My Girlfriend Received a Rose Bouquet Delivery, but It Was Not from Me – The Truth behind It Turned My Life Upside Down – LoveAnimals
My world flipped upside down when my longtime girlfriend received a present that had me believing she was cheating. Looking back now, I jumped to the conclusion of infidelity because of my past trauma. In the end, my girlfriend’s gift set me on a journey of healing.
What I thought was a normal day turned into something quite unexpected. At one point, I thought my relationship with my girlfriend was over. Let me introduce myself, my name is Garry, 30, and I have been dating my partner for four wonderful years.
I truly believed our relationship was over when on a typical Thursday afternoon at the office my phone buzzed with a text from my girlfriend, Emily. I glanced at the phone, expecting a quick chat about dinner plans, but the text was filled with excitement.
Confused, I opened the message and was left in shock when I read it! “Thank you for the flowers, sweetheart! They’re so beautiful and thoughtful,” she wrote. Attached was the picture – her and a huge bouquet of red roses.
I froze. “Flowers? I hadn’t sent any flowers,” I thought to myself as my mind started racing, but I managed to keep it calm. “I’m glad you loved them,” I wrote back, trying to mask my confusion. “I’ll see you at home tonight.”
Needless to say, the rest of my workday was a mess! I was FLOODED with suspicion. “Who had sent Emily those flowers?” I wondered to myself. I couldn’t shake the gnawing thought that she might be seeing someone else.
But I decided not to confront her over the phone. I needed to see those flowers and find out more. The workday dragged on painfully slow. My imagination ran wild with scenarios, each more distressing than the last! By the time I finally left the office and got home, I was a bundle of nerves!
When I walked through the door of our apartment, the first thing I saw was the bouquet of red roses on the dining table. They were stunning, arranged perfectly in a crystal vase. Emily greeted me with a kiss and a smile, but I was too distracted to fully respond.
I walked over to the flowers, pretending to admire them. “They really are beautiful,” I said, looking closely at the bouquet, my heart pounding. Then, I saw the note sticking out tucked between the flowers. My hands were shaking as I reached for it, expecting the truth about Emily’s cheating to come out.
I pulled it out and read the words that made my blood run cold and a chill run down my spine. The note read: “Your mother died. These were her favorite flowers. If you can, please come to the funeral.”
I felt the room spin, and I gripped the table to steady myself. Emily noticed my reaction and her face filled with concern. “Are you okay?” I shook my head, barely able to process the information. “These flowers…they’re from my mother’s husband. She’s…she’s dead.”
Emily looked shocked. “I didn’t know you were in touch with her,” she asked softly, coming over to embrace me. “I wasn’t,” I said, my voice hollow. “I haven’t spoken to her in years. She left my father and me for another man when I was a kid.”
Continuing my tale, I added, “She didn’t want children, so she abandoned me.” I could see how torn up Emily was to hear how I’d suffered growing up. I hadn’t been willing to share my whole background with her until now. Luckily, she was as supportive as ever.
The next few days were a blur of emotions. I couldn’t decide if I should go to the funeral. Part of me wanted to ignore the message, to pretend it had never arrived. But another part of me felt a pull, a need to find closure.
Emily was there for me through it all, though clearly confused by the sudden upheaval in my life. “Whatever you decide, I’ll be here for you,” she vowed. The day before the funeral, I received a phone call that changed everything. It was my father.
He surprised me by saying, “I’m going to the funeral,” his voice strained but resolute. I was stunned. “Dad, after everything she did to you, to us?” He sighed. “I’ve had years to think about it, and I’ve realized that holding on to all that anger has only hurt me more,” adding:
“I need to let it go, for my own sake. And I think you need to do the same.”
We drove to the funeral together, the car ride filled with an uneasy silence. When we arrived, I saw faces I didn’t recognize, people who had become part of my mother’s new life. I felt like an outsider, but having my father there made it bearable.
The service was somber. As I looked at the casket, I realized how much time had been wasted in anger and resentment. My mother had made her choices, and they had hurt me deeply, but she was still my parent.
After the service, I approached my mother’s new husband. He looked tired and grief-stricken. “I’m sorry for your loss,” I said as I placed a hand on his shoulder, and I meant it. He nodded gratefully, tears in his eyes.
Then he told me something I didn’t know I needed to hear. “She spoke of you often, you know. She regretted leaving you.” Between trying to hold back tears, he shared, “She always hoped you might forgive her someday.”
I thanked him for sharing that information with me before walking away. The ride home was quiet but less tense. My father and I had both faced our past and while it didn’t erase the pain, it felt like a step towards healing.
My sweet Emily was waiting for us when we returned. Her presence was a comforting reminder of the love and stability I had now. “I’m proud of you,” she said, hugging me tightly. As I held her, I made a deep realization.
It dawned on me that while the flowers had brought back painful memories, they had also given me a chance to confront and let go of the past. My life had turned upside down, but in a way that allowed me to start anew. This time with a heart a little lighter and a future a little brighter.
