Loud Neighbors Tell Old Man to Get Lost, Regret It Later – Story of the Day
Three years after the death of my husband, I fell in love again. One day, my daughter said, “Mommy, my new dad asked me to keep a secret from you.” Is That Alright?
Hillary thought she had found love again, three years after the sudden and tragic death of her husband. But just as she began to rebuild, everything shatters when her 6-year-old daughter reveals a chilling secret about her new stepdad.
For three long years, my world fell apart after Charles, my husband, died in a freak accident at work. I fought to hold it all together, not just for myself but for my little girl, Maggie. She was my anchor—she is my anchor.
Her smile has been the only reason I’ve managed to face each day. But even her bright laughter couldn’t fill the hollow ache in my heart. That emptiness became too much to bear, no matter how hard I tried to keep moving forward.
Then Jacob appeared.
His warm smile was a quiet promise, a reassurance that everything would be okay. Above all, he adored Maggie—gentle, kind, and patient with her in a way that felt almost effortless.
In ways I hadn’t even noticed before Charles’s passing, I watched my daughter blossom in his presence. Slowly, I began to believe again. Maybe, just maybe, there was happiness to be found after Charles, and perhaps it included someone else.
“Hillary,” I imagined him saying. “After everything we’ve been through, it’s time to embrace the next chapter. Find joy again. Do it for Maggie. Do it for you.”
So I did. I opened my heart to Jacob, and before long, what began as a tentative step forward blossomed into something real.
Two months ago, Jacob and I tied the knot on a quaint little farm with a duck pond, a simple yet beautiful ceremony. I thought I had found the missing piece—the piece that would allow Maggie and me to finally move on, to heal, and to begin a new chapter.
But life doesn’t just throw you a curveball. It goes straight for your heart.
Let me tell you everything.
One evening, as I tucked Maggie into bed, she clutched her favorite rabbit tightly and looked up at me with those wide, innocent brown eyes.
“Mommy?” she said, her voice soft, almost hesitant.
“Yes, my love?” I responded, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face. “What’s going on?”
She glanced down, her voice dropping to a whisper.
“I… I have a secret. One that Dad asked me to keep. Is that okay?”
Her words hit me like a punch to the stomach. My breath caught, and my insides twisted painfully. I didn’t know it yet, but everything was about to change.
“Baby girl, you know you can call Jacob ‘Dad,’ right?” I asked gently, trying to keep my voice calm, knowing my daughter was about to reveal something important.
A pout formed on her little face. “I like New-Dad better,” she said. “So, is everything okay? The secret?”
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. “No, sweetheart. You can tell me anything, anytime. What’s wrong?”
She hesitated, biting her lip, her little hands fidgeting nervously.
“New-Dad told me not to tell you, but… I woke up early from my nap yesterday and went to find him while you were at work. He said we could play on the PlayStation, but I couldn’t find him.”
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
“What do you mean?” I whispered, brushing her hair back from her face. “Did you wake up and he wasn’t there? Did he leave you?”
She shook her head slowly.
“I called for him, but he didn’t answer,” she said, her eyes wide with tension. “Then I saw him come out of the basement with a lady in a red dress. He told me not to tell you.”
My heart raced, a tight knot forming in my chest.
“What were they doing down there?” I whispered, barely able to keep my voice steady.
She shook her head again, her little brow furrowed.
“Mama, I don’t know. All I know is he told me to keep it a secret. But… you said secrets are bad, so…” She trailed off, looking up at me as though she had done something wrong, her voice faltering.
I forced a calm smile, trying to mask the growing unease inside. “You did the right thing, sweetheart.” I paused, then added, “What did she look like?”
Maggie’s gaze softened, as though recalling something vivid. “She looked like a princess. Pretty blond hair, a red dress, and she smelled nice.”
The basement?
It was just a dusty, unfinished room—tools, old boxes, clutter—nothing more. Jacob and I had hardly even stepped in there since he moved in.
But he’d taken a woman down there. Why? Why there?
