I believed that purchasing the house of our dreams would bring Nathan and I closer together. Instead, it turned out to be the site where I learned the truth about my husband’s personality and discovered the lengths to which some individuals would go in order to achieve their goals.

We were both working our first real jobs and broke when we first met Nathan, which was right after we graduated from college.

During that time, we had nothing but high expectations and no money in our pockets. While we were sitting in his teeny-tiny studio apartment, we would chew on instant noodles and fantasize about our future.

While he was drawing me closer to him on his old couch, he would remark, “One day, we’ll have a real house.” “With a yard and nothing else,” she said.

Laughing, I would remark, “And a kitchen where we can cook together,” and I would add that.

From penny to penny, we put money aside for our wedding. I remember having to count coins in order to purchase flowers for the purpose of decorating the table.

Following the wedding, we immediately began saving money for a house for the future.

Just to be honest, it wasn’t always simple.

After a certain number of months, we were forced to make a decision between saving money and going out to eat. On the other hand, it seemed as though we were a group of people working together to achieve something wonderful.

When we eventually purchased our home, I had the impression that we were more powerful than we had ever been. We had made it through five years of working long hours, living in tiny quarters, and worrying about our financial situation.

We were prepared to begin constructing a genuine life together. It’s even possible to start a family.

Everything that we had hoped for was there in the house.

We had a large backyard with a white picket fence, two storeys, and a large backyard where we could throw barbecues. At that moment, I had the impression that everything was finally coming together in the right way.

I was doing well with my graphic design business, we had some breathing room, and Nathan and I even started talking about the possibility of having children by that point.

He mentioned this when he was standing by the window of the kitchen with his coffee. “I can picture them running around in that backyard,” he continued.

“Me too,” I responded, feeling optimistic about the future we had together.

Nathan came to our house and knocked on our front door one afternoon while I was unpacking boxes. This happened only a few weeks after we had moved in.

He called out to Lena, saying, “Come meet our neighbor.”

After I got outdoors, I discovered him standing next to an elderly woman who had silver hair and eyes that were pleasant. She wore a floral dress and white shoes, and she was on the shorter side.

A kind smile appeared on Nathan’s face as he introduced Mabel. The phrase “she lives right next door”

Taking my hands in hers, Mabel moved forward and took them in hers. It was astonishing to see how strong her grip was for someone who appeared to be so fragile.

She spoke in a voice as sweet as honey, saying, “Oh, dear, welcome to the neighborhood as you have arrived.” To have young people living next door once more is a wonderful experience.

I grinned in response. It is my pleasure, Mabel. The neighborhood appears to be quite sweet.

But as we discussed the weather and the stores in the area, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy about something. That was not what she had stated. The cause was her eyes. It appeared as though they were keeping a tight eye on me, as if each and every aspect of my appearance, speech, and habits was being scrutinized by her. It seemed as though she was evaluating me for something.

Nathan was the one I brought up the matter to when we walked back inside.

Did you take note of the fact that Mabel continued to stare at me? I inquired about it.

In addition to laughing, Nathan shook his head. “Honey, she’s nothing more than an elderly lady. It’s likely that she’s lonely. A couple of years ago, her husband passed away, and she does not have a lot of family members living in the area.

“Even though I am aware of it, there was something about the way that she looked at me…”

You are overthinking the situation, he told me. “She is very kind. It’s like she’s a shadow of my grandmother.

If only I could have believed him. I made an effort at beginning.

However, Nathan changed his behavior and began spending more time over there.

It was a seemingly innocuous beginning. One Saturday morning, Nathan went over to Mabel’s house with his toolbox since she reported that the faucet in her kitchen was dripping.

“Just being neighborly,” he remarked when he returned an hour later. “I’m just trying to be nice.”

A week later, she required assistance in moving a few pieces of furniture. The fence that she had required to be repaired the following week.

