Carol and Samantha were more than co-workers—they were best friends. They shared secrets, laughter, and late-night talks. So when Samantha started glowing with happiness but refused to reveal her new boyfriend’s identity, Carol grew curious… and concerned.
Samantha dodged questions, avoided showing photos, and insisted the age gap was “complicated.” Carol, divorced and in her 40s, trusted her friend—until one day at the mall, she saw Samantha holding hands with a man.
It was Brody. Carol’s son.
Shock turned to rage. Carol confronted them, demanding answers. Samantha stammered apologies. Brody defended their love. Carol felt betrayed—not because of the age gap, but because her best friend had hidden a relationship with her son.
The friendship shattered. Carol couldn’t reconcile the deception. Samantha had promised not to date Brody. Brody had crossed a line. And Carol, caught between maternal instinct and emotional betrayal, walked away from both.
Later, Robert—the man Carol had once rejected—showed up to fix her garden hose. He didn’t ask questions. He just listened.
And for the first time in weeks, Carol felt seen—not as a mother, not as a friend—but as herself.
