My 7-Year-Old Drew a Picture of My Husband with Another Woman and Wrote, ‘I Can’t Wait for You to Be My Mom’

When Amber, a hardworking mom and corporate attorney, discovers a drawing by her 7-year-old daughter, Mia, her world is shaken. The picture shows Mia’s teacher in Amber’s place with a heartbreaking caption. Suspecting betrayal, Amber confronts her husband, Jack, only to uncover something deeper… Mia’s feelings of abandonment amidst Amber’s busy life.

I didn’t think I’d be here… but this has been life lately.

A woman looking out the window | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking out the window | Source: Midjourney

I’m Livia, I’m thirty-four, married to my husband Jack for ten years, and I’m a mom to my bundle of joy, Mia, a seven-year-old little girl. Recently, I’ve been busier than I’ve ever been in my entire life, which is truly saying something because I’m a corporate attorney.

My mom’s health has been declining over the past year, and we’ve been throwing ourselves into her hospital stays, therapy sessions, and medication that costs way more than I care to admit.

To cover everything, I’ve been working insane hours because I’d do anything for my mother.

A woman sitting in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney

A woman sitting in a hospital bed | Source: Midjourney

Anything.

Jack has been the best partner and rock I could have ever asked for. He has stepped up at home in ways I never imagined or expected. Jack has taken on the cooking, cleaning, helping Mia with her schoolwork, and managing all the little things I used to handle.

He made it possible for me to keep everything afloat, even when it felt like I was drowning.

A father and daughter duo sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

A father and daughter duo sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

But last night, everything changed before I could even catch my breath.

I came home late, exhausted, starving, and ready to collapse. After hurriedly eating a bowl of salmon and rice while Mia took her bath, I put my little girl to bed. As she dozed off, Mia mumbled something about puppets.

“I didn’t know that you could put your hand in a socket and it would be a puppet,” she said.

A green sock puppet | Source: Midjourney

A green sock puppet | Source: Midjourney

“A sock, my darling,” I said. “Not a socket! Don’t you ever put your hand in a socket, Mia.”

She giggled.

“Okay, Momma,” she said, yawning.

A yawning little girl | Source: Midjourney

A yawning little girl | Source: Midjourney

I started tidying up her dolls, which were scattered all over the carpet in her room, and then made my way to the coffee table in the living room. Crayons, white paper, and coloring books were scattered all over.

That’s when I found it. A drawing.

At first glance, it seemed innocent enough. A kid’s sketch of a happy family. A man, a woman, and a little girl holding hands. But when I looked closer, my stomach twisted.

A woman gathering crayons | Source: Midjourney

A woman gathering crayons | Source: Midjourney

The man was unmistakably Jack. The little girl was clearly Mia. But the woman? Definitely not me.

She had long brown hair and wore a flowing bridal gown. Beneath the drawing, in Mia’s little handwriting, were the words that broke my heart:

I can’t wait for you to be my mom!

It felt like the ground beneath me had given way.

A child's drawing | Source: Midjourney

A child’s drawing | Source: Midjourney

I took the picture to Mia’s bed and sat on the edge, trying to wake her up enough to get answers.

“Darling girl, can you tell me about this drawing?” I asked her calmly.

“What drawing, Momma?” she asked, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

When Mia took a look at the drawing, her face turned red, and she snatched the paper out of my hand, clutching it to her chest.

An upset little girl | Source: Midjourney

An upset little girl | Source: Midjourney

“You weren’t supposed to find that! Daddy said to hide it better!” she blurted out.

Hide it better? Jack? Hide what better?

My heart started pounding. What was going on? Was Jack cheating? And what was worse… was Mia already imagining this other woman as her mom?

An upset woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

I barely slept that night. My mind was running miles per hour. I thought about my mother, I thought about the work I still needed to do before heading to the office the next day, and I thought about my marriage…

By the morning, I had gone through a storm of worst-case scenarios. I sat in the kitchen, waiting for Jack to get ready for work. Mia had already left for school.

“What is this?” I demanded, thrusting the drawing into his hands.

An upset woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

His eyes widened, and his face turned pale.

“You told her to hide it?” I asked. “You actually told Mia to hide it?”

“Wait, wait,” he stammered, holding up his hands defensively. “It’s not what you think, Amber. Let me explain it all to you.”

A worried man standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

A worried man standing in a kitchen | Source: Midjourney

“You have exactly five seconds, Jack. I’ve been going crazy the entire night.”

My husband ran a hand through his hair, clearly distressed.

“Come with me,” he said.

“What? Where are we going? What about work?” I asked.

A man standing in a kitchen with his head bowed down | Source: Midjourney

A man standing in a kitchen with his head bowed down | Source: Midjourney

“We’re going to Mia’s school. I need to show you something,” he said.