“Don’t you find it odd that she requires assistance to such a great extent?” As he reached for his hammer one evening, I inquired about it.

As he avoided looking into my eyes, he asked, “What do you mean?”

Just before we moved here, how did she manage to get by? Is it true that her husband was responsible for all of this?

Nathan emitted a shrug. Perhaps she employed other folks. She is no longer required to do so.”

Eventually, I began to make jokes about it whenever I could.

“You spend more time with Mabel than with me,” I complained to him on a Thursday evening when he revealed that he was going to begin another repair project.

With a chuckle, he reached for his gloves and laughed. “Lena, you are not being silly. Basically, it’s just assisting a neighbor.”

Then, on that Saturday morning, everything in the world was turned upside down. At that moment, Nathan came walking by carrying a trowel and a flat of flower seedlings. I was in the process of making coffee.

When you say, “Where are you going with those?” I inquired about it.

“Mabel’s garden,” he stated in a nonchalant manner. “I’m just going to help her out with some things.”

His voice sounded strange. Nothing seemed to be quite right.

Despite the fact that I have no idea why, I felt compelled to follow him.

Possibly it was the way in which he avoided looking at me or the speed with which he seized the flowers. I knew that I had to find out what was actually going on next door, regardless of what it was.

Then, after waiting for five minutes, I went to the wardrobe and retrieved my old pair of binoculars.

As I made my way to the side fence that separated our yards, my hands began to shake.

In the back of our backyard, there is a tiny hill that, if you position yourself in the correct way, provides an excellent vantage point from which to observe Mabel’s garden. When my family and I were looking for a new home, I observed it and thought that it would be an excellent spot to view the sunset. I did this in order to keep an eye on my own hubby.

My focus was on Mabel’s garden as I positioned myself in a flat position on the grass and raised the binoculars.

Everything appeared to be normal at first glance. Nathan was squatting in a flower bed close to her back porch, with dirt on his hands, planting seedlings in straight rows. He was doing this with great attentiveness.

However, at that moment, another individual emerged from the house.

An attractive young lady, possibly in her early twenties, with long blonde hair and a body that appeared to be taken straight from the pages of beauty magazines. Her tank top was a tight fit, and her shorts were so short that they left very little room for the imagination.

Who exactly is that? It was a whisper.

She made her way over to Nathan and gotten down on her knees next to him in the garden. She made a statement that caused him to chuckle out loud.

A flower was then presented to him by her. The one and only red rose.

Then, after that… I am scarcely able to type this… She reached out and kissed him while wrapping her arms around his neck. Without a care in the world, they were right there in Mabel’s garden, as if they had no worries at all.

It seemed as if someone had struck me. My vision became hazy, and for a brief minute, I was even concerned that I could be ill.

On the other hand, things grew even worse.

The appearance of Mabel on her doorstep was accompanied by a tray that contained three cups of lemonade. 3 glasses in total. She had anticipated that the young lady would be present.

After putting the tray down on a little garden table, Mabel smiled at them as if she were watching a movie that she enjoyed viewing frequently.

I simply could not take it any longer.

When Nathan’s wife was right next door, it was inconceivable that he would find it possible to kiss another woman. What exactly was going on?

As I hurriedly descended the hill, I made my way around to Mabel’s front yard and put my forehead against a crevice in the fence where I was standing. The first thing I did was take out my phone and begin recording all that I could see.

The young lady was virtually sitting on Nathan’s lap as he sat on a wooden garden bench sitting in the garden. They were so engrossed in each other that they kissed like they were teens.

During this time, Mabel was busying herself with activities such as refilling their lemonade glasses as if she were preparing a romantic picnic.

That was the man who had sworn to love me for the rest of my life, and he was my husband of five years. That same man who, just a week before, discussed the possibility of having children.

And I yelled out, “Nathan.”

He seemed to be seeing a ghost when he looked up. As she climbed from his lap, the girl’s face was flushed with anger.

