I Need Help with a Family Conflict – My Mom Turned Out to Be a Terrible Person

“Is that your mom?” he asked, looking at Mom watering plants in her yard.

“Yes,” I replied, chuckling. “Are you nervous? Don’t be; they’ll love you.”

Ashton took a deep breath.

“I’m really sorry, Savannah, but I have to tell you something,” he said. “It happened before we were together and when I was single… but your mom and I had an affair.”

“What?”

My world shattered. I stared at Ashton, my heart pounding in my chest. This had to be some kind of sick joke.

“Tell me you’re kidding,” I said, hoping it was one of his stupid pranks, but the serious look on his face suggested otherwise.

Ashton ran his fingers through his hair, unable to meet my eyes. “I didn’t know she was your mom when we started dating. I swear, Savannah, I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Just moments ago, I was excited to introduce Ashton to my parents. We had met a few months ago at a coffee shop.

He was charming and kind, and I felt an instant connection.

After a few dates, I knew I was falling in love with him. He seemed perfect.

But now, I felt like I couldn’t breathe. My mom, who I always thought was devoted to my dad, had an affair. And with Ashton, of all people. This couldn’t be real.

I looked over at Mom, happily watering the flowers in our front yard, completely unaware of the bombshell that had just been dropped on me.

How could she do this to our family? How could she do this to my dad? How could Ashton?

“I need to talk to her,” I said tremblingly. “I need to know the truth.”

Ashton grabbed my arm gently. “Savannah, please, let’s think about this. Maybe there’s a better way to handle it.”

Ashton and I retreated to his car, avoiding my mom.

My mind was a whirlwind of emotions — anger, betrayal, confusion. I needed answers, but I was too shocked to think straight.

“Are you sure it was my mom?” I asked, hoping there was some mistake as we settled in his car.

“Yes.” Ashton nodded solemnly. “I had no idea she was married, let alone your mother. We met at a bar a few months ago.”

I felt sick. I couldn’t fathom the depth of the betrayal. My mom always seemed so perfect, devoted to my dad. How could she have done this?

“I can’t believe this,” I muttered, staring out the window. “I thought everything was perfect. I was so excited for you to meet them.”

“I’m really sorry, Savannah,” Ashton said, his voice filled with regret. “I never wanted to hurt you.”

I decided to cancel the meet-up with my parents. There was no way I could face them now, especially my dad (42). He had been working hard since he was 20 because Mom got pregnant with me at 18.

He’s a mechanic, and he’s always done everything he could for us.

“I need to talk to Mom,” I decided.

“Do you think that’s a good idea right now?” Ashton asked.

“I don’t know, but I need to understand why she did this. I need to hear it from her,” I said.

“Alright, let’s go.”

“No, I need to do this alone,” I said.

I exited the car and started walking back to the house, but Ashton didn’t leave me alone.

“I have to be there,” he said, joining me. “Look, Savannah, I get what you’re feeling, but it wasn’t just her. I was a part of this, too.”

I nodded to Ashton, and we called Mom into the living room, where we waited. When she entered, her smile faded as she sensed the gravity of the situation.

“Mom, sit down,” I said, my voice trembling. She hesitated but then took a seat, glancing between Ashton and me with growing concern.

“Ashton just told me something… something unbelievable,” I began, trying to steady my voice.

Mom’s face paled as she looked between Ashton and me. “What is it, sweetheart?”

“Ashton said you two had an affair,” I blurted out, my eyes locking onto hers. “Is that true, Mom?”

Her eyes widened, guilt flashing across her face. She opened her mouth, but no words came out.

“You met at a bar a few months ago, and one thing led to another? He had no idea you were married, let alone my mother until he saw you in the yard today. Is that true?” I asked.

Tears welled up in her eyes. “Savannah, it was a terrible mistake. I never meant to hurt anyone.”

“A mistake? You call this a mistake? You’ve shattered everything!”

