On Valentine’s Day morning, Kate stepped outside expecting a sweet surprise. Her car was covered in hundreds of pink paper hearts, fluttering in the wind like a love-struck teenager’s confession. But when she picked one up and read the message, her stomach dropped. This wasn’t love. It was a warning.
I woke up that morning just like any other, slipping out of bed while Brandon remained curled under the blankets.
A man sleeping in his bed | Source: Pexels
After 28 years of living together as a married couple, our lives had settled into a predictable rhythm. I always woke up early, made coffee, prepared breakfast for our 17-year-old son, and enjoyed a few quiet moments before the day fully began.
Valentine’s Day wasn’t a big deal in our house. It never really had been. Boredom had long replaced passion, and grand romantic gestures had never been Brandon’s thing.
So, when I glanced outside and saw my car covered in paper hearts that morning, I actually gasped.
A car covered in hearts | Source: Midjourney
For a brief, stupid moment, my heart swelled.
Had he done this? After all these years?
My heart pounded against my chest as I stepped outside. The sight was almost ridiculous.
Hundreds of pink paper hearts were plastered all over my car’s doors and windows. There were even some stuck on the mirrors. It honestly looked like the car belonged to some teenage romance movie, like my teenage boyfriend was trying his best to impress me.
I smiled, thinking my husband had finally decided to surprise me after nearly three decades together.
A woman smiling | Source: Midjourney
Excited, I walked toward my car to take a closer look and realized that every heart had a note inside.
Wow, that’s a brilliant idea! I thought.
Then I picked one up and read the message underneath. I stared at it for a few seconds, unable to understand why my husband would write such a thing.
It read, Your husband is a liar.
Was this some kind of a prank? A joke?
A close-up shot of a woman’s face | Source: Midjourney
I felt my heart skip a beat as I ripped off another paper heart.
It read, Brandon only loves me.
Another.
He’ll never tell you the truth.
I felt a knot in my stomach and my heart almost flipped inside my chest. I quickly grabbed the hearts and yanked them away as fast as I could.
One by one, they revealed the same kind of message.
You deserve to know.
He was with me last night.
Ask him about the woman he’s been seeing.
A woman holding a paper heart | Source: Midjourney
I tried pulling the hearts off faster, but the glue was thick, stubborn, and far stronger than expected. It completely ruined the look of my car. Every time I yanked one away, it left behind an ugly smear of adhesive on my pristine car.
Soon, neighbors started peeking from their windows. I could feel their eyes on me as they whispered amongst themselves.
They had seen this before I had.
They had already put the pieces together before I even had a chance to process what was happening.
A neighbor peeking out of her window | Source: Midjourney
I swallowed, forcing myself to look up at my house, and saw Brandon at the window. He had been silently watching me all this time.
I turned back to the car as I pulled one last paper heart.
It read, He’ll never choose you.
The words blurred as tears filled my eyes.
Happy Valentine’s Day to me.
I quickly rushed back into my house and slammed the door behind me.
A doorknob | Source: Pexels
My pulse pounded in my ears as I marched straight to the kitchen. I found Brandon sitting at the counter, scrolling through his phone like nothing had happened.
I threw one of the paper hearts onto the counter.
“What the hell is this, Brandon?” I asked in a shaky voice.
I couldn’t even speak properly because of how angry I felt.
He barely glanced at the paper before looking at me.
“What are you talking about? I don’t know who did this.”
A man sitting in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney
“Seriously, Brandon?” I let out a bitter laugh. “You saw me from the window, right? All those hearts on my car… they’re talking about you and some woman you’re seeing. And you’re saying you really don’t know who did this?”
Brandon picked one of the hearts and read the message inside before putting it back down.
“It’s probably a prank,” he said as he sipped his coffee. “Must be some stupid kids messing around.”
Liar.
I knew that tone. That measured, even voice he used when he wanted me to second-guess myself. The same one he had used in every minor argument over the years, making me feel like I was overreacting.
But not this time.
A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney
I turned away from him and stomped toward the security monitor in the living room. My fingers flew over the controls as I rewound the footage from the night before.
And there she was.
Linda.
Our neighbor.
At 3 a.m., under the dim glow of the streetlights, she was gluing those damn hearts onto my car.
What the heck? I thought. Brandon and Linda? They’re together? How is this even possible?
A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels
My throat tightened as I recalled every moment when I saw Linda standing outside her house as Brandon left for work. She’d been our neighbor for as long as I could remember, but I never once suspected Brandon had an affair with her.
If my husband wasn’t going to tell me anything, then there was only one thing I could do. Confront Linda.
I immediately stormed next door and banged on her door so hard it rattled.
