For twelve years, Layla’s husband, Tom, had an annual tradition of going on a family island vacation without her. Each year, he left her and their two young children behind, claiming that his mother didn’t want in-laws on the trip. Layla finally confronted him, suggesting that perhaps they skip this year and take the kids on holiday together. But Tom dismissed her request, brushing it off as another reason she was unwelcome.
Curiosity finally got the better of her when she saw photos from last year’s vacation: Tom’s siblings and their spouses, all smiling together, clearly enjoying each other’s company. But Tom’s mother didn’t want in-laws on the trip, right? Layla decided to dig deeper and called Sadie, her sister-in-law. Sadie cheerfully mentioned she thought Layla missed last year because of childcare issues. That was the final clue Layla needed, and she turned to the one person who might know more: her mother-in-law, Denise.
“Why don’t you allow Tom to bring us along?” Layla asked, watching Denise’s expression shift from confusion to shock. Denise explained that she hadn’t joined the trips herself because she believed it was a men-only tradition, started by her husband, Roger. Layla shared the photos, and Denise agreed to confront her husband alongside her.
The two women made an unplanned trip to the island resort, where Denise tracked down her husband—caught in an affair. Layla went upstairs and found Tom with another woman, laughing at a shared joke. Seeing her there, he stammered, clearly caught. Layla calmly told him she was done with the lies and was taking the kids.
On the plane ride home, Denise sat beside Layla, reeling from the discovery. Their shared betrayal drew them closer, and when they returned, Denise cut ties with both her husband and son. The aftermath was immense, but in the months that followed, Denise became a fixture in Layla’s life, a constant presence, and a devoted grandmother.
