Monica told her mother, Vivienne, that she was engaged to a new man named Zach. The older woman couldn’t believe it, mainly because he was not wealthy, so she decided to dress up as a poor woman and investigate. She couldn’t have been more shocked at the scene she found in Zach’s house.
Vivienne’s daughter, Monica, had just stormed out of her house. They had a massive argument over Monica’s announcement. She was going to marry a man named Zach. Vivienne couldn’t believe it because she had no idea her daughter had broken up with her boyfriend, Anthony.
Anthony’s family wasn’t as wealthy as Monica’s family, but they were respected in the high society of Hartford. Vivienne dreamed of his daughter marrying well and never worrying about money. However, it seemed that Monica’s new man did not come from money at all. He lived in the small town of Mystic. Moreover, he was a fisherman, and his parents worked blue-collar jobs their entire lives.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
That won’t do. She can’t marry him! Vivienne thought, trying to calm her rapidly-beating heart after the fight with Monica.
“I can’t marry Anthony, Mother! He cheated on me with at least three women in just two months! Do you want me to be miserable?!” Monica had asked in tears.
“That can’t be true!” Vivienne yelled back, and that’s when Monica decided to storm out of the house.
Vivienne sat in her living room and thought about what to do. She had to fix this somehow. If Anthony was really a cheater, it made sense that Monica became attracted to someone outside their society. But what if this Zach was with her for her family’s money? Men could be gold-diggers too.
She had to check out Zach without her daughter. It had to be a scenario where he was forced to act as himself and not the version he wanted Monica to see, so she came up with a plan.
The following day, Vivienne took a taxi and arrived in Mystic, Connecticut, wearing the most horrible clothes she could find in her old boxes. She wore a stained skirt which she purposely ripped on one side and a sweater that smelled like mothballs. It was perfect. She would see Zach and observe how he acted around regular people.
Luckily, Mystic was such a small town that everyone apparently knew where Zach lived. Vivienne just asked a lady at the local grocery store, and she pointed her in the general direction.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Unsplash
She reached his house, which was worse than Vivienne could’ve imagined. It looked run down and had an unkempt garden. She saw beer bottles and cigarette buds lying around as she approached the front door. Monica has never seen this house before, Vivienne thought, convinced of it. There’s no way her daughter would’ve fallen for a man who lived like this.
She wanted to run but had to get this done, so she raised her finger and rang the doorbell. A man with a gray, sweat-stained shirt answered the door. He was clearly in his 20s. This had to be Zach. He had a bottle of beer in his hand and an unshaven face.
“Yeah?” the man said.
“Oh, hello,” Vivienne began tentatively. Now that she was there, she had no idea how to talk to him or what to say to discover what kind of personality he had.
“Lady, what do you want?” the man continued irately now.
“I’m sorry. I was wondering if you could help me. I’m a bit lost,” she finally blurted. “Are you Zach?”
“Yeah, that’s me. What do you want?” Zach asked and belched. Vivienne couldn’t help looking disgusted, and he laughed.
Suddenly, a woman started yelling from inside the house. “Zach! Where did you put my lighter? You’re always losing stuff! YOU IDIOT!”
Zach turned from Vivienne and started shouting at the woman. “I’m the idiot? I’M THE IDIOT! You’re the one that loses everything as soon as it gets here. I don’t know where you put it! Don’t blame it on me!”
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“I can’t believe I’m still with someone like you! I’m going to leave you tonight!” the woman screamed some more, and Vivienne heard the distinct sound of breaking glass. She raised a hand to her chest.
“THE DAY YOU LEAVE WILL BE THE BEST OF MY LIFE, CRAZY WOMAN!” Zach snapped loudly and turned back to look at Vivienne. “Look, lady. Get to the point. I’m busy.”
“That’s your girlfriend?” Vivienne breathed. It was the only thing that came to her mind after that horrible display. These people were awful.
“None of your business, old woman. Now, go away,” he bellowed and slammed the door in her face. Vivienne jumped as the door closed and couldn’t believe her daughter was actually dating that man.
This is awful. Monica was not only going to get her heart broken again, but this man was clearly abusive and dangerous to women in general. Vivienne had to stop it. But first, she had to go back to Hartford, which meant finding a taxi in this small town.
She started walking the streets and noticed the other houses around the block. They were old and tiny, just like Zach’s, but others maintained them. At least, not everyone was bad in this area. They were covered in snow this time of the year. Suddenly, a woman came out of one of the houses, saw Vivienne, and waved.
Vivienne smiled and waved back, not knowing what else to do. The woman started walking towards her. She was around her age and had the kindest smile in the world.