Ashton sat silently, regret written all over his face. I felt his eyes on me, but I couldn’t bear to look at him.

“Please, Savannah, let me explain,” Mom pleaded, stepping closer.

I stepped back, shaking my head. “I don’t want to hear it. How could you do this to Dad? To us?”

“Your dad doesn’t know. It was a moment of weakness. I was feeling so lonely and… I made a terrible choice,” she said, her voice cracking.

I could barely breathe. The woman I had always looked up to had betrayed us in the worst possible way.

“Savannah, I’m so sorry. I know I’ve hurt you, but please believe me when I say I love you and your father. This was a terrible mistake, and I will do anything to make it right.”

I looked at her, my heart torn between anger and pain. “I don’t know if I can forgive you, Mom. Not now.”

I walked away to the kitchen.

It felt like my head would explode. I couldn’t imagine destroying my dad with the truth, but the weight of the secret was crushing me.

“I can’t keep this from him forever,” I whispered. “But I have to. I need to think of something.”

“So you’re just going to lie to him? Pretend like nothing happened?” Ashton said, appearing in the kitchen. “That’s not fair to him, Savannah.”

My eyes filled with tears. “I don’t know what to do! I’m so scared, Ashton. I can’t ruin my family.”

“If you can’t be honest with your own father, then I don’t know if I can be with you,” Ashton said, heading for the door.

“What? Where are you going?” I asked, panic rising in my chest.

“I need some air. And maybe you should think about what kind of person you want to be,” Ashton replied, leaving the house.

I sat alone, my heart pounding. What if Ashton went to my dad and told him everything?

The thought made me feel sick. I sank into a chair, tears streaming down my face. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly?

Thankfully, Dad was not home. He was at the market, buying us wine. I told Mom not to tell him the truth and left the house.

A week passed, and I was still not over what happened. Ashton and I had barely talked, and I hadn’t answered Mom’s calls.

I was sitting in the living room when my phone pinged.

It was a message from my dad. With trembling hands, I opened it.

“I’m sorry to leave like this, kiddo. I can’t stay after knowing the truth. Ashton told me everything about your mom’s affair. I feel completely betrayed by the woman I’ve loved and supported for so many years. I need time to heal, so I’m leaving. Take care of yourself.”

Tears streamed down my face as I read the words. My heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. Ashton had gone behind my back and told my dad the truth. How could he? I had told him not to!

In a panic, I called Ashton. “Savannah, I was going to call you soon,” he said coldly as he answered.

“What did you do, Ashton?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Why did you tell my dad?”

“He deserved to know the truth, Savannah,” Ashton said. “I couldn’t let him live in the dark.”

“But why didn’t you talk to me first? This was my family, my decision,” I said, my voice rising with frustration.

Ashton sighed deeply. “I’m sorry. I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Well, you did. You hurt all of us,” I shot back, tears blurring my vision. “What were you thinking?”

“Savannah, I… I can’t be with someone who would cover for a cheater,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“What are you saying?” I asked, fear gripping my heart.

“I mean, if you can hide your mom’s infidelity, how can I trust you? I don’t know if I can be with you,” Ashton admitted.

“Please, Ashton, don’t do this. I was just trying to protect my family,” I pleaded, my voice cracking with emotion.

“I’m sorry, Savannah. I can’t trust you,” he replied before hanging up.

My dad was gone, and Ashton, who I thought might be the one, had deserted me too. Mom and I were already distant, and now, I was abandoned by everyone I loved.

A month has gone by since that fateful day, and I’m still not over what happened. I decided to seek therapy to cope with my emotions and help me understand how to move forward.

Maybe if I had been honest from the beginning, things would have turned out differently.

Could I have done anything different? Help me!

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one: Laura wakes up after a business trip and notices her daughter is missing. She starts searching for her daughter. Ten years later, the daughter appears on their doorstep and tells the truth.

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.