When Mom called me from her honeymoon, begging me to save her from her new husband, I thought she was in real danger. Nothing could have prepared me for what she was about to reveal or for the way I had to intervene to set things right.
I have always been close to my mom, Diana.
She was my rock, my best friend, and the person who taught me about love and resilience. But after my father died ten years ago, everything changed.
She became withdrawn, silent—as if a shadow of the joyful woman she once was. She rarely called or wrote, and when I tried to ask how she was doing, she assured me that everything was fine.
But I could feel it wasn’t.
One day, I had had enough.
I called her and said,
“Mom, why don’t you come live with me for a while? It’ll be fun. We can watch your favorite cooking shows together and eat way too much ice cream.”
At first she resisted, but after much persuasion, she finally agreed.
Within a week, she moved into my guest room, and I made it my mission to bring her back to life.
I urged her to leave the house, meet new people, and attend local events.
“You’re still young, Mom,” I told her. “You deserve fun and new friendships. Dad would have wanted that.”
I must admit, it wasn’t that easy.
She would sigh and roll her eyes when I suggested joining a book club or a gardening society. But over time, she began to say “yes.”
Gradually, I saw the spark in her eyes again. She started laughing more, talking about new friends, and even returned to her old hobbies.
I was so happy to see her like that again.
Then, about a year ago, Mom told me about Greg. One day, she invited him to lunch.
“He’s just a friend,” she said, but the reddening of her cheeks made it clear that wasn’t the whole truth.
Greg turned out to be a tall, silver-haired man with kind eyes and a gentle voice. He seemed like the type who would always hold the door and say “please” and “thank you.”
After he left, I couldn’t resist teasing her:
“Well, Mom, is Greg really just a friend? Or is there something more?”
She blushed even deeper.
“Well, um… he, er… is my boyfriend,” she admitted.
“What?!” I stared at her. “Mom! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know how to…” she mumbled.
“I’m so happy for you!” I interrupted and hugged her. “That’s wonderful!”
“But…” she hesitated. “Do you think it’s normal? Dating someone after Dad… Is it right?”
“Mom, of course!” I took her by the shoulders. “You deserve to be happy. Dad always wanted you to be happy, right? He would have wanted you to move on. You can’t keep your life on pause forever.”
Her eyes shone, and she nodded.
“You’re right. I just… hope I’m doing the right thing.”
“You are,” I said confidently. “Greg seems like a good man. You deserve a second chance at happiness.”
From that moment on, she threw herself into the relationship. They dated for a while, and when he proposed, she said yes.
The wedding was modest but beautiful. As I watched Mom walk down the aisle, I thought, “Maybe this is her happy ending.”
Everything seemed perfect… until that one phone call.
The Call That Changed Everything
After the wedding, Mom and Greg went on their honeymoon in Key West. It was Mom’s dream, and she had finally achieved it.
I was so happy for her.
The day after they arrived, my phone rang. I saw her name on the screen and assumed she was calling to tell me how wonderful everything was.
“Mom!” I replied cheerfully. “So, how’s paradise?”
But her trembling voice immediately made it clear that something was wrong.
“Kayla…” she whispered. “Please. Come and save me. I beg you.”
“Mom, what happened? Are you okay?!” I sat up straight at once. “Are you alright?”
“It’s Greg,” she said. “He’s not the man I thought he was.”
My mind instantly filled with the worst scenarios.
“What do you mean? Has he done something? Is he dangerous?” I was already grabbing my car keys, ready to race to Florida.
She took a deep breath.
“You won’t believe it… but he brought his children on our honeymoon. And his grandchildren. And now he wants me to look after them.”
“What?!”
She explained that Greg had announced he had a surprise for her. She had been expecting something romantic—a sunset dinner, a couples’ massage… but instead, his adult children showed up with their little ones in their arms.
“Now I’m stuck with four children, Kayla!” Mom cried. “And Greg spends all his time with his kids.”
I was furious.
“This is madness!” I exclaimed. “Don’t worry, Mom. I’m coming.”
Showdown in Paradise
I arrived at the resort the next morning.
Instead of enjoying a vacation, I was determined to confront Greg.
To underscore the absurdity of the situation, I stopped by a store and bought a pink baby sunhat, a bib, and a pacifier.
If Greg wanted to turn my mom into a free babysitter, I was going to show him just how ridiculous that was.
I went into the poolside lounge, spotted Greg, and shouted loudly:
“Daddy! Where’s my mommy? I want juice!”
Greg turned pale.
“Kayla? What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to save Mom,” I replied, pulling the pacifier out of my mouth.
I then turned to his children:
“Don’t you think it’s strange that your father has turned his wife into a free babysitter on their honeymoon?”
Their eyes widened. One of the daughters mumbled:
“We… we didn’t want to…”
“Of course you didn’t want to,” I interrupted. “It’s just that you were led to believe it was normal.”
Mom appeared, looking exhausted, with a child in her arms. I took the baby from her and handed it back.
“That’s your child. Take care of him yourself.”
Then I turned to Mom:
“Pack your things. We’re leaving.”
She nodded.
We left, and later, Mom filed for an annulment.
And Greg? His children stopped talking to him once they realized he had used them.
So now he’s alone, wondering where it all went wrong.