“Hey, there! Do you need help? Are you lost?” the woman asked.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Oh, no. Don’t worry about it. I just need to find a taxi and go home,” Vivienne answered and tried to walk away. But the woman wouldn’t let her.
“Wait. I’m Georgia. It’s getting really cold out here, and sometimes, it’s hard to find a taxi on the main road. Come inside, and I’ll call one for you,” she suggested.
“I’m Vivienne. Nice to meet you. That’s such a kind offer, but I don’t know….”
“I insist,” the woman continued and urged Vivienne inside.
They chatted a while, and Georgia called the cab company in town. Apparently, all the drivers were busy, and none of them wanted to drive all the way to Hartford.
“Oh, dear. What should I do? I have to get to Hartford tonight,” Vivienne muttered, biting her bottom lip.
“A taxi from here to Hartford is so expensive. Are you sure? Maybe, you can stay here, and tomorrow, you can take the bus,” Georgia noted.
“Oh, it’s alright. Someone else is paying the taxi,” Vivienne lied. “It’s important for me to get home tonight.”
Just then, someone opened the front door and came in. “Hey, Ma!”
It was a handsome man in his 20s who looked remarkably like Georgia with a kind face and smile. Georgia hugged him and introduced him to Vivienne. He was visiting his mother and brought over fresh fish he had caught that day.
“Oh, boy. I meant to ask. Do you know anyone going to Hartford tonight?” Georgia asked her son after stashing the fish in the freezer.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The man stood in the middle of the living room and pursed his lips. “Oh, I don’t. Why?”
“Vivienne has to get there tonight, but none of the taxis in town want to take her,” Georgia replied.
“Well, why don’t I take her? I was thinking of going to Hartford this weekend and buying some stuff. But I guess tonight works too,” Georgia’s son offered.
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to put you out. You look tired,” Vivienne muttered, embarrassed.
“Don’t worry about it. Let’s go,” the man insisted and guided Vivienne to his car. It was an old pickup, but he assured her it worked perfectly and would get them to their destination.
They talked during the more-than-one-hour drive to Hartford, and Vivienne was pleasantly surprised by his kind demeanor. Not many people would have offered an older woman a ride just like that, and she hadn’t talked about paying him. He was a kind, hard-working man.
Well, not everyone in that town is as awful as Monica’s new boyfriend. Why couldn’t she meet a boy like this? Vivienne was lost in thought as they entered the city.
“Ma’am. Where exactly are you going? I can take you anywhere,” the man wondered.
“Oh, there’s this gated community…,” Vivienne began, giving him the directions to her area. But she told him to stop at the gates instead of leading him to her house.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Here! Have some money for the ride. It’s what I would’ve paid the taxi,” she said, holding out some cash in her hand and opening the door with her other hand.
“No, no. I couldn’t. I was already coming here anyway,” the man rejected her offer.
Vivienne tried to insist. “Please, take it.”
“No, ma’am. I really couldn’t. I used this ride as an excuse to see my girlfriend, who lives around the area. I should thank you!” the man laughed, and Vivienne joined him.
“Well, then. I appreciate your kindness,” she finally said before getting out of the truck and waving goodbye at the young man.
Oh, I never even asked his name. Jesus, I forgot all my manners, she thought after reaching her house.
Her meeting with Monica’s horrible boyfriend had truly shaken her, but at least, she met some great people that got her home safely. Obviously, she knew that money wasn’t everything, and many average folks were great people. But her daughter had made a colossal mistake.
Why couldn’t she have picked someone like Georgia’s son? He was pretty nice, Vivienne thought as she changed out of the old clothes and into her pajamas.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Suddenly, her phone pinged with a message. It was Monica. She said that she was bringing her boyfriend for dinner tomorrow night and hoped Vivienne would be nice.
“Oh, dear. I’m going to have to break your heart tomorrow. But you definitely can’t marry that man,” she muttered out loud, looking intently at her phone.
The following night, Vivienne was worried. Her daughter’s car had just pulled into her driveway, and Zach was coming with her. She had no idea how to explain what she did yesterday and how she ended up at that man’s house. But Monica would have to see reason. That horrible man was sweaty, rude, and had a girlfriend.
There was a knock on the front door, and Vivienne breathed deeply to gather her courage. She was about to start a huge fight with that man, and Monica had to listen to her. But when the older woman opened the door, her mouth dropped. No arguments or screams came out — just a tiny squeak.
“Mom?” Monica asked, frowning at her mother.
The man standing beside her was not that sweaty Zach she had met the previous day. It was Georgia’s son!
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
“Ma’am?” the man asked and looked at Monica with a confused expression. “This is your mother? I gave her a ride from Mystic last night.”
“What? Mom, what were you doing at Mystic?” Monica wondered, placing her hand on her waist.
