When Lily’s husband, Mike, began acting strangely about their garage, telling her to stay out and making excuses, she knew something was off. It started innocently enough — Lily just wanted to get rid of their old mattress. Then Mike yelled, “DON’T GO IN THERE! I’LL TAKE CARE OF IT!”
His reaction puzzled her. Who freaks out over a mattress? Maybe he had a project. But as time passed, Mike became increasingly defensive when Lily asked about the garage. “There are chemicals everywhere,” or “I just painted in there,” were just a few of his excuses.
Naturally, her curiosity grew. What could be so important that he had to keep her away? One evening, unable to contain herself, Lily confronted him about his behavior. He insisted it was a surprise for her upcoming birthday, but she didn’t buy it.
That night, unable to sleep, Lily recalled that Mike kept the garage keys in his jacket pocket. While he slept, she quietly took the keys and headed out to the garage. As she opened the door, stale air hit her. Flicking on the light, she was shocked to see a bed with a woman, Sophie, and a little boy, Leo, asleep.
“Who are you?” Lily whispered.
“I’m Sophie, Mike’s cousin,” the woman replied, trembling. Confused, Lily didn’t have time to ask more before Mike rushed in, looking panicked.
“Lily! Wait!” he called. She pointed at Sophie and Leo. “Why are they here?”
Mike explained that Sophie was homeless and needed help. “I didn’t think you’d be okay with them staying here,” he said, clearly remorseful.
“I would have understood,” Lily replied softly. “You didn’t need to hide this.”
Days passed, and while Sophie and Leo moved into the guest room, Lily felt uneasy. Then, one afternoon, Mike’s friend Greg dropped by. When he saw Sophie, his expression shifted. “Wait, what are you doing here?” he asked.
Sophie froze, and Lily’s heart raced. Greg revealed that Sophie had worked at a bar Mike frequented. The pit in Lily’s stomach churned. “Is that true?” she asked Sophie.
“Yes,” she whispered, avoiding Lily’s gaze.
That night, Lily couldn’t shake her suspicions. The next morning, while Mike slept, she collected hair samples from Leo and Mike’s comb for a DNA test.
Days dragged on until the results came. When she saw the words, it felt like the ground had fallen out from under her: Leo was Mike’s son.
Confronting Mike that night, he tried to deny it, but the evidence was undeniable. “I didn’t want to hurt you,” he said, tears in his eyes.
But it was too late. Lily packed her bags and left, realizing trust was the one thing Mike had taken from her.
