My husband always took the children to their grandmother’s—until one day our daughter told me it was all a lie.
When my husband started sending our children to his mother, Grandma Deepti, I didn’t suspect anything. But one day, my daughter said something that turned my whole world upside down…

Mohit has always been a reliable companion and a wonderful father to our children—our seven-year-old Anjali, and five-year-old Viraj. He would play hide-and-seek with them in the garden, go to school events, tell bedtime stories… the kind of father every mother dreams of.

So, when he started taking our children to his mother, Deepti, every Saturday, I didn’t doubt it for a moment. Deepti loved her grandchildren very much: she would teach them to make biscuits, teach them embroidery and sewing, and spend time with them gardening.

After her husband’s death, Mohit was trying to ease her loneliness. It would make me emotional. These Saturday morning visits seemed completely natural.

But then… some warning signs started to appear.

At first, my mother-in-law stopped talking about these visits. Normally, we’d talk on the phone every week, and she’d enthusiastically recount the children’s adventures. But one day, when I distracted her and asked, “How are the kids doing? It must be nice to see them every week, right?” she hesitated and said, “Yes… yes, of course, dear,” but her voice sounded fake.

Maybe she was tired from her grief, I thought.

Then, Mohit started insisting more that I stay home. “This time is for my mother and the children. You need to rest, Amina,” he’d say, kissing me on the cheek. “Enjoy the peace for once.”

To be honest, I loved those Saturday mornings alone. But I realized that whenever I offered to go with him, his eyes would turn away. For the first time, I felt a sense of fear: Why would he want to keep me away?

One morning, as always, Mohit and Viraj had left in the car. Anjali ran to open the door: “I forgot my jacket!”

I smiled: “Be good to Grandma!”

Anjali stopped, looked at me seriously, and said softly: “Mom… ‘Grandma’ is a code word.”

My heart skipped a beat. Anjali’s cheeks flushed, her eyes widened, and she ran out.

I froze. “Code word”? What does that mean? Is Mohit hiding from me?

Without thinking, I picked up my bag and keys: my whole plan was ruined. I had to follow them.

I followed them, keeping a distance from the car. I soon realized they weren’t going to Deepti’s house. They stopped in a deserted park on the other side of town.

I stopped the car a short distance away in a park and began to look around. Mohit took Anjali and Viraj by the hand and led them to a bench under a large banyan tree.

And there I saw them…

A woman in her thirties, with red hair, was tied to a horse’s tail. Next to her was a girl of about nine, with red hair just like her.

When the girl ran toward Mohit, he picked her up in his arms, as if he had always done so. Anjali and Viraj joined in, laughing. Mohit was talking to the woman intimately.

I couldn’t just be a spectator. My knees were shaking, my heart pounding. I got out of the car and went over.

When Mohit saw me, his face went pale. “Amina… what are you doing here?” I asked, my voice trembling: “Who are they? And who is that girl?”

Anjali and Viraj recognized me and ran, shouting: “Mom!” The strange girl followed them.

“Let’s play on the swings!” Mohit said, sending them towards the park.

The woman looked back. Mohit brushed his hair back and said, “We need to talk,” pointing me towards another bench.

Her name was Svetlana, and the girl’s name was Lilia. Mohit spoke slowly, every word tearing my heart.

“Before I met you, I had a brief relationship with Svetlana. When I found out she was pregnant, I was scared. I wasn’t ready to be a father… I ran away…” he admitted, regret in his eyes.

Svetlana raised Lilia alone, never asking for anything. Then, a few months ago, they met at a bar. Lilia was asking questions about the father, and Svetlana allowed this meeting so her daughter could get to know him.

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you take Anjali and Viraj there without telling me?” I asked in a trembling voice.

“I was scared. I was scared you’d leave. I was scared our family would fall apart. I wanted the kids to meet Lilia slowly. I know I did wrong, but I didn’t know how to do it.”

My world fell apart. Mohit lied to me, robbed me of my right to choose. Yet, when I saw Lilia playing with Anjali and Viraj, something stirred inside me.

This wasn’t just about deception. It was the story of a girl who wanted to know her father.

After returning home, we talked for a long time, through tears and anger. Mohit admitted that his mother, Deepti, knew everything and hid their meetings, just to make it seem like a normal Saturday visit with her grandmother.

“My mother kept asking me to tell you. But I thought I’d explain everything at the right time…”

The next day, I invited Svetlana and Lilia home. Now that they were part of our lives, I wanted to get to know them.

At first, Lilia was shy, clinging to her mother. But Anjali and Viraj immediately joined her in the game. In five minutes, they built a cube tower together.

Svetlana and I sat in the kitchen. It was awkward at first, but then everything gradually became comfortable. She wasn’t an enemy, but a mother who did everything for her child. He had only one wish: to give Lilia a family.

It’s been a lot of hardship over the past few months. Trust doesn’t come back overnight. But now, Lilia comes over every Saturday. And our kids love her.

Mohit and I are working on our relationship. I don’t forget anything, but I’m learning to forgive. We don’t hide anything anymore.