Weeks later, Emily and I were having dinner when she looked at me thoughtfully. “What are you thinking about?” she asked. “I’ve been thinking about my mother,” I admitted. “I never expected to feel this way, but her death has made me realize how important it is to let go of the past.”
Emily reached across the table and took my hand. “I’m here for you, whatever you need.” I squeezed her hand, grateful for her support. “I know. Thank you for being here through all this.” That night, as we sat together, I thought about the journey ahead.
There would be more difficult moments and more painful memories to confront, but I wasn’t alone. I had Emily, my father, and a renewed sense of hope. My life had changed, but had also been set on a new, promising path.
A few months later, I received another unexpected message. This time, it was from one of my mother’s old friends. She wanted to meet and share some memories of my mother. I hesitated, but Emily encouraged me to go.
When I met with her, she handed me a box filled with letters and photos. “Your mother kept these all these years,” she said. “She always hoped you would read them someday.” As I read through the letters, I felt a mix of emotions.
There were apologies, explanations, and expressions of love. It was overwhelming, but it also brought a sense of closure. Returning home that evening, I shared the letters with Emily. “It’s strange,” I said, “but I feel like I understand her a little better now.”
Emily hugged me. “That’s important. Healing takes time, but you’re doing it.” Looking back, I realized that the bouquet of roses had been the catalyst for a journey I never expected to take.
It had brought back painful memories but had also opened the door to healing and forgiveness. Being brought back into my mother’s life even though it was in her death had also set me on a new, hopeful path. I was even finally ready to propose to Emily!
My Husband Insisted on Homeschooling Our Daughter — I Gasped When I Found Out Why
When Mia’s husband, Ben, suddenly starts talking about homeschooling their six-year-old daughter, Lily, she’s surprised. Months earlier, they had been talking about sending the little girl to private school. So, what changed? Mia finds out when she overhears a conversation between Ben and Lily…
This all started a few months ago at a dinner party. My husband, Ben, and I were sitting with a few friends when, out of the blue, he brought up the idea of homeschooling our daughter, Lily.
An aerial view of people at a dinner party | Source: Midjourney
“It’s the system, you know? It’s too rigid, too focused on tests,” Ben said, leaning forward in his seat like he had discovered the secret to the universe.
“Kids need to be free to explore their creativity. I don’t want Lily’s imagination boxed in. She needs to feel things between her fingers and experience life,” he continued.
Ben reached forward to help himself to the bowl of mashed potatoes.
A casserole of mashed potatoes | Source: Midjourney
Everyone at the table nodded, murmuring in agreement.
“Honestly, that’s so true,” our friend Sarah chimed in as she sipped her wine. “Schools just kill creativity. I wish I had done something different with my kids. Last year, Jasmine wanted to show off her creativity through her uniform, but they didn’t accept it at school. She got a suspension warning.”
I remember glancing at Ben, completely surprised at how passionately he was speaking. He had never once mentioned anything about homeschooling before. In fact, he had been talking about us getting our six-year-old into private school.
A little girl in her school uniform | Source: Midjourney
But here he was, talking about homeschooling like he’d been thinking about it for years.
“We could teach her ourselves, Mia,” Ben continued, glancing over at me with a smile. “Think about it, love. No strict schedules, no standardized tests. She could learn at her own pace.”
I nodded, trying to process everything.
A smiling man | Source: Midjourney
“Yeah, I mean, it does sound good,” I agreed. “But we need to explore all options about it first.”
I was hesitant. But I was also unsure of why I felt a slight unease creep up on me. Although when Ben spoke so passionately, it was hard not to get swept up in the dream of it all.
After that night, Ben kept bringing it up. At home, over dinner, in passing conversations, he’d make little comments all the time.
A concerned woman | Source: Midjourney
“Lily would be so much happier if she wasn’t stuck in a classroom all day.”
“We could help her learn things that matter, Mia, not just what’s on some test.”
Eventually, I started to believe that he might be right.
Before I knew it, we had decided to pull Lily out of her school and start with the new routine of homeschooling. Ben took charge of everything.
A little girl using a computer | Source: Midjourney
“Like the gifts we talked about? You’ll deliver them, right?”
He had always been more involved with her school meetings, so I trusted him completely. And look, at first, everything seemed to be working. Ben would sit with Lily during “school hours,” and he’d proudly show me the projects they’d worked on when I got home from work.
“I’m glad she’s happy,” I told Ben one evening when I was loading the dishwasher.
A woman loading a dishwasher | Source: Midjourney
“She’s more than happy, Mia,” he said with a smile. “She’s thriving. Look at this! She made a solar system model all on her own.”
But then one day, I came home early from work, eager to show Lily the new set of watercolor paint I had gotten for her. I walked in quietly, not wanting to disturb whatever lesson she and Ben were doing.
And that’s when I heard Lily crying.
A concerned woman | Source: Midjourney
“But Dad, I miss my friends!” Lily sobbed. “They probably think I don’t like them anymore. I’m sure they think we’re fighting! They’ll be so mad at me for not going to school…”
I crept closer to the dining room, which had become the classroom. And I heard Ben’s voice, low and soothing.
