My husband, Michael, and I had everything planned for the birth of our first child. We had the music picked out, and Michael was supposed to put a cute little hat on our baby. But when the time came, he didn’t show up.
The nurses tried to calm me, saying he was probably delayed, but I felt deep down that something was wrong. Our daughter, Emily, was born, and while I was filled with joy, I kept wondering, “Where is Michael?”
After two days in the hospital, I went home with Emily. I convinced myself there must be a reason for his absence — maybe work or even an accident. But nothing could have prepared me for what I found.
The house was silent. I rushed upstairs to the nursery, hoping Michael was there preparing a surprise. But the room was almost empty. Only the crib remained, with a note inside. My hands trembled as I opened it and saw Michael’s handwriting: “I love you and our baby, but I had to leave forever. Ask your mom why she did this to me.”
I was shocked. I yelled for my mom, who was sitting in the living room with Emily. I showed her the note and demanded to know what happened. She looked at me with sad eyes and said, “I didn’t want you to find out this way.”
“What do you mean? What did you do? Where’s Michael?” I screamed.
She took a deep breath and explained, “I found out something about Michael that I couldn’t keep to myself. He needed to know that I knew.”
I was confused and asked, “What are you talking about?”
She replied, “He’s been having an affair with someone from his office.”
I couldn’t believe it. “No, Mom! That can’t be true. Michael wouldn’t do that. He loves me and was so excited about our baby!”
She sighed and said, “I overheard him on the phone, talking about meeting someone at a motel. He admitted it when I confronted him. He’s been seeing his boss, a wealthy woman offering him things we could never afford.”
Suddenly, everything made sense — the promotion, the new car — it wasn’t just hard work.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I cried. “Why didn’t you give me the chance to talk to him and fix it?”
My mom replied, “I gave him a choice. I told him to tell you everything or leave for good. He chose to leave.”
I didn’t want to believe her. Michael and I had a strong relationship, or so I thought. And my mom had never really gotten along with him, which made me wonder if she just wanted him gone.
“Do you really think I’d do something to hurt you like that?” my mom asked, her voice shaking. “He hurt you by cheating.”
I couldn’t process it. My husband was gone, and my mom had kept this secret from me, taking away my chance to deal with it.
“You shouldn’t have made that decision for me,” I said. “I should have had the choice.”
My mom apologized, saying she thought she was protecting me, especially with how hard my pregnancy had been.
Even though she seemed sincere, I was angry. My life had changed in an instant. My husband was gone, my mom had betrayed my trust, and I was left alone with a newborn.
Emily started crying. My mom said, “She’s hungry. Maybe one day, when Emily needs you to protect her, you’ll understand why I did what I did.”
I nodded, trying to calm myself. “Maybe,” I said, as I fed my baby, “but right now, I need some space.”
My mom offered to cook for me and help out, and even though I was upset, I appreciated the help.
In the days that followed, I thought more about Michael’s behavior. The late nights, the dinners with “colleagues” — it was clear now that something had been going on.
I tried to call Michael many times, but he never picked up. Then, one day, he accidentally answered the phone. He sounded like he had just woken up.
“Michael?” I asked.
“Elena?” he responded, surprised.
“Is it true?” I asked.
“Yes,” he said, “all of it. I’m not coming back. I loved you and our baby, but I’ve fallen for Gretchen, and I have to give this relationship a chance. I’ll make sure the house is transferred to your name.”
I was speechless. He disappeared from my life, just like that. And honestly, I was relieved that Emily wouldn’t have to go through this with him.
Now, it’s just me and my daughter. While it’s hard, I know we’ll be okay.
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