A mother discovered her boyfriend was cheating on her when she was pregnant just weeks before he was shot dead. Lai Isaroon, 27, and her partner Jeron George, 24, had been together for two years and were parents to twin toddlers.
However, in 2023, their relationship hit a rough patch. Despite learning they were expecting another child in May, Jeron, a professional chef, grew distant.
After he returned from a trip to Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands, Lai found texts and FaceTime calls on his phone that suggested he was cheating on her. Although Jeron refused to take responsibility, they tried to maintain civility for the sake of their children.
The situation escalated when Lai discovered a second phone with more messages, leading to an argument and Jeron's departure. When he failed to return as expected, Lai assumed he had left for good, only to learn that he had been fatally shot on May 23, 2023.
Jaron Jaheim Peters was arrested and charged with Jeron's murder . On January 17, 2024, Lai gave birth to their daughter.
Lai, a sales operator from Atlanta , Georgia, said: "Even though the relationship was toxic it's very bittersweet.
"If he was still alive it would be very bad for both of us. My kids - they were just little babies. From the time I knew I was pregnant - I wanted a different life for my kids.
"I wanted to work on myself so they were not effected by this. I wanted my kids to be okay."
Lai and Jeron and had been together for four years when their relationship started to break down in early 2023. She said: "The relationship was a bit rocky. It was very toxic.
"He was very distant. He stayed out for long periods of time."
Jeron took a business trip back home to Saint Thomas, Virgin Islands in May 2023. Lai said: "He was acting very weird.
"He wasn't really communicating very well. I was withdrawing. He blocked me on the trip - it was very childish."
Jeron stayed on the trip for two weeks - longer than he should have done. Lai said: "I thought something was fishy here.
"We were trying to be cool but I had a feeling something was wrong. We had just found out I was four weeks pregnant ."
Suspicious Lai decided to look through Jeron's phone. She said: "I saw he was FaceTiming with girls and texting girls.
"I can't deal with cheating . I confronted him over text. He was calling me stupid. He wasn't taking accountability and didn't apologize. We never had a conversation about it afterward."
Lai said Jeron tried to act normally but she was trying to find a way to end the relationship . She said: "I was trying to break up with him two weeks prior to him passing.
"We were on the verge of a break-up but still living together. I didn't have an income if we broke up. We tried to live normally but I still wasn't talking to him. In my mindset we were done."
But a few days later Jeron asked Lai to get something out of the car and she found his hidden second phone. She said: "I locked the door and I went through that phone.
"There were a lot of messages and a lot of different girls. I was extremely shocked. He came rushing out trying to get me to open the door. I came back inside and we started arguing."
The next day Jeron left the house - but had promised to return to take the twins out. Lai said: "I was expecting him to come back. He never came back but I wasn't too worried. I thought he was probably not going to come back."
But the following day Lai was told Jeron had passed away from a gunshot wound on May 23, 2024 - when he was found lying in the middle of street. Atlanta Police opened a homicide investigation into his death which is still ongoing.
Despite Jeron's cheating, Lai still struggled to process the news. She said: "It was extremely hard. I couldn't really grieve.
"I didn't want my baby to be hurt or come out angry." Following a check-up after Jeron passed, his infidelity was confirmed.
Lai said: "They did a STD check on me and I had two STDs. He definitely cheated on me. That was the proof.
"It was devastating. l was filled with so much anger."
Lai chose to put all her energy into her pregnancy and her newborn daughter - who she welcomed in January. She said: "I had to shift my mind.
"It helped me to get stronger. She's a very joyous baby. I was so concerned about being said but she was smiling."
Lai is now having therapy to help her get through her trauma. She said: "I'm much happier.
"At the end of the day it was probably a game for him. He was very charming and very sweet. He had all these great traits.
"I'm hoping from here I'll meet my husband. I believe my kids are going to grow up strong. We'll have the life we envisioned even if it's a bit different.
"I think it's going to be wonderful from here on out."
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