A week after having all her savings stolen, Karen is shocked to see her son driving a new sports car. He claims to have found a new job, but Karen isn’t convinced. As her suspicions grow, a heated confrontation ensues, leaving Karen desperate to discover the truth behind her son’s sudden wealth.
It’s been twenty years since my husband left. Twenty years of impromptu meals, late-night shifts, and weeks of counting paydays as if they were some kind of lifeline.
A thoughtful woman | Source: Midjourney
I should have been used to the constant balancing act of being a single mother, but I always felt like it only took one misstep for everything to fall apart.
But Jake was my life. No matter how difficult things got, my bright-eyed, creative son was the reason I kept going. But there was one problem, one big problem.
At twenty-five, Jake still hadn’t found his feet.
A young man checks his phone | Source: Midjourney
He had no job or income. His art was everything to him, but it wasn’t enough to pay the bills. And believe me, there were a lot of bills. The financial pressure worsened when someone broke into my safe and stole all my savings.
“Mom, you just have to trust me. I’ll find out who stole your money. Everything will be okay,” Jake had said last week after my house was burglarized.
But his voice was too calm. Maybe I was too used to things going wrong. Yet the pit in my stomach only grew when I thought back to that night. All the money I’d saved for years was gone in an instant.
An old box | Source: Midjourney
Then came the day everything changed. Jake was out, probably working on some new project that wouldn’t make him a dime.
I was at the corner store when I saw the shiny red sports car gleaming in the sun. It screamed money. It was flashy, expensive, and out of place in our neighborhood. I was about to get into my beat-up sedan when a familiar figure caught my eye: Jake.
He walked over to the sports car and climbed into the driver’s seat. My jaw dropped.
A sports car | Source: Pexels
My mind raced with impossible possibilities as I walked toward the house. When I walked inside, Jake was leaning against the kitchen counter, turning the keys to the sports car parked in my driveway.
“Where did you get this car?” I demanded, barely able to keep my voice steady.
He looked up, shrugging. “Oh, that? It’s nothing, Mom. I have a new job.”
A man and a woman talking in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“A job?” I mocked, crossing my arms. “What job? You’ve never had a job in your life, Jake.”
Jake rolled his eyes, pushing past me to grab a soda from the fridge. “I’m not working a minimum wage job if that’s what you’re asking. It’s legal.”
“Legal?” I couldn’t stop the laughter from rising.
His jaw tightened. “I’m not flying, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
An angry young man | Source: Midjourney
“Oh, really? Then where did you get the money for the car? Or do you want me to believe you stumbled upon it by accident?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation,” he snapped. “You wouldn’t have it anyway.”
My chest tightened. There was no way around it anymore. The horrible suspicion that had been gnawing at me since the burglary suddenly had teeth.
“You didn’t… take my money, did you?”
An angry young man | Source: Midjourney
He turned to me so quickly. “How can you ask me that question? I can’t believe you would think that of me. I’ve done nothing but try to make things better, and this is what I get?”
Without another word, he left, slamming the door behind him.
I didn’t want to believe my son was a thief, but I needed answers. I grabbed my keys and followed him. If he was up to something, I had to know.
A woman starting her car | Source: Midjourney
His new car was easy to follow. I followed him across town to a high-end beauty salon. My eyes narrowed as I watched him get out and wait on the sidewalk. And then, she appeared.
A woman, older than Jake, maybe in her forties, came out of the living room. I watched, frozen, as she wrapped her arms around Jake and kissed him. It wasn’t just a quick kiss. It was… intimate.
My throat tightened and I sank back in my seat. Who was this woman? And what was Jake doing with her?
A worried woman in her car | Source: Midjourney
When they got into the car together, I decided to keep following them. They drove to the outskirts of town, where the houses had turned into mansions. My stomach lurched when Jake’s car pulled into the driveway of a sprawling estate.
My heart raced. It wasn’t just strange—it was bad. Everything inside me was screaming that I had to stop this.
