"It's the ultimate betrayal. You expect a new grandmother to fall in love with the baby — not the father," Jess revealed. Unfortunately, after welcoming a child with her boyfriend, that's exactly what happened. Here's her story.
Meet Jessica
At just 24-years-old, Jessica Aldridge was left blindsided; Heartbroken by the two people she loved most in her life. The event rendured her with a wound that wouldn't heal, one she never could've seen coming.
"I'm heartbroken, and I've lost everything," the single mother-of-2 revealed to The Sun. But were the signs there all along? Hang on while we go back to the very beginning; From Jess and Ryan's seemingly promising love story all the way to a shocking betrayal that left her picking up the pieces.
Her Close-Knit Family
Long before Jess's world was turned upside down, the Gloucestershire native lived a relatively ordinary life. She spent her days hanging with friends and catching up with family; Just like many other teenagers. Of course, though, her reality would soon come to be far from what she's expected.
But what did the Aldridge household look like, before it was torn apart? Raised by mom, Georgina, and doting father, Eric, Jess’s family was her rock; The kind of people she could turn to when things got tough. To the naked eye? There was no obstacle too big, so long as they stuck by each other’s side.
Her Humble Roots
Sure, her family seemed unbreakable. But that didn't mean things were always easy. As a matter of fact, they weren't. Growing up with humble beginnings, Jess was taught the value of a dollar at a young age. And it wasn't long before she found herself chipping in around the house.
Unlike mom, who worked at a nursing home, Jess spent her days at the Premier Inn in Chipping Norton. She worked as a housekeeper; A career that would span over two years. But while she did her best to support her loving family, her attention would soon be swayed elsewhere.
She Met Ryan
Somewhere along the way, the young girl crossed paths with Ryan Shelton, a suave 20-something-year-old from Witney, Oxfordshire. Working as a salesman, the young man had both the charm and charisma to get him places. As Jess would soon find out, though, those same skills would come to be the downfall of their relationship.
But we're not there just yet. So, how did the two strangers first come to meet? As we know, Jess grew up in Gloucestershire county; Ryan was only a 30-minute drive away. But that's actually not how the two crossed paths. Nope, instead, they met online and then learned they lived relatively close to one another.
They Began Dating
Then again, many things about Jess and Ryan's love story were unique, starting from day one. Sparks were practically flying from the moment the two first started talking behind the screen. And in only a matter of time, their journey together would truly take off.
In fact, by the time 2019 came around, the two were officially a couple, more in love than ever before. Or at least that's how it seemed. From romantic Valentine's Day dates to PDA-filled adventures, Jess and Ryan were on top of the world. Only the joy they shared was about to reach new heights.
She Was Pregnant
Before she knew it, Jess became pregnant; Something neither of them had planned for. And after less than a year of dating? Parenthood was a path they weren't quite ready to head down. Not yet, at least. How would Jess's parents take the news? Would they share her same feelings of doubt?
The odds seemed to be stacked against them. Nonetheless, soon Jess and Ryan knew exactly what they were going to do. In their eyes, they were destined to be together; Which meant that while it wouldn't be easy, they'd welcome their latest chapter with open arms.
Making Room For 3
As the weeks continued to pass, Jess's belly continued to grow. And with that came a list of adjustments the expecting parents now needed to make. After all, they were going to be a family of three now, and the clock was certainly ticking. First up on their list?
Living arrangements: After moving in together, the couple's cozy 2-bedroom apartment was beginning to feel like a home. But with their new rental came a new concern: Money. Not only were they now shelling out over $600/month, but with a baby around the corner? They'd need to save up.
Welcoming Georgiana
Sure enough, on August 9th, 2019, all of those concerns suddenly vanished. Jess and Ryan had officially become parents - to a healthy baby girl, Georgiana Elizabeth Louise Aldridge. Everything they'd once worried about no longer mattered. They were a family now.
Of course, they weren't the only ones buzzing over the news. Georgina Aldridge was officially a grandmother-of-5 now. Her husband, Eric, now had a precious granddaughter to spoil silly. Everything seemed to be lining up perfectly. Only there was another exciting surprise right around the corner.
Welcoming Baby #2
Jess became pregnant again. The following summer - mere months later - the new mother had discovered she was expecting. Only this time around, she and Ryan would be doing things differently. For starters, they were no longer scared by the idea of parenthood. Instead? They had other matters to worry about.
A pandemic had swept across the nation; Which meant that by the time their second baby was born, he or she would be welcomed into an entirely different world. How could they ever be prepared for such uncertain times? It was a scary thought. And it wasn't long before Grandma decided to step in and save the day.
They Moved in With Jess's Parents
"She promised it would be easier with the new baby," Jess recalled of the moment her mom begged her to move back home. How did Georgina put it? Her daughter might need help with the new baby, and she and Eric were ready to do just that. With a global crisis suddenly on their backs, what better time to come together as a family.
Sure enough, that's exactly what Jess did, as she and her new family packed their bags and headed back to Gloucestershire. Suddenly, everything seemed to be working out. Her mother and father were going to help her through her latest hurdle. Right? If only she'd known what we know now.
