I Overheard My Son Say, “Hi, Mom! I’m Coming to See You Tomorrow Instead of School”— So I Secretly Followed Him (2 of 4)

It stung more than I expected. I chalked it up to moodiness. But just a few minutes later, something stopped me in my tracks.

As I passed by his door, I heard him on the phone—his voice bright, affectionate, and full of energy.

“Hi, Mom! Yeah, school was great. I’ll show you my grades tomorrow! I’m coming to see you instead of going to school, okay? See you tomorrow!”

I froze. A cold wave rushed through me.

“Mom”?

I didn’t say anything that night. I couldn’t. I needed to know what was going on—who this other “Mom” was.

So the next morning, after I sent him off for “school,” I followed him.

He bypassed the school entirely and walked three blocks over to a small, unfamiliar house. My heart pounded as I watched him knock.

And then—nothing.

No one answered.

Instead, a camera crew jumped out from behind the hedges. A man with a wide grin and a microphone boomed, “You’ve just been pranked—on Hidden Smiles! Say hi to your mom watching at home!”