Xavier has never shared any details about his love life with me or his father. We never knew if he ever dated anyone or if he had ever fallen in love, but that day, he came home with a huge grim on his face and told us he was seeing someone. He described his girlfriend as the most kind, most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

They dated for three months before he felt like it was time to propose her.

On the day we were too meet our daughter-in-law, we were overly excited. We wanted everything to be perfect for our son’s fiancée. A warm welcome for the person who would soon be part of our family. I baked my famous cherry pie, roasted a chicken, and set the table with our nicest dishes. Nathan, my husband, bought some pricey steaks in case Cindy preferred beef to chicken.

The house was spotless and everything was ready for the huge moment.

Cindy was as beautiful as Xavier described her. Petite with big blue eyes.

But just as I looked at her more, I recognized a familiar face. It was the same woman my friend Margaret warned the entire neighborhood about. Her son was scammed by this woman. She made him bought her an expensive wedding ring and thousands of dollars for “wedding expenses.” I had erased the photo Margaret sent me, but I was certain it was her.

I needed to save my son from heartbreak.

Unaware of what to do next, I asked her to come with me to the basement so that we could pick a wine. Cindy was extremely shy and agreed with a simple nod.

The moment we enter the basement, I locked her inside and rushed to the living room. “Nathan, call the police,” I yelled, while Xavier looked at me in disbelief.

“Mom, are you crazy? What are you doing?” he asked, still shocked from my action.

“Xavier, your fiancée is a scammer. She scammed Margaret’s son. She stole his money and vanished.”

At that moment, police arrived at the door. But when they went to the basement, Cindy wasn’t scared at all. On the contrary, she had a smile on her face that confused me.

She turned to me and said, “Mrs. Fitzpatrick, I know who you thing I am, but I am not that woman. She made my life a living hell.” Cindy further explained that people confused her with the scammer before, but they had different eye color, although it was obvious they truly looked alike.

One of the police officers said he remembered this case. “The actual scammer did go by the name Cindy, but I’ve heard she’s changed it to either Rosaline or Rosemary. The last trace of her was in Mexico, but this woman isn’t her,” he said.

Embarrassed, I turned to Cindy and apologized. I was ashamed to even look at her, but she gave me a hug and said at least she would have a fun story of how she first met her in-laws that she would share with her and Xavier’s future children.