My mother never liked my husband and always did everything to ruin our marriage.

From the very beginning, she was unhappy with my choice; his job wasn’t prestigious, and he wasn’t handsome… But over time, she completely lost it and started setting me up on dates with other men! Constant schemes, cunning plans, and attempts to interfere in my life became part of our everyday life. But one evening, I finally understood why she was doing it… When I saw the loving eyes she was giving my husband! At my favorite restaurant, on a date! I felt a mix of anger and betrayal as I approached their table. But as soon as their eyes met mine, they both froze.

“Mom, what the hell is going on here?” I demanded, my voice shaking with fury.

My husband, Tom, looked like a deer caught in headlights. “Sarah, this isn’t what it looks like,” he stammered.

My mother, on the other hand, had a strange, serene expression on her face. “Sarah, sit down. Let’s talk about this.”

I ignored her request, my eyes darting between the two of them. “You’ve been trying to ruin my marriage just so you could get closer to Tom?”

My mother sighed, finally breaking eye contact with Tom. “Sarah, you don’t understand. It’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” I snapped, feeling tears of frustration welling up. “You’ve been setting me up with other men, meddling in my life, and now I find you here, on a date with my husband?”

Tom finally found his voice. “Sarah, your mom has been… helping me with something. She thought it would be best if we talked about it away from home.”

I glared at him. “Helping you with what?”

My mother interjected, her voice calm and steady. “Sarah, your husband loves you. He’s been trying to find a way to tell you something important, and I’ve been supporting him.”

I was taken aback. “Supporting him? By setting me up on dates with other men?”

She shook her head. “That was my way of trying to push you away from the truth, hoping you’d be happy with someone else. I thought it would be easier for you.”

“Easier for me? How is any of this supposed to be easy?” I shouted, feeling completely lost.

Tom took my hand, his grip firm but gentle. “Sarah, I wanted to tell you this for a long time, but I didn’t know how. I have a health issue, something serious. Your mom found out accidentally and has been helping me navigate through it, trying to prepare for the worst.”

My anger started to fade, replaced by a wave of confusion and fear. “What are you talking about, Tom?”

He looked into my eyes, his own filled with sorrow. “I have a heart condition. It’s genetic and serious. The doctors say I need surgery soon, but the risks are high.”

I felt the world tilt on its axis. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you. Your mom convinced me to wait until we knew more, to avoid putting you through unnecessary stress,” he explained, his voice breaking.

My mother reached out to touch my arm. “I know I went about it the wrong way, Sarah. I thought if you were happy with someone else, it would be easier to handle if the worst happened. I love you and just wanted to protect you.”

Tears streamed down my face as the weight of their words sank in. My mother’s actions, while misguided and painful, came from a place of love and fear for me. Tom had been trying to shield me from a harsh reality, with my mother’s misguided help.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my emotions. “We should have faced this together from the start. All of us.”

Tom nodded, his eyes full of regret. “You’re right. I’m so sorry, Sarah.”
My mother squeezed my hand. “I am too. Can you ever forgive me?”

I looked between them, the people I loved most in the world, both guilty of trying to protect me in the worst possible way. “We need to talk more, figure this out together. But right now, we need to get through this as a family.”

Tom and my mother both nodded, relief washing over their faces. As we sat down at the table, I felt a flicker of hope. It wouldn’t be easy, and trust would need to be rebuilt, but we would face whatever came next together.