I thought my husband and I were a team, raising our son together. But when prom season came, everything I believed about him crumbled in front of my eyes.
After last winter break, a new girl transferred into my son Lucas’s class. Her name was Yuki. She was smart, kind, and… she used a wheelchair.
Lucas was 17, and I could see him light up whenever he talked about her. Not long after meeting Yuki, he came home beaming. “Mom,” he said, “I’m dating Yuki.”
I hugged him tight. “I’m so happy for you, honey.”
For the first time since middle school, Lucas was truly happy. He smiled more, laughed more, and came home from school talking about Yuki for hours. My quiet, reserved boy had finally found someone who made him shine.
But my husband, James, reacted differently. When he saw Yuki’s picture on Lucas’s phone, his expression hardened. At first, he said nothing. But I could see it in his jaw, the way his face tightened, the cold tension whenever Lucas mentioned her name.
Then came the comments.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” James asked one evening.
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean… does he really understand what he’s getting into? She’ll need constant care. He’s only 17. He has a bright future ahead. And this girl…”
I snapped. “James, she uses a wheelchair. She’s not helpless.”
“She’ll need constant care,” he repeated.
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Then what did you mean?”
“Forget it,” he muttered, walking away.
But he didn’t forget it. In the following weeks, his comments became sharper.
“He should focus on college applications, not relationships.”
“Relationships are part of growing up, James.”
“Not these kinds of relationships.”
I stared at him. “What is wrong with you?”
He never answered.
When Lucas told me he wanted to take Yuki to prom, my heart soared. He had everything planned: the corsage, the restaurant reservation. He was over the moon.
But when I told James, his face darkened.
“As long as Lucas is dating Yuki, I won’t be anywhere near them,” he said.
“James, it’s our son’s prom!” I said, frustrated.
“So what?”
“Are you serious?”
“That girl isn’t good enough for our son. End of discussion.”
“Her name is Yuki! She’s kind, she’s smart, and she makes our son happy!”
“I don’t care,” he said coldly.
“Is it because she uses a wheelchair? If that’s it, I’m ashamed of you,” I accused.
“It’s not about the wheelchair.”
“Then what is it about?”
He stood up and walked away without answering. I followed, calling his name, but he didn’t turn back. I swallowed my frustration. Right now, Lucas mattered more.
Prom night came, and I helped Lucas get ready. He looked so handsome in his black tuxedo. When the cab arrived and Yuki rolled up in her stunning blue dress, tears filled my eyes.
“You both look beautiful,” I said, hugging them.
Lucas whispered, “Is Dad really angry?”
“He’s not feeling well, honey. But he’ll be fine, I promise.”
I watched them drive away, my heart heavy.
Back inside, I confronted James. He sat in the kitchen, staring at his phone.
“I can’t believe you punished our son because you don’t like Yuki,” I said.
He didn’t look up.
“You’re his father. It’s his prom. How can you do this?”
“I already told you. I’m not okay with him dating Yuki.”
“Why? Give me one good reason.”
“I’m not happy,” he muttered.
Before I could respond, my mother-in-law, Dorothy, arrived unexpectedly. She sat down across from me and said, “Merlin, you need to know the truth about her.”
“What truth?” I asked, my hands trembling.
“Two years ago, James was involved in an accident.”
“An accident?”
“He hit a young girl riding her bike. He panicked and drove away but called 911 anonymously.”
I looked at James in disbelief.
“That girl was Yuki,” Dorothy said. “James recognized her when Lucas showed him her picture. He’s been carrying that guilt ever since.”
James wouldn’t meet my eyes. “I didn’t want Lucas to know. I didn’t want anyone to know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was ashamed.”
Dorothy left, quietly closing the door behind her.
I stared at James. “Is that really why you’ve been against their relationship? Because you feel guilty?”
“Yes,” he admitted, but there was a flicker in his eyes, a shadow that told me something was still hidden.
He stood up abruptly. “I need some air.”
And he left.
Over the next few days, I watched him carefully. James had been coming home late, taking secretive phone calls, texting constantly.
One evening he called from work.
“Hey, I’ll be late. Office party. Don’t wait up,” he said.
Something felt wrong. Two days earlier, I had secretly hidden a GPS tracker in his car. The app showed his dot was not at his office—it was at a motel, fifteen miles away.
I grabbed my keys and drove.
When I arrived, James’s car was parked near the back. I entered the lobby. A young woman was behind the desk, filing her nails.
“I need to know which room my husband is in,” I said, showing her his picture.
“I can’t give that information,” she replied.
I placed $200 on the counter. “Please. It’s urgent.”
She hesitated, then checked her computer. “Room 214, second floor.”
I ran upstairs, my heart racing. I could hear voices—James’s voice, a woman’s voice, and laughter. I called James.
“Merlin? I’m in a meeting,” he said, cutting the call.
I kept calling until he finally answered.
“Really? Because it sounds like you’re having a great time,” I said, my voice icy.
“I’m busy with a client,” he hung up.
I had an idea.
I waited near the staff changing room. When a young woman came out with a trolley, I grabbed her.
“My husband is in room 214. With another woman. Please help me see for myself.”
She hesitated. I handed her cash. “Please. I’m begging you.”
Five minutes later, I was disguised as hotel staff, wearing a mask. The woman guided me with the trolley.
I knocked on room 214.
“Room service,” I said.
James opened the door. He barely looked at me. “Bring it in.”
And that’s when I saw her—the woman on the bed. Mid-40s. Familiar. Yuki’s mother.
“I can’t believe we’ve been doing this for two years,” she said.
“Best two years of my life,” James replied.
I froze.
“Soon I’ll be free from that boring wife of mine. I’m filing for divorce next month. She has no clue!”
I ripped off my mask. “Boring wife, huh?”
James turned white. “MERLIN?”
Yuki’s mother was speechless.
“I can explain,” James started, but I couldn’t hear him anymore. My chest felt hollow as I stormed out.
At home, Lucas was on the couch.
“Mom? What happened? You look terrible… and what are you wearing?”
I sat down beside him. “Lucas, there’s something you need to know about your father.”
He paled. “About Dad?”
“Yes. He’s been cheating. With Yuki’s mother.”
Lucas’s face went red. “For two years?”
“Yes.”
He clenched his fists.
An hour later, James came home. Lucas confronted him immediately.
“How could you do this to Mom?”
“Lucas, it’s complicated…”
“Complicated? You’ve been sleeping with my girlfriend’s mother!”
James tried to justify himself. “Two years ago, there was an accident. I didn’t drive away. I rushed Yuki to the hospital and met her mother there. I paid for Yuki’s operation…”
Lucas looked disgusted. “So you’ve been lying to everyone. To Mom. To me.”
“Yes,” James admitted, guilt-ridden.
“I made up the story to my mother to cover why I opposed Lucas’s relationship,” James continued weakly.
I stood, hands shaking. “Get out. I want a divorce. And I have evidence.”
James froze as I pulled out my phone. I’d been recording everything.
“There’s nothing to work through. You cheated. You lied. You tried to control our son’s relationship to protect your secret.”
Three weeks later, Lucas and Yuki didn’t break up in anger—they just agreed to pause until the adults stopped making their lives messy.
I filed for divorce. My lawyer assures me I’ll get the house, a fair share of James’s assets, and full custody of Lucas, even though he’s almost 18.
I won’t lie. Some days I’m furious, some days heartbroken. But I’m proud. Proud that I didn’t look the other way. Proud that I protected my son. Proud that I finally stood up to James.
He tried to fight, but the recording left no room to argue.
I survived his lies. And now, Lucas and I can start rebuilding our lives.