When my 20-year-old son, Eric, asked to bring his new girlfriend, Jessica, on our family vacation, I said yes with cautious optimism. He sounded excited, and I wanted to be supportive. After all, it had been years since he’d cared about someone enough to introduce her to the family.
Jessica arrived with a radiant smile, flawless makeup, and a suitcase that looked more expensive than my entire wardrobe. My husband was smitten right away — charmed by her politeness, her perfect posture, her compliments. But something didn’t sit right with me.
As a mother, you notice the little things. And Jessica… she wasn’t really noticing my son.
She didn’t laugh at his goofy jokes the way his ex used to. She stared blankly when I mentioned his basketball league — a sport he’d loved since he was seven. When I asked about how they met, her story was vague and oddly rehearsed. And when Eric invited her to join us for a short hike, she declined — saying she didn’t want to “sweat in public.”
By the third day, I felt like I was watching a performance.
Then came the moment that snapped everything into place.
I was digging through Eric’s beach bag to borrow some sunscreen before we all left for the boardwalk when I found it — a velvet jewelry box. Inside, nestled in silk, was a diamond necklace. It was stunning. And it was far too expensive for a college junior who worked part-time tutoring math.
My heart stuttered.
Eric had never mentioned saving up for a gift, much less something this extravagant. I put the box back and said nothing — not yet. I needed answers, not assumptions.
On the final day of the trip, while Eric and Jessica were at the pool, his phone buzzed where he’d left it on the kitchen counter. I wouldn’t have touched it… but the preview on the lock screen stopped me cold.
“+$500 to our deal. He’s still clueless. You’re good.”
I stared at the message, my breath caught in my throat. My hands shook. My thoughts spiraled.
What deal? Who was she texting? Why was my son being used — and for what?
I had no idea what Jessica was truly after… but I was about to find out.
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That evening, I pulled Jessica aside under the pretense of helping me pack the car. She followed me, smiling sweetly, as if nothing was wrong.
“Jessica,” I began carefully, “Eric really cares about you. But I need to ask… what exactly are you looking for in this relationship?”
Her eyes flickered — just for a moment. Then the mask slipped back on. “I don’t know what you mean, Mrs. Carter. Eric is wonderful. I love being here with your family.”
But before I could press her further, Eric walked into the garage, holding the jewelry box. His eyes glowed with pride.
“Mom, Jessica… I was going to wait until dinner, but I can’t anymore.” He turned to her, opening the box. “Jess, I know we’ve only been together for a short time, but… you’re everything I’ve ever wanted. Will you be my girlfriend officially?”
The words sliced through me like glass. He had no idea.
Jessica gasped dramatically, covering her mouth as though this were the most romantic proposal she’d ever seen. But I saw it — the gleam of calculation in her eyes.
Before she could answer, I stepped forward. My voice trembled, but I didn’t stop.
“Eric. Don’t you think it’s strange that she’s been making deals behind your back? That someone just texted her about money and keeping you clueless?”
His head whipped toward me, confusion and betrayal etched on his face. “Mom, what are you talking about?”
Jessica paled, her hand tightening around her phone. “She’s lying, Eric. She doesn’t like me, so she’s trying to—”
But just then, her phone buzzed again. And this time, Eric snatched it before she could stop him.
On the screen was the same number, the message glowing like poison:
“Don’t forget — once you get the necklace, we’ll sell it. He’s easy money.”
Eric’s entire body stiffened. His face went white. He looked at Jessica like she was a stranger.
“You were using me?” His voice cracked, raw and wounded.
Jessica tried to speak, but Eric dropped the box to the ground, the necklace spilling out like shattered trust.
“Get out,” he whispered. “Now.”
She hesitated, but the silence from all of us was louder than any scream. Finally, she stormed out, her heels clicking against the driveway.
Eric stood there, shaking, tears brimming in his eyes. He didn’t look at me or his father — just at the necklace lying on the concrete.
“Mom,” he choked out, “I thought she loved me.”
