Forced to Be a Homewrecker

During a class reunion, a few well-to-do classmates instantly recognize that my branded bag is fake.

"How is that possible?" I cry. "This is a new release that my husband got me. Don't you guys know him? He's Tom Smith, Zora Group's CEO."

I hand my classmates business cards. The company is one that Tom set up using my name. Naturally, I'm the major stockholder.

My classmates look at the business cards doubtfully. One says, "I've never heard of this company."

When I get home, I have someone check on Zora Group for me. However, the news I receive is that the company has never existed, much less have a stockholder like me.

Tom has another company under his name, but I'm not the stockholder.

I drive to the DMV and find out that the car isn't in my name. The company and car are under Tom's name, but someone else owns them with him—his true love, Lauren Rowse.

Years into our marriage, I stumbled upon something that shattered everything. The luxury goods, the car, the house—everything my husband, Tom Smith, had gifted me over the years—were fake.

I carefully examined everything, and to my horror, I even discovered that our marriage certificate was fake. I took all the valuable gifts Tom had given me over the years to be appraised. As I waited for the results, I could hardly breathe.

Tom and I had been together since college when he was just a broke guy with nothing to his name. But I didn't mind that at all. I encouraged him to build something from scratch and start his own business.

After his business took off, Tom became busier and busier. There were times when he wouldn't come home for weeks and wouldn't even bother calling me. But when I felt lonely, he would always come home and surprise me with something to ease my worries.

To me, it wasn't about the surprise—it was his thoughtfulness that mattered. But when the store clerk delivered the cold, hard truth, my heart shattered.

"Ms. Garza, the bags, jewelry, and gold you brought for appraisal are all fake. Would you like us to dispose of them?"

I waved my hand dismissively and turned to leave. "Please just burn everything."

"Wait a minute!" The clerk called after me. "Although your items are fake, the purchase receipts are real. We can check the purchase dates for you."

That was when my heart completely shattered. The purchase dates were all the day before Tom gave me the gifts. That meant he had bought the genuine items for someone else the day before and then went out of his way to buy replicas for me.

The business was fake, the car was fake, and the luxury items were fake. What else was real?

I made another call to investigate the house, and Tom indeed purchased it. Unfortunately, the owner listed on the deed wasn't me.

"Miss, the name on the deed is Lauren Rowse. Is she a