I didn’t wait a second. I got out of the car and banged on the front door so hard I thought it was going to crack.
A Grand Entrance Door | Source: Pexels
The door opened, and there she was: the woman from the living room. Jake appeared behind her, his face immediately pale when he saw me.
“Mom ?”
“Oh, you guessed it’s your mom,” I spat. “What’s going on, Jake?”
The woman’s smile never wavered. “You must be Karen. Jake has told me so much about you.”
“And you are?” I snapped, not bothering to hide the venom in my voice.
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
She held out her hand as if this was all perfectly normal. “Lydia. Jake’s girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend?” I almost choked on the word. “What’s going on here, Jake? How long has this been going on?”
“Three months,” Jake mumbled, not meeting my gaze. “Mom, please calm down.”
Calm down? Is he making fun of me?
A stunned and furious woman | Source: Midjourney
“Calm down?” I repeated. “My house was burglarized, you show up in a sports car, and now I find out you’ve been dating a rich woman for months?”
Lydia’s smile faltered a little. “Karen, I think you misunderstood…”
“No, I understand perfectly well,” I said, my eyes fixed on Jake. “You’re using her. For her money, for this lifestyle. And that car, was that part of the deal too? Is that what you did, Jake?”
Jake’s face darkened.
A frustrated man | Source: Midjourney
“It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?” I replied. “Because I don’t see anything else.”
Jake’s eyes flashed with anger, but behind it, I saw something else: pain.
“I love Lydia, Mom,” he said. “Even if you find it hard to believe. I’m not going to argue with you about my relationship. We’ll talk later.”
And with that, he closed the door in my face.
A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney
When Jake came home later, I was sitting in the dark, waiting. I didn’t turn on the light when he came in.
“Mom, we need to talk,” he said calmly. He wasn’t angry anymore. On the contrary, he looked tired.
I took a deep breath. “You’re right. We need to talk.”
He sat across from me, rubbing his hands together as if trying to find the words. I didn’t make it easy for him.
A nervous man sitting in an armchair | Source: Midjourney
“Lydia isn’t just some rich woman I use,” he said softly. “She helped me. You know how hard I worked on my art, but no one ever took me seriously. Except her. She pushed me to show my work and introduced me to people in the industry who saw what I could do.”
I blinked at him, the weight of his words slowly sinking into my head. “Jake…”
“I know I should have told you about her sooner, but I was scared,” he admitted, his voice cracking a little.
An emotional man | Source: Midjourney
“You’ve been through so much, and I didn’t want you to think I was doing anything shady. Lydia helped me get my first real exhibition. I’ve already sold enough work to pay off your debts, Mom. Everything.”
I stared at him, unable to speak for a moment. “You… what? “
“The money and the car didn’t come from anything illegal. It’s thanks to my art. Lydia helped me organize everything, and the exhibition is in two days. I worked so hard for this, and I wanted to surprise you.”
A serious man sitting on a sofa | Source: Midjourney
“I’m sorry I doubted you,” I whispered.
Jake looked at me, and for the first time in a long time, I saw my little boy who always had big dreams, even when they seemed impossible.
Two days later, I walked into a gallery full of people admiring Jake’s work. My son, who had spent so many years lost in his art, was finally being seen for the talent he possessed.
During the event, Jake stood up to give a speech.
A person holding a microphone | Source: Pexels
“Thank you all for coming. This evening means the world to me. But I have to say, none of this would have happened without my mom. She’s the reason I kept going, even when things were tough. So, Mom, this is all for you.”
Jake smiled at me from the stage, then, to my shock, held out the car keys. “I wanted to give you something to make your life a little easier. You deserve it. Thanks, Mom.”
A happy woman at an art exhibition | Source: Midjourney
The room erupted in applause, but all I could do was cry. After years of struggle, we were finally going to make it through this.
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This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and all opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author or publisher.
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