One ordinary morning, I stepped outside, ready for a normal day, when my eyes caught something strange on the back of my boyfriend’s car—a bright sticker that said, “Just Had a Baby.” My heart froze. Eric and I had been together for two years, and we definitely did not have a baby. That sticker shattered everything I thought I knew about us in one sudden moment.
Life can be really cruel sometimes, can’t it? Actually, no — that’s not quite right. Life can completely fall apart when you least expect it, like a beautiful glass vase suddenly crashing to the floor. But I’ll get to that part.
There was a time when I thought my life was a kind of fairytale—not perfect, but soft and warm, like a cozy blanket wrapped around me. I had a job I loved, a boyfriend who made me feel special, and dreams that were starting to feel real. Eric and I had been together for two years, and everything seemed to be falling into place.
The Beginning: A Beautiful Fairytale
It all began so quickly—one magical night at a concert. We clicked instantly, like two puzzle pieces fitting perfectly together. From that night on, we never stopped talking. It felt so real, like fate had brought us together.
There was just one problem—distance. Eric lived in another city, and it made things harder than I wanted to admit. But he always made the effort. Every week, he would drive out to visit me and stay at my place. I never visited him because he said he lived with a roommate, and the place wasn’t great for guests.
“It just makes more sense for me to come to you,” he’d say, and I believed him—or maybe I just wanted to believe him so badly.
We had real plans. He told me he was going to move in with me once some work stuff was sorted out. We talked about adopting a dog, redecorating the living room, building a life together under one roof. Those dreams were my lifeline—I held onto them like they were solid gold.
The Shock of a Phone Call
Then, one morning, my phone rang. It was Leslie, my best friend, her voice bubbling with excitement.
“Rachel! Oh my gosh, congratulations! Why didn’t you tell me?”
Still half asleep, I rubbed my eyes and asked, “Tell me what?”
“The baby, of course!”
My heart stopped. “What baby?”
There was a pause. Then she said carefully, “Yours and Eric’s… right?”
I sat up, wide awake now. “Leslie, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
She hesitated. “I just drove past your house and saw Eric’s car. There’s a sticker on the back that says ‘Just Had a Baby.’ I thought… I mean, I assumed…”
I couldn’t find words. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. A cold chill ran down my spine.
“Oh no,” Leslie gasped. “Rachel… you didn’t know?”
“No,” I whispered. “I didn’t.”
“I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “I thought you were hiding it from me. Maybe you should talk to him.”
I mumbled a quiet thank-you and hung up. The air suddenly felt heavy, like the whole house was holding its breath. Without grabbing a jacket, I walked straight to Eric’s car.
The Sticker That Broke My World
There it was, glaring at me in bold white letters across the back window: “Just Had a Baby.” A sticker proud parents slap on their cars to announce their new arrival.
My hands shook. My stomach churned. My mind scrambled for an explanation, but deep down, my gut screamed the truth.
I stormed back inside, anger bubbling beneath my skin. Eric was still asleep, face buried in the pillow, as if everything was normal.
“Eric!” I shook him hard. “Get up!”
He groaned, “What’s going on?”
“Get up now,” I demanded, pushing his shoulder until he finally sat up, rubbing his temples.
“Rachel, seriously, I have a headache…” he murmured.
“Would you like to explain the sticker on your car?”
He blinked, confused. “What sticker?”
“Don’t play dumb. The one everyone on the street can see.”
His face turned pale. “I didn’t put it there.”
“Do you have a child, Eric?”
He looked at me, eyes wide and confused, then threw off the covers and ran outside. I followed him.
He stared at the sticker as if seeing it for the first time.
“I swear,” he said, “I didn’t put that there. I don’t know where it came from.”
I crossed my arms. “You expect me to believe someone just walked by and slapped that on your car?”
He hesitated. “We were out last night celebrating a friend’s new baby. Maybe one of the guys thought it would be funny.”
“Funny?” My voice rose. “You think this is funny?”
“No! I’m just saying maybe it was a joke. We used my car last night. I didn’t know until now.”
“Are you absolutely sure?” I stared him down. “Because if you’re hiding something—”
“I’m not.” He said quickly, grabbing my shoulders gently. “Rachel, I love you. There’s no one else. No baby. Nothing.”
I didn’t pull away, but inside, I was already falling apart.
“Alright,” I whispered after a moment. “I believe you.”
The Moment Everything Started to Change
But even as I said those words, something inside me shifted. Trust doesn’t vanish all at once—it slowly rots away.
Later that day, Eric said he had to leave.
