When I married Ben, I thought I understood what it meant to step into the life of a widower. He had been so devoted to his late wife, Irene, and he was raising their seven-year-old son, Lucas, all on his own.

I respected the deep love he still held for her, knowing it was tied to the memory of his first love and Lucas’ mother. I wasn’t here to replace her, just to create a new chapter for all of us.

The first few months as a family were everything I had hoped for. Lucas welcomed me warmly, with none of the hesitation I had feared. I spent hours playing games with him, reading his favorite bedtime stories, and helping him with schoolwork.

I even learned to make his favorite mac and cheese exactly how he liked it — extra cheesy with breadcrumbs on top.

One day, out of nowhere, Lucas started calling me “Mom,” and every time, Ben and I would catch each other’s eye with proud smiles. It felt like things were falling perfectly into place.

One night, after a cozy evening, I was tucking Lucas into bed. Suddenly, he looked up at me, his eyes wide and serious. “You know, my real mom still lives here,” he whispered.

I chuckled softly, running my fingers through his hair. “Oh, sweetheart, your mom will always be with you, in your heart.”

But Lucas shook his head, clutching my hand with an intensity that made my heart skip. “No, she’s here. In the house. I see her sometimes.”

A chill prickled at the back of my neck. I forced a smile, brushing it off as a child’s imagination running wild. “It’s just a dream, honey. Go to sleep.”

Lucas settled down, but I felt uneasy. I pushed the thought aside, telling myself he was just adjusting to a new family, a new normal. But as the days passed, small things around the house began to unsettle me.

For starters, I’d clean up Lucas’ toys, only to find them later exactly where I’d picked them up. Not just once or twice, but again and again.

And the kitchen cabinets — I’d rearrange them the way I liked, but the next morning, things were back in their old places, like someone was trying to undo my touch on the home. It was unnerving, but I kept telling myself it was just my mind playing tricks.

Then, one evening, I noticed something I couldn’t explain. I had moved Irene’s photograph from the living room to a more discreet shelf in the hallway. But when I came downstairs the next day, there it was, back in its original spot, perfectly dusted as though someone had just cleaned it.

I took a deep breath and decided to discuss it with Ben. “Are you moving things around the house?” I asked one evening, trying to sound casual as we were finishing dinner.

Ben looked up, grinning as though I’d told a silly joke. “No, Brenda, why would I? I think you’re just imagining things.”

He laughed, but there was something in his eyes — a hint of discomfort or maybe reluctance. I couldn’t place it, but I felt an invisible wall between us.

A few nights later, Lucas and I were working on a puzzle on the living room floor. He was focused, placing the pieces with his little tongue poking out in concentration, when he suddenly looked up at me, eyes wide and sincere.

“Mom says you shouldn’t touch her things.”

My heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean, sweetie?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as I glanced toward the hallway.

Lucas leaned in, lowering his voice. “Real Mom. She doesn’t like it when you move her things,” he whispered, glancing over his shoulder like he expected someone to be watching us.

I sat frozen, trying to process what he was saying.

The way he looked at me was so serious, like he was sharing a secret he wasn’t supposed to. I forced a smile, nodded, and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, Lucas. You don’t have to worry. Let’s finish up our puzzle, alright?”

But that night, as Ben and I lay in bed, my mind raced. I tried to tell myself it was just a kid’s overactive imagination. But each time I closed my eyes, I’d hear Lucas’ words, see the way he’d glanced nervously toward the hallway.

When Ben was finally asleep, I got up quietly, heading to the attic. I knew Ben kept some of Irene’s old things in a box up there. Maybe if I could see them and find out more about her, it would help me understand why Lucas was acting this way.

I climbed the creaky stairs, my flashlight slicing through the dark, until I found the box tucked in a corner, dusty but well-kept.

The lid was heavier than I expected, as though it had absorbed years of memories. I pulled it off and found old photos, letters she’d written to Ben, and her wedding ring wrapped carefully in tissue. It was all so personal, and I felt a strange pang of guilt going through it.

