When Alice discovers a locket under her husband’s pillow, she immediately thinks it’s hers. But when she looks at her husband’s nightstand, she sees that her locket is right there. This means that the locket under the pillow is not hers. However, there is only one other person with the same locket — her sister, Sheila.
I’m Alice, a 58-year-old. And I’ve got a story for you.
A close-up of a woman with sad eyes | Source: Midjourney
Sometimes I babysit my sister’s grandchildren when she can’t do it herself. This past weekend, I babysat my sister’s grandkids because she was away at a retreat with some of her friends.
“Of course, I’ll look after the kids,” I told my sister, Sheila, on the phone.
My husband was also away for the weekend, visiting his family, so I had nothing else to do.
A smiling woman with her grandchildren | Source: Midjourney
Everything seemed fine, right?
And it was, until I was changing the bedding in my bedroom, and found my locket under my husband’s pillow.
But why was it there?
At first, I was surprised but nothing more. The real issue arose when I found it there again two days later.
“What is going on?” I said to myself.
“Clive,” I called out, holding up the locket. “Why is my locket under your pillow?”
A locket among bedding | Source: Midjourney
My husband glanced up, his eyes widening. “Oh, I must have found it somewhere and put it there for safekeeping.”
I nodded, unsure. It was just very strange. So, I went to his nightstand where I usually keep mine. I couldn’t explain the feeling I had, but my stomach kept doing backflips.
There it was.
My locket was safely there, lying on top of the nightstand.
“Oh, my goodness,” I said, the pieces of the puzzle finally slotting into place.
A close-up of a shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
There were only two people who had lockets like these: myself and my sister, Sheila.
I was shocked.
I went downstairs, ready to make dinner. Clive was sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee.
“You didn’t tell me how the weekend went,” I said, trying to gather any information I could.
If I had to look at the facts:
Sheila was away for the weekend, and so was Clive. I hadn’t spoken to either of them, other than them both telling me when they arrived at their respective destinations.
A close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
But also, Clive had Sheila’s locket, something that she wore more than me.
Clive looked up from his newspaper, his expression neutral. “It was fine,” he said casually. “Nothing much to report. I just spent a lot of time fishing at the old cabin with my brothers. It was peaceful more than anything.”
Of course, I didn’t believe him. Clive and I had been together for over two decades and nothing felt right about his story. If anything, everything felt completely wrong in every way possible.
A man fishing | Source: Midjourney
“That’s great,” I replied half-heartedly. “I’m glad you got to spend some quality time with your brothers.”
But I felt something wasn’t adding up. So I casually said, “Sheila mentioned she had a good time too,” while watching his reaction closely.
Clive’s face remained impassive, but I noticed a flicker of something in his eyes. “That’s good to hear,” he said, taking another sip of his coffee.
Clive’s gaze met mine for a split second before his eyes darted to the wall behind me.
Man in the kitchen with his coffee and newspaper | Source: Freepik
As I continued preparing dinner, my thoughts kept returning to the locket. If mine was here, then why had I found another one upstairs? And why did it seem like Clive was hiding something?
The coincidence was too striking to ignore. The weekend trips, the identical lockets, and the odd feeling in my gut were all pieces of a puzzle I was determined to solve.
I wondered how I could catch Sheila and Clive in the act. I needed them to admit to their cheating.
I needed justice for myself.
A person busy in the kitchen | Source: Unsplash
“Sheila,” I said on the phone the next morning.
“Hi, sis,” she said, gulping on something.
“Come over for dinner,” I said, eating my yogurt. “It will just be the family and a few of our friends from the tennis group.”
“Tonight?” she asked excitedly. “I’ll be there! Should I bring dessert? I’ll bring cake or something.”
My sister rambled on about making something special, and the entire time, my stomach churned.
A woman on the phone | Source: Unsplash
I spent most of the day in the kitchen, cooking up a feast.