I wanted to scream at him, but something in his voice, an urgency that didn’t feel like guilt, made me agree.

The drive to the school was tense and silent, my mind still racing. What would Jack show me at Mia’s school that would change anything? Was there an imaginary friend or imaginary step-in mother waiting for us?

An upset woman sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman sitting in a car | Source: Midjourney

When we arrived at the school, Jack squeezed my knee. As we walked to the reception area, he squeezed my hand and asked to see Mia’s teacher, Clara.

As soon as Clara walked in, I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. She was stunning, and for the life of me, I couldn’t remember why I hadn’t met her before. She had long brown hair, a bright smile, and an effortlessly bubbly demeanor.

She had to be the woman from Mia’s drawing, it was unmistakable.

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

She smiled at Jack, and I wanted to scream.

“Clara,” Jack said. “Can you explain to my wife what’s been happening with Mia?”

Clara’s expression shifted to confusion but then softened as she glanced at me.

“Oh, of course,” she said.

A stressed woman | Source: Midjourney

A stressed woman | Source: Midjourney

She gestured for us to sit in the little room adjacent to the reception.

“Look, Mia’s been having a tough time lately,” she began. “She’s mentioned feeling like her mom doesn’t have time for her anymore. I’ve tried to reassure her, but she’s… well, look, she’s seven. And she’s been drawing a lot of pictures to process her feelings.”

Clara handed me a stack of drawings, and my heart sank as I flipped through them.

A stack of children's drawings and coloring books | Source: Midjourney

A stack of children’s drawings and coloring books | Source: Midjourney

Most were variations of the same theme. A happy family with Clara in my place. On the back of one of the drawings, there were more words I hadn’t noticed the first time:

Daddy and Clara.

“So, you’ve been spending time with my daughter?” I asked, unable to hide the edge in my voice.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

“Yes, of course,” she said. “But only in class, and I’m her teacher, after all. She stays after class sometimes to help me tidy up. She told me she feels like she’s losing her mom because you’re always busy. I’m so sorry if I overstepped. I’d never want to interfere…”

I turned to Jack, my chest tight.

“And you? What did you say to her about this?”

A stressed man | Source: Midjourney

A stressed man | Source: Midjourney

Jack looked miserable.

“I found that picture last week,” he admitted. “I told Mia it wasn’t true, that you love her more than anything. But I didn’t know how to handle it. I didn’t want to make it worse by bringing it up when you were already so stressed out. I told her to put the drawing away because I knew it would hurt you.”

“You should have told me, Jack,” I said softly.

A woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney

A woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney

I honestly didn’t know what to think.

Jack nodded, guilt in his eyes.

“I know, love,” he said. “I thought I was protecting you, but I see now that I just made it worse.”

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

My anger began to deflate, replaced by a wave of guilt so heavy it nearly knocked me off my seat. This wasn’t about Jack cheating or Clara overstepping. It was about my daughter, her sadness, her confusion, and her way of coping with my absence.

That night, I sat down with Mia at the kitchen table. I had dished us bowls of ice cream with all the toppings, hoping for a bonding moment between us.

Bowls of ice cream | Source: Midjourney

Bowls of ice cream | Source: Midjourney

“Sweetheart,” I said softly. “I need to tell you something. I know I haven’t been around as much lately, and I’m so, so sorry. Grandma needs a lot of help right now, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. You’re my everything, sweet girl.”

Mia’s eyes filled with tears, and she threw her arms around me.

“I thought maybe you didn’t like me anymore,” she whispered.

A little girl sitting at a table | Source: Midjourney

A little girl sitting at a table | Source: Midjourney

My heart shattered.

“I love you more than anything,” I said, holding her tightly. “Nothing will ever change that.”

In the weeks that followed, I made several lifestyle changes.

I cut back on work hours and asked my siblings to take on more of our mom’s care. Jack and I started a “Mom and Mia” night every week, just the two of us, doing whatever she wanted.

A little girl decorating cookies | Source: Midjourney

A little girl decorating cookies | Source: Midjourney

Sometimes it was baking cookies, other times it was a movie night, or building a fort, or sometimes it was just us dressing up and going on a date together.

I also had a heartfelt talk with Clara to thank her for being a wonderful teacher and being there for Mia when I couldn’t be.

She apologized again for any boundaries she might have crossed, but I reassured her that Mia’s drawings weren’t her fault.

A blanket fort in a living room | Source: Midjourney

A blanket fort in a living room | Source: Midjourney

“I just feel bad, Amber,” she said as she cleaned up paintbrushes.

