I’m a 55-year-old surgeon and mother of four. My only unmarried daughter had been raving about Jason – a tall, attractive surgeon who made her happy. The anticipation was obvious when my husband and I eventually asked him to supper on Thanksgiving Day.
But, oh boy, the moment I lay eyes on him, my life fell apart. I knew him. Jason turned out to be the man I had an a.f.f.a.i.r with ten years prior when he was my intern. It wasn’t an infidelity, but we’ll talk about it later.
Throughout the dinner, he maintained a knowing smirk, brazenly flirting as if our shared history was a secret known only to him and me. The tension in the room was evident, but I remained calm and smiled through the discomfort.
When they went, a disturbing message appeared on my phone:
“Such a coincidence, huh?”
Our affair did not end nicely. Ten years ago, he violated medical protocol, and I had to terminate him. He fled enraged, threatening vengeance. Fast forward to now, and he was making good on his pledge.
Now I begged him to remain silent, not wanting my daughter to endure the brunt of our past. But Jason had different plans. He inundated me with texts, mocking my concerns and hinting at revealing our secrets. He began sending us old photos, driving me into a corner.
He waited for me in a car near my workplace, so that I could see him and feel afraid.
I had no choice but to confess to my daughter. I was terrified that this could d.e.s.t.r.o.y our relationship, but I did it anyway.
“How could you, mom?! With him? What about dad?” she asked fiercely.
“Sweety, I regret it until this day. Jason really turned out to be a scoundrel. However, at the time, your dad…you all didn’t know, but we were on a break for half a year.” My daughter finally calmed down after this. She comprehended the problem and grasped my point of view.
Nonetheless, she was upset about the whole affair, so she asked Jason to go to a cafe to clear the air. He had no idea I’d also be there.
He was perplexed when he saw me. He had no idea I’d told my daughter everything.
She faced him with a severe attitude, adding, “Finally, Jason, I know what kind of person you are. We’re done. Leave me and my family alone.”
“Not so fast. Your mom owes me a job and my reputation”, he continued. Jason began blackmailing me, demanding that I make up for what he had lost.
When he finished, I showed him I had recorded the entire chat. I abruptly shifted my tone from pleading with him to protect our secret in texts to a steely one:
“Stop it, Jason. This is it. I can ruin your medical reputation in one click. Be thankful I didn’t reveal ALL your sins to the commission 10 years ago.”
His confident exterior dissolved, giving way to a pale, silent, and pitiful version of himself.
He began imploring me not to send it anyplace, pledging to leave us. Finally, we were free to leave. As we walked away, he muttered something like, “I was so close, I was so close.”
For me, it was a victory. I had successfully saved my relationship with my daughter and kept her safe from this deceitful man.
An endeavor to ruin others can eventually lead to your demise. In the end, I went away with the pleasure of saving my family from the clutches of someone seeking vengeance.