The Red Flags Began
It should've been the happiest time of her life, bonding under close quarters with the people that mattered most. Unfortunately for Jess, the events that soon transpired were anything but. As the 24-year-old began to settle into her new surroundings, a disturbing thought soon popped into her mind.
"I felt so uncomfortable, it was a horrible experience," Aldridge confessed. Mere weeks after moving back home, she couldn't help but notice just how eager her mother had been about the entire ordeal; A little too eager, Jess began to think. Was she missing something?
Their Late-Night Hangouts
Whether she liked it or not, Jess was officially stuck at mom and dad's. A lockdown was set into place now, something she simply couldn't escape. But that wasn't the only reason she felt trapped. "It was so hard… Ryan and mum were always being so flirty," she slowly began to notice.
What started as innocent soon turned to inappropriate, according to Jess; Late-night hangouts while the rest of the house was preoccupied. "[Ryan & Georgina] would drink Bacardi and be laughing... joking around in the kitchen every night while my dad and I were on the sofa watching TV," Jess revealed. Something didn't feel right.
She Caught Ryan Getting Handsy
Unfortunately, whatever doubts Jess may have had soon became all too clear one fateful night. She had watched her boyfriend get handsy with her very own mother - right in front of her eyes. Her concerns were suddenly all too real. And she could no longer keep quiet.
"I caught Ryan touching my mum's bum," Jess explained. There was simply no way around it. Or at least that's how she put it, when she finally confronted him on the questionable deed. How did Ryan explain it? "He just said he was trying to get her to move out of his way."
The Flirting Became Undeniable
Whatever the truth may have been, Jess's anxiety was only getting started. As the days continued to pass, so did the flirty exchanges going on around her. "It was disgusting," she continued. "[Georgina] would wear these short dresses and be all touchy-feely with him on the sofa."
Day after day, Jess's fears were getting the best of her as she witnessed an unexpected relationship between Ryan and her mom. This wasn't the first time her boyfriend had left her feeling helpless. Ryan had cheated on her "at least 3 times before," as she revealed to The Sun. Was she looking at case number four?
Jess Confronted Them
Eventually, the anxiety became too much to bear. It was crippling. And Jess simply couldn't sit back any longer. So, she took a deep breath and sat her mother and boyfriend down. She then asked them the question that'd been haunting her: What's really going on between them?
Their response? "They just shrugged it off… said it was nothing," Jess revealed. Was Jess seeing things that simply weren't there? "They always insisted there wasn't anything between them," Jess explained. Nonetheless, "I always suspected they were up to something…"
She Had Other Problems to Worry About
The thoughts that continued to creep into Jess's mind were so haunting, it was easy to forget why she was there in the first place. She was pregnant, getting ready for another baby to join her family in only a matter of time. But how could she welcome a child into the reality she was now facing?
Did she and Ryan even stand a fighting chance against the speculation that had driven a wedge between them? Nonetheless, on a fateful day in January, everything changed: Jess's water had broken. This meant she was about to find out the answer for herself.
Welcoming Reuben
On January 28th, 2021, Jess and Ryan welcomed another beautiful baby into the world: Reuben Aldridge. One C-Section and seemingly endless hours later, the rocky couple had officially become a family of four. Suddenly things began to look up for the proud parents.
Ryan had stayed by Jess's side practically throughout the entire delivery. But he wasn't the only one. Any guesses who we're talking about? Of course, Jess's mother, Georgina; She was Jess's birthing partner, who stayed with her daughter in that delivery room every step of the way.
Ryan Confronted Her
Unfortunately, not all stories have a happy ending. And in Jess's case? The mother's moment of sheer bliss was soon taken away, in the form of a text message. That's right. Ryan had "seen baby Reuben for only a few minutes after he was born" when he decided to pack his things and head home.
But he wasn't planning on heading back to that hospital room anytime soon; Ryan had things to take care of. And in only a matter of time, Jess would find that out the hard way. Safe to say, even she couldn't have predicted what was coming when he texted her that they needed to talk.
He Broke Up With Her
As for what Ryan had to say for himself? He was done with their relationship. And he made sure to let his girlfriend know as he typed out the news over text. He was simply fed up with Jess's "paranoia." At least that's how he put it, as he dropped the bomb on her - and crushed her heart in the process.
"It was a huge kick in the teeth," a heartbroken Jess revealed. It had been mere hours after they'd welcomed a baby boy into the world. And now, instead of pure joy? The blindsided mother was met with complete and utter heartbreak; A devastating blow to the soul. But there was still so much she had yet to find out.
They Ran Away Together
Our story could have ended there, and Jess's devastation still would have been unimaginable. Only that's not all that happened. And unfortunately for Jess? That also means her broken heart was far from being mended. As the story goes, on January 30th, Jess was finally discharged from the hospital.
But when the new mother finally made her way back home, she was met with even more shock; Something too coincidental to be an accident. And as she walked through the front door of her house, Jess's suspicions were finally confirmed. Not only was her ex-boyfriend officially gone, but so was her mother.