But there was something else. A few items looked freshly moved, almost as if they’d been handled recently. And that’s when I noticed it: a small door in the corner, half hidden behind a stack of boxes.

I froze, squinting at the door. I’d been in the attic a few times but had never noticed it. Slowly, I pushed the boxes aside and twisted the old, tarnished knob. It clicked, opening into a narrow room dimly lit by a small window.

And there, sitting on a twin bed covered in blankets, was a woman I recognized immediately from the photos. She looked up, her eyes wide.

I stepped back, startled, and stammered, “You… you’re Emily, Ben’s sister, aren’t you?”

Emily’s expression shifted from surprise to something else — a quiet, eerie calm. “I’m sorry. You weren’t supposed to find out this way.”

I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. “Why didn’t Ben tell me? Why are you up here?”

She looked down, smoothing the edge of her blanket. “Ben didn’t want you to know. He thought you’d leave if you found out… if you saw me like this. I’ve… I’ve been here for three years now.”

“Three years?” I could barely process it. “You’ve been hiding up here all this time?”

Emily nodded slowly, her gaze distant. “I don’t… go outside much. I prefer it up here. But sometimes, I get restless. And Lucas… I talk to him sometimes. He’s such a sweet boy.”

A chill ran through me. “Emily, what are you telling him? He thinks his mother’s still here. He told me that she doesn’t like it when I move things.”

Emily’s face softened, but there was a trace of something unsettling in her eyes. “I tell him stories sometimes. About his mother. He misses her. I think it comforts him to know she’s still… present.”

“But he thinks you’re her. Lucas thinks you’re his real mom,” I said, my voice breaking.

She looked away. “Maybe it’s better that way. Maybe it helps him to feel she’s still here.”

I felt my head spinning as I backed out of the room, closing the door behind me. This was beyond anything I could have imagined. I went straight downstairs, finding Ben in the living room, his face immediately full of concern when he saw me.

“Ben,” I whispered, barely holding it together. “Why didn’t you tell me about Emily?”

He went pale, his eyes darting away. “Brenda, I—”

“Do you realize what she’s been doing? Lucas thinks… he thinks she’s his real mom!”

Ben’s face fell, and he sank onto the couch, his head in his hands. “I didn’t know it had gotten that bad. I thought… I thought keeping her here, out of sight, would be best. I couldn’t leave her alone. She’s my sister. And after Irene passed, Emily wasn’t the same. She refused to get any help.”

I sat beside him, gripping his hand. “But she’s confusing Lucas, Ben. He’s just a child. He doesn’t understand.”

Ben sighed, nodding slowly. “You’re right. This isn’t fair to Lucas—or to you. We can’t keep pretending like everything’s fine.”

After a few moments, I whispered, “I think we should set up a camera, just to see if she’s really been leaving her room. To know for sure.”

Ben hesitated, but eventually, he agreed. We set up a small, hidden camera outside Emily’s door that night.

The next evening, after Lucas had gone to bed, we sat in our room, watching the footage. For hours, nothing happened. Then, just past midnight, we saw her door creak open.

Emily stepped into the hallway, her hair loose around her face, and stood there, looking at Lucas’ bedroom door.

Then Lucas appeared, rubbing his eyes, and walked toward her. Even on the grainy screen, I could see his little hand reaching for her. She knelt down, whispering something to him, her hand on his shoulder. I couldn’t hear the words, but I saw Lucas nod and say something back, looking up at her with that same, earnest expression.

I felt a wave of anger and sadness I couldn’t quite control. “She’s been… she’s been feeding his imagination, Ben. This isn’t healthy.”

Ben watched the screen, his face drawn and tired. “I know. This has gone too far. We can’t let her do this to him anymore.”

The next morning, Ben sat down with Lucas, explaining everything in simple terms. He told him that his Aunt Emily was sick, that sometimes her illness made her act in ways that confused people, and that his real mom wasn’t coming back.

