“Are you sure that’s why she was buying the belly?” he finally asked.
I crossed my arms. “What else could it be for?”
Carl studied the picture again. “I’ve seen women buy those to try on maternity clothes.”
I shook my head. “That would make sense if she had never been pregnant before. But she has. She knows how a belly grows. She doesn’t need that.”
Carl sighed. “That was years ago. Maybe she forgot how it feels. Maybe she just wanted to experience it again.”
“That doesn’t explain why she was sneaking around a costume shop,” I said.
Carl hesitated. “It still doesn’t prove anything.”
I met his eyes. “Fine. If you won’t believe me now, I’ll prove it to you.”
I spent months planning Angela’s exposure. I didn’t just want to reveal her lie—I wanted revenge. She had ruined our gender reveal party, so I would ruin hers.
When Angela announced the date for her celebration, I marked my calendar. This was my chance.
The day of the party, I sat on her couch, arms crossed, heart racing. I forced a polite smile, but inside, I was bursting with anticipation. The moment of truth was close.
I had everything ready—a “gift” just for Angela and a hired photographer to capture it all.
Guests chattered around me. Angela glowed with excitement, holding Jesse’s hand. They stood by the table, eyes shining.
In front of them sat a cake. A single slice would reveal the “baby’s” gender. Angela and Jesse placed their hands on the knife together.
“It’s a girl!” Angela exclaimed, her voice bright with excitement. She clapped her hands together. “Just like Julia and Carl’s!”
I rolled my eyes. I forced a tight smile, but my patience was wearing thin. I could barely contain myself.
The photographer approached, adjusting the camera strap on her shoulder. “Let’s take a few photos to capture the moment!” she said.
Angela beamed and pulled Jesse closer. They stood behind the cake, hands clasped together, posing for the camera.
“Now, let’s do one with the belly showing,” the photographer suggested.
Angela stiffened. “No!” Her voice was sharp. Too sharp.
Jesse frowned. “Why not?” His confusion was clear.
Angela crossed her arms. “I don’t want to.”
I tilted my head. “Why? The photos will be so cute. Carl and I took some just like that at our party.”
Angela’s eyes darted toward me. “Well, we won’t,” she snapped.
My heart pounded. “Because you have something to hide, don’t you?”
Angela lifted her chin. “I have nothing to hide.”
That was it. I couldn’t hold back anymore. I stepped forward and, before she could stop me, lifted her shirt slightly. I froze.
There was a real belly.
My breath caught in my throat. My entire body turned cold. Angela gasped and stumbled back. “What are you doing?!” Her voice cracked as she burst into tears and ran out of the room.
Silence fell over the guests. I could feel every pair of eyes on me.
“Julia! What have you done?!” Carl’s voice cut through the stillness.
I turned to him, my mouth opening, but no words came out. “I… I thought…” My hands trembled.
Carl shook his head, anger flashing in his eyes. “I told you your suspicions were baseless!”
I swallowed hard. My throat burned. “Don’t yell at me!” My voice broke. Tears welled up. I didn’t know if it was from his words or the weight of my own mistake.
“I’ll go talk to her,” I said, turning toward Angela’s room. My chest felt tight, but I had to do this.
I knocked gently on the door. “Angela, it’s Julia. Can I come in?”
There was no response. I waited a few seconds, then tried the handle. The door wasn’t locked.
As I stepped inside, I saw Angela sitting on the bed, her shoulders slumped, her hands covering her face. She was crying.
In that moment, a wave of guilt crashed over me. No matter how frustrating she had been, I had made a pregnant woman cry. I hadn’t wanted this.
I took a careful step forward. “I want to apologize for what happened. I truly thought you were lying,” I said, my voice quieter than I expected.
Angela lifted her head, her eyes red and swollen. “Why would I lie about something like this?”
I exhaled. “Because you were always trying to be so close to Carl and me. You were everywhere, all the time. You even ruined our gender reveal party. I thought this pregnancy was just another way to insert yourself into our lives. And… I saw you buying a fake belly.”
Angela wiped her eyes with the sleeve of her sweater. “I bought that for Jesse. It was a joke, just for fun photos. But then I realized he already has a belly, so I returned it.”
Shame burned in my chest. “I’m really sorry. I let my frustration get the best of me.”
Angela let out a weak, tired laugh. “I was so afraid of being the ‘bad mother-in-law’ that I became even worse.”
I nodded and sat beside her. “I think we all just need a little space. But I know we’ll be fine.”
