“You’re leaving again,” Sarah said from their bedroom door.

Michael zipped his bag and looked at her. “Sarah, it’s just about a week. You know how important this trip is for my career.”

“I know, Michael, but it feels like you’re always leaving. I sometimes wonder if marrying you was a mistake.”

Michael didn’t need to hear more. He was done with Sarah and their constant arguments. He collected his bags and left the house, slamming the front door behind him.

Once Michael arrived in the town where he had come for a business meeting, loneliness gnawed at him.

To keep himself from feeling alone, he downloaded an anonymous dating app, and a woman named Emma started texting him…

Michael found her witty, and it wasn’t long before they decided to meet.

However, when he finally met Emma at their decided cafe, Michael was a bit startled. He hadn’t expected her to be in her late 40s.

“You’re so interesting and nice. It’s strange that you’re alone,” Emma remarked while they sat across from one another.

Michael felt a pang of guilt but quickly brushed it aside. “Never met the special someone, you know,” he shrugged.

Emma’s smile widened. “Well, I must be fortunate then to have this chance to meet you.”

For the first time in a long while, Michael felt a connection, a sense of belonging outside his troubled marriage. As the night wore on, their conversation became more intimate, and they were soon in a hotel room in each other’s arms.

When Michael awoke the next morning, Emma was gone. His heart ached to see an empty bed. But then, the guilt of his actions gnawed at him.

He returned home a week after the business trip, wondering how he’d face Sarah. As he stepped inside, he saw her in the living room surrounded by albums.

“Michael, you’re back!” she said, her voice distant.

“Yes,” he replied casually, taking off his shoes.

“I hope you remember! Mom is visiting and wants to meet you!”

Michael was caught off guard. He had almost forgotten about Sarah’s family during their recent arguments and his trip.

“Of course,” he managed to say, trying to sound enthusiastic.

Sarah hesitated. “Could we pretend everything is fine between us? Just for her visit?” she asked, approaching him.

Despite the discomfort, Michael agreed. He couldn’t bear to disappoint Sarah further. He still couldn’t forget he had cheated on her.

The next day, as Michael waited for his mother-in-law’s arrival, a sharp knock at the door startled him.

Blood drained off his face when he answered the door and saw Emma on the doorstep.

“What are you doing here?” he whispered, panic rising in his voice. “My wife’s home! Get lost!”

Emma raised a brow. “You have a wife? You said you weren’t married.”

Guilt flooded Michael. “I was on a date. Of course, I wouldn’t reveal I had a wife!” he hissed.

“Honey, who’s there?” Sarah’s voice boomed inside.

“Nobody, they’re leaving!” he called out, but just then, Sarah approached the door, and her eyes lit up.

“Mom! I’m so glad to see you!” she exclaimed, embracing the woman.

Michael’s world crumbled around him. When he and Sarah tied the knot a month ago, they couldn’t invite their families. Sarah had told him her mother would visit them soon, but he had forgotten about it.

“Mom, this is my beloved husband,” Sarah chirped, introducing him and Emma.

Unable to find the words, Michael just nodded, the weight of his secret crushing him.

“Michael, could you please help Mom with her bags?” Sarah asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Sh-sure.”

Michael carried Emma’s bags to the guest bedroom, and once he was alone with her, he asked her to come clean to Sarah.

“We need to talk about something important before that, Michael,” Emma said, gesturing to him to sit beside her.

As Michael sat down, his hands clenched into fists, Emma began.

“After… our encounter, I haven’t been feeling well.” She described her symptoms as nausea, lack of appetite, and constant fatigue.

Michael’s heart raced. He already knew where this was going.

“I know what these symptoms mean,” Emma continued, her expression resolute. “I experienced them when I was pregnant with Sarah.”

Michael felt the room tilt around him. “That’s… that’s impossible,” he stammered, his denial hollow even to his own ears. “We were only together once.”

Emma sighed. “I thought so, too. I took a test. It’s positive, Michael. I’m pregnant. And you’re the father.”

The world seemed to spin as Michael processed the devastating revelation. “What… what do we do?” he asked, his voice a mere whisper.

“I’m keeping the child. I’ve made my decision. We won’t tell Sarah. We’ll keep it a secret.”

Michael agreed. He didn’t have a choice. But as they all gathered for dinner that night, he couldn’t help but feel tense.

Then Emma faced Sarah with a smile, announcing her pregnancy. “I met a wonderful man, and the child is from him,” she announced.

Sarah reached across the table, taking her mother’s hand. “I’m so happy for you, Mom.”