Later that evening, I found Jacob sitting on the couch, casually scrolling through his phone.
I crossed my arms, my voice steady but firm. “Maggie told me there was a woman here yesterday,” I began, watching for his reaction. “She said you took her to the basement. Care to explain?”
For a moment, something flashed across his face—guilt? Fear?
But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by a casual laugh.
“Oh, that?” He grinned, as if it was no big deal. “She’s an interior decorator. I’ve been planning to fix up the basement as a surprise for you. It’s been such a mess for years.”
“An interior designer?” I echoed, my voice laced with skepticism.
“Yes!” He nodded eagerly. “I wanted to make it a nice space for us, you know, a little family getaway. I thought it’d be a great surprise. I was planning on adding a popcorn machine, a mini-fridge, a projector… something fun for all of us.”
He stood and led me down to the basement, flipping the light switch.
I stood there, stunned. The once dim, unfinished room had been completely transformed. New furniture, soft lighting, fresh paint—it looked nothing like the dusty space I remembered. It was almost cozy, even inviting.
But something about it still didn’t sit right. Why the secrecy? And why had Maggie been told to keep it all from me?
It was… lovely. Jacob beamed, clearly pleased with his efforts.
“What do you think?” he asked, eager for my approval.
I forced a smile, but something didn’t sit right. The room looked beautiful, sure, but the secrecy, the way Maggie described the woman, it all gnawed at me. There had to be more to this story, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was missing something.
Later that night, when Jacob was asleep, I gave in to the urge. I scrolled through his social media, unsure of what exactly I was looking for, but trusting my gut that there was more lurking beneath the surface.
And then, I found it.
A photo from before we met, two years ago. Jacob was grinning, his arm casually draped around a woman with long, blond hair—wearing a red dress. My heart sank, and my stomach twisted into a knot.
Had Maggie seen this woman before?
The next morning, I showed her the photo. “Maggie,” I said quietly, “do you recognize this lady?”
She took the phone, her little face scrunching in thought. Then, her eyes widened. “That’s the lady from the basement,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
I felt the weight of her words settle over me. Something was wrong. And I was starting to realize that whatever Jacob had been hiding was far deeper than I ever expected.
“Is this her?” I asked, my voice tight with tension.
Maggie’s eyes widened as she looked at the photo.
“Yes, Mommy. That’s her.”
The room seemed to spin around me. Jacob had been lying. The woman was someone he knew—someone he hadn’t mentioned. But before I confronted him again, I needed solid evidence.
Once Jacob left for work, I quickly sprang into action. I set up concealed cameras in the living room and basement, retrieving the ones I had stashed in the porch and garage after Charles passed. Jacob had been vague about the details, and I figured he wouldn’t notice the hidden cameras.
Later that day, I told Jacob I had to leave for a few days on a last-minute work trip.
He nodded, distracted. “Not a problem, love. I’ll watch Maggie.”
I hesitated, then added, “Actually, I was thinking of taking Maggie to my mom’s. She’s been asking for a sleepover for a while, and I think it’s time for a little break from our usual routine. Would that be okay?”
Jacob’s expression softened, and he smiled. “Absolutely. It’ll be good for both of you. We could all use a little vacation. You too, Hillary. You deserve some rest between all the tasks you juggle.”
I forced a smile, masking the storm brewing inside me. There was more going on here than he was letting on. And now, I had the tools to find out exactly what it was.
Later that day, I took Maggie to my mother’s house and explained the situation to her, hoping for some comfort and guidance.
As she pushed a platter of cookies toward me, she sighed. “Darling, I hope you get the answers you need,” she said softly. “You’ve been through too much with Maggie. Worrying about a man who is supposed to be your peace is the last thing you need.”
I nodded, appreciating her wisdom.
She was right, of course. Charles’s passing had cast a shadow over our lives, but Jacob had brought a sense of calm and normalcy back. Still, ever since Maggie’s revelation, a quiet dread had been eating away at me, something I couldn’t shake.
