Kindergarten Homework: Track Mom's Period

After they left, my phone buzzed with a new message. It was from Eloise's kindergarten teacher, Karen Linsell.

"Hi, Mrs. Garpin, Ellie just told me you got your period. Make sure you get plenty of rest! Her dad is picking her up today, right?"

My hand clenched around the phone as I fought back my anger and typed a reply. "Yes, my husband is picking her up."

The woman I'd been following online posted again. This time it was a screenshot of our conversation, along with a mirror selfie. She wore black stockings and lingerie that left little to the imagination.

"That woman's on her period again today. I bought something special to surprise him. He won't be able to resist me, especially since he says his wife is boring and uptight. I'm the opposite."

So, the poster really was Karen. When I read that line about being boring and uptight, I froze. Had John said that about me?

When he'd been broke and desperate, and when he was begging me to invest in the failing Garpin Corporation, he certainly hadn't acted like I was boring. Everyone in our circle said I'd made the right investment. Within a few years, the Garpin family had become the wealthiest in Ashville.

I'd followed his advice and left the business world to become what he called the perfect wife and support system. How ironic. He'd been cheating on me this whole time, chasing thrills behind my back.

However, what shocked me more was her next post.

"And tonight I'm doing a home visit at their house. We'll be fooling around right under his wife's nose. Just thinking about it gets me excited!"

The comments flooded in.

"Holy shit, OP, that's disgusting. You're actually going to their house?"

She replied quickly, "What do you know? He told me he never had feelings for his wife anyway. He only married her so she'd invest in his company.

"And get this. His wife doesn't even know that the precious daughter she adores calls me Mom."

No wonder Eloise had stopped listening to me lately. I'd told her not to exercise too strenuously as she was born premature and had a congenital heart condition.

I worried about her constantly, but she'd started looking at me with disgust.

"Mom, you're so overdramatic. Don't do this, don't do that. No wonder Dad says you're boring. Ms. Linsell is way better. I wish she were my mom instead."

As I thought about all of this, tears streamed down my face. The irony was almost unbearable. The child I'd nearly died bringing into this world and the man I loved were both treating me like this.

The cramping in my lower abdomen intensified. The after-effects from the hemorrhaging during my premature delivery had been getting worse. The pain became so severe that everything went black and I collapsed.

When I woke up, scalding water splashed across my face. The burning pain crashed over me like a tidal wave and I screamed.

Karen, John, and Eloise stood in front of me. Karen held a steaming kettle with a satisfied smile on her face. Her eyes were gleaming with triumph.

"Mrs. Garpin, you're finally awake. I thought about using cold water, but since you're on your period and not feeling well, I figured hot water would be better. Glad it did the trick."

John stood beside her. His expression was cold and empty.