A few seconds later, it swung open, revealing Linda’s face. It looked like she’d been crying. Like she already knew why I was there.
A woman standing in the doorway | Source: Midjourney
“How long?” I asked calmly.
Linda swallowed hard, her lip trembling. “Twenty years.”
The ground beneath me felt unsteady.
I shook my head. “You’re lying.”
She let out a sad, breathy laugh. “I wish I was.”
I stared at her, hoping she’d take her words back and say it was all some kind of an elaborate joke.
But instead, she spoke again.
A woman talking to her neighbor | Source: Midjourney
“He told me he’d leave you. Over and over again, for two whole decades. He just needed the right moment. He told me you weren’t well… that you couldn’t handle a divorce. That he had to stay because he felt sorry for you. I can prove it.”
I couldn’t process her words. I couldn’t believe my husband had spent twenty years living a double life.
How was I not able to see it?
I rushed back home without saying a word. It was time to confront Brandon before I asked her for proof.
He was sitting in the living room, scrolling through his phone again.
A man using his phone | Source: Pexels
“Linda just told me everything,” I said, crossing my arms while looking straight into his eyes.
“She’s lying,” he said. “She’s obsessed with me. She’s been coming on to me for years, but I never—”
“Prove it,” I cut him off.
“What?”
“Prove it,” I repeated, stepping closer. “Because it looks like she’s got twenty years’ worth of stories, Brandon. She told me how you needed the right moment to leave me. I’m sure she’s got much more to tell me about your affair.”
A woman arguing with her husband | Source: Midjourney
“Babe, I don’t know what she’s talking about,” he said. “I don’t have proof because there’s nothing to prove, okay?”
I scoffed. “Convenient.”
His expression didn’t change. No panic. No anger. Just that same infuriating calm.
“I swear to you, Kate. I have never been with her,” he began.
I stared at him, searching his face for a flicker of doubt, guilt, or anything real. But all I saw was the same blank mask he always wore when he lied.
A man looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney
Without wasting another minute, I turned around and marched straight back to Linda’s house.
She opened the door before I even knocked, as if she had been waiting.
“Show me proof,” I demanded. “If you have it, he’s yours.”
She didn’t hesitate. She pulled out her phone, scrolling furiously before shoving it into my hands.
And there it was.
Photos. Videos. Messages.
A woman using a phone | Source: Pexels
There was a photo of Brandon with her at a hotel, their hands intertwined across a candlelit dinner table. Then, there was another one that showed him slipping into her house at night.
She even shared messages where Brandon promised her that he’d leave me. And that they’d live together happily.
The proof in her phone showed a side of my husband I had never known existed.
My legs felt weak, but I forced myself to stand tall.
I didn’t cry. Not yet.
I handed her phone back. “Thank you.”
A serious woman | Source: Midjourney
The next morning, I decided to file for divorce.
When I told Brandon about it, he still said Linda was lying. He swore the photos, videos, and text messages were fake. He even claimed Linda had been stalking him for years and had fabricated everything.
“Trust me,” he said. “I’ll prove she’s lying. My lawyers will take care of everything.”
And that’s exactly what happened.
The lawyers dug into the evidence. They found inconsistencies in the timestamps of the videos and digital alterations in the photos.
A lawyer in his office | Source: Pexels
It turned out Linda had hired a tech expert to forge messages, splicing together old voicemails and using AI to create fabricated conversations.
The supposed hotel footage was traced back to a manipulated stock video, and every single piece of “proof” she had provided fell apart under scrutiny.
And that’s how Brandon saved our marriage from falling apart. That’s how he stopped me from filing for divorce.
I don’t know why Linda did what she did, but it looked like she had spent 20 years in love with a man who had never been hers.
I guess she had been waiting for something that never existed.
A woman sitting in her living room | Source: Midjourney
That night, as we sat in the dimly lit living room, I finally spoke.
“I’m sorry, Brandon,” I whispered. “I should have believed you.”
He exhaled slowly, setting down his glass of whiskey. “Kate, after all these years, do you really think I could do that to you?”
“No, but…” I swallowed hard. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“I love you,” he said, reaching for my hand. “I always have.”
I nodded. “I know.”
A woman smiling at her husband | Source: Midjourney
After everything that happened, I sued Linda for damaging my car. Soon, she was forced to pay for the repairs and deep-cleaning. We even got a restraining order against her.
But at night, when Brandon’s asleep beside me…
I still wonder.
What if the lawyers were wrong?
What if, somewhere in that pile of lies and fabrications… there was one truth?
And what if I had just chosen the wrong side?
