My grandma used to warn me as a child that not all surprises in life are good ones.
She would advise, “Liz, remember the good times and don’t let the bad ones bring you down.”
She may have meant to prepare me for the hard times in life, but she had no idea that the worst day of my life would permanently change my reality.
I will always remember the day I found out that my spouse, Jake, was planning something behind my back. We got together at my place of employment and grew close really fast.
We connected deeply, which is why we got married after only six months of dating, or so I believed.
Jake mentioned having a family right away, the day after our beautiful wedding. He seemed more serious than I had anticipated when he stated, “Liz, I think we should try for a baby immediately.”
“Are you certain? We recently got married,” I answered, attempting to decipher his motivation.
“Yes, without a doubt,” he affirmed. “Now is the best moment of all. That’s the ideal approach for us to begin our journey together.
His remarks were enthusiastic, yet there was something off about the tone.
Unaware of his genuine intentions, I smiled and nodded, flattered yet confused by his enthusiasm.
I was cleaning the living room one day when I heard Jake’s laptop chime with a notification. I looked at the screen; he was in the shower.
Though not spying, I was unable to miss the message preview that asked, “Is she pregnant yet?”
It came from Claire, his former lover.
As I read their terrifying exchange, my stomach turned over and over.
“Jake, keep in mind our agreement. You have a year to get her pregnant. You won’t be able to claim your inheritance otherwise,” Claire stated.
“Relax, I’ll take care of it. Everything is proceeding as expected, Jake answered.
As I listened to their discourse, tears started to fall down my cheeks. They talked of a cold, calculating plan in which Jake would wed me in order to guarantee an heir to a big bequest from a distant relative.
Jake had to father a child within a year of our wedding in order to ensure the inheritance. And the reason he was using me was since his previous girlfriend couldn’t conceive.
Jake was going to get his half, then get a divorce and live with Claire.
“How were you able to?” I muttered.
Startled by the disclosure, I realized that I couldn’t face Jake without substantial proof. So for the following three days I went about my business as usual, quietly collecting evidence.
I copied Jake’s emails onto a USB drive every time he left his laptop alone. When I was out, I also started to record his phone calls to Claire.
I lurked in the garage one evening, feigning to go outside, and recorded Jake on the phone, confirming their plan.
“Claire, I just need a little more time. I promise, everything is proceeding as planned,” he pleaded.
After obtaining the evidence, I spoke with an attorney.
Elizabeth, take this seriously. To keep you safe both legally and financially, we need to handle this cautiously,” he said.
We carefully thought out every move, bracing ourselves for what was sure to happen.
A few weeks later, Jake’s family threw their annual get-together, which gave him the ideal excuse to tell the truth.
All his distant relatives, even the ones whose inheritance he desired, attended.
I played the part of a devoted wife who was excited to have a family with Jake in the weeks before the celebration. But I was nervous inside.
After supper, I got up to give a toast during the occasion.
I started off by saying, “I want to thank everyone for welcoming me into this wonderful family.” “And I have a special surprise for my dear husband, who has taught me so much about trust and love!”
Turning to face me, I turned on the projector. Recordings of Jake and Claire’s phone calls were shown on the screen after the damaging emails between them flashed.
The space became quiet. Jake’s grandmother then got to her feet, her face red with rage.
“You are an embarrassment,” she replied sternly. “You will not inherit a single penny of anyone’s fortune!”
Claire, who I had invited as a friend’s guest, got to her feet, looking pale. She struck Jake in the face with a slap.
She yelled, “I never want to see you again!” and stormed away.
I turned to face Jake as the room filled with whispering, his face devoid of color.
“And one final thing,” I firmly said. “I never thought I would become pregnant so quickly. Since discovering the truth, I have been using birth control.
Jake had nothing because his plan had failed that evening. Our prenuptial agreement was rendered voidable by his dishonesty.
In the meantime, I left with a promising future and my integrity untarnished.
How would you have responded in that situation?