Date: April 22, 2025

Author: Elizabeth M. Hayes

I’m writing this because I have no idea what to do about what I found yesterday. It’s eating me alive, and I need to get it off my chest.

I’m 30 years old, living at home with my parents. I know, it’s not ideal, but it’s where I am. My parents recently separated, though they’re still civil, still trying to “co-exist” for the sake of me and my younger brother, who’s still in college. It’s complicated. They’re not exactly a happy couple, but they don’t argue, at least not when we’re around.

So, yesterday, I was just going through my laptop, trying to track down an old photo booth app I used to use. I typed in “photo,” and a couple of files popped up. Curious, I clicked on them.

What I saw made my stomach drop.

There were two photos of a woman I’ve never met in my life. She looked like she was in her late 30s, maybe early 40s, with a friendly smile, posing as if she was in a photo shoot. She didn’t look like anyone I knew, and I definitely didn’t recognize her from any social media accounts. I thought, maybe it was a random image, like a stock photo or something.

But no. These weren’t random. These were two distinct, clearly personal photos of this woman. The kind of photos people take when they’re comfortable around someone—at home, or maybe out on a date. I couldn’t shake the feeling that they were… intimate, in a way. Why else would they be on my laptop?

Now here’s the thing—this is my dad’s laptop. The only person who ever uses it besides me is him. He’s 59, and we’ve always had a strange but somewhat solid relationship. He’s always been the quiet type, not much of a talker, and he’s definitely not someone who opens up about his personal life. My mom and dad separated a year ago, and while it’s been hard on both of them, they’ve managed to stay civil. They still care about each other—at least, that’s what it seems like. But what I found is making me second-guess everything.

I’m not sure what to think. I haven’t mentioned it to my mom yet because I don’t want to stir the pot. They’ve already been through enough, and honestly, I don’t want to create more drama. But every time I look at my dad now, I feel like I’m seeing him through a different lens. Why would these photos be on his laptop? Why would he have them saved?

I don’t know if it’s my place to bring this up to him. On one hand, I feel like I should, but on the other hand, I’m terrified of what I might uncover. What if there’s something I wasn’t supposed to find? Something that changes the way I see my dad?

I haven’t told anyone about this—just my therapist, who told me I should approach this situation with caution. But it’s so hard to just keep quiet when it feels like I’ve stumbled onto something I wasn’t meant to know. My heart is heavy with the weight of it all, and it’s making me second-guess everything I thought I knew about my family.

I feel like I’m trapped in this limbo, unsure whether I should confront him or let it go. I hate this feeling. The unknown is consuming me. What do I even do with this kind of information?

I just needed to get this off my chest, so here I am. Writing, hoping someone else might understand what this feels like.

Author: Elizabeth M. Hayes