My Husband Forgot His Phone at Home and I Saw a Message, 'Hi, Daddy,' Except We Don't Have Kids — Story of the Day

I thought marriage would bring us closer, but instead, we drifted apart. Silence filled our mornings, distance grew between us. Then, one day, a forgotten phone and a single message shattered my world: "Hi, Daddy." A name I didn’t recognize. A word that changed everything. I had to know the truth—no matter the cost.

I had married Danny not long ago, but soon after, everything changed.

It wasn’t something I could explain easily—just a slow, steady shift in the way we were with each other. We talked about everything. Now, we barely spoke.

Before the wedding, we had never lived together. Spending nights at each other’s places had felt like an adventure, something temporary and exciting.

But living together—really living together—was different. It meant seeing each other at our worst, dealing with messy schedules, and facing problems we never had to before.

I didn’t know how to fix things. Some days, I wanted to try, to reach out, to ask Danny if he felt it too. But I never did.

I was afraid of the answer. I was constantly irritated, snapping over little things, and I hated it. I hated how I was becoming someone I didn’t even recognize.

That morning was like all the others. No good morning kiss. No casual conversation.

We each grabbed something quick for breakfast and got ready in silence. Danny was out the door first, barely looking at me as he left.

I sighed, reaching for my purse when I saw it—his phone sitting on the kitchen counter.

I picked it up, turning it in my hands. I would just drop it off on my way to work. No big deal. But as I lifted it, the screen lit up with a message.

Hi, Daddy.

The message was from someone named Martha.

My stomach dropped. My hands trembled. I stared at the words, my breath catching in my throat.

Who was Martha? And why was she calling my husband Daddy? I was afraid he wouldn’t tell me the truth.

I erased the message from the screen. If Danny saw it, he would know I had read it. If he was hiding something, I wanted to catch him off guard.

Swallowing the lump in my throat, I grabbed my keys and left the house. Driving to his office, my heart pounded so hard it hurt.

Danny had always stayed late at work—even when we were dating. I used to admire his dedication. Now, I wasn’t sure if he was really working late… or if he was with her.

When I arrived, I walked straight to his desk without knocking. Danny sat alone, surrounded by stacks of papers, his brows furrowed in concentration. He didn’t even notice me at first.

I cleared my throat. “Hey,” I said, standing by his desk.

Danny looked up, surprised. “Oh, hey. What are you doing here?” He set his pen down and leaned back in his chair.

“You forgot your phone at home,” I said, placing it in front of him.

Danny picked it up. “Oh. Thanks.” He checked the screen. “Did anyone call?”

“No,” I said.

Silence filled the room. Danny tapped his fingers on the desk. I shifted on my feet.

“Well,” I said, forcing a small smile. “I should go.”

I turned toward the door.

“Kate,” Danny said softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I whispered, then walked away.

One day, Danny texted that he would be staying late at work. My heart pounded as I stared at the message.

I had seen it before—too many times. But this time, I couldn’t ignore the nagging doubt inside me. I grabbed my keys, left work early, and drove straight to his office.

When I arrived, his car was still in the parking lot. That meant I hadn’t missed him. I parked a few spots away, my fingers gripping the steering wheel. I just had to wait.

Minutes dragged by. My pulse quickened when I saw him step outside about twenty minutes later—exactly when his workday officially ended.

No extra hours. No late meetings. So why had he said he’d be working late? Something was definitely off.

I watched as he walked to his car, looking relaxed, as if he had no idea I was sitting there, watching his every move.

He got in and drove away. My hands shook as I started my car and followed him at a safe distance.

After a while, he pulled up in front of a small house. My stomach twisted. This was it. The answer to my fears.

Before I could think, a little girl, about four years old, ran out of the house, laughing.

A woman followed behind her. The girl jumped into Danny’s arms, and he hugged her tight—like a father would hug his daughter.

I gasped. My whole body tensed.

Could the message have been from a child? Did Danny have another family?

Tears welled in my eyes. I sat frozen in my car, watching the scene unfold. I wanted to scream, to demand answers, but I couldn’t move.

Danny stayed there for hours. My mind raced. I couldn’t storm in, but I also couldn’t leave without knowing the truth.

When he finally left, I texted him, saying I was meeting a friend.

As soon as his car disappeared, I got out and walked to the house. My hands trembled as I rang the doorbell. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

But when the woman opened the door, the tears fell anyway.

