The man of my dreams left his wife for me, but I never imagined how everything would turn against me.
I had admired him since university. You could say it was unconditional lovenaïve and blind. And when he finally noticed me, I lost all reason. It happened a few years after graduationwe ended up working for the same company. We had the same degree, so it wasnt unusual. But I thought it was fate.
To me, he was everything Id ever wanted. And in my youth, it didnt bother me that he was already married. Id never been married myself and had no idea what it meant to see a marriage fall apart. So when William chose to leave his wife for me, I didnt feel guilty at all. Who wouldve thought it would bring me so much pain? People say its trueyou cant build happiness on someone elses misery.
When he picked me, I was over the moon and ready to forgive him anything. The truth was, in everyday life, he wasnt the prince he appeared to be in public. His things were always strewn about the house, and he flatly refused to do the washing-up. All the chores fell on my shoulders. But back then, I didnt care.
He forgot his previous marriage fairly quickly. They had no children, and, as it turned out, the marriage had been pushed on him by her parents. With me, it was differentor so he said.
My happiness didnt last, because everything changed when I got pregnant. At first, William was thrilled about the baby. We even threw a big family party to celebrate. Everyone wished us love and health for our child.
That evening remains one of my fondest memories. I dont regret a single moment of it. But from that point on, my blind love began to fade.
The bigger my bump grew, the less I saw of William. I was on maternity leave, so we only met late in the evenings. He stayed at work more and more, going to office parties. At first, I didnt mind, but soon, it wore me down. Housework became harderI couldnt even bend down to pick up his socks anymore.
During that time, I often wonderedhad we rushed into having this child?
I knew feelings could cool over time, but I hadnt expected it to happen so fast. William still brought me flowers and chocolates, but all I wanted was for him to be there with me.
Soon, it became obvious that his work parties werent just work. Colleagues mentioned in passing that a new, young woman had joined our department. Staff shortages were already bad, and when I went on leave, things got worse. The irony.
I wasnt sure if it was her, but my husband definitely had someone elsehe never had a spare moment. Either he was at work, a business meeting, or another company event he “couldnt miss.” One day, I found a note in his jacket pocket, signed with initials I didnt recognise. I dont know what made me do it, but I put it back and pretended I knew nothing.
It was terrifying being alone in my seventh month, while my husband complained Id become too moody. Every argument ended with him sighing in disappointment. Somehow, I knew that if I brought it up, Id be left alone. The fear of losing him was so strong, I couldnt think of anything else. They say if you fear something too much, itll surely happen.
No matter how wonderfully William had courted me, he wasnt a true gentleman. The worst words I ever heard were: “Im not ready for a child.” And: “Theres someone else.” I dont even remember exactly how he said it, but in that moment, I felt like I was losing my mind.
I never expected to find the strength to file for divorce. He certainly didnt expect me to stop tolerating his behaviour. And he definitely didnt expect me to throw all his things out the next day. At least the flat was rentedwe didnt have to split it.
“What about the baby? Think of the child. How will you manage?”
“Ill figure it out. Ill work from home. Besides, my parents offered to help ages ago. My mum always said he was a womaniserI shouldve listened.”
Maybe the responsibility for my sons future gave me courage. Alone, I wouldnt have had the nerve to leave.
But I also realised I didnt want to raise my child with a father like him.
His betrayal was so vile, I wanted nothing more to do with him. It was like a veil had been lifted from my eyes.
The first few months after the divorce, including the birth, were brutal. I moved back in with my parents, who were overjoyedespecially my grandparents, whod always wanted a grandchild. I wont say I didnt miss William, but I tried not to think about him. Deep down, I knew Id done the right thing and that I could give my son the best life possible.
And then, suddenly, he was back.
Apparently, William regrets everything. He wants to know his son. But do I want that? Or would it be better to move to another town?