Lucas was quiet, looking down at his little hands, and I could tell he was struggling to understand. “But she told me she’s my mom. You can’t send her away, Dad,” he murmured, his eyes filling with tears.

Ben hugged him tightly, his voice thick with emotion. “I know, buddy. But that was her way of trying to help you feel close to your mom. She loves you, just like we do. And we’re going to help her get better.”

Later that day, Ben arranged for Emily to see a doctor. The process was painful; she protested, even cried, but Ben stayed firm, explaining that she needed help. Once she was admitted to the hospital, the house felt quieter, almost lighter.

Lucas struggled at first. He’d ask about Emily, sometimes wondering if she was coming back. But gradually, he began to understand that what he’d believed wasn’t real, and he started to make peace with the truth.

Through it all, Ben and I grew closer, supporting each other as we helped Lucas cope.

It wasn’t the journey I expected when I married him, but somehow, we’d come out stronger on the other side, bound together not just by love, but by everything we’d faced as a family.

If you loved this story, here’s another one for you: When Ruth entered her in-laws’ house, she sensed something was wrong. The unsettling silence and her father-in-law’s strange text were just the beginning. But when she followed a mysterious noise to the attic and unlocked the door, nothing could have prepared her for what she found.

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.

Entertainment icon Angelina Jolie, 49, looked radiant in the dress she wore to attend the 2024 Governors Awards in Hollywood on November 17. However, it was her lookalike son, Knox Jolie-Pitt, 16, who stole the show with his handsome features. The 16-year-old, who was previously spotted out shopping in July, had netizens swooning over him.

The “Maleficent” star donned a striking, thin-strapped halter neck gown that was gold and pale yellow. Her floor-length dress featured lace hemlines. In addition to its halter neck design, the gown was fastened together with straps on each side that connected in the middle of Angelina’s back.

She accessorized with glamorous diamonds, including dangling silver earrings that had flecks of gold, and an extravagant necklace.

Completing her look, Angelina fashioned her dark tresses into a half-up, half-down hairstyle, and left a few strands loosely framing her face, which was adorned with light makeup.

Matching his mother’s chicness, Knox, who is currently rocking a buzz cut, sported a classy black suit with a matching bowtie and formal white top. He paired his outfit with black dress shoes.

Online photos show the mother-son duo posing on the carpet with their arms interlinked. In most of them, Knox flashed his pearly white teeth, while Angelina showcased a more demure smile.

However, in a standout video that was shared on TikTok, the Award-winning actress was seen with a wide grin as she lovingly looked at her son, while they stood in front of an Oscars backdrop amid the flashing cameras.

Social media users who saw the media of Angelina and Knox marveled at the striking resemblance he shares with his mom and praised the teen’s looks. “This is like her male version 😂,” remarked an Instagrammer. Another echoed, “He looks like her,” while someone else reiterated, “Omg he looks exactly like mom.”

“He is so handsome ❤️ he looks just like her,” swooned a fan. Echoing the sentiment, a fellow admirer gushed, “He’s so beautiful just like his mother.” “Knox is going to break hearts!!!!” exclaimed another fan.

Taking the mother-son lookalike comments further, other netizens expressed how Knox looks nothing like his famous dad, Brad Pitt, with one user observing, “Wow the Jolie genes are strong in this child, I don’t see Brad at all.”

Some people directly responded to a media outlet’s post, which dubbed Knox a “young Brad Pitt.” “But…he looks almost nothing like his dad. His nose. He MIGHT have his dad’s nose,” noted a spectator, while another penned, “Not really, I don’t see Brad Pitt in his looks😳.”

On the other hand, an Instagrammer expressed, “All I see is Brad but with her lips and hair colour [sic]. He is a very handsome young man.” Some people took a more balanced approach, opining how Knox resembles both his parents.

“A perfect mix of both parents and he’s so big now,” asserted a Facebooker, while another agreed, “Looks like a handsome combination of both parents.”

A nostalgic commenter, who referenced Knox’s fraternal twin, Vivienne Jolie, wrote, “Oh man, I feel so old lol. I remember when they announced she gave birth to Knox and Vivienne. He looks like a good mix of both his parents.”

