From the outside, my family seemed perfect. My dad, Richard, was a respected businessman. My mom, Linda, was the warm, dependable stay-at-home mom who made our house feel like home. We had dinners together, vacations, a lovely house — the works. But behind the scenes, there were cracks I didn’t see until much later. One day, while putting dishes away, I saw a message pop up on my dad’s phone: “Can’t wait to see you tonight,
love.” That message led to dozens more. Different women. Different dates. A web of lies going back years. I felt sick. My first instinct was to protect my mom. She depended on him financially, and I worried the truth would destroy her. So I sat down beside her one quiet evening and gently told her everything. She didn’t cry. She didn’t look shocked. She just looked at me calmly and said, “I know.” That’s when my world shifted. She had known for almost ten years. But instead of falling apart,