“Lily-girl,” he said. “I told you, we can send them little gifts, okay? They won’t be mad at you.”
An upset little man | Source: Midjourney
Lily sniffled, but her tone lifted a little.
“Like the gifts we talked about? You’ll deliver them, right?” she said.
Deliver gifts? What on earth was my child talking about?
“Yes, darling,” he said.
A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney
“Like when you let me come with you when Mommy had to work? You’re going to deliver my friends’ gifts just like when you bring packages to people, right?”
I froze. I tried to piece the information together before storming in and demanding answers.
Ben wasn’t homeschooling Lily out of some grand educational philosophy that he had been talking about endlessly.
An upset little girl | Source: Midjourney
Instead, my husband was delivering packages. All those days that I thought they were doing lessons… what had really been happening under my roof?
“Get your answers, Mia,” I muttered as I walked into the dining room.
Ben’s face turned white when he saw me.
A close up of a shocked man | Source: Midjourney
“Care to explain what on earth Lily is talking about?” I asked.
My chest felt tight, like I was just holding it all together before some horrible news came out.
Ben let out a long breath, running his hands through his hair.
“Honey, why don’t you go play on the swing or watch some TV?” Ben told her.
We waited until Lily was happily running outside to the swing before Ben said another word.
A little girl sitting on a swing | Source: Midjourney
“I… I lost my job, okay? Months ago. I didn’t know how to tell you, Mia.”
I blinked, trying to process his words.
“I didn’t want you to think I was a failure.”
“You lost your job? Then what on earth have you been doing all day?”
“The homeschooling. It wasn’t about Lily’s education. It was because we couldn’t afford the tuition anymore. And I know that a few months ago I wanted her to go to private school, but I couldn’t even afford her public school fees.”
A close up of an upset man | Source: Midjourney
Ben paused, holding his head.
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to retaliate.
“I’ve been delivering packages. It’s not stable, but it’s for a few hours a day. I take Lily with me in between her homeschooling. I know you think that I’ve been working in the study and then teaching Lily, too…”
A man holding two boxes | Source: Midjourney
“You’ve been delivering packages? Really? This whole time?” I asked, stunned. “Why didn’t you just tell me?”
“I didn’t want you to think that I was a failure,” Ben said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t know how to fix this situation. But you know how stressful my job was toward the end. Those hours killed me. I thought that maybe if I could just keep things together for a little while longer…”
A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney
I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around everything. I wanted to be angry.
I wanted to shout at my husband, not because he lost his job, but because he didn’t want to tell me about it. I understood the pressure of losing your job suddenly and then having to put yourself back together.
When I was pregnant with Lily, I lost my job because they couldn’t afford to keep paying me while I was on maternity leave.
A pregnant woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
But Ben carried us right up until Lily was three years old.
I shook my head now, trying to shake some of my thoughts. I felt… sad. Sad that Ben had felt like he had to hide this from me.
“Ben, you didn’t have to do this alone,” I said, reaching toward him.
He smiled at me sadly.
A close up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
We put Lily back into school the next week using our savings. She was overjoyed to see her friends, and the guilt Ben had been carrying around began to lift when he saw her running toward them at the school gate.
As for Ben, he found another job as a grocery store manager. It wasn’t his dream job, but it was honest work that came with medical benefits. And honestly, I think it was just the fact that he was earning properly again that made the biggest difference to him.
A man standing in a grocery store | Source: Midjourney
There was a lightness back in our home that hadn’t been there in a long time. A sense that we were moving forward, together.
What would you have done?
A smiling couple with their daughter | Source: Midjourney
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
Am I Wrong for “Hiding” My MIL’s Birthday Present to My Husband after Finding Out What Was Inside?
Tired of allowing her cold and callous mother-in-law to ruin her husband’s birthday, Lila hides Carol’s birthday present from Bill to save him the hurt and disappointment that usually came with his mother’s gifts. But when Lila’s secret comes out, a series of events unfolds.
I could tell my husband, Bill, was nervous. His birthday was coming up, and every year, his mom’s gift felt like a slap in the face.
Bill sat on our worn-out couch, his shoulders tense.
A man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney
“Do you think she’ll actually care this time?” he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
I sighed, placing my hand on his. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say. I knew that I needed to reassure him, but my husband’s relationship with his mother was complicated.
“Maybe,” I said. “But remember, we’re celebrating your birthday, not hers. We’ll have a great time, no matter what, darling.”
A couple holding hands | Source: Midjourney
Bill smiled at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes. I knew how much he wanted to feel loved and appreciated by Carol, but she always failed to show him that. It wasn’t just about the gifts. It was about the feeling.
Bill had told me the story a long time ago. He was his mother’s son from her first marriage, and their relationship was strong, but things took a turn when Carol met her second husband, Adam.
It became even worse when Bill’s younger brothers were born. Suddenly, Carol only had eyes for Adam and their sons, making it clear to Bill that he was no longer a priority in her life.
A mother and her sons | Source: Midjourney
“Okay,” he said. “This year will be different.”
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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