The woman stood in front of me, her expression shifting from confusion to concern the moment she saw my face.

“Oh my God. Are you okay?” she asked, her voice soft but urgent.

I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing. “A-a-are you… M-Martha?” My voice trembled.

She blinked. “Yes. And you are…?”

“I’m Kate,” I said, barely above a whisper. I wiped my damp cheeks, struggling to keep myself together. My chest felt tight, my pulse too fast.

Martha’s eyes widened in recognition. “Oh my God. You’re Kate. Danny’s wife.”

I nodded again, unable to find the right words.

Martha hesitated for a second, then stepped aside and gestured for me to come in. “Please, come inside,” she said.

I stepped into the house, my legs unsteady. The living room was cozy, with soft lighting and scattered toys on the floor. It looked like a home filled with love.

Martha led me to the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. When she returned, she handed me a glass of water. “Here. You look like you need this.”

I took a sip, my throat dry. I couldn’t drag this out any longer. “Tell me the truth,” I said, setting the glass down. “Do you have a family with Danny?”

Martha’s face twisted in surprise. “What? A family? No, no. Oh, Kate, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.” She sat across from me, shaking her head.

“Danny's my ex,” she said, and I started crying again. I took a sip of water, trying to calm myself.

“But we only dated for two months. Then we realized we were better off as friends. When I got pregnant, Riley’s father left us, and Danny supported me,” she explained.

“So Danny isn’t Riley’s father?” I asked.

“No, he’s just a family friend,” Martha said.

I clenched my hands in my lap. “Then why did you text him ‘Hi, Daddy’?” I asked, my voice cracking.

Martha’s brow furrowed. “Wait… what?” She pulled her phone from her pocket, scrolling through her messages. Then she gasped. “Oh my God. I didn’t send that. I swear.”

My stomach twisted. “Then who did?”

Martha put a hand to her forehead. “I think I know.” She turned her head. “Riley!” she called.

A little girl ran into the room, her curls bouncing as she giggled.

“Who’s this?” Riley asked, looking at me with wide eyes.

Martha smiled at her. “This is Kate, Danny’s wife.”

Riley clapped her hands together. “Yay! You finally came to visit! Danny says he loves you so much.”

My breath hitched. Children always told the truth, didn’t they?

“Riley,” Martha said, kneeling to her daughter’s level. “Did you send Danny a message today?”

Riley nodded proudly. “Yeah!”

Martha took a deep breath. “And what did you write?”

“Hi, Danny,” Riley said, grinning.

Martha let out a short laugh, pressing a hand over her face. “That makes sense.” She looked at me. “She’s still learning letters. Looks like she mixed them up.”

I exhaled, the tension in my body releasing all at once. My head fell back against the couch. Relief flooded through me, but so did something else—guilt.

Martha gave me a knowing look. “I asked him about that. He invited us to the wedding, but we were visiting my mom. After that, he probably didn’t know how to bring it up.”

I nodded, biting my lip. “I should have asked him instead of jumping to conclusions… then I wouldn’t have bothered you.”

Martha smiled. “Don’t be silly. I’m glad we talked. I hope you’ll come over again. Riley already loves you from Danny’s stories.”

I smiled back, waved goodbye to Riley, and left.

When I got home, Danny was on the couch. He sat up the moment he saw me. “Have you been crying?”

“I went to see Martha,” I said.

Danny’s face stiffened. “Kate, I—”

I raised a hand, stopping him. “I know there’s nothing between you. But why didn’t you tell me?”

Danny sighed. “I was afraid. Martha is still my ex.”

“For two months,” I reminded him.

“Not even a full two months,” he admitted. “I should’ve told you. But then we started drifting apart, and it got harder.”

“You pulled away first. That’s why I thought you were cheating.”

Danny reached for my hand. “Kate, I love you. I never would.”

Tears filled my eyes. “I love you too.”

“Let’s have a date night every week,” Danny said. “And be honest about everything.”

I nodded. “I like that idea.”

I kissed him, knowing we would be okay.

Tell us what you think about this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.

If you enjoyed this story, read this one: My girlfriend and I were happy—at least, I thought we were. Then, overnight, everything changed. A message. A warning to stay away. No explanation. Just silence. But something felt wrong. The more I searched for answers, the more I realized the truth was far worse than I ever imagined.Read the full story here.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.