Michael just couldn’t pretend he was happy. And Sarah noticed that. “What’s wrong, Michael? Aren’t you happy for Mom?” she asked, her brows furrowing.

“No, no, I am…I’m just…stressed about work,” he lied.

The rest of the dinner was a blur for Michael. He watched Emma, wondering if she regretted the path they chose.

Then, one evening, while Sarah was in the kitchen, he was checking his email. Suddenly, a particular mail caught his attention.

Michael’s heart hammered in his chest as he saw the photos in his email. Then he noticed the chilling message addressed to him: “If you don’t want these photos to end up with your wife, pay for silence.”

A wave of panic swept over Michael. He had no money to pay the blackmailer. He was recently demoted at work, and Sarah had no idea about it. He couldn’t tell her the truth when their marriage already had enough problems. However, he couldn’t let his infidelity be revealed, either.

So, he visited the bank the next day and emptied his account. He sold his car, too, to collect the required money, and following the blackmailer’s instructions, he left the bag of cash at a desolate storage locker.

Then, from the shadows, Michael watched as a figure, hidden in anonymity, retrieved the bag and started walking away.

Michael chased the figure through the crowded streets. Suddenly, Sarah called him.

“Michael, where are you? When are you coming home?” she asked angrily.

“I can’t talk, Sarah,” he said, trying to keep his voice steady.

“But where are you?” Sarah pressed, and there was a moment of negligence.

Michael lost sight of the blackmailer. Panic set in as he turned in circles, searching for any sign of the figure.

“I’ll call back later,” he said hurriedly and hung up.

Michael stood alone in the crowd, feeling more lost than ever. The blackmailer was gone, along with all the money he had. He had nothing left — no money, no car, and possibly no family.

Michael returned home to an eerie silence. No familiar sounds greeted him. He called out for Sarah, but only silence answered.

He searched the house, his heart sinking with every room. Sarah and Emma’s rooms were empty, and all their clothes, cosmetics, and everything else were gone.

He dialed Sarah’s number, but her contact was no longer in service. He tried Emma’s, and the result was the same.

A horrifying truth dawned on Michael. They’d planned it all – Emma’s arrival, the pregnancy announcement, the blackmail. It was a scam, a trap to steal everything from him.

Michael felt the world slip beneath his feet. He had been so blinded by guilt that he missed the clues, the inconsistencies in their stories.

Michael decided to report the scam to the police, although the chances of recovering anything were slim.

***

“I…I want to report a scam,” he told a cop at the desk.

The officer listened intently as Michael explained everything. Then, the officer asked for Sarah’s and Emma’s full names and other identifying details.

“We’ll run a check in our database,” the officer said, motioning to a colleague.

As Michael waited, his mind raced with anxiety and fear. What if the police couldn’t find them? What if they were gone forever, along with his life savings?

A few minutes later, an officer approached him. “We’ve found something,” he said, leading Michael to a small office.

The officer pulled up some records on his computer. “It seems you’re not the first victim,” he said, turning the screen so Michael could see.

There were photos of Sarah and Emma but under different names. Alongside the images were reports from other men who had been scammed similarly.

“They’re con artists,” the officer explained. “They pretend to be mother and daughter. They target men, usually those who aren’t wealthy, to avoid suspicion and complications.”

Michael felt a chill run down his spine. “What…what does this mean? We can’t do anything?”

“We’ve been investigating them for a while now,” the officer reassured him. “But they’re careful, always one step ahead. They probably have multiple identities and fake documents. It makes it difficult to catch them.”

Michael listened, numb, as the officer continued. “They’re experts at evading cops. Your so-called wife’s marriage with you was just another part of their con,” the officer said, his tone sympathetic yet matter-of-fact.

Michael felt a hollow pit in his stomach as he processed the words. The memories of his wedding day, once filled with joy and love, now felt tainted, corrupted by the truth.

“Most likely, they’ve already left the country,” the officer added, looking at Michael grimly. “They don’t stay in one place for too long. It’s how they avoid getting caught.”

The room seemed to close in on Michael as he contemplated the gravity of his situation. He was left with nothing — no wife, money, or even a semblance of the life he believed to be real.

“I should have told her,” Michael said quietly, more to himself than the officer. “If I had just been honest about what happened, they wouldn’t have been able to use it against me.”

The officer nodded, his expression one of understanding. “Hindsight is always clearer, Mr. Anderson. But don’t be too hard on yourself. Professionals manipulated you. They knew how to exploit your situation.”

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