I wrapped my arms around him, holding him the way I did when he was a little boy.
“No, sweetheart,” I whispered into his hair. “But you are worth so much more than someone’s game. One day, the right girl won’t need a deal to see how special you are.”
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Eric stayed quiet for the rest of the evening. He didn’t eat, didn’t laugh, didn’t even look up from the necklace he’d stuffed back into its box. My husband tried to cheer him up with a joke, but it fell flat. The weight in the room was unbearable.
The next morning, as we packed to leave the beach house, a knock came at the door. I opened it… and froze.
Jessica.
Her makeup was smudged, her hair unkempt, but her confidence was still intact. She held out her hand as if nothing had happened.
“Eric, please. Just let me explain.”
Eric stood behind me, his jaw tightening. “Explain what? That you and some guy were plotting to sell off a necklace I paid for with months of work? That you looked at me like I was a fool you could milk dry?”
Tears slipped down Jessica’s cheeks, but I couldn’t tell if they were real or just another performance. “It wasn’t like that. I… I needed money. My brother’s in trouble, and I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Your brother?” Eric asked bitterly. “Or your boyfriend?”
She flinched. And in that silence, the truth became painfully clear.
Eric shook his head. “You had a chance to be honest. Instead, you made me into a joke. Do you know how humiliating that feels?”
Jessica reached for his arm, but he pulled back.
“You don’t love me, Jessica. You love what I can give you. And I can’t live like that.”
Her face hardened then, the tears vanishing as quickly as they had appeared. “Fine. But don’t forget — you’ll never find someone as good as me. You’ll regret this.”
And with that, she stormed away for the last time.
Eric sank onto the couch, his hands covering his face. My heart shattered watching him — my son, who had always been so trusting, now broken by the one person he thought saw him for who he was.
I sat beside him, placing a hand on his back. “Eric… she was never your forever. But you will find someone who is. Someone who loves you for you, not your wallet.”
He finally looked at me, his eyes red and raw. “What if I never do, Mom? What if I just keep choosing people who hurt me?”
I took his hand in mine. “Then you let us remind you who you are — strong, kind, worth more than diamonds or deals. You don’t need Jessica to prove that.”
For the first time in days, he nodded slowly. And though the pain lingered, I could see it — a flicker of resilience beneath the heartbreak.
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A week after we returned home, Eric was slowly piecing himself back together. He’d started burying himself in his studies again, and I saw flashes of the boy I knew.
But one night, around midnight, the doorbell rang.
Eric went to answer it, and when I heard his voice — low, tense — I hurried over. Standing on our porch were Jessica and a man I’d never seen before. He was tall, wiry, with a grin that chilled me to my core.
“Eric,” Jessica purred, her tone syrupy sweet, “I think we got off on the wrong foot. This is my brother, Kyle. We just want to talk.”
“Brother?” Eric scoffed. “You mean the guy you were texting when you called me clueless?”
The man — Kyle — stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “Listen, kid. That necklace you bought her? It’s worth more than you think. And we want it.”
My blood ran cold.
Eric’s voice cracked with anger. “You think I’m just going to hand it over?”
Kyle smirked. “Oh, you will. Because if you don’t, things might get… messy.” He glanced at me, his grin widening.
Something inside me snapped. I stepped forward, my voice steady despite the fear clawing at my chest. “Get off my porch. Now. Or I’m calling the police.”
Jessica’s mask slipped then — the sweetness drained from her face, replaced with pure venom. “You’ll regret this,” she spat. “You’re ruining everything, Eric.”
Kyle shoved his hands in his pockets, unfazed. “Tick tock, kid. Think about it.”
And just like that, they walked away into the night.
Eric was trembling. “Mom… what do I do? They’re not going to stop.”
I put my hands on his shoulders, forcing him to meet my eyes. “Then we make sure they do. They picked the wrong family to threaten.”
I called the police that night. But deep down, I knew — Jessica and Kyle weren’t just after money. They wanted to break Eric completely.
And I had a terrible feeling this wasn’t the end.
