Social media has a way of creeping into your life, becoming a part of your relationships, whether you like it or not. It’s harmless for the most part — cute pictures and updates for friends and family. But sometimes, things take a turn you never see coming.
Mark and I had been together for almost a year. Honestly, he was the perfect boyfriend. Sweet, caring, and always making me laugh, whether we were out hiking or just watching TV on a lazy Sunday. I felt so lucky to have him in my life. So, I figured it was time to make things official on Facebook.
A happy couple on a hike | Source: Midjourney
We were on a hiking trail one afternoon when we snapped a picture together. It was cute — us smiling with the sun shining behind us. “Just me and my favorite person on our latest adventure!” I captioned it, adding a couple of heart emojis. I shared the post, excited to share a bit of our happiness with the world.
Then, ten minutes later, I got a notification that made my stomach drop. It wasn’t a like or a comment. It was a message: “YOU MUST RUN FROM HIM. NOW.”
A shocked woman looking at her phone | Source: Midjourney
I stared at my phone, my heart pounding. Who would send something like that? I clicked on the profile, hoping for some clue, but there was nothing — no info, no pictures, just a blank, empty page. The message itself was terrifying enough, but this? It was like a ghost had sent it.
I glanced at Mark, who was busy tossing our backpacks into the car, completely unaware of the storm building inside me. Should I tell him?
An unknown man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney
My mind raced, but before I could even process what was happening, another message popped up: “Don’t tell Mark anything. Listen carefully. Smile, don’t be aggressive with him. You don’t know what he’s capable of. You got it?”
I could feel the blood drain from my face. What was this? Who was sending these messages? And why were they so certain I was in danger?
A concerned young woman looking at her phone | Source: Midjourney
I looked over at Mark again. He waved at me with that same easy smile he always had. He didn’t look dangerous. But the messages had a strange kind of urgency, and they scared me enough that I decided to play along, at least for now.
I forced a smile and walked over to him, trying to keep my voice steady. “Ready to go?”
“Everything okay?” Mark asked, his eyes searching mine.
A concerned man on the couch | Source: Midjourney
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Yeah, it’s just my mom. I’ll text her later.”
That night, I couldn’t shake the messages. They replayed in my mind over and over, making me question everything. Mark had always been so sweet, so loving. But what if… what if I didn’t really know him? What if there was something darker beneath the surface?
A sleepless woman in her bed | Source: Midjourney
Over the next few days, things only got worse. I’d catch him staring at me, not saying anything, just watching. It was unsettling. One night, I was reading on the couch, and when I looked up, there he was, his eyes locked on me. When I asked if everything was okay, he shrugged like it was no big deal. But it felt like a big deal.
A young suspicious man | Source: Midjourney
Then, one morning, my phone buzzed with another message from the same anonymous profile: “Meet me at Bayou Bakery tomorrow at 2 p.m. I’ll give you the evidence. Don’t tell Mark. Make up an excuse.”
My hands were shaking as I read it. Evidence? Of what? What could they possibly have on him? I needed to know. But how could I lie to Mark? What if he was watching me too closely? What if he already suspected something?
A secret figure writing a message | Source: Midjourney
“I’m meeting my mom for lunch tomorrow,” I said casually over breakfast, trying not to let my voice tremble.
Mark didn’t look up from his coffee right away. “Really? You didn’t mention it before.”
“Oh, yeah,” I replied quickly, my heart racing. “She called last night. Last minute thing.”
Mark finally met my eyes, his expression unreadable. “Alright,” he said slowly.
I tried to focus on my coffee, but all I could feel was the weight of his gaze as if he was trying to see straight through me.
A man talking to his girlfriend | Source: Midjourney
The next day, I left the house. As I slipped out the door, I could feel Mark’s eyes on me. I tried to act normal, but my stomach was in knots. Every time I looked back at him, there was that same unreadable look on his face. Was he suspicious? Did he know something was wrong?
