The smooth operators in these stories thought they were playing the game right, but surprise, surprise – their sneaky moves got flipped in the most epic ways.
In the tales below, three women share how they caught their cheating partners red-handed. While their men thought they'd never be exposed, fate had different plans.
1. The 'Ghost' in My Son's Life
One day, my son, Jake, was home early from school.
As he entered, he was met with soft tunes of Billie Holiday coming from my bedroom. What he didn't know was that Herman, my second husband and also Jake's stepfather, was there with Jezebel, his mistress.
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"This is so naughty of us! What if you get caught?" Jezebel whispered to my husband, and Herman brushed off the risk, "She's never home this early. We've got all morning."
But then, the front door creaked open. Jake was back. They heard his footsteps and panicked.
"Who is it?" Jezebel asked Herman in a whisper.
"It can't be my wife," Herman said. "She told me she was working late. Quick, get—" But he didn't get to finish as Jake's voice cut him off.
"Herman? Are you here?" Jake asked, entering the bedroom. At that point, Herman knew he could no longer lie.
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"What are you doing at home, Jake?" Herman asked.
"The school sent us home because of a lockdown scare. They thought there was a gunman on campus. Herman, who is this lady?" Jake asked, looking at Jezebel.
And you know what my husband did? He denied Jezebel's presence.
"Jake, you must be seeing things," he said. "You're still scared after what happened at your school."
Jake looked again at Jezebel and said, "But I see a lady right there, Herman."
Herman sighed and then pulled Jake closer. "Hey, buddy," he said, softening a little. "Close your eyes and count to ten. The ghost will disappear if you do that."
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I couldn't believe Herman went as far as telling Jake to close his eyes and count to make the 'ghost' disappear. As Jake closed his eyes, Jezebel hid, and when he opened his eyes, she was gone, leaving him to believe he had magical powers.
"I made her disappear?" Jake exclaimed in joy.
"Of course! You got rid of the ghost. You're a brave young man, Jake," Herman assured him. Then, coaxing Jake to keep the encounter a secret, Herman allowed him unlimited screen time.
But that night at dinner, Jake shared his day, mentioning the 'ghost' he saw. "She was a lady with big, frizzy hair, Mom," he said.
"She?" I repeated, looking at Herman. I knew Herman stayed at home all day as he was looking for jobs. Was he cheating on me? I would soon find out. It's just that it would happen in a way I had never expected.
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"He must be in shock, Grace," Herman told me. "Go watch cartoons, Jake. You're done with your dinner, right?"
After Jake left, Herman kept insisting the ghost was a result of Jake's traumatic school experience. But I knew something was wrong.
"I'll call the school and get Jake an appointment with the psychologist," I told Herman. "Now that you're not working, you can take him to the appointment."
"I'm trying to find a job, Grace!" Herman almost yelled at me. "Don't boss me around just because you support us!"
"I know. But maybe you should spend less time at that Moe's Diner you visit often and help more with Jake," I suggested stiffly.
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Herman didn't say much after that and promised to help me with Jake.
After dinner, as I was tucking Jake in bed, I advised him to talk to the counselor at school. I hoped it would help him understand what was going on.
"Okay, Mom," Jake replied sweetly, wishing Herman and me good night.
"It's for the best that we're taking him to a doctor. My boy's well-being is at stake," I told Herman while we sat in the living room.
Herman again said it wasn't needed, but I was adamant. "I'll make an appointment with the psychologist. And I'm taking Jake there myself since you don't want to!"
So, the next day, I was meeting Dr. Warren, who suggested regular visits to help Jake.
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"Don't worry," Dr. Warren reassured me. "I think what's happening with Jake is a classic case of Kleinian Projective Identification. It involves a child projecting feelings onto another or the world outside, often to make the other person experience what the projector is feeling, causing delusional behavior like Jake's. We can deal with this."
"I just want what's best for Jake," I said worriedly. "If you think you can help him, then we'll do whatever it takes."
I was so scared for my little boy. I just wanted Jake to be fine soon.
