As Jacob grappled with the shocking revelation of his wife’s infidelity, he found solace in the innocent laughter of his nieces, Mia and Ella. Their playful banter and the warmth of their embrace offered brief relief from the confusion raging within him. Despite the weight of his discovery, Jacob knew he had to stay composed for the sake of his family, especially Mia, who was battling a serious medical condition.
Every Thursday, Jacob’s visits to his brother Liam’s house became a kind of sanctuary, a refuge from the harsh realities of life. Amidst the chaos of their own struggles, they found moments of joy and connection, honoring the simple pleasures of family bonds. Little did Jacob know that beneath the surface of their seemingly idyllic encounters was a betrayal of unimaginable proportions.
After witnessing his wife cheating through a security app on his phone, Jacob plans to carry out an act of revenge so cruel he will never recover. He never imagined how his plan would affect the whole family and it got worse when he got an unexpected call from his brother.
“No! Uncle J! Barbie is married to Ken!” his niece Mia laughed and it was good to hear that sound after everything that had happened. Jacob smiled brightly and almost got angry but tried to suppress his emotions towards his nieces.
Mia and her younger sister Ella played with him on the floor of his brother Liam’s living room. Jacob started visiting them every Thursday when he got off work after Mia’s diagnosis. Her liver was failing and she was currently on the transplant list.
No one in the family was a good match and they had to be put on an official waiting list. Luckily, she was able to stay home for a while while everyone let her rest. Her disease progressed to the point where her coloring was always off and she was usually too weak to play.
However, his visits every Thursday gave her energy. His older brother Liam and his wife Emma therefore encouraged him to keep visiting them. Jacob’s own wife, Melissa, also loved what he did for the family, but couldn’t join them because of her work schedule.
Liam already took too much time off from his job so he had to work when the relationship was relatively calm. That’s why most Thursdays it was just Jacob, Emma, and the girls at Liam’s house.
But it was beautiful. Jacob cherished every moment because no one knew how long they had been with Mia.
“Well, Mio. Barbie could have a girlfriend, right? It’s the 21st century, girl,” Jacob teased, smirking and gently poking her stomach.
Ella laughed. “Yeah girlfriend!” she agreed with her uncle and they all played for a while trying to decide who Barbie was dating. Jacob did special voices for other characters and the girls ate it up.
Emma came and smiled at the scene, grateful to have such a caring brother-in-law for her daughters. She made sugar-free soda and healthy cookies for everyone because Mia had to eat healthy. But no one minded, not even Ella. She was only four years old, but she understood her sister’s need to improve and tried to help her.
“Hey everyone. Let’s put the Barbies down for a while and eat some treats,” Emma said placing the tray of glasses and cookies on the coffee table. The girls went at it and Emma reminded Mia to eat slowly and carefully.
Jacob wished he could take them out for real ice cream, but it wouldn’t be possible until they found a match for Mia. For now, they had to find happiness in these quiet, joyful moments when she was having fun surrounded by family.
He was able to watch the girls for hours, but a strange alert sounded on his phone. It was his security system. His entire home was smart and he could control almost everything remotely. He was also alerted to almost everything that happened when no one was home.
Jacob looked at the time and his wife Melissa wasn’t back from work yet so he frowned as he opened the app. But something was telling him to step away from his nieces and Emma.
“Can you excuse me for a second, Em?” he said and she nodded and narrowed her eyes. Jacob went into the kitchen, pulled out his AirPods, and opened the live feed on his security camera. At first, he had no idea what he was watching, not because it was a blur. But because it was impossible.
He saw his living room which was similar to his brother’s house as they agreed on some furniture but something crazy was happening.
Jacob saw Melissa, who was supposed to still be at work, remove her tight skirt and jump onto his brother Liam’s lap.
Jacob’s brain commanded his hands to stop the live feed and demanded he look away. But his body didn’t listen. He was glued to the stream and the sounds of his brother cheating on his wife, and by the looks of it, they were having a fantastic time.
He was finally able to look away, staring at Emma and Liam’s fridge. It was almost entirely covered in magnets from their travels. They were high school sweethearts. In the center, they had Mia’s medication schedule and future calendar
doctor visits.
Jacob hoped looking away would help calm his heavy breathing, but it only got worse. Feeling devastated, He and Emma were trying to cheer up the girls during the worst time of their lives while their husbands were having an affair.
The worst part is, he didn’t know how long they had been doing this. Was it the first time?
His phone had never notified him like this before, even though the cameras had been installed months after a series of burglaries in their neighborhood.
But how could they do it? How could they betray the family like this? They were all close, but Jacob would never suspect any attraction between his wife and big brother. His thumb began to ache, snapping him out of his thoughts.
Realizing he was holding the phone too tightly, he looked back at the stream. It kept going and he finally shut it down. The application will automatically record this. He didn’t want to wait for her to finish her work.
“Jacob, are you okay? Do you want something to eat?” Emma asked, startling him.
“Jesus,” he said, clutching his chest, but quickly shoved his phone into his pocket.
“I’m sorry,” she smiled.
“No, I was just distracted. No, I’m not hungry. I got an email from work,” he shook his head and smiled slightly to reassure her. “Let’s get back to the girls.”
They returned to the living room where the girls started playing with the dolls again. They called their uncle and Jacob mustered his best poker face to sit down with them and continue their afternoon. Mia suddenly got tired and asked if she wanted a nap so he helped Emma as best he could and said goodbye to her.
As Jacob returned home, the weight of what he had witnessed hung heavy on his shoulders. Conflicting emotions raced through his mind – anger, betrayal, and a deep sense of hurt. How could Melissa and Liam do this to their family?
Despite the confusion raging inside of him, Jacob knew he couldn’t let Mia and Ella see his pain. They had been through so much with Mia’s health. And so he put on a brave face, determined to protect them from the storm brewing within him.
As he drove home, he was haunted by the image of Melissa and Liam together. He couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal, the disbelief that his own wife and brother would betray him so deeply.
When Jacob arrived home, he decided to confront Melissa and Liam. He needed answers, closure, something to make sense of the chaos that was unraveling his life. But he knew deep down that nothing could undo the damage their actions had caused.
With a heavy heart, Jacob prepared for the difficult conversations that awaited him. The road ahead would be filled with pain and sorrow, but he was determined to walk it with strength and dignity for the sake of his nieces and his broken family.
As he entered the house, the weight of the truth fell upon him like a heavy burden. But in the midst of the turmoil, Jacob is determined to find a way to heal and rebuild, even if the scars of betrayal will never fully disappear.