My Brother’s New Girlfriend Wore My Wedding Dress To My Dad’s Birthday. She Claimed She Was Pregnant With My Husband’s Baby. How Do I Stop This Lunatic?

Life Returns to Normal

Three months passed without any new incidents. No fake social media accounts, no attempts to contact Dean’s coworkers, no violations of the restraining order at all. Dean and I started to relax just a little bit. We still checked our security cameras every morning and stayed aware of our surroundings when we went out, but the constant anxiety began to fade.

I could see Dean’s shoulders weren’t always tense anymore, and he stopped checking over his shoulder every few minutes when we were in public. We talked about maybe taking a weekend trip somewhere just to get away and feel normal again. The fear was still there under the surface, but it wasn’t controlling every single decision we made anymore.

Kyle called me excited about something for the first time since the Rachel disaster. He’d met someone new named Alyssa at a work conference the week before. They’d sat next to each other during a presentation and ended up talking through the whole lunch break.

Kyle said Alyssa was smart and funny and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know him. He was being cautious because of everything with Rachel, but he felt good about this. Alyssa lived two hours away so they’d been texting and talking on the phone every night.

Kyle said she was patient with him taking things slow and didn’t push when he said he wanted to wait before introducing her to family. He told her on their second date about his ex-girlfriend who turned out to be unstable, and Alyssa was understanding instead of scared off by the drama.

She shared that her own brother had dealt with a stalker ex-girlfriend years ago, so she understood how hard that kind of situation could be. Kyle sounded happy talking about her and I felt relieved that he was moving forward.

Dean came home from work one evening and told me he got a promotion. His company was expanding into new regions and they wanted him to lead the development team, which meant he’d need to travel about once a month for a week at a time. Dean was excited about the opportunity but worried about leaving me alone given everything with Rachel.

We spent that whole evening discussing safety protocols for when he’d be away. I promised to stay with my parents or have them stay with me during his trips. We agreed I’d check in with him twice a day and keep the security system armed at all times. Dean said he’d give my parents and Kyle his full travel schedule so they’d know exactly when I was alone.

I felt guilty that Rachel’s behavior was still affecting our decisions about Dean’s career six months later, but being prepared made me less anxious about him traveling. The practical planning helped both of us feel like we had control over the situation instead of letting fear make choices for us.

Rachel Relocates

Six months after the restraining order was issued, our lawyer received a letter from Rachel’s parents through their attorney. The letter stated that Rachel had moved to another state for a fresh start. Her parents provided documentation showing her new address and proof that she’d enrolled in a treatment program in her new location.

The letter apologized again for everything Rachel had put our family through and assured us that Rachel’s treatment team believed the distance from her fixation would help her recovery process. Her parents wanted us to know they were staying involved in Rachel’s treatment and would make sure she didn’t return to our area.

Our lawyer forwarded everything to the detective who’d been handling our case. The detective called us a few days later to confirm he’d verified Rachel’s relocation with the police department in her new city. He explained that her treatment team believed physical distance from Dean would help Rachel break the obsessive thought pattern she’d developed.

The detective reminded us that the restraining order was still completely valid even across state lines. If Rachel violated it by contacting us or returning to our area, she’d face criminal charges regardless of where she was living now. He said he’d keep the case file active and we should continue reporting anything suspicious. But the relocation was generally a positive sign that Rachel’s family and treatment providers were taking the situation seriously.

A Fresh Start

A few weeks later, Kyle called and asked if we wanted to come to a barbecue at his place because he wanted us to meet someone. Dean and I showed up with potato salad and found Kyle grilling burgers with this woman who had dark hair and was laughing at something he said.

He introduced her as Alyssa, and she shook our hands with a friendly smile that felt genuine instead of forced. She asked about our drive over and complimented the potato salad without making a big production out of it.

My parents arrived next and Alyssa helped my mom carry in a dessert tray while chatting about some cooking show they both watched. She fit into conversations naturally without trying too hard to impress anyone or dominate attention. Kyle kept glancing at her with this soft expression I hadn’t seen on his face in forever.

When Alyssa went inside to grab more drinks, my mom leaned over and whispered that she seemed lovely and normal, which made us all laugh because “normal” felt like a high compliment after Rachel. Watching Kyle smile genuinely while he flipped burgers and talked about a hiking trip he and Alyssa had planned made my chest feel warm. He looked relaxed and happy instead of anxious and confused like he’d been with Rachel.

Our anniversary came up two months after that barbecue, and Dean surprised me by suggesting we renew our vows. He said he wanted to reclaim our marriage from Rachel’s attempted intrusion and make new memories that were just about us. We planned a small private ceremony with just immediate family in my parents’ backyard.

My mom decorated with flowers and white chairs while my dad set up a small arch. Dean wore the same suit from our original wedding and I wore a new dress that Rachel had never seen or copied. Kyle stood as Dean’s best man and looked proud instead of guilty.

When we exchanged vows again, Dean’s voice was steady and sure. He promised to protect what we built together and never let anyone come between us. I promised to trust him completely and face any challenge as a team. My parents cried happy tears and Kyle hugged us both afterwards, saying he was glad we were reclaiming this moment.

The whole ceremony felt like washing away the stain Rachel had tried to leave on our relationship.

After the ceremony, my mom pulled me aside and told me something I hadn’t known before. She said she’d kept detailed journals during Rachel’s entire stalking period, writing down every incident Kyle reported, every blocked number, every gym appearance. She dated each entry and included times and locations because she wanted solid evidence if things escalated further.

Her foresight probably helped us get the restraining order approved so quickly since we had documentation going back months. I hugged her and thanked her for being so protective even when the situation seemed crazy. She said watching Rachel’s obsession grow made her nervous and she wanted our family prepared for whatever might happen. The journals were still in her desk drawer in case we ever needed them again for legal purposes.