I got to Bayou Bakery early. My heart was pounding as I sat at a small table near the window. The smell of coffee and fresh pastries did nothing to calm my nerves. Every time the door opened, I jumped, expecting to see someone mysterious with the answers to all my questions.
A woman sitting in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
But ten minutes passed. Then twenty. Nothing.
I stared at my phone, wondering if this had all been some kind of cruel joke. Just as I was about to leave, the door swung open again, and my heart nearly stopped. It was Mark.
“Ellie?” His voice was cautious, confused. “What are you doing here? I thought you were meeting your mom.”
A shocked man in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
My throat went dry. “I… I thought you were at work. What are you doing here?”
He walked over and sat down across from me, his eyes scanning the room. “I got a message. Someone told me to come here. They said I needed to see something about you.”
My head was spinning. “You got a message? About me?”
He nodded, his face full of uncertainty. “Yeah. I didn’t believe it at first, but then you started acting weird. I didn’t know what to think.”
A woman talking to her boyfriend in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
I stared at him, my pulse racing. This whole time, he had been receiving the same kind of messages I had. It didn’t make any sense. Why would someone do this to us?
Before we could say another word, the door to the bakery opened again. I looked up, and there was Andrew, one of our mutual friends, grinning like a fool. He walked straight over to our table and pulled up a chair like he had been waiting for this moment all along.
A happy redhead man walking into a cafe | Source: Midjourney
“Surprise!” he said with a smirk.
Mark and I just gaped at him, completely bewildered.
“Andrew, what the hell is going on?” I demanded, my voice shaking with anger.
Andrew leaned back in his chair, his grin widening. “Relax. It was just a prank. Well, more like a test.”
“A test?” Mark’s tone was ice-cold. “You scared the hell out of us, Andrew. Why would you do something like that?”
a shocked man sitting in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
Andrew shrugged, looking a little less smug now. “I’ve seen too many relationships fall apart because of rumors, lies, and social media drama. I wanted to see if you two really trusted each other.”
I felt my blood boil. “You sent those messages? You made me think Mark was dangerous, and now you’re sitting here like it’s no big deal?”
An angry woman talking to her friend | Source: Midjourney
Andrew held up his hands. “Okay, okay, maybe I went too far. But seriously, Ellie. Mark. Instead of coming to each other and talking about it, you both followed some anonymous messages. What does that say about your relationship?”
I glanced at Mark, and he looked just as furious as I felt. But there was something else there too — an uncomfortable truth. Andrew had a point, even if it was buried under layers of cruelty.
An uncomfortable man | Source: Midjourney
The rest of the conversation was tense. Andrew apologized, though it didn’t feel like enough. He explained that he’d been curious to see if we would trust each other when faced with something scary, or if we’d go behind each other’s backs.
And while we were furious at him for putting us through that, there was a part of me that realized how much the situation had revealed.
A redhead man sitting in a cafe | Source: Midjourney
When Mark and I left the bakery, neither of us said much at first. The shock of the whole thing was still settling in, but the weight of what we’d just experienced wasn’t lost on me.
Finally, I broke the silence. “Do you think Andrew’s right?”
Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I hate to admit it, but maybe. I mean, we didn’t talk to each other. We let a few anonymous messages get in our heads.”
A couple talking on the street | Source: Midjourney
We both knew trust was something that couldn’t be taken for granted. And while Andrew’s prank was cruel, it showed us that the only way to keep our relationship strong was to face our fears and doubts head-on — together.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
A Mom of Four Shares the Raw Truth of Postpartum Bodies
Every day, the female body is exposed to more and more judgment from society. Social media feeds are full of unrealistic photos that can really make someone feel uncomfortable in their own skin. For women with postpartum bodies, this topic can be the most sensitive. To support others, this proud mother decided to stop hiding behind filters or pieces of clothing and embrace the flaws that truly make us special.
Most mothers aren’t prepared for the challenges that come after childbirth.
Danisha, a mom of 4, recently started sharing her journey about accepting her body on social media. At first, she was really ashamed and constantly tried to hide her postpartum belly, but with her last baby, she wanted a change.
