Tessa never expected to find herself caught in a scandal. One afternoon, while taking a break between work errands, she decided to stop by a café to grab some food. To her shock, she spotted her father-in-law, Richard, kissing another woman—someone who was definitely not her mother-in-law. What made it worse was that Tessa recognized the woman: it was Elizabeth, her boss Charles’ wife.
Tessa couldn’t believe her eyes. Her heart raced as she stared at them, feeling embarrassed both for Richard and herself. How had she found herself in such a situation? To understand, we have to go back a bit.
A year ago, Tessa had married Daniel. Their love story began like something out of a romantic comedy—they met by chance at a florist, where Daniel had come in to avoid someone. Daniel came from a wealthy family, a family that made no secret of their belief that Daniel could have married someone of higher status than Tessa, who was a simple wedding gown designer. But Daniel had always reassured her.
“You know that’s not important to me, Tessa. You’re what I want. Not money or power or status,” Daniel had told her.
Despite initial reservations, Daniel’s family eventually came around. They even helped her land a job at a company run by Richard’s friend, Charles. In time, Tessa’s career took off, moving beyond wedding gown design to creating her own line of trendy clothes. Her professional success brought her happiness and, with Daniel thriving in his own marketing agency, their lives seemed to be on track. Family drama had calmed down, or so she thought—until the café incident.
That day, Tessa had been running errands for work, shopping for fabric in various shades of purple for a new client. As lunchtime approached, she decided to stop at a café. The moment she entered, her appetite was replaced with dread. There was Richard, laughing and kissing Elizabeth. Tessa felt her stomach drop.
Her first instinct was to leave quietly, but Richard saw her. He rushed over and confronted her, panicked and desperate.
“Wait!” he demanded, his voice sharp. “What do you think you’re doing, Tessa?”
Tessa tried to remain calm, but Richard’s commanding presence had always unsettled her. He grabbed her arm, his grip tight and almost painful.
“Listen carefully, girl,” he growled, his eyes cold. “If you tell anyone about this, I swear I’ll ruin your life. Do you understand?”
Shocked, Tessa stared at him. He went on to threaten her, warning that both she and Daniel would lose everything—their jobs, their livelihoods—if she breathed a word of his infidelity to anyone.
Tessa, however, was not one to be easily intimidated. Her anger flared as she pulled her arm free. She wasn’t going to be bullied into silence. She called Richard out, loud enough for anyone nearby to hear.
“So no one hears that you’re a cheating liar? That you’re sitting here with Elizabeth, of all people?”
Richard’s expression shifted to panic when Tessa revealed that she knew Elizabeth. He hadn’t connected the dots yet, but Tessa quickly reminded him that Elizabeth was not just anyone—she was Charles’ wife, Richard’s best friend and her boss.
Just as Richard was trying to talk his way out of the situation, his phone rang. It was Charles. Richard’s voice changed immediately as he attempted to maintain his calm while speaking to his friend, but it was clear something was wrong. Within moments, Richard’s expression turned from nervous to terrified.
Charles had been trying to reach Elizabeth all day, and when she finally picked up, she was at the café with Richard. Charles overheard the confrontation between Tessa and Richard, piecing together the truth he had long suspected: his wife was having an affair with Richard.
Charles’ reaction was swift. He ended his friendship with Richard and pulled his investments from Richard’s company. With Charles’ financial backing gone, Richard’s empire quickly began to crumble.
A few days later, Charles called Tessa into his office, thanking her for her discretion, even though they both knew she hadn’t exactly been discreet. Charles offered her a promotion to lead designer, ensuring she wouldn’t have to rely on Richard’s influence or money any longer.
Tessa accepted the offer, surprised but grateful. As for Richard, he was left scrambling to rebuild his shattered life. When Daniel told his mother about the affair, she kicked Richard out immediately.
Now, Tessa sits in her office, content with how things turned out. She was just in the right place at the right time, ensuring that Richard got exactly what he deserved.