After making my way around to Mabel’s gate, I invited myself inside.

As I struggled to hold back tears, I added, “I thought you loved me.” And all this time, you were going to this old witch next door so that she could introduce you to a potential girlfriend?

Suddenly, Nathan’s mouth gaped open.

Dear Lena, I— “It’s not what it appears to be,” he stutteringly clarified.

“Seriously?” I switched my attention to the young lady who was turning her back on the home. “Did you become aware that he was married?”

Her face changed from purple to white in a flash.

She spoke softly and continued, “He informed me that he was divorced.” “I swear, I was completely unaware that you existed.”

Exactly at that moment, Mabel rushed over, abandoning her charmingly elderly persona.

“I can’t believe you would dare to trespass on my property!” she said. This is not the place for you to come and blame people, so stop it!

“Mara, please come inside,” Mabel said at the young lady at the door.

The young lady, whose name was Mara, promptly complied and ran inside.

Who owns your property? Mabel was insulted by me. You’ve been snatching my spouse, haven’t you? You had this all planned out, didn’t you?

Despite the fact that Mabel stated, “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” her face conveyed a completely different message. Cold calculation had taken the place of the sweet mask that had been removed.

“You are a liar and a manipulator—” Initially, I began, but Mabel interrupted me.

It was her voice that said, “Don’t you dare scream at me!” It is unacceptable for anyone to yell at my granddaughter because she is a mature and responsible young lady.

And then everything dawned on me.

Since the beginning, Mabel, the naive widow who was in need of assistance, had been acting as a matchmaker. Everything had been organized by her.

Nathan needed to get over there so that he could meet her adorable grandchild, and the dripping faucets, fence repairs, and garden maintenance were all excuses to get him there quicker.

And Nathan… he believed that he could save both of their lives. When he was at home, his wife was planning their future and talking about having children. When Mabel needed another “fix,” his lover next door, who was young and gorgeous, was always willing to provide it.

He did not anticipate that I would discover the truth.

I told Mabel, “You planned this,” and she agreed. “From the very beginning, you have been tying him up with her,” she said.

Mabel cocked her chin upward. “Mara is deserving of a quality man. There is someone who will look after her.

“He’s tied the knot!” I made a yell.

Suddenly, Mabel snapped, “He told her that he wasn’t.” It’s possible that if you were a better wife, he wouldn’t be looking for another partner.

You were aware of it, you—” When I realized that my husband was to blame, I came to a halt. He was the one who stated that he did not have a partner.

I turned my attention to Nathan, who was still seated on the bench and appeared to be desperate to be anywhere else than where he was.

“Do not come home tonight,” I told him in a basic manner.

Please, Lena, we are able to make this right—”

“No,” I clarified. “We are unable to.”

I walked over to his house, put his belongings in rubbish bags, and then left them on the front doorstep.

After three weeks, I submitted my petition for divorce.

We put the house of our dreams up for sale and divided the proceeds in an equal manner.

It was Nathan who pleaded and begged. He referred to it as a “mistake.” The individual stated that it “meant nothing,” that he was “confused,” and that he “didn’t know how it happened.”

No, I was not perplexed by it. Not any longer.

I had finished.

In case you were wondering, Nathan did not end up with that girl. Even if I didn’t care, word gets around quickly in places like small towns.

After a few weeks had passed since the divorce, I received word from another neighbor that Mabel had arrived at Nathan’s mother’s house as a furious individual.

While she was on the porch of his mother’s house, she yelled at him in a volume that was audible to half of the block. He was accused of being a coward and a liar. She stated that he had broken the heart of her granddaughter and that he had pledged to leave me and marry Mara.

That he brought shame upon both of them.

It appears that Mabel was successful in persuading Mara Nathan to divorce me and marry her instead. As soon as that did not occur, they came to the realization that they had been played just as much as I had been.

To tell you the truth, I was just relieved to move on from the entire disaster.