Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Short Stories: "I Knew Something Was Off" Parts 1 & 2 (article & audio) | LoveQnA | Lucky Pikas Audio Library on YouTube

 


I Knew Something Was Off - Part 1

I wasn’t gonna tell this story today.
But here we are.

So, let me set the stage.
I’m sitting here, almost at 100K subs, feeling all kinds of emotions.
And this story? This one’s personal.
It’s the kind of story that gets watered down when I tell it at a family BBQ.
But today?
Nah. Today, I’m giving you the real version.

The story of how I found out I was being cheated on.
Not the cute, edited version. The real, messy, raw truth.

For the sake of privacy?
We’re calling him Richard.
(But let’s be real, he’s got one of those names—Chad, Chris, Blake—you know the vibe.)

I was a teen mom.
Had a beautiful baby girl, just one year old.
Newly married—like, three weeks married. And pregnant. With twins.

I had all the dreams you’d expect:
Fresh start. Big family. Happily ever after.

But less than a month in?
I felt that itch.
You know the one.
The whisper in your gut that something’s wrong.

He was acting different.
Protective of his phone—but in that sneaky way.
Sometimes leaving it out, sometimes keeping it glued to him.
You know how that goes.

And ladies? Trust your instincts.
We see the red flags.
Sometimes, we just don't want to believe them.
I didn’t. I was too busy trying to keep the dream alive.

But that little voice kept poking at me.
So I did what any woman with her back against the wall does:
I started looking.

It wasn’t easy back then. This was before everybody had iPhones.
But I found this site—SpyBubble.
$30 to catch a liar.
I didn’t have the extra cash, but I didn’t care.
Something told me to do it.

I installed that thing like I was on a mission.
He was asleep, phone right by his face.
Pregnant belly, shaky hands, but I got it done.

Next morning?
I went to class like everything was normal.
But I was watching those messages roll in.

And boom.
Within 15 minutes of me leaving the house, he’s texting another woman.
Talking about kissing, asking what she’s doing tonight.
I knew.
I knew.

But I didn’t confront him right away.
I needed more.
I needed proof because I knew the type of man I was dealing with.
Charming. Manipulative.
Could talk his way out of anything.

So I played it cool.
Came home, acted like everything was fine.
Pregnant. Smiling. Dying inside.

Every time I left the house?
More messages.
Getting bolder, nastier.

Then I saw it.
“Jess will be at school for a few more hours. You coming over?”

That’s when I snapped into gear.
I looped in my best friend—ride or die.
And we set a plan.
I pretended I’d be gone all night. Gave him the green light.

And just like that?
He invited her over.

I left class early, heart pounding out of my chest.
I was scared, shaking, but I knew I had to do it.
Had to catch him in the act.

Tiptoed up those creaky stairs.
Opened the door.

And there he was.
Pulling up his pants.
Looking like a deer caught in headlights.

And the woman?
His cousin by marriage.
Yeah. Let that sink in.

I told her to get out of my house.
She ran.

He tried to gaslight me, play it cool.
But I laid down the receipts.
The text messages. The times. The vacuum story.

And you know what he did?
Took off his ring.
Handed it to me.
Walked out.

My friends and family helped me move back home.

That was the last I saw him for three months.

Pregnant with twins.
Heartbroken.
But not broken.

And that… That’s how I found out my husband cheated on me - with his cousin.




Part 2: The Breakdown – Awareness, Instincts, and the Tools That Keep You Whole

It wasn’t just a story about betrayal.
It was a lesson in listening to that inner voice — the one that whispers before the storm hits.

The first red flag was right there:
A man who hides his phone.
Not every man who guards his phone is hiding something, but when the behavior changes — when the open doors become closed — it’s your first clue.

That’s where awareness steps in.
Awareness isn’t just noticing what someone’s doing.
It’s recognizing when the energy shifts.
It’s hearing what’s not said.
The hesitation. The deflection. The silence.

She felt it.
But like so many of us, she silenced her own alarm.
Because hope is louder than instinct… until it isn’t.

And then?
Instincts.
The gut feeling that something was off.
She Googled. She searched. She acted.
That was survival.

But what if those instincts had been trusted earlier?
What if the first moment of doubt was met with courage instead of self-doubt?

Here’s the skill: trust your gut — and back it up with communication.

Before the spy app. Before the confrontation.
There could’ve been a conversation.

Not a “why are you doing this to me” conversation.
But a clear, direct question:

"I feel something's changed. Tell me what’s going on."

That’s where communication skills become your shield.
Not yelling.
Not accusing.
But standing tall in truth, ready for the answer — even if it hurts.

The tragedy?
She had to spy, tiptoe, and catch him in the act because she knew words wouldn’t be enough.
Because he had mastered the art of gaslighting.

That brings us to emotional intelligence.
Not everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt.
Not when the patterns tell a different story.

Pattern recognition is survival.
If someone only hands you their phone when they feel safe doing it — that’s not transparency.
That’s control.

But even in the wreckage, she built herself back up.

She leaned on faith.
On community.
Her family helped her pack up and leave.
Because self-respect is louder than fear when you have people reminding you who you are.

And the biggest lesson?
You don’t need evidence to justify your instincts.
Sometimes, what you feel is enough.

But if you need proof?
Make sure you’re ready to act when you find it.

Because the truth?
It’ll set you free — but only if you choose to walk away.


Key Skills to Sharpen:

  • Awareness: Notice the shifts, the patterns, the silence.

  • Instincts: Trust them. They’re there to protect you.

  • Communication: Speak the truth — calmly, directly, without fear.

  • Emotional Intelligence: Recognize manipulation before it roots.

  • Community & Faith: Don’t face storms alone. Build your support system before you need it.


That’s the breakdown.
Her story — your roadmap.

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