“Broken Trust: A Story of Betrayal That Can’t Be Forgotten”
“Oh, Laura! Hello, love,” stammered her mother-in-law as she opened the door. “We weren’t expecting you till the day after tomorrow.”
“Good evening, Margaret,” Laura replied calmly, hugging the older woman. “I’ve been called back to work on Monday—my leave was cut short. Thought I’d come home early. Is my husband here with Tommy?”
Margaret hesitated. “James is here, but Anthony… he went to see off his colleague, Lisa. Didn’t you two speak?”
Now it was Laura’s turn to be surprised. “He didn’t pick up. And who’s this Lisa, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Oh, it’s nothing serious,” Margaret fumbled. “Anthony brought Tommy for the weekend, and Lisa… well, she was waiting in the car. I… I invited her in for tea and cake.”
“Of course, why wouldn’t you? How long have they been gone?”
“About two hours,” Margaret mumbled, avoiding her gaze.
“Lovely,” Laura said coldly before heading straight for her son.
Inside, she was seething. She scooped up five-year-old Tommy, hugged him tight, and left without another word. In the car, the boy chattered happily.
“Dad and Auntie Lisa took me for ice cream, then we rode the carousel and visited Grandma! It was so much fun!”
Laura nodded, her thoughts spinning like a whirlpool. For the first time in ten years, she’d gone on holiday alone—a spa retreat she’d won at work for her long service. A chance to finally heal after years of ulcers and stress. Anthony had insisted, “Go. Mum will help—I’ve got this.”
She’d doubted, but he’d persuaded her. And now here was her son, gushing about cosy outings with “Auntie Lisa”—some woman she’d never heard of, already weaving into their lives.
Late that night, her phone rang.
“Laurie, hi… My battery died, sorry…” Anthony mumbled.
“Hi. Where are you?”
“At Mum’s. Staying over with Tommy. Everyone’s asleep…”
“How odd. Because I’m at home, in our bed. Tommy’s tucked in upstairs. Unless you’re hiding in the wardrobe?” Her voice was steady, but fury simmered beneath.
Silence. Then the line went dead.
Forty minutes later, he was at the door.
“Don’t start a scene. You’ve found out, so fine—yes, there’s a Lisa.”
“Have you lost your mind? You took her to your mother’s? Let my son spend the day with her?”
“I needed to see if she fit—with my family, with Tommy…”
Laura nearly staggered. This wasn’t a nightmare. This was her life.
“You… wanted to test-run your mistress with our family? What’s next—introducing her to me?”
“Don’t twist it. I didn’t know you’d be back.”
Tears welled—not because he’d cheated, but because he spoke like he was picking out a new sofa.
He stormed off to bed.
The next morning, Laura dropped Tommy at nursery and drove to Margaret’s.
“Margaret, just tell me one thing—why? What did I ever do to you? I looked after you when you broke your hip, stocked your pantry for winters. Why betray me?”
The older woman looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know before you left. And after… I couldn’t say no to Anthony. He’s my son.”
“And what am I?” Laura whispered.
No answer came. She turned and left.
That evening, Anthony was home.
“I think we both know the marriage is over. Let’s discuss splitting the flat.”
“What flat? The one my dad left me weeks before our wedding?”
“But I put money into it. The renovations—”
“Your parents’ money, not yours. Consider it an investment in your son’s future.”
His face twisted. “Half of it’s mine!”
“Forget it,” she said firmly. “After what you’ve done, you get nothing.”
He exploded—shouting, hurling insults, digging for every cruel word. Laura pressed against the wall. Then Tommy woke, frightened, and ran in. That stopped him. He wouldn’t dare continue in front of their boy. He left.
He filed for divorce but lost the flat.
A year passed.
At first, Tommy visited his dad. Then he stopped—Anthony’s new wife, Lisa, wanted nothing to do with him. Margaret clashed with her too.
Laura decided: enough. She sold the flat and moved to Brighton—where that spa had been. Time to start fresh. For once, just for herself.
