Every parent wants only the best for their children, and no matter how tough things get, it is moms and dads who are always there to provide comfort and assurance that everything was going to be just fine.
When Rose, 19, told her mom Ella that she was dating a guy, Ella was doubtful about the young man’s intentions, but over time, she learned to love and accept Nathan who treated Rose with respect.
The only concern Ella had was her daughter’s college. She feared that getting involved in a serious relationship at that age would prevent her from achieving her dream of graduating from college, but Rose assured her it won’t be the case.
One day, Rose approached her mom and told her she needed to talk to her about something. Ella’s heart shrank, she didn’t know what to expect but was eager to learn what Rose had to say.
Hearing the sentence “Please don’t get upset,” made this mother feel even more pressured and uncertain of the news she was about to receive.
“I am pregnant with Nathan’s baby. You’re going to be a grandmother,” Rose uttered in a shy manner.
Rose was so young, she was a baby herself, and now she was going to be a mother. Disappointment passed through Ella as she imagined how much her daughter’s life would change.
“I know you wanted me to secure my future first, but this baby and Nathan are a big part of it,” Rose tried to assure her mom.
Promising that everything was going to be okay and that she won’t drop out of college when the baby was born, Rose told her mom that she had yet another news to share.
“Um, I have another surprise for you,” Rose said as she showed her mom her hand. “He proposed Mommy and I said ‘Yes!’”
This was an assurance that Nathan’s attentions were serious, and no matter the fact that she once feared for her daughter’s future, Rose now felt relieved and offered Rose and Nathan to stay at her house until they were able to get their own home some time in the future.
The young couple was overjoyed. They even turned one of the rooms into a nursery. Life felt good, but then, at one moment, everything changed.
One day, excited to show Rose what she had purchased for the baby they were all waiting to come into the world, Ella returned home earlier than expected. Once home, she saw Rose wearing her delicate lingerie.
Rose’s stunned face mirrored the rhythm of Ella’s plummeting heart, suggesting it sensed trouble well before she did. “Mom! What—what are you doing home so early?” Rose stammered, her voice quivering.
Before Ella could reply, a deep, unfamiliar voice called out from the hallway, “Babe, who are you talking to?” It felt like a knife twisting in Ella’s gut when she realized the voice wasn’t Nathan’s.
At that moment, she dropped the bags full of groceries, and some of the things inside broke and made a complete mess in the hallway.
“I thought I’d surprise you with these,” Ella said, gesturing to the mess at her feet, “But it seems I’m the one surprised.” Her heart started pounding as she moved towards the voice while Rose pleaded, “Mom, please, let me explain!”
When she opened the bedroom door, Ella saw a man she had never seen before. He was wrapped in the blanket that Nathan’s mom bought for Rose.
“What is going on here, Rose?” Ella demanded answers. The man stood up, trying to appear respectable, which only fueled Ella’s growing fury.
“I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t realize—” he started.
“Out!” Ella cut him off sharply. He then took his clothes and rushed out of the house.
“Mom, it was a mistake. I was just… it was nothing. Please, don’t tell Nathan. Please!” Rose pleaded.
“How can you say ‘it was nothing’? You betray everything we’ve built for you, for this family!” Ella yelled, struggling to hide her tears.
“You’ve not only lied to Nathan but to everyone. This house, this room—we prepared this for your future, for your child’s future!”
The image of Rose in the arms of another man was too much for her mom to handle. She also felt sorry for Nathan who loved Rose with all his heart. “You made your choice, Rose. Now, you must leave. I need time to think, to breathe… to decide if I can even look at you the same way again.”
Rose collapsed on the floor.
“I have nowhere to go and no money, Mom! Please, I’m scared!” Rose kept repeating.
As Ella stood there, witnessing her daughter gather her sparse belongings through eyes blurred with tears, she felt a fragment of herself break apart. Nevertheless, the betrayal ran too deep, the pain too raw.
Ella wondered if it was her right to tell Nathan about Rose’s infidelity. She couldn’t kept but wonder whether the child Rose carried was indeed Nathan’s.
Taking to Reddit, Ella asked fellow redditors if expelling Rose was too harsh a decision. “Should I unveil this painful truth to Nathan? Was my decision to protect what remains of our family’s integrity correct? Or am I a mother scorned, acting out of hurt rather than wisdom?”
What are your thoughts on this?