When my parents divorced, I was actually relieved. Their marriage had been strained for years, and living with that tension was hard for all of us. So when they finally separated, it felt like a fresh start. As I grew older, I encouraged my mom to find someone new—she often told me how lonely she felt, especially in the quiet evenings when the house was too empty.
Wanting her to be happy, I even helped set her up on a dating app, scrolling through profiles and hoping she’d find someone kind and steady. But no one seemed to catch her eye — until she called me one day, excited to introduce her new fiancé, Aaron, a pastry chef.
I wanted to be happy for her, but the moment I met Aaron, something didn’t feel right. He was only 25 — almost my age — and the thought of my mom, at 45, engaged to someone so young shocked me. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that he might only be after her money.
Determined to protect my mom, I pretended to accept their relationship but kept a close eye on Aaron, searching for proof he was a fraud.Just days before the wedding, panic set in—I still had nothing. Then, when I went back to Mom’s house to grab her phone,
I found a locked drawer. Inside were debt notices and property papers—all under Aaron’s name, some even signed with forged signatures. My heart pounded. I ran to the wedding and exposed everything, accusing Aaron of using her.
