When Piper returns from a trip with her friends, she cannot wait to get home to her husband. But as she unpacks her car, a neighbor approaches her, complaining about the noise from her apartment. If Piper wasn’t home, who was Matthew entertaining in her absence?
I had just returned from a blissful week-long camping trip with my friends. It was all about us taking time away from our lives and enjoying being away from the city.
My husband, Matthew, had stayed behind, claiming that he needed to stay at home.
“I have to be home, Piper,” he said when I was packing my bags. “It’s just work responsibilities. There are meetings and presentations coming up.”
“Are you sure?” I asked him. “Why don’t you come along, and then we can find you a place to work in between it all?”
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” he said. “You go and join the others and have fun. You need some time away from this place.”
He continued to persuade me to go on the trip, and eventually, I gave in.
“If you’re sure, then it’s settled. I’ll go,” I said. “But I’ll meal prep your food for you before I go.”
Two weeks later, I was back home, feeling rejuvenated and happy to be back with my husband.
“I missed you,” I said when I walked into the house.
Matthew was cooking for us, music was playing in the background, and I felt grateful that I could come home to him.
“I’m just going to unpack the car,” I said. “But dinner smells great!”
I went outside and began to unpack my things when our downstairs neighbor, Mrs. Peterson, approached me by the car. Her stern expression made me pause everything.
“Is everything okay?” I asked her, ready to jump at whatever she needed.
“No, Piper,” she said, crossing her arms. “I know that you and your husband are a young couple and stay up until the late hours. But could you try and keep it quiet at night? At least from about nine-thirty. For the past week, I could barely sleep.”
I blinked, taken aback.
“What? Mrs. Peterson, I haven’t been home all week. Are you sure that it was coming from our place?”
The old woman frowned, and I could tell that she was trying to see if I was joking or not.
“Well, someone was making a lot of noise, Piper,” she said. “It sounded like a party every single night.”
I wasn’t sure what I was listening to. I knew that Matthew was a good guy, but we were on the top floor, and there wasn’t anyone living above us.
Was there a possibility that I didn’t know my husband as well as I thought?
I apologized profusely, my mind racing. As soon as she walked away, I rushed upstairs to confront Matthew. I needed to know what Mrs. Peterson was talking about.
If he had been entertaining people, then that was one thing, and it was okay.
But what if he was having an affair?
“Stop it,” I muttered to myself as I stood in the elevator.
I found my husband lounging on the couch, watching TV.
“Matt, we need to talk,” I said, my voice giving me away.
He looked at me, picked up the remote, and switched the TV off.
“What’s wrong, Piper?”
“Mrs. Peterson just complained about noise coming from our apartment every night last week. I wasn’t here, Matthew. What the hell is going on, and who were you making so much noise with?”
My husband’s face paled, and he buried his face in his hands. My heart sank.
There was something about the resignation of his body that made me think that he was guilty. But guilty of what?
Was he simply guilty of having friends over? Or an affair?
“Please, just tell me the truth,” I pleaded, sitting down on the couch across from him.
“I’m not having an affair,” he muttered, barely audible. “And I know that’s what you’re thinking. But I was just ashamed to tell you the truth.”
“What truth? What do you mean? What’s going on?” I asked, the questions hurling themselves at Matthew.
My husband took a deep breath and looked up, his eyes filled with something that I couldn’t understand.
“I lost my job a few months ago, Piper. I didn’t know how to tell you. But I’ve been desperate to make money so that you wouldn’t notice the shortfall. While you were gone, I rented out our apartment to make some money. I stayed at Trent’s place while the apartment was rented out.”
I sighed, the relief and confusion dissipating from my body.
“So, the noise was from the people who rented out the place?” I asked, needing to hear it from him.
He nodded.
“I’m sorry, love,” Matthew said. “I just didn’t know how to tell you. I didn’t want you to worry. And I didn’t want you to miss the trip just because of me. I also had an interview during the first week, and I wasn’t about to reschedule it.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me, Matt?” I asked. “We could have figured something out together.”
“I know,” he said, his voice breaking. “But I was just scared about letting you down.”
“We’re a team, Matthew,” I said. “You don’t have to face things like these alone. We can deal with this together. That’s what marriage is about.”
My husband smiled and pulled me toward him.
“I understand that now,” he said.
We sat in silence for a while, both trying to figure out the next move. I knew that he would have been trying to find another job, and I didn’t want to ask him a million questions about it.
He would tell me when something came up.
“Come,” he said. “Let’s eat.”
We sat down at the table, and Matthew asked me about the trip.
“Tell me everything,” he said. “Did Liam get drunk and do something stupid?”
“Of course he did!” I laughed as Matthew poured me a glass of wine. “He tried moonshine from some other campers and ended up streaking, running through tents.”
“I bet Sasha wasn’t impressed,” Matthew laughed. “That couple is always disagreeing.”
As we did the dishes together that evening, Matthew sighed and leaned against the counter.
“Thank you for understanding,” he said. “Thank you for not thinking that I was covering up an affair.”
I smiled at my husband, ashamed that I entertained the thought of him having another woman in our home.
“But did you make sure to change the bedding?” I asked him. “I’m not about to sleep in a bed that other people have been in.”
Matthew laughed loudly.
“Our bedroom was locked, darling,” he said. “They only used the guest room.”
Over the next few days, we talked about everything. We spoke about the loss of his job, the financial strain, and our plan moving forward.
“I’m actively looking, Piper,” he said over coffee and toast the next morning. “I’ve set up alerts for job positions that I would fit into. And I’ve cut down on any other unnecessary expenses. This isn’t going to be for long. I can promise you that.”
