I had known for years. I suppose most women would say they knew deep down, even before the evidence, before the whispers. But for me, it wasn’t just an intuition or a feeling in my bones. It was the forgotten lipstick stains, the cologne I never bought him, the unusual hours, and the cautious way he scrolled through his phone, tilting it away from my sight. I had known for a long time. But I had also known that if I left, I would have nowhere to go. When I met Lionel, I was a young woman, full of dreams…
Author: NXO News Staff
Today, I was at Scheels, just going about my day, when I noticed this young guy in the parking lot. He had a camera set up, handing out money to random people. Looked like one of those social experiments you see online. The deal was simple: take $100 or pass it along and give $200 to the next person. I stood by, curious. Some people took the cash, some chose to pass it along. Then, an older man walked up—maybe in his sixties. His jacket was worn and frayed at the edges, like it had seen too many cold winters.…
Standing on that massive stage, lights shining down, I took a deep breath. My heart pounded so loud I thought the whole audience could hear it. But then I looked out and saw my dad sitting there, smiling at me, and suddenly, everything felt okay. My dad is a firefighter. He risks his life every single day to save others. There are nights when he leaves for work, and I don’t know if he’s coming home. That’s a scary feeling, but it also makes me so proud of him. He’s my hero. That’s why I wanted to dedicate this performance…
I visit my grandma at her nursing home every Sunday. She doesn’t remember much these days—sometimes not even me—but she always smiles when I bring her flowers. So when I walked in that afternoon, I expected the usual: her sitting by the window, humming an old tune. But there was someone else with her. A young man, maybe early twenties, wearing a blue hoodie. He was kneeling beside her, gently placing a single red rose in her hands. She held it carefully, looking at him with the same warm smile she used to give me when I was little. I…
My coworker, Darien, hit me up last week. He said something came up and begged me to cover his shift. I didn’t think twice—I mean, we’ve swapped before, no big deal. But yesterday, my friend Nate dropped something on me that stopped me cold. He said he saw Darien… having lunch with my wife, Christine. At first, I laughed it off. “Nah, must be someone else,” I said. But Nate was sure. Same spot, middle of the day—the same day I was working Darien’s shift. I felt this knot in my chest. My mind started racing. Why would they meet…
I’ve run my small grocery store for nearly fifteen years, and in that time, I’ve seen all kinds of people come and go. Some customers are in a hurry, others linger, and some—usually the elderly—come more for the company than the groceries. But never in all my years had I seen anything quite like what happened last week. It was late afternoon when the boy walked in. Maybe eight years old, maybe a little younger, with a determined expression that didn’t quite fit his small frame. He moved with purpose, grabbing apples, oranges, a bunch of bananas, and even a…
14 years of marriage. Two kids. A shared life I thought was perfect. It’s funny how quickly everything can crumble. That moment came when Stan walked through the door one evening, not alone. He had a woman with him — tall, glamorous, with a smile so sharp it could cut glass. I was in the kitchen, stirring soup, when I heard the sound of her heels. “WELL, DARLING,” she said, giving me a once-over. “YOU WEREN’T EXAGGERATING. SHE REALLY LET HERSELF GO. SUCH A SHAME — DECENT BONE STRUCTURE, THOUGH.” I froze. “Excuse me?” Stan sighed, like I was the…
One day, I opened the door and saw someone I didn’t expect. It was my dad. I hadn’t seen him for ages. In fact, I didn’t want to. “Hi, son. I’m sorry to come like this. I tried to call you, but you didn’t answer your phone,” he told me. “Yeah, what do you want?” “I was wondering if maybe I could stay with you… I don’t have a place right now, so…” “You can stay. But you have to pay rent.” “But I don’t have any money at all… and you’re the only person who can help me.” “I…
My mother raised two daughters: me, Charlotte, and my sister, Barbara. She was blonde, blue-eyed, and beautiful, just like my mother. Meanwhile, I was the odd one out. Dark hair, dark eyes—I never really looked like them. But I never questioned it. I loved my mother. She was my world. So when she got sick, I was the one who put my life on hold to take care of her, because Barbara was too busy “chasing her dreams” of becoming an actress and had lots of auditions, producers to meet, etc. But then our mom passed away and after the…
John’s been coming into my work for years. Same order, same quiet nod. He’s the kind of guy you don’t think twice about—until you do. Last week, I told him my girlfriend and I were heading to Vietnam. Just making conversation. But then his whole face changed. “I was there,” he said. “Fall of Saigon. We were getting orphaned babies onto planes, trying to save as many as we could.” My stomach dropped. I was one of those babies. I told him. Watched as his hands stilled on the counter. His eyes welled up. “Then I might’ve held you,” he…