I was genuinely happy for her, and her Aaron seemed like a decent guy. But there was one tiny problem… I had NEVER met him.

Not even a single picture! My mom’s happiness was the priority, so I stayed out of her relationship. Until ONE DAY… we finally planned to meet.

I was thrilled and wanted everything to go perfectly. My hands were shaking as I pressed the doorbell. “OH MY GOD, YOU’RE HERE!” my mom yelled as she rushed to greet me. But the second I saw her man, I froze… He was my—

My breath stopped short.

He was my ex-boyfriend.
The same man who shattered my heart two years earlier… the man who vanished without a word… the man I spent months trying to erase.

And now he stood in my mother’s hallway.

Smiling.

Holding her hand.

My mom glowed with happiness.

“Aaron, this is my daughter. The one I told you so much about!”

His gaze met mine — and it was all there.

Recognition.

Shock.

Guilt.

But he stayed silent.

He didn’t need to speak.

My knees felt weak. A wave of nausea swept over me.

I forced a smile, though my fingers trembled.

Dinner was unbearable.

They laughed. They held hands.

He fed her the same tender lines he once whispered to me.

The same jokes.

The same stories.

My mom looked happier than she had in ages.

And that was the hardest part.

When he stood to grab more wine, I followed him into the kitchen.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, my voice shaking.

He turned to me, defeated.

“I didn’t know she was your mother. I met her by chance. I didn’t… I didn’t plan this.”

“You left me,” I shot back. “No explanation. Just disappeared.”

He swallowed thickly.

“I was diagnosed with depression. I didn’t want to drag you down with me. I thought disappearing was kinder… I was wrong.”