As for Mrs. Peterson, I went downstairs to her apartment, ready to explain everything.
“I’m so sorry,” I said. “I didn’t know about everything Matthew was going through. And he ended up letting our apartment out as an Airbnb for the week, just to make some money off it.”
“Oh, honey,” she said, her eyes softening as she put the kettle on. “It’s okay! I understand it now. I just thought that you two were taking advantage of the situation. But I get it now.”
“Thank you for understanding,” I said. “We just need a minute to get back on our feet.”
Mrs. Peterson faffed around the kitchen, making us some tea.
“Look, Piper,” she said, giving me a plate of biscuits. “I’m here and willing to help you out if you ever need the help.”
It turned out that in her youth, Mrs. Peterson had been through tough times herself and knew how hard it could be to ask for help.
What would you have done?
I Got into a Car Accident — Then I Overheard My Future MIL Urging My Fiancé to Dump Me
I always believed life had a strange way of testing us, pushing our limits, and revealing who truly stands by our side when the storm hits. I just never thought that test would come through my future mother-in-law.
That belief was put to the ultimate test several months ago when a tragic car accident left me with injuries so severe that the doctors were pessimistic about my full recovery.
A young woman in a wheelchair drinking coffee while staring out the window in thought. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
They cautioned that even with extensive rehabilitation, I’d likely have a permanent limp, and for a time, I needed a wheelchair. Throughout this ordeal, my fiancé, Ethan, was an unwavering pillar of support. We even said to each other, “Nothing’s stopping our wedding, not even this.”
As our wedding approached, I found solace in the pages of my favorite books, seeking refuge from the harsh realities of physical therapy and doctor’s appointments. One evening, while I was lost in a novel, Ethan was in the lounge with his mother.
A young woman in a wheelchair reading. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
I was thankful when his mother offered her help the previous night, which I thought she had come over to do. But oh, was I ever so wrong!
Their voices, usually clear and distinct, were now hushed to whispering tones. Curiosity piqued, I listened, unprepared for the chilling words that flowed from my future mother-in-law’s lips.
A woman talking to her son and daughter. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
“Son, you have to leave her otherwise…” She stopped mid-sentence before changing course, “Honey, you are so young and so handsome. Just imagine what a burden she will be for you!”
Frozen, my heart hammering in my chest as I waited for Ethan to defend our love, to speak up about how this wheelchair was only temporary. But silence followed. His silence was a gaping void that swallowed my hope whole.
A sad woman. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Distraught, I wheeled myself to our bedroom, tears blurring my vision. I was hurt and confused, a storm that couldn’t find its calm. When Ethan entered, his face crumpled in worry at the sight of me crying.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice laced with genuine concern.
“You can leave me,” I managed between sobs. “I’d understand that.”
A woman crying into a pillow. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Ethan’s confusion was palpable. “What? Why on earth should I leave you? You are the love of my life!”
“But why didn’t you say that to your mom? I heard everything!”
He rushed to my side, taking my hands in his. “Oh dear. I’m so sorry you heard that. But my reaction wasn’t at all what you thought. After hearing her words, a perfect plan came to my mind to teach my mom a lesson. I stayed silent because I needed her to think I might actually consider it. This was all part of my plan to show her how wrong she is about us, and about you.”
A man comforts his fiancée. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Skeptical yet intrigued, I listened as Ethan unveiled his plan. “Let’s pretend we’re breaking up because of the injury. We’ll even stage a dramatic scene at our upcoming engagement party where I ‘decide’ I can’t handle the pressure. But here’s the twist—right after we pretend to break up, we’ll reveal the truth to everyone about how unsupportive and cruel my mom has been, exposing her in front of our friends and family.”
It was bold, risky, and fueled by the sting of betrayal. I was hurt enough to agree.
Couple hatching a plan. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
The engagement party was a scene straight out of a drama. Under the twinkling lights and the watchful eyes of our friends and family, Ethan and I enacted our plan.
His performance was convincing, his feigned frustration bubbling over as he declared he couldn’t do this anymore. The room fell into a stunned silence, the air thick with shock and disbelief.
Then, the moment of truth arrived.
A visibly shocked reaction from one of the guests at the party. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
Standing (with some difficulty) I addressed the gathered crowd. “This was a test,” I began, my voice steady despite the pounding of my heart. “A test to show the true colors of someone who claimed to love me unconditionally.”
Ethan joined in, explaining our ruse and calling out his mother’s earlier words and lack of support. The impact was immediate.
My mother-in-law, caught in her own cruel game, was mortified. She stuttered apologies, her façade of politeness crumbling before everyone. The crowd’s reaction was mixed; some were shocked, others whispered among themselves, but the message was clear: no one would look at her the same way again.
A mortified woman staring out a window. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
From that day on, she was much more cautious around us, her words measured, her actions careful. Ethan and I grew stronger, our bond fortified by the ordeal. We learned the hard truth about the challenges we faced, not just from life’s unpredictable twists but from those we least expected.
As I continued to heal, both physically and emotionally, I realized that this test, harsh as it was, taught us about the depth of our resilience and the unyielding strength of love.
A happy couple on the beach. For illustration purposes only | Source: Pexels
In the end, life’s trials did indeed reveal who stood by me — not just the man I loved, but the strength I harbored within myself. Wheels and all, I was ready to face whatever came our way, with Ethan truly by my side.
Those you love and choose to build a family with don’t always stand by you when it matters, and even that can be a lesson, as another woman found out when her future MIL turned her life upside down and used food to do it.
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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