Knox’s appearance at the Governors Awards comes three years after he was last spotted at an industry event. On October 27, 2021, he, along with four of his siblings accompanied their mom to the U.K. premiere of “The Eternals” in London.

Vivienne, Shiloh, and Zahara Jolie all looked beautiful in their white, black-and-white, and yellow dresses, respectively. Meanwhile, Knox and his brother Maddox Jolie-Pitt looked dapper in their dark-colored outfits.

Knox sported a checkered blazer, graphic t-shirt, and black pants, while Maddox wore a gray suit jacket, a black button-down shirt, jeans, and spectacles.

The matriarch of the family donned a chic white top, which she covered with a jacket, and paired these items with a huge black skirt. Aside from bringing her kids along with her to industry events, Angelina has also boasted about them in interviews.

While catching up with Entertainment Tonight’s Denny Directo at the AFI Fest premiere of her film “Maria” in October, Angelina spoke about what it’s like to see her kids working on projects, some of which have been in collaboration with her.

“I love it! I love it when it’s with me or not with me, you know. They do their own thing, too, and I love them as people. It’s really nice. I think some people are even more comfortable maybe with the baby stage, I love this stage,” shared the doting mom.

She continued, “I love living this life with them, and watching them just do and be all the things that they are; uniquely different people, and yeah, very happy.”

A few months before Angelina Jolie gushed over her kids, she was seen out in public with one of them in July. She and Knox Jolie-Pitt were spotted on a shopping trip to a pet store in Los Feliz, Los Angeles, which prompted a wave of commentary from netizens.

The duo was seen exiting the pet store with bags in their hands. Knox, who now towers over his mother, sported a casual ensemble, including a t-shirt, black shorts, white socks, and Nike sneakers.

In contrast, Angelina opted for a more sophisticated look, wearing a black blazer, white top, and pants. She accessorized with black boots and sunglasses.

After they had finished shopping, Knox was seen opening the car’s trunk to load their store purchases inside the vehicle with his toned arms, as Angelina walked past him to get to the front of the car.

Photos of Knox and Angelina quickly spread on social media, sparking a flurry of reactions. Many netizens highlighted Knox’s good looks, with one user saying, “Such a handsome young lad! Viv and him to [sic] so much alike!!”

One observant netizen remarked, “Knox is the one that definitely looks like Brad the most,” while another, who also included Vivienne in their comment, noted, “He looks like her brother. Shiloh is the only one who really got dad’s looks. Vivienne looks like Angelina’s mother [sic].”

Some users drew comparisons to other family members. One user highlighted the resemblance between Knox and his uncle, James Haven, “He looks so much like Jolie’s brother!” Another spectator echoed, “He looks like her brother.”

A bewildered user questioned, “SON!?! When….” while someone else ruminated on the fascinating blend of biological and adopted children in the Jolie-Pitt family, “I had no idea she had a biological son. I thought she adopted all her kids but for two she had biologically. The more you know.”

Amid the admiration and comparisons, one user pointed out, “Wow!! He looks normal.” The mother-son duo’s shopping spree followed another excursion in which Knox was spotted out with his siblings Pax Jolie-Pitt, Shiloh, and Zahara at a trendy coffee shop in Los Feliz in July 2023.

During that outing, Knox wore a white shirt, black pants, and sneakers, while his siblings also sported casual wear.

Despite these occasional public appearances, Knox appears uninterested in the spotlight. In 2016, Angelina shared with Entertainment Tonight that her children are not inclined to follow in her footsteps in the entertainment industry, although that has since changed, as some of them have.

While promoting “Kung Fu Panda 3” in 2016, Angelina revealed that Pax, Zahara, Shiloh, and Knox provided animal noises for the film’s pandas. She also noted their shy personalities.

“They don’t really want to be actors, but I didn’t want them to miss the opportunity. They came in, and they had a lot of fun with it,” explained the mom of six at the time.