“Oh, dear. Come in! Come in! This is your boyfriend, Zach?” Vivienne inquired as she guided them inside quickly, breathing heavily. She was ecstatic.
“Yes, Mom. This is Zach. But did you meet him yesterday?” her daughter asked again, refusing to let her change the subject. They both removed their coats, and Vivienne was smiling at them with the most relieved smile in the world.
“Yes, dear. It’s a long story. Sit down…,” she told them and explained everything that happened the day before, including how Zach ended up driving her back to Hartford.
There were two people named Zach in the town of Mystic, and the lady at the store only knew one of them. The rude one. Monica found the whole story hilarious and their original fight had already been forgotten by the time Vivienne finished.
For Illustration Purposes only. | Source: Pexels
The whole night, Vivienne was so friendly to Monica’s Zach. They had dinner and enjoyed a wonderful time. Before the couple left, Vivienne told Monica that she approved and would pay for their wedding if they desired. The older woman never judged Zach for being a fisherman because he treated her daughter like a princess.
Besides, after meeting that sweaty Zach, anyone else was infinitely better.
What can we learn from this story?
- Don’t judge others based on their financial status. Money doesn’t mean anything in the end. Some horrible people have tons of money, and some of the greatest might be working paycheck to paycheck.
- Don’t assume you know what’s best for your children. Some parents think they know what would make their kids happy, but that’s not always the case.
Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.
I Burned My Face in a Fire and My Husband Dumped Me – Years Later, I Accidentally Ran into Him & He Was Shocked
I thought my husband and I were going to be together forever, but when the fire happened, I changed physically while he changed his mind. My husband ended up leaving me because of how I looked, but in the end, I got the last laugh.
It was a chilly fall evening when the fire started. I still remember the sharp scent of wood smoke hanging in the air, mingling with the distant laughter of children playing on the street before the fire caught up with me, forever changing my life.
A woman reading a book close to a furnace | Source: Midjourney
The house we were renting had an old, unreliable furnace. I told Evan we should have it checked, but like so many things, he brushed off my concerns. He always did that; dismissed my worries as if they were nothing.
But I guess that’s what happens when you’re married to someone studying to become a doctor. Evan always thought he knew better. That night, eight years ago, I lit a few candles in the living room.
A woman lighting candles in her home | Source: Midjourney
The power was flickering on and off, and I wanted to make the place feel cozy and warm, like a home. The wind rattled the windows, but I didn’t think much of it. I had a mug of tea in my hands, and I was reading a book, lost in another world.
Then I smelled it; something acrid, burning. Before I knew it, the fire from the furnace was spreading fast, climbing up the walls like a living thing, eating everything in its path! I jumped to my feet, knocking over the candles in the process, causing the flames to grow even fiercer!
A living room burning down | Source: Midjourney
My heart pounded in my chest as panic set in! I ran to the kitchen and grabbed the fire extinguisher, but by then, it was too late! The fire had consumed half the living room! I screamed for Evan, who was upstairs studying!
His footsteps thundered down the stairs. When he saw the fire, his eyes went wide, and for the first time, I saw real fear on his face! He wasn’t the cool, collected medical student anymore but just a man, terrified of losing everything.
A shocked man | Source: Pexels
“Get out!” he shouted, but I was frozen, my hands shaking as I fumbled with the extinguisher.
I didn’t even see it coming, the beam from the ceiling that crashed down, pinning me to the ground. The heat was unbearable, and I could feel my face blistering from the intensity of the flames!
My husband pulled me out just in time, dragging me across the floor and out into the yard. I was in shock, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. I could hear the distant wail of sirens, but all I could focus on was the pain, the excruciating, searing pain that tore through my body.
An injured woman lying on the floor | Source: Midjourney
I was rushed to the hospital, but I barely remember the ride. The next few days passed in a haze of surgeries and painkillers. When I finally woke up, I was wrapped in bandages, my entire face covered. Evan sat beside me, his face pale and hands trembling as he held mine.
He looked at me, and I could see the fear in his eyes.
“I… I don’t know how to…” he stammered, looking horrified when the doctors removed my bandages to check on my healing.
I wanted to comfort him, to tell him it would be okay, but I didn’t have the strength.
An injured woman lying in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney
I could feel the distance between us growing in that hospital room, like a chasm neither of us knew how to cross. When I was eventually discharged, he hired a nurse to look after me at our house while renovations were underway.
Evan was distant when I arrived, having survived the fire but with severe burns on my face, arms, chest, and shoulders. Despite the tension between us, I was happy he was still around and looked forward to us working together on my recuperation.
But I didn’t expect what he did next.
