When Jessica introduced her daughter Emma to her boyfriend Alex, she expected a warm welcome. Instead, Emma screamed in terror, convinced by her father’s warnings that Alex was a threat who would take her away forever.
I never imagined it would turn out this way. The sound of my daughter, Emma, screaming for help still rings in my ears. It was supposed to be a happy day, the day I introduced her to Alex, the man I’d been dating for over a year. But instead, it was a disaster.
Alex and I met at a charity event. He was charming and kind, always ready with a smile or a joke. We clicked immediately, and our relationship grew strong. We were serious, and I knew it was time for him to meet the most important person in my life – my daughter.
But I was scared. My divorce from Tom, Emma’s father, had been rough, and I worried about how she’d react to a new man in our lives.
Tom and I had shared custody of Emma. He usually babysat when I was out with Alex. Tom had already met Alex a few times and didn’t seem to have any problems with him. Or so I thought.
I spent days planning the perfect introduction. I made Emma’s favorite brunch – pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. I even bought a new dress, wanting everything to be perfect. Alex arrived right on time, holding a gift and wearing his most welcoming smile.
“Hey, Alex, come on in,” I greeted him, my voice shaking slightly.
“Thanks, Jess. I’m excited to finally meet Emma,” Alex said, handing me the gift. “I hope she likes this.”
“She will,” I replied, hoping it was true. “Let me go get her.”
I walked to the bottom of the stairs and called out, “Emma, sweetheart, can you come down here for a moment? There’s someone I want you to meet.”
I heard the sound of little feet running down the stairs. As soon as she saw Alex, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her face went pale, and she looked terrified.
“No! Mommy, please, no!” Emma screamed, tears streaming down her face. She ran to me, hiding behind my legs. “Don’t let him take me! Please, Mommy!”
I was stunned. Alex looked as confused as I felt. I knelt down to Emma’s level, trying to calm her down.
“Emma, honey, it’s okay. This is Alex. He’s a friend,” I said softly, stroking her hair.
“No! He’s bad! He will take me away! I don’t want to go!” she sobbed, clinging to me tightly.
“Why do you think he’ll take you away?” I asked, my heart breaking at her fear.
“Daddy said he will! Daddy showed me pictures and told me to run if I ever see him!” Emma cried.
I felt a surge of anger and confusion. Tom had done this? Why would he scare her like that?
Alex knelt down beside me, his face full of concern. “Emma, I’m not going to take you away. I promise. I just want to be your friend,” he said gently.
Emma didn’t respond. She just cried and held on to me tighter. I stood up, holding her in my arms, and turned to Alex.
15+ Pics That Need the Full Story to Make Sense
In 2011, 27 million pieces of content were shared online every day. Today, no less than 3.2 billion images are shared on a daily basis. It takes us a mere couple of seconds to snap a picture, and we’re not limited to a roll of film anymore. As a consequence, we snap pictures of everything, and sometimes we can’t keep them to ourselves.
Bright Side has a game for you — we prepared a list of images and your task is to figure them out without reading the explanation. Are you in?
1. “I wondered what my dad’s prosthetic finger would look like on my toe.”
2. “I don’t paint often, so I was really proud of myself for remembering to wear gloves this time.”
3. “My roommate thought I made cinnamon rolls. I actually made bacon. He was not happy with his finger scoop.”
4. “My treadmill kicked all the dirt from my shoes into a ’heavy’ and a ’light’ pile.”
5. “The fog during my flight makes the city seem like it hasn’t rendered.”
6. “The imprint of me lying face down in the snow looks like it’s actually popping out from the snow.”
7. “The border of my tattoo turned into a stretch mark during my first pregnancy. Now it looks 3D.”
8. “This truck looks like it came out of a wormhole. It’s actually carrying a wind turbine blade.”
9. “I got a cramp on the side of my hand, and you can actually see it.”
10. “I took a photo of my new faucet LED the exact moment it turned from red to green (or green to red).”
11. This is what a scan of a moving hand looks like.
12. “These aren’t actually bricks, it’s just white paint on red cement.”
13. “This tire went flat, was driven on, damaging the sidewalls, and then reinflated.”
14. “I made a snowman out of a melting paste. Here it is after an hour.”
15. “This is what happens when you wear socks and shoes outside every day for 20 years.”
16. “Shaved my hands, probably shouldn’t have. I just felt like my hands were too hairy.”
17. “Discovered that my tooth implant doesn’t glow like the rest of my teeth under a black light — regular photo for comparison.”
Which of these pics got you guessing about its backstory? What’s the last picture you took on your phone that only makes sense if you explain it? Share it with us in the comments.
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