A woman looking outside a window | Source: Midjourney
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.
Baby Girl Dies After Being Left in Hot Car Just Two Months After She Was Adopted By a San Diego Couple
A heartbreaking incident has unfolded in Santee, San Diego, where a baby girl lost her life after being left in the back of a hot car. This tragic event occurred just two months after her adoptive parents brought her home. Is hot car death common?
Discovery and Emergency Response Into The Hot Car Death – An Ongoing Investigation
Diana Sofia Aleman Roman, the infant victim, was found unresponsive in the SUV parked outside her family’s home around 12:20 AM on June 13. The child had been left in the vehicle for several hours in 63°F weather before a family member discovered her and immediately called 911.
Despite being rushed to Sharp Grossmont Hospital, Diana could not be saved. The San Diego County Sheriff’s Office is actively investigating the circumstances that led to Diana being forgotten in the car and determining who was responsible. As of now, no charges have been filed.
The Dangers of Hot Cars – a Tragic Hot Car Death
Studies highlight the rapid rise in temperature inside a parked car. On a 70°F day, the temperature inside a car can soar to 104°F within just half an hour. Reaching 115°F in an hour. The human body’s organs begin to shut down at 107°F, making such environments lethal, especially for children.
Adoption and Family Background – A Loving Family
Diana was welcomed into the home of Romer and Jayson De Los Santos on April 11, after they traveled to Arizona to meet her in the hospital. Heartwarming photos captured the couple cradling Diana and introducing her to their two-year-old son, who was also adopted. Romer expressed his grief after the hot car death, writing, “I haven’t slept in days,” next to one of the photos.
The De Los Santos family had been actively seeking to adopt a second child, sharing their adoption profile on social media in November. They expressed their desire to provide a loving home filled with cherished memories. Special moments such as beach outings, biking to the park, and raising foster kittens. Romer, a senior consultant at Jama Software, and Jayson, a stay-at-home dad, have been together for over 20 years. They married in 2008 during a brief period when same-sex marriage was legal in California. Their home is described as a “zoo,” housing numerous pets including cats, dogs, chickens, and parakeets.
Community Reaction
Neighbors described the De Los Santos family as kind and attentive parents often seen playing outside with their children. One neighbor said, “They seem like a nice family who wanted to give a couple of kids a good life. It’s just a shame it didn’t turn out that way.” It seems many suggested that the hot car death wasn’t intentional.
Medical Examination and Broader Context
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office will determine the cause and manner of Diana’s death. Annually, around 37 children die from being left in hot cars across the U.S. Since 1998, California has witnessed at least 56 such fatalities, according to statistics from San Jose State University’s No Heat Stroke project.
Preventive Measures and Legal Implications & Expert Insights
Parents are urged never to leave their children alone in vehicles, even for short periods. Temperatures can rise dangerously fast, posing severe risks to children who cannot regulate their body temperatures as efficiently as adults. Which can effectively cause hot car death. California law imposes a $100 fine for leaving a child under six in a car under hazardous conditions. With potential charges ranging from neglect to manslaughter depending on the outcome.
Experts explain that it’s possible for any parent to forget a child in a car, especially when distracted or following routine habits. The increase in such cases since the 1990s is partly attributed to the recommendation of placing child car seats in the back, out of sight to protect them from airbags.
Recommendations for Prevention
To avoid such tragedies, No Heat Stroke suggests placing a soft toy in the front seat as a reminder of the child in the back or placing essential items next to the child’s seat. They also recommend keeping vehicles locked at all times and teaching children never to play in cars.
The loss of Diana Sofia Aleman Roman serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with leaving children unattended in vehicles and the importance of vigilant parenting practices. Hot-car tragedies can happen to anyone due to human memory lapses.
Here are key strategies to prevent these incidents:
Create Safeguards: Establish agreements with child-care providers to notify each other if a child is absent or late. Set phone reminders to ensure the child has been dropped off.
Secure Vehicles: Always keep vehicles locked and keys out of children’s reach.
Visual Reminders: Place the child’s items, such as a diaper bag or jacket, in the front seat as a reminder.
Back-Seat Checks: Keep essential items like your backpack or briefcase in the back seat to prompt a check before leaving the car.
Never Leave Children Unattended: Never leave a child alone in a vehicle, regardless of the outside temperature.
Technological Solutions & Expert Advice:
Invest in car seats or vehicles with integrated reminder technology, such as SensorSafe. Systems that default to “on” are most effective. Use education and technology together to prevent these tragedies. Real-life experiences, like that of Jennifer Stockburger, highlight the importance of these precautions. Combining awareness with practical strategies and technology can protect children from hot-car incidents.
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