That night, I set up camp in a nearby hotel room. I dug into a container of ice cream and watched the camera feed, my eyes glued to the screen as the hours ticked by. But nothing happened. Jacob seemed completely at ease—eating chocolate-covered pretzels, drinking milk straight from the carton, and lounging in front of the TV.
The next morning, as I ate breakfast by the window, I felt foolish. Maybe I was just being paranoid. Nothing unusual had happened the day before. Jacob had stayed home, done nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps I was letting my fears get the better of me.
But then, the buzz of a notification shattered my thoughts.
Motion detected.
I jumped, my heart pounding. I quickly launched the app, my hands shaking as I navigated to the area where the motion had been detected. The feed flickered to life, and there they were—Jacob, standing in the basement, kissing the woman in the red dress.
They were laughing, their heads close as she whispered something in his ear. My stomach lurched.
He was being unfaithful. In my house.
My anger and disbelief spiked as I raced back to the house, parking in the driveway just as Jacob was escorting the woman to her car. His face twisted into a frown when he saw me, clearly caught off guard.
And I knew in that moment—this was only the beginning.
“Oh, dear! Are you home right now?” Jacob stammered, clearly caught off guard. “In the middle of the night? This is the designer I told you about.”
I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms. “Really?” I scoffed. “She does late-night calls?”
“She’s… busy,” he mumbled, avoiding my gaze.
Yeah, busy making out with you in my basement. Is that part of the design package?
Jacob’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. The woman turned to him, rolling her eyes with a dismissive shrug.
“Finally, she knows,” she said with a bitter laugh. “You’ve finally figured it out, Hillary. Jeez. Why didn’t you catch on sooner? Now, you can go back to him, Jacob.”
My breath caught in my throat.
“What?” I gasped, completely stunned by her words.
“My dear,” she said with a smirk, “we’ve been together for ten years. He only stayed with you because you have a nice house and a steady income. And honestly, being a depressed widow was just a bonus.”
Her words slapped me like a physical blow. I looked at Jacob, waiting for him to speak, to deny it all.
But he didn’t. He stayed silent.
“Get out,” I said, my voice cold and sharp. “Both of you. Leave. Now.”
The woman shot Jacob a questioning glance, then slammed the car door and stormed off. Jacob started to apologize, but I cut him off, pointing toward the street.
“Out. Now,” I growled. “And don’t you ever come back.”
The next day, I packed up all of Jacob’s things in garbage bags, not caring how it looked. I thought about leaving them at his mother’s house, but I changed my mind. Instead, I drove to a construction site and dropped them off, figuring the workers there might get some use out of it.
Then, feeling a sense of finality, I drove to my mother’s house to pick up Maggie.
When I walked in, my mother looked at me, concern written all over her face. “What happened?”
I exhaled, shaking my head. “I’ll tell you tomorrow,” I said softly. “Today is about Maggie.”
I took Maggie out for ice cream, the weight of everything pressing on me. As she dug into her sundae, I leaned over and whispered, “Let’s make today all about us, okay, sweetie?”
“Sweetheart, you were right to tell me the truth. I’m really proud of you,” I said, my voice soft with gratitude.
Maggie’s face lit up with a smile, the kind that made everything seem a little brighter.
“No more secrets, Mommy,” she declared with a sense of pride.
“That’s right,” I replied, pulling her into a warm embrace. “But I need to tell you something. Jacob won’t be with us when we go home. We’re not going to have him around anymore.”
For a long moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, Maggie’s voice broke through, soft and hesitant.
“Mom? In any case, I didn’t really like New-Dad.”
The weight of her words hung in the air. Jacob, the man I thought might be the one to help us heal, was now gone. But as I looked at Maggie, I realized something. He wasn’t the one I needed.
Both Jacob and the life I had imagined with him were gone, but in that moment, I understood something important: I didn’t need him.
I had my house. I had my daughter. I had the strength to carry on.
Losing the wrong person sometimes makes room for the life you truly deserve.
