Lies and Lingerie

“I think my daughter and I are dating the same guy.” 

If that sounds insane, that’s because it is. But for Lily Hart, that sentence became the headline of her worst (and funniest) day. 

Lily had never been one for surprises, but life had a twisted sense of humor. At 43, she was finally dating again after a grueling divorce. Ben, charming, 34, with a smile that belonged in magazines, made her feel seen, alive, desirable. Their date nights were passionate, their conversations effortless. So when he asked her to meet him later that evening for dinner and “something special,” she decided to spice things up. A little lace from Victoria’s Secret never hurt anyone. 

“Elle, sweetie,” Lily called out, peeking into her daughter’s room. “Do you want to come shopping with me? I need a second opinion.” 

Elle didn’t even glance up from her phone. “Can’t, Mom. Going out with my boyfriend.” 

Lily smiled. “That new guy you’ve been talking about nonstop?” 

“Mhmm. He’s taking me somewhere fancy. Might even dress up for once.” 

Lily chuckled and grabbed her purse. “Alright. Have fun.” 

Half an hour later, Lily strolled into Monarch Mall, her heels clicking confidently against the tiles. She headed straight to Victoria’s Secret, mentally curating the kind of outfit that would make Ben’s eyes widen. 

As she flipped through lace chemises, she heard a laugh that made her pause. A soft giggle, followed by a familiar voice: “Ben, stop! You’re embarrassing me.” 

Lily’s blood froze. 

She turned. 

Two aisles down, near the baby pink nighties, stood her daughter, Elle. In her hand was a crimson lace teddy. Next to her, laughing and leaning in close, was Ben. 

Her Ben. 

“Some betrayals don’t come with daggers, they come gift-wrapped in lace, laughter, and lipstick lies.”

“Elle?” Lily called out, barely able to breathe. 

Elle spun around. “Mom?” Her face paled. “What… what are you doing here?” 

Ben, frozen in place, looked between the two women. “Wait. What’s going on?” 

Lily’s voice cracked. “Ben, this is my daughter.” 

Elle stared, her mouth trembling. “Mom… he’s my boyfriend.” 

The silence in the store felt suffocating. A few nearby customers subtly eavesdropped. 

Ben blinked. “You two are… related?” 

Elle scoffed. “Obviously! She’s my mother!” 

Ben stepped back, his color draining. “Oh my god. I… I didn’t know. You both never mentioned…” 

“You knew my last name!” Lily snapped. 

“And you knew I lived with my mom,” Elle added. 

Ben looked like he might faint. “I just thought it was a coincidence. You never mentioned names. And Lily… you said your daughter was in college. Elle never said your name.” 

“I didn’t think I had to!” Elle shouted. 

A store clerk came over, nervously clearing her throat. “Ladies, sir… could we take this outside?” 

Lily grabbed her bag and stormed out. Elle followed, fuming. Ben, awkward and speechless, trailed after them like a condemned man. 

In the mall corridor, the argument exploded. 

“You seduced a woman twice your age?” Elle cried. 

“And a girl barely older than my niece?” Lily snapped. 

Ben held up his hands. “Can we please calm down? This was a mistake, clearly. But I didn’t know!” 

“You were dating us both,” Lily hissed. “You kissed me last night!” 

Elle’s jaw dropped. “You slept with my mother?” 

Ben looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him. “Okay, yes, but not at the same time. I mean—” 

“Oh, please don’t try to defend that sentence,” Lily interrupted. 

Elle crossed her arms. “So, who were you planning to have dinner with tonight?” 

Ben stuttered. “Lily. No…wait, Elle. I mean…” 

“Wow,” Lily muttered. “That clears it up.” 

Suddenly, Elle laughed. It wasn’t a happy laugh, it was bitter, almost sarcastic. 

“This is peak comedy,” she said. “We’ve both been played by the same man, in the same store, on the same damn day.” 

Lily blinked. Then she, too, let out a laugh. “You know what? This is ridiculous.” 

Ben looked confused. “Are you… bonding over this?” 

Elle grinned at her mom. “Can we ruin his credit score together?” 

Lily nodded. “Let’s do it over wine.” 

Ben stared at them, slack-jawed. “You’re joking, right?” 

“Nope,” Lily said, linking her arm with her daughter’s. “You don’t mess with Hart women.” 

Elle smirked. “We share blood, not boyfriends.” 

Ben, abandoned and humiliated, watched as the two walked off in sync. Muttering something about therapy, he turned and exited in the opposite direction. 

One Week Later 

The story made its way to TikTok. Elle posted a dramatic retelling with fake names, a wine glass in hand, and a warning caption: Don’t date anyone named Ben unless you’ve vetted his entire contact list. 

It went viral. 

Thousands of comments poured in. Girls shared their “Ben” stories. Even a few boys chimed in, pledging never to date anyone with a shared name between their exes and moms. 

Lily joined the duet version, sipping her own wine. The internet dubbed them the “Savage Hart Duo.” Brands reached out. Memes were born. They even did a joint podcast episode where they recounted the moment in vivid detail. 

And Ben? Let’s just say he deleted social media for good. 

One DM stood out to Elle: “You and your mom are iconic. Can I take you both out? 😂” 

She sent it to Lily. 

Lily replied: “Hard pass. We’re sticking to non-overlapping love lives from now on.” 

Elle added, “With a mandatory ID check.” 

And just like that, a disaster turned into the best punchline they’d ever shared. 

One they’d laugh about for years… and possibly cash in on with a book deal titled Lingerie, Lies & Laughter: A Mother-Daughter Survival Guide to Modern Dating. 

Because if the universe was going to throw curveballs, the Hart women were going to turn them into cocktails. 

What would you do if you ever found out about your sibling, mother or a close friend dating the same guy as you?