After Dr. Warren's appointment, I took Jake out for lunch. When he saw our waitress, Jezebel, he turned pale and started shaking.
"Baby, what's wrong?" I asked as she left after taking our order.
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"It's a ghost…" he said.
"Oh, baby," I replied. "There's no such thing as ghosts."
That's what Dr. Warren had said. My baby was suffering from a medical condition is what I believed.
But then, Jake insisted, "No, this one is real, Mom! I saw her at her house. Dad told me she's a ghost!"
At that point, I understood what the matter was. Moe's Diner, Jezebel, Herman — things started to make sense.
When Jezebel dropped our food, I said nothing. Jake closed his eyes and began counting.
"It's okay now, Jake, she's gone," I assured him.
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Jake opened his eyes and focused on his ice cream. At that point, it was clear who the 'ghost' in my son's life was. It was Jezebel from Moe's Diner.
"Jake, should we call Herman and ask him to join us for lunch?" I asked. "You think Herman will like it?"
Jake nodded unenthusiastically, and I smiled. "But my phone's dead. I'll ask the waitress if I can use hers. Alright? I'll be right back."
Approaching Jezebel, I said, "Hey. My phone's almost flat. Can I use yours to make a quick call to my office?"
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"No problem. Go right ahead," she said, lending me her phone.
I dialed Herman's number and got the shock of my life when the caller ID on Jezebel's phone revealed "Loverman." Shocked, I hung up quickly and returned to the table. But now the truth was out.
With a weak smile, I encouraged Jake to finish his food soon. I arranged a playdate for him and went home alone. Settling on the sofa, I reached for my phone and dialed a moving company.
Soon, the movers arrived and packed up Herman's things. When Herman arrived, he was shocked. "Grace, what's going on? What are these men doing with our things?" he asked, baffled.
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I imitated the charade Herman had once played with our son. "Herman, what men? I don't see any men. You must be seeing ghosts. Oh, and to be clear, those are not our things; they are your things."
Herman's face paled. The tables had turned. His voice quivered, "Grace, you must believe me. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Look, I was wrong, but I—"
"I will never forgive you for what you did to my child," I said, cutting him off. "The time for lies and infidelity is over. You know what you are to me now? A ghost!"
I told him that his stuff was being put in storage because we were no longer living together. "Also, I've been in consultation with Dr. Warren, and we've initiated criminal charges for emotional abuse. The police will be here shortly," I added.
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While Herman was still processing the news, two officers arrived. They informed Herman of his rights and took him away; justice was served.
I turned to the door, closed my eyes, and counted to ten – my way of making Herman's ghost disappear.
Opening my eyes, I saw Jake, who ran to me and embraced me.
I held him close. The road ahead was uncertain, but we were united and would face whatever challenges lay ahead with courage and love.
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2. My Husband's Mistress Got Her Revenge on Us
My husband, Michael, and I were staying at the hotel because I was attending some business stuff there. He insisted on accompanying me as the spouses were also included in the free stay. I didn't mind.
I'm out a lot, working on my business, while Michael is usually at home, doing his art. He rarely gets the chance to step out, so I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to spend some time together once my meetings were over. But my husband chose to have an affair with a hotel maid while I was busy working.
If only Michael knew his mistress Lucy's reality, he would've never slept with her. But his lust had blinded him.
As she knocked on our room door, Michael swung the door open and pulled her into his arms, kissing her passionately.
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Lucy hated Michael's touch, but at that point, she was only focused on her revenge. She knew she wouldn't have gotten a better chance to get back at us for what we'd done to her.
"I've been waiting so long for Friday when you'd finally come back to me," Michael said, pulling her onto the bed.
"I've been waiting too, my darling. I wish we could do this every day," Lucy replied, despite her disgust.
Suddenly, a loud knock on the door interrupted them. Michael answered the door and went pale.
"Surprise!" I yelled, thinking my husband would be happy to see me return early from the presentation. He wasn't.
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"Mary, my beloved wife!" he said in a way that clearly gave it away he was shocked to see me.