“It smells amazing in here, honey,” Clive said, picking olives out of the bowl. “Do you need my help?”
I shook my head.
“But you can go out and get some drinks for tonight,” I said.
My husband smiled and left the house with his hands in his pockets, whistling as though nothing was wrong in our marriage.
Woman preparing a feast | Source: Freepik
The evening rolled around quickly and soon, the guests were arriving one at a time. Clive was in his element hosting everyone, playing bartender, and entertaining everyone with his stories.
And then, Sheila showed up.
“It’s been so long!” she said, hugging me while holding a large cake box.
“Come on in,” I said, taking the box from her.
My sister smiled, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes. It seemed like guilt.
A cake box on a table | Source: Midjourney
Moments later, my husband came from the living room and hugged Sheila tightly.
“Hi!” he said, guiding her to the living room where the other guests were listening to music and eating the snacks that I had placed all over.
“Is everything okay, honey?” Clive asked over his shoulder.
“Yes,” I said, forcing a smile. “Let’s just get to dinner. I’m sure everyone is starving.”
The snacks on a table | Source: Freepik
As we sat down to eat, I made polite conversation, all the while my mind raced with the plan I had set in motion.
“So, Sheila,” I began innocently, dishing out a helping of roasted potatoes. “How was your weekend? I had a great time with the grandkids, I’m so sorry you missed that.”
“It was really great! The resort was lovely, just as my friend Maggie had promised it would be. Thank you for helping out with the kids, really. I didn’t want to change my plans because the weekend had been paid for already.”
A table full of food | Source: Midjourney
“And no refunds, huh?” Clive laughed from the other end of the table, where he helped himself to pieces of the brisket.
“No, unfortunately,” Sheila said, giving Clive a smile. “But it’s okay, because Alice stepped in and took over.”
Clive grinned back at her.
I couldn’t take it anymore. They were openly flirting with each other right at the dining table.
It was time to make a toast.
Two women holding wineglasses | Source: Unsplash
“Thank you all for coming tonight,” I began, raising my glass of wine.
“I have a special announcement to make. This family has always been about love, trust, and support. However, sometimes we face betrayals that shake us to our core.”
My sister and my husband exchanged nervous glances over the top of their glasses.
“Recently, I found a locket under my husband’s pillow,” I continued. “But then, when I checked his nightstand, I found that my locket was safely there.”
There were a few gasps around the table.
An older man blocking his mouth | Source: Unsplash
“Now, I don’t know if you all know, but the only other person with the same locket is my sister, Sheila. At first, I was confused, but then the horrible truth set in.”
The room fell silent, all forks were left on plates or suspended in midair.
“What are you saying?” Sheila asked, looking nervous for the first time that night.
“I discovered that Sheila and Clive have been having an affair behind my back. Sheila’s locket was Clive’s way of holding onto his mistress when she wasn’t here.”
A close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
Louder gasps went around the table.
“Alice, please,” Clive began, but I cut him off.
“I wanted to confront this openly because secrets and lies have no place in this family. To my husband and sister, you have broken my trust and shattered my heart. But tonight, I take back my power.”
Sheila tried to speak, but there was no point.
“There is no reason or excuse good enough for what you’ve done. I have already decided that I will be filing for divorce.”
A close-up of a sad woman | Source: Midjourney
With that, I walked out of the dining room, leaving them to face the shame and judgment of our friends and family.
I took the cake Sheila brought and sat outside, ready to eat it in my car. I deserved it.
I was done with the lies.
The fallout was immediate. My husband moved out the next day, and my sister was shunned by the rest of the family.
In the end, I felt a sense of justice and relief.
Man packing up his things to move out | Source: Freepik
They got what they deserved, and I emerged stronger and more determined to rebuild my life on my own terms.
I knew the road ahead would be challenging, but I also knew I had the strength to navigate it. With each passing day, I focused on healing and rediscovering my own happiness, free from betrayal and deceit.
What would you have done?
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