They Came Clean to Jess
"When I came home from the hospital all their things had gone," she explained. After countless sleepless nights, endless confrontations, all of Jess's doubts were finally proven to be true. And she couldn't wait to hear what her ex and her mother would have to say for themselves now.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before Ryan and Georgina came clean to the suspicious mother. After all, the signs were all there. How could they possibly deny it? "They finally admitted to me that they were together a few days after I came out of the hospital," Jess explained. But there was still more they had yet to reveal.
They'd Been Secretly Dating for 6 Months
"If you want the truth?" Georgina began. "Ryan has been trying [with me] for three years," Jess's mother finally confessed. But that's not all she had to say. Sure enough, after endless back-and-forths, "I [finally] gave in the last six months," Mrs. Aldridge admitted.
Jess was speechless. The two people she had trusted the most had utterly betrayed her. Everything she thought she once knew was suddenly… wrong. "He shows me [your text messages] every day and tells me everything," Georgina continued. "We are so close you wouldn't even know. I know the ins and outs of him."
Georgina Left Her Husband
It was devastating for the mother of two. In just a few days, Jess's entire world had been flipped upside down. Instead of basking in the joys of parenthood, she was left mourning over the relationships that had suddenly been destroyed. But she wasn't the only one left picking up the pieces.
Georgina's husband was also left in the dark about everything. In fact, "a few weeks before I went into the hospital, my mom had told me she wanted to leave my dad," Jess eventually revealed. But perhaps the most shocking part? "I never thought she would be shacking up with my fella instead."
Jess's Dad Was "In Pieces"
And Georgina's husband was just as surprised. Eric was "in pieces, not dealing with it at all well," Jess's sister, Emma, revealed. After all, the two had practically just renewed their vows. Had their entire marriage meant nothing? he wondered. Everything had happened so fast. And it left him racing with questions.
"She's always been his rock, and he isn't coping well without her," Emma continued. "I'm really worried about him." After over a decade together, the love of Eric's life had left him; Turned her back on him for somebody she had seemingly just met. And it stung, badly.
Their Family was Torn Apart
With Eric and Jess left completely broken, it wasn't long before their entire family foundation had collapsed. Georgina was "meant to be a Granny," to help look after her children's children. "But instead? She's off… [with] my boyfriend," Jess explained.
"I'm disgusted by what mum has done," Emma added. Georgina's secret affair hadn't just left her husband and daughter in pieces. "It's pulling the whole family apart," Jess's sister continued. "How could she do this? She's betrayed us." But she wasn't the only one with lots to say.
One of Ryan's Exes Spoke Out
As news of Ryan and Georgina's romance found its way to the internet, it took the online world by storm. And with good reason. Just about everybody had an opinion on the matter. But there was somebody in particular whose words cut sharper than anyone else's: Ryan's ex-girlfriend.
And she didn't hold back. "He's a serial womanizer," Shelton's ex allegedly told The Daily Mail. "He treated me really badly. He is a bloody idiot." As she put it, even after she had ended things, Ryan needed everything done on his terms. "He'd drive round to my house and sit outside for hours at night in his car," she said.
There's "More to the Story"
The rumors that soon followed had officially spread like wildfire. And it was only a matter of time before Ryan decided to set the record straight. He was done with strangers making statements about his life. Only his answers left us with even more questions.
"There are two sides to every story," Ryan revealed to Mail Online. And when it came to his and Georgina's? "There's more to this story than you think," he hinted. "Other people's opinions don't bother me at all. I know what's happened." What was he getting at? Had we been missing something the entire time?
Where Are they Today
Sure, Ryan tried to fan the flames. Only his mysterious remarks had officially thrown the online world for a loop. People were confused, desperate for some answers. And after following along on their journey, spectators couldn't help but wonder: Where are Ryan and Georgina today?
"I can't help who I fall in love with," Georgina explained as she updated us on their status. Fast forward to today, and she and Ryan are seemingly more in love than ever. Living just 30 miles away from the Aldridges, the two have taken shelter at her sister's home; On the sofa. But not for long.
Jess's Words for Mom
According to Daily Mail, Ryan and Georgina have plans to move into their very own love-nest within a matter of time. But while they might be feeling hopeful about their future, not everybody feels the same. In fact, Jess had a lot to say to her mother, and she had no problem sharing it all.
"It's hilarious that they think they've got this strong relationship," Aldridge revealed to The Sun. After two children, two-plus years together, and endless devastation? The heartbroken mother is finally done wiping those tears. "She's welcome to him."
What Now
In mere months, Jessica Aldridge went from feeling on top of the world to having it pulled out from under her feet. And while she might finally be patching up that broken heart, there's one thing she can't help but worry about: The children. "How am I supposed to explain… that the kids' dad & their gran are in a relationship?"
Perhaps that's something she'll never truly have the answers to. As for what she does know? "I'm not looking for a boyfriend any time soon." So long as she's got her two little ones by her side, Jessica Aldridge has got all the love she needs. And we're only hoping for the best for Jess!