I HAD NO DOUBT MY SON BROUGHT HIS NEW GIRLFRIEND ON OUR FAMILY TRIP

When my 20-year-old son Eric asked if he could bring his girlfriend Jessica on our family vacation, I agreed, though part of me was surprised. He’d only been dating her for three months, and unlike past girlfriends, he had barely spoken about her. Still, he sounded eager, and I wanted to be supportive. When Jessica arrived, she looked like she had stepped straight out of a magazine—perfect hair, flawless makeup, and a suitcase that probably cost more than my entire wardrobe. My husband was instantly charmed by her politeness and poised manners. She complimented the house we rented, laughed at his stories, and seemed to know exactly what to say. But as a mother, I notice the small details—the spaces between words, the glances, the silences. And something about Jessica didn’t sit right.

She didn’t laugh at Eric’s goofy jokes, the ones that usually win people over. When I mentioned his basketball league, she stared at me blankly, as if hearing about it for the first time. When I asked how they met, her story sounded rehearsed, almost scripted. And when Eric invited her on a short hike, she declined with a dismissive, “I don’t want to sweat in public.” By the third day, I felt less like I was watching a budding relationship and more like I was watching a performance. Then I stumbled across something that made my unease multiply. I was digging through Eric’s beach bag, looking for sunscreen, when I found a small velvet jewelry box tucked beneath his towel. Inside was a diamond necklace—sparkling, elegant, and clearly very expensive. My stomach tightened. Eric was a college junior with a part-time tutoring job. There was no way he could afford something like that. He had never mentioned saving up for a gift, let alone one so extravagant. I put it back, careful not to disturb anything. My mind spun with questions. Was he planning to propose? Was he borrowing money he couldn’t afford to pay back? Or worse—was Jessica somehow behind this? I kept quiet, waiting for more clarity. On the final day of the trip, the truth began to unravel. Eric and Jessica were at the pool when his phone, left on the kitchen counter, buzzed. I would have ignored it… but the preview on the lock screen stopped me cold. It was a text. “+$500 to our deal. He’s still clueless. You’re good.” My hands shook as I read it. A deal? Clueless? My son? The pieces started falling into place in a way that made my chest ache. Jessica wasn’t acting like someone in love with Eric—because she wasn’t. She didn’t know his hobbies, his studies, his sense of humor, because none of that mattered to her. She was here for something else entirely. I felt sick. Was she using him for money? For some scheme involving that necklace? And who was on the other side of that text—the person praising her for fooling my son? I didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was right there in front of me. I had no idea what Jessica was truly after… but one thing was clear: my son was being played, and if I didn’t step in soon, he might lose more than just money.