He Never Wanted to Marry His Mother Made Him
“Tom, will you look after Johnny?” called Emily from the hallway, adjusting her scarf in the mirror. “Ill be back by six. Dont forget his lunchits all ready in the fridge, just needs heating.”
It had been an unusually hectic Saturdaya crisis at work meant her manager had asked her to come in on her day off. No one else could handle it. Emily agreed without hesitation. The job gave her more than just a wage; it made her feel valued.
Five-year-old Johnny was quietly playing with his toy cars in his room. She could hear him murmuring, mimicking engine sounds, lost in his little world. A typical weekend morning. She had already checked her bag and found her keys when Thomas stepped out of the bedroom.
“No,” he said flatly.
Emily froze, her hand still on the door handle. She turned, staring at him in confusion.
“What?”
“Im not looking after him today,” Thomas repeated, walking past her to grab his coat. “Ive got plans.”
Emily couldnt believe what she was hearing. Six years of marriage, and nevernot oncehad he refused to care for their son. He had always seemed the perfect father. Now he slipped on his shoes and headed for the door as if she were nothing more than an obstacle.
“Tom, whats going on?” She stepped toward him, but he sidestepped her like a stranger on the pavement.
“Nothings going on,” he muttered, shutting the door behind him.
Emily stood in the hallway, gripping the strap of her bag, her chest tight. She had to be at work in an hourone hour! Her fingers trembled as she dialled her mother.
“Mum, Im so sorryI need your help. Can you come and watch Johnny? Please?”
Thankfully, her mother asked no questions.
Emily calculated the timeher mother wouldnt arrive soon enough. Frantic, she knocked on Mrs. Thompsons door, the elderly woman across the hall who always helped in emergencies.
“Mrs. Thompson, could you watch Johnny for half an hour, just until my mum gets here? Theres a crisis at work, and TomToms gone out.”
The old woman shook her head but agreed. Emily hurried back, explained to Johnny hed stay with Mrs. Thompson for a bit, then rushed out. The whole way to the office, she felt numb. What had just happened? Had they argued without her realising? She replayed the last few days in her mindnothing stood out. Just last night, theyd eaten supper together, watched a film, even talked about plans for the week.
At work, she moved through tasks mechanically, her mind circling back to that morning. She tried texting Thomas again and again.
“Where are you?”
“Whats wrong?”
“Why did you do this?”
No reply. The screen stayed blank. She checked it every five minutesnothing.
By evening, she thanked her mother and sent her home.
“I dont know what Id do without you, Mum.”
Her mother stroked her hair like she had when Emily was a child.
“Its all right, love. But tell mewheres Tom?”
“I dont know. He left this morning and never came back.”
The flat was eerily silent after her mother left. Emily tiptoed into Johnnys room, watching him sleep, his arms wrapped around a stuffed bear. So small. So fragile. She brushed his hair, kissed his forehead, and slipped out.
Thomas didnt return until two hours later. She had showered, changed, drunk tea to calm herself. The sound of his key in the lock made her stiffen. He walked in as casually as hed left, hung his coat, and headed to the bedroom without a word.
Emily blocked his path.
“What the hell was that?”
Thomas met her eyes with a coldness shed never seen beforenot from her husband, not from Johnnys father. A strangers gaze.
“Im tired of pretending,” he said.
Her pulse pounded in her temples. She sank onto the edge of the armchair, never taking her eyes off him.
“Pretending what?”
“Pretending I want thisthis marriage, this life, you, our son.”
Emily searched his face for any hint of a joke. There was none.
“What are you saying?” she managed, gripping the armrests.
“Exactly what I said. I never wanted to marry you, Emily. My mother forced me. Said you were kind, decentthe sort of wife a man should be grateful for. That Id be happy. I put up with it for six years. But I cant anymore. This marriage is suffocating me.”
Emily stared, tears welling but refusing to fall. Not now. Not in front of him.
“If you were so miserable, why didnt you leave sooner?”
Irritation flickered across his face.
“For you. The boys older nowyou can manage alone. If Id left earlier, it wouldve been harder for you. So I waited.”
Emily laugheda bitter, broken sound. She looked at him like he was a stranger.
“How generous of you,” she spat, wiping her tears.
“You should be grateful!” Thomas snapped. “I never cheated on you. I was faithful. Do you have any idea how hard that was?”
“Grateful?” She stood abruptly. “For what? For not cheating? I didnt drag you to the altar, Tom. You proposed to me. You got down on one knee. You said you loved me. Or was that your mothers doing too?”
Thomas shot up from the sofa.
“She pressured me! You dont understandshe said Id regret letting you go, that women like you dont stay single for long. That Id be sorry.”
“And are you?” Emily stepped closer. “Sorry you married me? The kind, decent girl?”
“Im sorry I ever got into this!” He flung a hand toward Johnnys room. “I wanted something else. A different life. Instead, I got you, your demands, and a child I never planned.”
“Johnny was unplanned?” Her voice turned to ice. “Youre saying our son was a mistake?”
“Thats not what I meant”
“Thats exactly what you meant. You think your lifes ruined because of us. Because of me and Johnny. Then tell mewhy did you stay? Why not leave when I was pregnant? Why pretend to be a loving husband and father all this time?”
“Because I had to!” He clenched his fists. “Because my mother said I couldnt abandon you with a baby. That it would shame the family. That people would judge me. So I stayed. But Im done pretending.”
Emily exhaled, disappointment crushing her chest.
“Get out,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Get out of my home. Out of our lives.” Her voice rose. “Take your things and go. Dont ever come back. Johnny and I dont need you.”
Thomas stared, expecting tears, begging. Not thiscold, final rejection.
“Emily, lets just talk”
“Go!” she screamed, the pain in her voice making him flinch.
He packed in silenceclothes, documents, his phone. Emily stood by the door, unmoving. When he passed her in the hallway, she didnt look at him. The door slammed shut, and she was alone.
She collapsed onto the bed, face buried in the pillow, and weptgreat, heaving sobs muffled so Johnny wouldnt hear. The tears didnt stop. She cried until she was hollow.
By dawn, she lay drained, staring at the ceiling. Then something shifted. In the next room, Johnny slepther son, innocent in all this. She rose, splashed cold water on her face, and studied her reflection. Swollen eyes, pale skin. But she was alive. She would survive.
For Johnny. For herself. She would manage. Trust in people had shattered, but that didnt matter. The only thing that did was that she and her boy were together.
