When Tessa needed a break between meetings and work tasks, she would go to a café to recharge her batteries. But what happens when her lunch companion isn’t her mother-in-law?
I never imagined I would find myself in the middle of a scandal, but there I was, standing in a café on the other side of town, staring at my father-in-law, Richard. He was sitting there, looking quite pleased with himself, kissing a woman who definitely wasn’t my mother-in-law. My heart was racing, and I could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment.
I felt embarrassed for him and for myself.
How did I end up here?
Well, let’s rewind a bit.
I married Daniel about a year ago, and it was straight out of a romantic comedy. We met by chance in a flower shop because I wanted to buy flowers for my mother, and Daniel walked in to hide from someone he knew on the street.
Daniel’s family had money. A lot of money. It was old money that made them rich and powerful, and they knew it. They didn’t hide the fact that they thought he could do better than a simple wedding dress designer like me.
“You know this isn’t important to me, Tessa,” Daniel told me one night during dinner. “You’re what I want. Not money, power, or status.”
And that was enough for me. Daniel loved me, and despite their initial reservations, his family changed their minds. They even helped me get a job at a company run by Richard’s friend, Charles.
Soon, I wasn’t just a wedding dress designer, but I also had a fashion line I was working on. It was much better and more profitable than I had ever dreamed.
Later, they even helped Daniel start a small marketing agency, which did very well. It seemed like everything was going great. We were happy in our careers, and our family life had less drama and more happy moments.
I thought things had finally settled between all of us. But that was until this happened.
I had been out running errands all morning, preparing for the arrival of a new client. I needed different fabrics in various shades of purple. As the hours passed, my stomach was getting more upset, and I knew it was time to eat something.
“Let’s eat, Tessa,” I said to myself as I walked into the café.
As I walked in, thinking about all the options I liked on the menu, I saw them.
There was Richard, my father-in-law, sitting with his back to me, leaning toward a woman who laughed and touched his arm. Then, they kissed.
I felt my stomach drop. I knew that woman! It was Elizabeth, Charles’ wife. My boss, Charles. Panic took over me. I turned to quietly leave, my mind racing, but Richard saw me. He jumped out of his seat, almost knocking over his coffee.
“Wait!” he yelled, running after me. “What do you think you’re doing, Tessa?”
I tried to keep my voice steady, but my legs were shaking. Richard always intimidated me. There was something about the way he carried himself, as if the whole world needed to bow to his will.
“I was just leaving…” I said quickly.
He grabbed my arm with a tight, almost painful grip. I knew there would be a bruise there by morning.
“Listen carefully, girl,” he growled. “If you tell anyone about this, I swear I’ll ruin your life. Do you understand?”
I stared at him, stunned.
“Are you serious, Richard?” I asked.
“Take it however you want,” he retorted loudly, looking around to make sure no one was listening. “But if you say one word of this to my wife, you’ll lose that job I helped you get. Daniel will lose his business. And that fancy, comfortable life you’ve found… it’ll all be over.”
I pulled my arm away, the anger bubbling inside me.
“You’re ridiculous, Richard. Do you think you can just intimidate me into staying silent?”
“Lower your voice!” he hissed, nervously looking over his shoulder.
But I couldn’t hold back.
“Why? So no one hears you’re a lying cheater? That you’re sitting here with Elizabeth, of all people?”
Richard’s face went pale.
“You know Elizabeth?” he asked, clearly not connecting the dots.
“Richard, seriously? Of course I know her. She’s Charles’ wife. You know, Charles… your best friend and my boss?”
His eyes widened, and panic appeared on his face.
“Look, this is none of your business. Keep your mouth shut.”
“Or what?” I challenged, crossing my arms. “Do you think you can scare me into staying silent? Ruin my life because you can’t keep it in your pants?”
He stepped closer, the smell of his cologne so strong it made me shiver.
“You don’t know who you’re dealing with,” he said.
“Oh, I think I do,” I retorted. “You’re a coward, Richard. And you’re about to find out that karma has a way of catching up with people like you.”
At that moment, Richard’s phone rang. He picked it up, still staring at me. His face drained of color when he saw the caller ID.
“It’s Charles,” he murmured.
He answered, his voice suddenly soft and careful.
“Charles, hey… yeah. I’m in a meeting right now.”
I watched his face carefully as he spoke. His expression quickly changed from nervous to terrified.
“What? No, I haven’t seen Elizabeth. Well, I… no, I haven’t. Look, I can explain!”
Richard suddenly pulled the phone from his ear, his face drained of all color. He looked at it, then back at me, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water.
“What did you do, Tessa?” he asked.
I raised an eyebrow.
“Me? I didn’t do anything, Richard. I’ve been right in front of you the whole time. Looks like your actions are finally catching up with you.”
Turns out, karma acted quickly that day. Charles had been trying to reach his wife all afternoon, eager to tell her about his reservations at a new restaurant for them that night.
And when she finally answered, it was during my confrontation with Richard. While Elizabeth was lying about her whereabouts, Charles had overheard our entire argument. He didn’t need a full explanation: he knew enough to understand what was happening.
He’d already suspected Elizabeth had been having an affair for quite some time.
Charles reacted quickly. He ended their friendship on the spot and immediately pulled his investments from Richard’s company. Without those funds, I could see Richard’s life quickly heading toward bankruptcy.
Meanwhile, I received an unexpected call from Charles later that week.
“I’ll be back in the office tomorrow,” he said. “Let’s meet in my office after lunch.”
“Thanks for your discretion,” he said, although we both knew I hadn’t been discreet at all.
But I managed to take a photo of Richard and Elizabeth before he saw me. And after our confrontation, I sent that photo to Charles and my husband.
“I’d like to offer you a promotion,” he said. “To lead designer. More responsibilities, more pay. You won’t have to rely on Richard’s money anymore.”
“Wow, thank you…” I said, stunned.
“Keep up the good work, Tessa. And don’t let people like Richard intimidate you.”
So here I am now, sitting in my office with a view while Richard struggles to piece together his shattered empire. Daniel told his mom, who immediately kicked Richard out.
And me? I’m just a happy girl who was in the right place at the right time, making sure Richard got what he deserved.
What would you have done?