An unhappy man | Source: Midjourney
The following day, Evan woke up early, packed all his things, and sent me a brief message that read, “I can’t be with someone like THIS.”
Evan, the man I loved, the man I married, couldn’t handle what happened to me. He couldn’t bear to look at me, to be with me now that I was scarred. I initially believed his rejection would be the end of me, but I surprisingly managed to pull myself together.
An unhappy woman looking at her phone | Source: Midjourney
For weeks, I followed my doctor’s recommendations, enduring many surgeries, each one more painful than the last. I even underwent therapy. It was hard to recover from both the physical and emotional wounds.
The doctors did everything they could to save my face, but I knew I would never look the same again. The woman I saw in the mirror was a stranger, someone I didn’t recognize.
A woman looking at her reflection in a mirror | Source: Pexels
Despite undergoing both physical and emotional therapy, nothing prepared me for the day I had to return to a world where everyone would see the scars. A world where people would look at me with pity or disgust.
I had to learn how to be strong again and to rebuild my life without Evan.
That’s when I met Jim…
A doctor | Source: Pexels
He wasn’t like Evan. Jim was calm, steady, and kind in a way that felt genuine, not forced. We met at a support group for burn survivors, and though I was hesitant at first, we connected over my experiences and his knowledge.
He had seen trauma and worked with patients who had faced similar hardships and never once flinched when he looked at me. As a doctor, Jim had access to some of the best teams of specialists in reconstructive surgery, and he made it his mission to help me regain my confidence.
Doctor operating on someone | Source: Pexels
It wasn’t about making me look like I used to; it was about helping me feel like myself again. We fell in love slowly, with Jim loving me for who I am. He supported me through every step of my recovery, and the success of the surgeons was beyond what I’d hoped for.
He always told me I was beautiful, even when I couldn’t see it. It wasn’t just words with him; he meant it. For the first time in years, I felt like I could truly be myself! Long story short, we ended up getting married, and I was the happiest I’d ever been!
A couple getting married | Source: Midjourney
Fast forward to last Saturday, the night Jim was celebrating his promotion. We were at a fancy restaurant, surrounded by his colleagues whom we invited. I felt a little out of place, but my husband was so proud to have me there by his side.
The night was going perfectly until I saw him…Evan.
Two men talking at an event | Source: Midjourney
He was standing across the room, talking to one of Jim’s co-workers. I felt the air leave my lungs. For a moment, I wasn’t the strong, confident woman I had become. I was that terrified girl staring at a message that shattered my heart.
Suddenly, he walked over with a wide smile, congratulating Jim on his promotion. But then, something had changed.
“You’re lucky,” Evan said, looking me up and down, flirting mildly. “You’ve got a beautiful wife.”
I smiled, though my heart was pounding in my chest. “I bet he is.”
It dawned on me… Evan didn’t recognize me.
Two men talking at an event | Source: Midjourney
I had prepared a speech for my husband that night, a little tribute to everything he had done for me. But as I stood there, microphone in hand, looking at Evan, I decided to change things up a bit as I noticed an opportunity.
I realized I had to let him know who I was, so I held the microphone tight and set things straight. I started talking about my journey, from the fire to the surgeries, and how I had been abandoned by my ex-husband when I needed someone the most.
A woman making a speech | Source: Midjourney
I glanced over at Evan as I spoke about my ex, and his face paled as he realized who I was.
“I was lucky not to have to get here alone,” I said, my voice steady. “There was a time when I didn’t believe in myself, when I didn’t think I could ever move forward. But I found someone who saw me for who I am, not for how I look.”
As the slideshow played, showing photos of my scars and the aftermath of the fire, Evan stood frozen. He looked like he wanted to disappear before he rushed outside, clearly shaken by my revelation.
A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
Without saying his name, I had allowed the audience to piece together what had happened. Jim had no idea about my past with Evan, but when I told him later that night, he was furious. He wanted to confront my ex right then and there, but I stopped him.
“It’s not worth it,” I said. “He’s already living with the consequences of his choices.”
A couple talking while sitting in bed | Source: Midjourney
Over the next few months, my husband started paying more attention to Evan’s work and noticed how poorly he treated his patients. Evan’s behavior gave Jim the opportunity to make some changes at work, and due to his bad performance at work, Evan was let go.
“It’s satisfying to see that my past, painful as it was, ultimately led me to where I needed to be,” I told my husband one night as he held my hand in bed. In the end, life has a way of bringing things full circle.
A couple lying in bed while holding hands | Source: Midjourney
Evan’s ex wasn’t the only woman who got her sweet revenge after her husband decided to divorce her with no solid grounds. In the following story, Mike’s wife was ready when he tried to blindside her with a divorce. In fact, he ended up calling her, begging for assistance after she moved out.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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