I thought I’d found happiness. After my first husband abandoned me with a newborn and fled the country, I never expected to love again. Then came Sam—kind, patient, everything I dreamed of. We dated a year before marrying, and when I told him I came as a package deal with my son, Jeremy, he promised to love him as his own.

At first, everything was perfect. Jeremy bonded with Sam, and I believed we were finally a family. But then, my mother noticed something. “Don’t you see he’s always whining around Sam?” At first, I dismissed it, but then I paid attention. Around me, Jeremy was his usual, cheerful self. But when Sam walked in, he became withdrawn, quiet—sometimes even teary.

I asked Sam if anything had happened, but he swore he adored Jeremy. He looked so sincere, yet deep down, something felt off.

A few days later, as we shared ice cream, I gently asked Jeremy why he seemed sad around Sam. His smile faded. I promised him another scoop if he told me.

“I heard Daddy on the phone… He said I’m a problem.”

A chill ran down my spine. “Are you sure, sweetheart?”

His little face turned solemn. “He said, ‘Little Jeremy is a problem.’ I ran to my room after that. Mommy… will he leave like my first daddy?” His eyes welled with tears. My heart sank.

That night, I confronted Sam.

Once Jeremy was asleep, I stood in front of him. “Did you call Jeremy a problem?”

“Jeremy heard you on the phone. He said you called him a problem.”

For a split second, something flickered in his expression. Something dark.

He shook his head. “Alice, come on. He must’ve misunderstood. I was talking about a guy at work. His name is Jeremy. You know, we’ve been dealing with a mess of paperwork, and I probably said something in frustration.”

“So, you weren’t talking about my son?”

“Of course not. I’d never say something like that about him. I love that kid.”

Maybe I was overreacting. Maybe Jeremy really had misheard.

“I’ll talk to him in the morning,” Sam promised. “I’ll clear everything up.”

The next morning, he reassured Jeremy that it was all a misunderstanding. My little boy nodded as Sam explained everything.

But when I told my mother about it, she frowned. “Have you ever been to his office? Do you know anyone he works with?”

“I know where he works,” I told her. “I have the address.”

“That’s not what I asked,” she said. “Do you know anyone he actually works with? Have you met any of his coworkers?”

The truth was I had never been to his office or met any of his colleagues.

“Alice, something isn’t right,” Mom said. “You need to check.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “Mom, you’re being paranoid.”

“Am I?” she shot back. “Or are you ignoring the signs?”

The next morning, as I packed Jeremy’s lunch, my phone rang. It was my mother.

“Alice, I checked,” she said. “That address he gave you? There’s no record of him working there. No one’s ever heard of him.”

At that point, I was sure Sam was hiding something from me.

That evening, I told Sam I had to visit my mother because she wasn’t feeling well. I told him I’d stay there for a few days.

He told me I could stay there as long as my mom needed.

Once we were at my mother’s house, I locked the door behind me and sank onto the couch. I needed real, undeniable proof of who Sam was.

I hired a private investigator. Three days later, I got my answer.

The investigator handed me a folder. Inside were phone records, financial statements, and a detailed report of Sam’s past.

His entire life was a lie.

There was no insurance company and no coworker named Jeremy.

The investigator had tapped Sam’s phone and uncovered everything. It turned out Sam had been talking to his mother that night, not a colleague.

The investigator told me they were scammers and this was their game.

“He’s been planning to frame you at work,” the investigator continued. “Your job gives you access to financial accounts, right? He’s been setting things up so that if something goes wrong, you’ll take the fall. Once you’re arrested, he gets access to your assets including your savings and your home.”

I gripped the folder as I started to realize how Jeremy was a problem for Sam and his mother. If I went to jail, Sam would either have to take care of him or put him in state custody.

He hadn’t just been scamming me. He had been planning to erase me from the equation entirely.

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm.

“Go to the police, Alice,” the investigator said firmly. “As soon as possible.”

With the investigator’s findings, I went straight to the authorities.

I found out that Sam and his mother had a long history of conning women. They had been moving from state to state under different identities.

But this time, he had gone further by marrying me. And I guess that was because I had something valuable.

The cops led Sam away in the courtroom. After the trial, I took Jeremy out for ice cream because he was the one who saved me from losing everything. Had he not told me about Sam’s conversation with his mother, I wouldn’t be here writing this story for you all.

I’ll always be grateful to fate for giving me such an intelligent boy like Jeremy.