“I know, but you really shouldn’t, Clara,” I said. “You became a safe space for Mia, and you reminded her of how loved and cared for she is. That’s something I’ll always appreciate.”

Life isn’t perfect, but it’s a lot better. I’m learning to ask for help and to show Mia that she comes first. And now, every time she picks up her crayons, I make sure I’m sitting right next to her.

A smiling mother and daughter duo | Source: Midjourney

A smiling mother and daughter duo | Source: Midjourney

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you: Sam used to be a mama’s boy, always clinging to Candice and lighting up at the sight of her. But one day, that changed. He started avoiding her hugs, her kisses, and even her presence. At first, I thought it was just a phase. But there was more to it. Much more.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

I Discovered My MIL Living in Our Attic — What She Was Hiding Shocked Me

When Ella hears strange noises coming from her attic while her husband, Aaron, is away, she fears the worst. But nothing could prepare her for the shocking discovery of her mother-in-law, Diane, hiding upstairs… What is going on?

It all started about a month ago, right after my husband, Aaron, left for a weeklong work trip. I’d never minded being alone in our cozy suburban house before, until the noises started.

A man walking out of a house | Source: Midjourney

A man walking out of a house | Source: Midjourney

At first, it was just the occasional soft thud from above. I brushed it off, telling myself the house was just settling. And if I’m being honest, our attic wasn’t really an attic.

It was a room on the third floor that had large windows that Aaron and I had boarded up when we moved in, and there was a thin balcony with a staircase leading to the ground floor.

We assumed that it was a sunroom or an art studio before we moved in.

An empty room | Source: Midjourney

An empty room | Source: Midjourney

I always planned on turning the space into something for myself, but the opportunity just never presented itself.

I heard another sound, and my breath caught. Old houses creak, right? Maybe a squirrel or two had found their way into the attic. But then, the sounds became more frequent, and more… human.

Whispering, faint but unmistakable.

A squirrell in an attic | Source: Midjourney

A squirrell in an attic | Source: Midjourney

One night, lying in bed scrolling through my phone, I heard it.

There it was, a low, guttural moan. My stomach twisted, my breath catching in my throat.

This wasn’t a squirrel. No way.

I grabbed my phone and texted Aaron immediately.

A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney

I think something, or someone, is in the attic!

His reply was just as immediate:

Ella, it’s probably nothing. I’ll check when I get back.

His casual response annoyed me. How could he be so dismissive?

I resolved to ignore the noises, telling myself I was overreacting.

A concerned woman | Source: Midjourney

A concerned woman | Source: Midjourney

But a few days later, when I was getting ready for bed, I heard footsteps. Like real, heavy footsteps above me.

That was the breaking point. Suddenly, I couldn’t wait for Aaron to come home anymore. What was the point? There could have been someone sleeping under the same roof as me the entire time! I no longer felt safe.

Grabbing the baseball bat we kept in the garage for emergencies, I texted him again, letting him know I was going up to investigate.

A baseball bat in a garage | Source: Midjourney

A baseball bat in a garage | Source: Midjourney

His response chilled me to the bone.

Ella, please, love. Wait for me to check the attic. It’s really important that I do it.

Why wouldn’t he want me to go up there? What did he know? My mind spun with questions. Was he hiding something? Was I in danger?

Was someone squatting in our home?

A woman looking concerned | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking concerned | Source: Midjourney

Despite the knot tightening in my stomach, I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to know for myself.

With every creaky step up the narrow staircase, my heart pounded harder. I gripped the bat like it was my lifeline and pushed open the door to the attic.

The sight in front of me made me freeze.

There she was. My mother-in-law, Diane!

A narrow staircase | Source: Midjourney

A narrow staircase | Source: Midjourney

She was standing in the middle of the attic, dressed in a nightgown and robe, holding a paintbrush like a deer caught in headlights.

“What on earth are you doing here?” I shrieked, almost falling over my own feet. “Why did you moan? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?”

What was going on? Seriously.

An older woman holding paintbrushes | Source: Midjourney

An older woman holding paintbrushes | Source: Midjourney

Diane’s face flushed with embarrassment as she dropped the brush and held up her hands.

“Ella! Calm down! It’s not what you think!”

“Not what I think? I don’t even know what I think, Diane! You’re living in my attic?”

She sighed and rubbed her temples, muttering under her breath.

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

“I knew this was going to happen, but Aaron just doesn’t listen. Just… just sit down for a second. I’ll explain everything.”

I didn’t move, still gripping the bat, as if for moral support.

My mother-in-law was an assertive woman who rarely seemed fazed by anything. Seeing her look this sheepish was unsettling. After a beat, I slowly lowered myself onto a dusty box, keeping my eyes on her.