“I didn’t know that I would have as much loose skin as I do now, and stretch marks. No one ever discussed it, my doctors didn’t discuss it,” the mother explained. “I didn’t know that my body just wouldn’t look the same anymore. But I want to embrace my body, and I’m happy where I’m at.”
Danisha believes a woman’s body creates miracles.
Seeing tons of celebrities and models posing with their pregnant bellies can give us the wrong image. They can make us believe that perfection can exist and that something might be wrong with our own bodies, even lowering our confidence to the point that we forget to love ourselves.
In one of her Instagram posts, she pointed out to other moms that they are loved, saying, “Don’t let society trick you into believing you need to be ’fixed.’ Your body is not wrong, society is!”
Society expects a different image of the female postpartum body.
Women are expected to quickly bounce back to their pre-pregnancy bodies. For many mothers, this can feel like they’re strangers in their own their skin. Fighting against your body means losing the battle in the end, but knowing how to accept it and start loving yourself from all angles is a different type of pure love that can only occur if the mother is 100% ready to do it.
The brutal honesty behind Danisha’s posts makes her even prouder of who she is. “Our body is meant to evolve and change, that is what happens with growth, not everyone’s body will change the same and that’s okay,” she admitted. “My wonderful body carried 4 beautiful blessings, my belly is a reminder of that and signifies growth. It has taken me a long time to accept her, love her, and appreciate her.”
Despite the negative comments that come from everywhere, knowing how to keep your positivity is one of the hardest jobs that people face when they show themselves at their most vulnerable online.
“I have a pouch, I have soft stretchy loose skin. My physical features are not what makes it beautiful, but the fact that my body was able to create life itself for a fourth time. I’m strong as a mother.”
Danisha doesn’t let the negative comments stop her. Showing the raw reality behind a mom’s body is a huge help for other mothers out there as well. “A lot of mamas are unprepared for postpartum.”
It’s a privilege to watch our bodies change as we grow older.
Sometimes, despite all our efforts and hard work to keep our bodies in shape, genetics can get involved and create a different person in the mirror. She explained, “I love it when people tell me that if I had moisturized my skin more then my belly wouldn’t have looked ’this way’ or if I wore a waist trainer I wouldn’t have a pouch and even greater if I dieted or exercised more, then my belly wouldn’t be as ’big.’”
The mother of 4 continued, “The reality is genetics play a big role. My belly is this way because of 4 reasons. I created life 4 times and no oils or creams would have miraculously prevented it. My sagging skin, stretch marks, and other love marks are reminders of bearing my children.”
Every mother is special in her own way and no one deserves to be discriminated against because of their appearance.
“To the mama looking at herself in the mirror: It’s completely normal not to fit into your pre-pregnancy clothes your body outgrew in order to make room for your beautiful blessing. Sizing up is nothing to feel ashamed of,” Danisha declared.
It wasn’t easy, but Danisha started accepting her body.
Understanding how to love stretch marks and accept body changes can be one of the hardest steps that a mom can do. They are a natural response from the body.
“Many would love to have tiger stripes. You can also have them without having children. My tummy was home to 4 of my children, and they love it,” she said.
Beauty comes from both inside and outside.
Regardless of what we look like on the outside, whether we differ in skin color or weight, all people are special in their own way, and our bodies do an amazing job at keeping us alive. In an effort to encourage others around her, this mother points out, “Whether you choose to cover your belly or not, you’re still worthy, still beautiful.”
Here are some similar stories that show us the beauty in every woman’s body.
A Mom of 4 Proudly Documents Her Postpartum Body and Becomes the Dose of Body Positivity We All Need
A Mother Was Told Her Stomach Was “Nasty,” but She Proves How Beautiful Women’s Bodies Really Are
9 Times Ashley Graham Embraced Her Motherhood Journey, From a Postpartum Body to Breastfeeding
8 Celebrity Moms Who Got Honest and Showed Us the Raw Reality of Motherhood
Preview photo credit mama3x__ / Instagram, mama3x__ / Instagram
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