“There’s an emergency at work,” he said, pulling on his jacket. “I’m really sorry. I’ll come back later this week, I promise.”
“Fine,” I said, trying to hide my disappointment.
As he headed out, I called after him, “Aren’t you going to remove the sticker?”
“I’ll do it later. I’m running late.”
He kissed me, got in his car, and drove away.
I texted Leslie: He said it was from a party. One of his friends must’ve stuck it on.
She replied instantly: Do you believe that?
I stared at the screen, unsure what to say. I didn’t know what to believe.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. I cleaned, paced, folded laundry I didn’t need to fold.
A sharp, nagging feeling gnawed at me. Something was wrong.
I realized I knew almost nothing about Eric’s life. He never introduced me to friends. Said they lived far away. No social media. Said his parents were dead. No way to check.
But I did know where he worked. I opened my laptop and searched for his company’s social media.
A Truth I Couldn’t Unsee
Scrolling through the company page, I found a photo of Eric giving a presentation. It was from a few months ago.
I read the comments. Then I saw it.
“So proud of my Eric!” — from someone named Susan.
I clicked her profile. It was public. My blood turned cold.
Photos of Eric, smiling with an older woman. Caption: “My wonderful son.”
I kept scrolling. Then I saw another photo—Eric with a little boy, maybe four years old, and a pregnant woman smiling beside him.
Caption: “My son and his beautiful family.”
I stopped breathing.
I clicked on the pregnant woman’s profile.
It was full of pictures—her and Eric, their son, and a brand-new baby wrapped in a hospital blanket.
They were happy. A real family.
I sat frozen.
Two years. I wasn’t his girlfriend. I was a secret.
If I was a secret, she deserved to know.
I texted Leslie: Eric’s married. He has kids.
She replied immediately: What a jerk. You can’t let him get away with this.
She was right. I had to act.
I scrolled back through the woman’s profile—Angela’s profile.
Her latest post was about looking for a nanny.
My hands were steady now. I called the number.
Facing the Truth
The night before the interview, I barely slept. I cried for hours—not just sadness, but anger. Betrayal. Humiliation.
But also clarity.
The next morning, I drove to Angela’s address.
A quiet street. A pretty house.
Eric’s car wasn’t there.
I rang the doorbell.
Angela opened the door with a tired but kind smile.
She invited me inside and led me to the living room.
“So,” she said, “do you have experience with children?”
I nodded. “My parents worked a lot, so I helped raise my younger brother. It taught me responsibility.”
“That must’ve been hard.”
“It was. But I’ve always loved kids. That’s why I’m interested in the position.”
She seemed satisfied. We talked a little more, then I asked softly, “Will your husband be joining us? Or are you raising the kids alone?”
“He should be back soon. Would you like some tea?”
“Yes, please.”
In the kitchen, while she made tea, I watched her. She didn’t seem like someone who deserved to be lied to. She seemed like a good person, living a dream like mine—only hers had a marriage certificate and two children.
I took a deep breath.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” I said. “I didn’t come here for the job.”
Angela turned slowly. “Then why did you come?”
The front door opened. Eric walked in, freezing when he saw me.
“Rachel? What—what are you doing here?”
Angela frowned. “You two know each other?”
I stood. “I came to tell your wife the truth.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me outside.
“Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing?”
“You lied to me. For two years.”
“You can’t tell her. You’ll ruin everything.”
“You ruined everything.”
He changed tactics. “I was going to leave her. I want to be with you. You have to believe me.”
“You just had a baby with her. That’s your idea of leaving?”
“It was complicated!”
“No. It was deceit.”
I turned back inside.
Angela waited, arms crossed.
I looked her in the eyes.
“I know this hurts. But it would hurt more if you never knew. Eric and I have been seeing each other two years. He told me he had no family, no social media, nothing. I didn’t know about you. I swear.”
Angela stared at Eric.
“Is that true?”
“She’s insane,” he said. “She’s making this up—”
I pulled out my phone and showed Angela the photos, texts, and voice notes.
Angela’s face hardened.
“You lied to me.”
She grabbed a dish towel and threw it at him. Then another.
“We have two children! And you—you betrayed us all!”
Eric raised his hands.
“Angela, please—”
“I trusted you!” she shouted. “And you made me a fool!”
“I should leave,” I said quietly.
Angela turned to me, tears in her eyes.
“Thank you. For telling me. I know that wasn’t easy.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
She nodded.
I walked out of the house, past the man I once loved and the woman he betrayed.
I got into my car, started the engine, and drove away.
My chest ached, but inside, I felt something new — strength. The kind of strength that only comes when the truth finally breaks free from the lies.
