When my son brought his fiancée home, I was thrilled to meet the woman who’d stolen his
heart. But the moment I saw her face, my excitement was gone. I already knew her and soon
had her locked in my basement.
The urge to protect your child never goes away. I’m a mother in her 50s, living in a quiet
suburban neighborhood with my husband, Nathan. We’ve been married for over 25 years,
and we have one son, Xavier, who’s the light of our lives.
He’s 22 now and almost out of college. Although he moved away years ago, we’re still a
close-knit family. At least, I thought so until a few weeks ago when Xavier shocked us with
one phone call.
It was a normal Tuesday evening. Nathan and I were in the living room, half-watching TV and
half-dozing off, when the phone rang.
“Mom, Dad, I’ve got some big news!” Xavier boomed through the line. “I’ve met someone.
Her name’s Danielle and she’s amazing. We’ve been dating for three months, and—” He
paused dramatically. “l proposed, and she said yes!”
I couldn’t speak for a second. There was a lot to process. Woman. Three months. Proposed?
“Wait, you’re engaged?” I asked, glancing at my husband, whose jaw was practically on the
floor.
“Yup! I wanted to tell you sooner, but Danielle’s pretty shy. She wasn’t ready to meet you
guys until now, but I convinced her. Can we come over this weekend for dinner?”
“Of course!” I said, though my mind was already racing with worries and only a little bit of
excitement.
Xavier hadn’t mentioned a single girlfriend during his four years at college. No stories about
dates, no pictures, nothing. Now he was engaged after dating for only a couple of months!

That was insane.
After we hung up, I spoke to my husband. “What do we know about her?” I asked Nathan as
we tidied up the house in preparation for the weekend. “Where’s she from? What does she
“Sweets, you heard the same things I heard,” Nathan smiled at me. “Maybe he’s just smitten.
You know how young love is.”
That didn’t ease my nerves. I tried calling Xavier the next day to ask more questions, but his
answers were vague. “She’s from around here,” he said, and I could hear the smile in his
voice. “She’s incredible, Mom. Just wait until you meet her. You’ll find out all you need to
know!”
With those words, I decided to let go of my worries for now and focus on the future. I had to
prepare for this momentous event. Nathan also reminded me of the possible benefits of our
son getting married: grandchildren!
So when the big day arrived, I went all out. I roasted a chicken, baked a cherry pie, and set the
table with our nicest dishes.
Nathan splurged on some pricey steaks, too. “This is just in case she prefers beef to chicken.
First impressions matter, right?”
“Of course, sweets!” I told him. “Wait, do you think I should make another dessert in case she
doesn’t like cherry pie?”
We spent all morning like that. Nathan even mowed the lawn, although I had no idea how that
would be helpful. But it got us even more excited.
By the time the doorbell rang, we couldn’t contain our smiles. We must have looked like two
people in a horror movie because Xavier stepped back once we opened the door.

“Welcome!” I said, almost screaming.
Xavier smiled tentatively and introduced us to Danielle, who was standing shyly beside him
with her shoulders hunched and a small smile.
She was petite, with dark hair and big eyes. Beautiful, really, and she looked good next to my
son. But her face… it took only a second for me to recognize her.
Still, I smiled as I welcomed them inside, but I was panicking for a very valid reason.
Just a few months ago, my friend Margaret showed me a photo of a woman who had
scammed her son. He had fallen for this woman, who’d convinced him to buy her an
expensive engagement ring and give her thousands of dollars for “wedding expenses.”
Then, she’d disappeared without a trace. Margaret was devastated and had shared the
photo with everyone she knew, hoping someone might recognize the scammer. And now,
here she was, standing in my living room.
Her hair was a different color, much darker, and she might be wearing blue contact lenses,
but I recognized that face. And what happened next was a blur.
Somehow, we sat down. I served dinner, and everyone was talking animatedly. I even
answered when I could. But I couldn’t stop staring at Danielle. I also checked my phone
discreetly, trying to find the photo Margaret had sent. I must’ve erased it.
I’d have to call her later. Suddenly, Nathan coughed. He’d noticed my distraction and asked
me to help him in the kitchen.
“What’s going on, Evangeline?” he whispered once we were alone.
“That’s her,” I said urgently. “The scammer Margaret told us about. I’m sure of it.”
“What? The one who broke her son’s heart and stole everything?” Nathan frowned, hands on
his hips. “Are you positive? It could just be someone who looks like her.”

“I’m telling you, Nathan, it’s her,” I insisted. “Margaret shared that photo everywhere she
could for months after she disappeared. I need to do something before she hurts Xavier
too.”
Nathan sighed but didn’t argue. “Just… be careful. Let’s not accuse anyone without proof.”
When dinner ended, I’d come up with a plan and set it into motion. “Danielle, would you help
me pick out a wine from the basement?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
She hesitated but nodded. “Sure,” she said, standing up.
I led her downstairs, trying to be as casual as possible. Luckily, she was shy enough that
conversation wasn’t that important. But the moment she stepped into the dimly lit
basement, I turned and locked the door behind her.
My hands were shaking as I hurried back upstairs. “Nathan, call the police. Now!”
Xavier shot up from his seat, brows furrowed. “Mom, what are you doing?!” he demanded.
“That woman is not who she says she is,” I said firmly. “She’s scammed people before. I’m
protecting you.”
Xavier looked like I’d slapped him. “What? No! You’re wrong! Danielle’s not a scammer. She’s
kind, she’s honest, and she’s my fiancée!”
I ignored him, called Margaret, and explained the situation. “Send me that photo of the
scammer,” I begged my friend and hung up. Seconds later, my phone buzzed with the image.
It was her. There was no doubt in my mind.
I turned my phone to my son and husband. “See? I’m not crazy!”
Luckily, the police arrived shortly after and confirmed I wasn’t crazy. I was just wrong.
Xavier went down to let Danielle out of the basement. And for some reason, she wasn’t

shooting me a pointed look.
That night ended with apologies and a fresh start. Over time, I got to know Danielle and saw
how much she truly loved Xavier. She was warm, funny, and an incredibly talented pastry
chef who even made her own wedding cake.
As for me, I learned a lesson about jumping to conclusions. While I’m still protective of
Xavier, I’m learning to trust his choices. And now, we have a family story we’ll never forget —
though I doubt Danielle will let me live it down anytime soon.

When my fiancée’s globe-trotting best friend finally visited, I thought

I’d just be hearing embarrassing stories about Sarah’s past. Instead, his casual comment
about her “hair thing” revealed a painful secret she’d been hiding.
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.