A dusty wooden box | Source: Midjourney

A dusty wooden box | Source: Midjourney

“Okay, look,” she began, her voice tinged with guilt. “Your husband is going to kill me for ruining the surprise. But you deserve to know, Ella. Aaron’s been working on something special for you!”

I raised my eyebrow.

“What kind of special involves you squatting in my attic? Are you the new resident ghost?”

She winced.

A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney

A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney

“I’m not squatting! Aaron wanted to create a space for you. Like… a space where you could finally turn your baking hobby into something more. He decided to renovate the attic into a studio.”

That caught me off guard.

“What? A studio?”

A woman in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney

A woman in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney

“For your dream, Ella,” she said, gesturing around the room. “Look, this is an attic where we would be able to cook or bake up here. There’s enough room. Aaron wanted to surprise you with a space where you could bake, experiment, and maybe even start selling your creations. But he’s been terrible with design! So he asked me to come over and help. Every day, after you leave for work, I come in and oversee the contractors.”

“Contractors?” I asked.

I felt stupid. Diane was saying things, but my brain just wasn’t processing any of it.

Contractors working in a room | Source: Midjourney

Contractors working in a room | Source: Midjourney

“Yes, contractors. We’ve sorted out the plumbing so that you’ll have a fully functional kitchen. The electricians are coming in next week to sort out the plugs. And I’ve been coming in to decorate and paint and all those cute things…”

Aaron and Diane had been hiding this? Also, how had I not noticed any of it? Was I seriously that aloof?

“But why stay here?” I asked, still suspicious. “In the attic?”

An electrician working | Source: Midjourney

An electrician working | Source: Midjourney

“In the studio, you mean?” she said. “I wasn’t actually staying here full-time. I just kept coming and going through the balcony and the staircase on the side. I didn’t want to keep dropping by and risk you catching on.”

“And the moaning and groaning?” I asked.

Diane bit her lip, looking truly mortified.

An older woman with her hand on her head | Source: Midjourney

An older woman with her hand on her head | Source: Midjourney

“I completely underestimated how tough this would be on my back. The moans were me… stretching, darling.”

I stared at her, trying to reconcile the bizarre reality in front of me. Slowly, I took in the space. The attic, though still a work in progress, was beautiful.

The huge windows were cleaned, all the dust and grime removed, and I could imagine the light streaming in during the day. It would be perfect.

A surprised woman | Source: Midjourney

A surprised woman | Source: Midjourney

I took in the half-painted walls which bore whimsical murals of cupcakes and rolling pins. Sketches were pinned everywhere, showing shelves for ingredients, a central island for prep work, and a cozy sitting area by the windows.

Pinned on one board was a blueprint with a title in Aaron’s handwriting:

Ella’s Baking Studio

Sketches on a wall | Source: Midjourney

Sketches on a wall | Source: Midjourney

My throat tightened.

“This is really for me?” I asked.

Diane nodded, her face softening.

“He wanted you to have a space where you could do what you love. He’s been feeling guilty about how busy he’s been with work. He thought this would show how much he appreciates everything you do.”

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

I sat there in stunned silence as tears pricked my eyes.

Days of paranoia, thinking there was some dark secret lurking in our attic… only to find this?

A gift born from love and thoughtfulness?

Later that evening, Aaron called. I could hear the tension in his voice when he spoke.

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

“Ella, please tell me that you didn’t go up there. I’ll ask Kevin from next door to check.”

“I did,” I admitted. “Aaron… I don’t even know what to say.”

There was a beat of silence, followed by a soft laugh.

“Well, there goes the surprise.”

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

A smiling man | Source: Midjourney

“I don’t deserve this,” I admitted.

“According to whom?” he asked. “You’re the glue that holds our family together, Ella. This is just my way of showing you how much I love you. And that you don’t have to stay at your job if you don’t want to. This can be your new start.”

When Aaron came home a few days later, we all worked together to finish the studio. Diane proved invaluable; her eye for décor was something else.

A mural painted onto a wall | Source: Midjourney

A mural painted onto a wall | Source: Midjourney

The space turned out better than I could have imagined. Every time I step into that sun-kissed studio, surrounded by shelves lined with jars of baking delights, I’m reminded of the love that went into it.

Diane and I have grown closer since that day, though I still tease her about the “attic residency” moment in our lives.

Sometimes, life’s twists aren’t about shocking betrayals or sinister secrets; they’re about uncovering the quiet, unexpected ways the people around us show their love.

A beautiful baking studio | Source: Midjourney

A beautiful baking studio | Source: Midjourney

Brenda thought her marriage to a widower would be her chance to build a loving, blended family. But when her young stepson insists his “real mom” is still living in their house, strange occurrences and hidden secrets force Brenda to question everything she thought she knew about her new family.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

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