t realize she was referring to you.”
Aaron frowned. “What are you saying?”
“She said she’s marrying you just to divorce you and get your money.”
There was silence. Then, suddenly, Aaron’s expression darkened. ‘This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you!’ he shouted. ”I can’t believe you’re making this up!”
“Aaron, it’s the truth!“ I protested. ‘Why would I lie?”
He clenched his jaw. ’Because you’re jealous!”
“Jealous? I’m trying to protect you,” I exclaimed.
“Sure. You can’t stand that I’ve found someone younger who really loves me,“ Aaron snapped.
“She has a boyfriend! He works in our kitchen!” I shouted.
“You’re lying!” His face was red with anger. ‘I can’t believe you’d stoop this low.”
“It’s the truth!”
“This conversation is over.’ He left, slamming the door behind him.
I couldn’t let it go. I wouldn’t let Lindsey con Aaron. He didn’t deserve it. As angry as he was with me, I had to make him see the truth.
All night I thought about it. Aaron wouldn’t believe just words: he needed proof. Clear, undeniable proof.
The next day, I looked for Leo. He was working in the kitchen, concentrating on cutting vegetables. I took a deep breath and approached.
“Hi, Leo,“ I said, coming closer. ‘You and Lindsey make a great couple. I was thinking: why don’t you surprise her with a romantic dinner here after closing? She’d love it.”
Leo’s face lit up. ’Do you really think so?”
“Of course,” I said. “She even mentioned recently that she wanted something this special.”
He wiped his hands on his apron, looking excited. “Wow, I had no idea. It sounds perfect.”
I nodded. ‘You could set a nice table, maybe bring in some flowers. He’d love the effort.”
Leo smiled. ’That’s a great idea, Melanie. Thanks for suggesting it. Can I do it tonight?”
I smiled. ”Of course.”
Then I sent a message to Aaron. My hands hovered over the keyboard for a moment before I typed.
I knew he wouldn’t reply. He was too angry. But he didn’t have to reply, he just had to read it.
@Me
I know you think I’m lying, but if you want to know the truth, come to the restaurant after ten at night.
I pressed send and exhaled. My chest felt tight. Would he come? Would he ignore me? There was no way of knowing. All I could do was wait.
That night, after putting David to bed, I opened my laptop. My fingers trembled slightly as I connected to the restaurant’s security system.
The cameras flickered. I found the right angle, one that showed the table Leo had set.
The candles flickered in the gloom. In the center was a small vase of flowers. It looked romantic. Too romantic.
I watched as Leo and Lindsey sat down together. They ate, they talked and they laughed. Leo’s eyes sparkled with love.
He was completely devoted to her. Lindsey smiled, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.
She leaned towards him, her hand brushing against his arm. Finally, she kissed him.
I winced and quickly switched cameras. I couldn’t watch this. My stomach was churning.
In the outside camera, I was struck by a movement. I gasped. Aaron was there. He had come. He pushed open the door of the restaurant and entered.
With my heart pounding, I switched back to Lindsey and Leo. Just in time.
Aaron appeared, his face contorted with rage. Lindsey and Leo separated and their expressions went from surprise to panic.
Leo opened his mouth, but said nothing. Lindsey looked around, looking for a way out.
Aaron’s voice boomed. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but his anger was evident. He pointed at Lindsey and then at Leo.
Lindsey crossed her arms, throwing her hair over her shoulder, but Leo looked terrified.
Then, suddenly, Lindsey took off her engagement ring and threw it at Aaron.
It hit the table. Aaron picked it up, his face pale. Without saying another word, he turned and left angrily.
I changed cameras again. Outside, Aaron stood motionless, his shoulders trembling.
His head sank into his hand. Even from behind the screen, I could tell he was crying.
I swallowed. I had done the right thing. I needed to see the truth. But somehow I still felt guilty.
After a while, the doorbell rang. I hesitated before opening. Aaron was there, his face red from crying and his eyes full of regret.
“You were right,“ he said hoarsely.
“This doesn’t satisfy me, just so you know,” I said. “I didn’t want to be right about this.”
Aaron nodded, his shoulders heavy. “I’m sorry I doubted you.” He took a breath. “I should have trusted you.”
He took a step forward and hugged me. ”Thank you.”
I hugged him back, feeling his pain.
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