After giving birth to my first children, I truly believed things would finally change. I thought my husband would start choosing us—me and our babies—over his mother. I thought becoming a father would open his eyes. I was wrong.
This time, he chose her side again… and it was the last time I stayed silent. What she did crossed every line, and I exposed her for the bully and liar she truly was.
Bringing home newborn twins is supposed to be one of the happiest moments of your life. For me, it started that way—but it quickly turned into a nightmare I will never forget.
After three long days in the hospital, recovering from a painful and exhausting delivery, I was finally discharged.
I was holding my beautiful twin daughters, Ella and Sophie, wrapped snugly in their blankets. I was sore, emotional, and exhausted—but my heart was full. I had imagined this moment for months.
In my mind, Derek would be there waiting for us. I pictured him pulling up to the hospital entrance with flowers in his hands, tears in his eyes, proudly taking one of the girls and whispering, “I’ve got you.”
Instead, just as we were about to leave, my phone rang.
“Hey, baby,” Derek said. His voice sounded rushed and distant. “I’m so sorry, but I can’t come pick you guys up as planned.”
“What?” I asked, tightening Sophie’s blanket around her. “Derek, I just gave birth to twins. What could possibly be so important that you can’t—”
“It’s my mom,” he cut in quickly. “She’s in bad shape. Bad chest pains. I need to pick her up and take her to the hospital near her place.”
His words hit me like ice water.
“What?” I said, stunned. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Derek, I need you here.”
“I know,” he said with frustration in his voice. “But this came out of nowhere. It’s serious. I’ll come to you as soon as I can.”
I clenched my jaw, holding back tears and anger. I felt abandoned, but I was too tired to fight.
“Fine,” I said quietly. “I’ll get a taxi.”
“Thank you,” he muttered before hanging up.
His mother lived in another city. I knew there was no way he’d be back that same day. Derek had always been obsessed with his mother. If she needed him, everything else—including me—came second.
Still, I tried to calm myself. He’s just overwhelmed, I told myself. He’s a mama’s boy, but not heartless.
This was the same woman who had insisted we make her a spare key to our house so she could “help” with the babies. And now, suddenly, she was too sick to breathe.
I pushed the doubts aside, placed Ella and Sophie into the car seats Derek had dropped off the day before, and took a taxi home.
When the cab pulled into our driveway, my heart dropped.
My suitcases were scattered across the lawn. Diaper bags lay near the steps. Even the crib mattress was tossed outside like garbage. For a moment, I just stared, frozen in shock.
I paid the driver and stepped out, holding my twins close. My hands were shaking. Something was very, very wrong.
I walked toward the front door, fumbling with my keys, calling out Derek’s name even though I knew he couldn’t be there.
The key wouldn’t turn.
I tried again. Nothing.
Then I saw it—a folded piece of paper taped to one of my suitcases.
“Get out of here with your little moochers! I know everything.
—Derek.”
My breath caught in my throat. My heart felt like it stopped beating.
I read the note again. And again. My hands trembled so badly I almost dropped it.
This couldn’t be real. Not Derek. Not the man who held my hand at every doctor’s appointment. Not the man who cried when we heard our daughters’ heartbeats for the first time.
Panic took over.
I called him. Straight to voicemail. I called again. Voicemail.
Ella started crying. Then Sophie joined in. Their cries echoed my own fear.
“Mom…” I whispered, barely able to speak as I dialed her number.
“Jenna?” she answered immediately. “What’s wrong? Are the babies okay?”
I broke down. “Derek changed the locks. He threw my things outside. He left this horrible note, Mom.”
“WHAT?!” she shouted. “Stay right there. I’m coming.”
When she arrived, she took one look at the mess and clenched her jaw.
“This doesn’t make sense,” she said angrily. “Derek loves you and those girls. He would never do this.”
“That’s what I thought,” I said, rocking Ella gently. “But he won’t answer. And what does ‘I know everything’ even mean?”
She hugged me tightly. “Come home with me. We’ll figure this out.”
That night, I barely slept. My mind raced nonstop.
The next morning, I needed answers.
I drove back to the house alone. My things were gone from the yard. I knocked. No answer. I walked around back and peeked through the window.
My blood ran cold.
Lorraine—my mother-in-law—was sitting at the dining table, calmly sipping tea.
I banged on the door. She looked up, startled, then smirked.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
She opened the door just a crack. “Jenna, you’re not welcome. Didn’t you see the note?”
“Where is Derek?” I snapped.
“At the hospital,” she said smoothly. “Taking care of his sick mother.”
“You’re standing right here!” I shouted.
She shrugged. “I feel better.”
“You lied,” I said, shaking. “You faked being sick.”
“And?” she replied with a smile.
Then she said the words I will never forget.
“I told Derek from the beginning our family needs a boy. You gave him two girls. Useless.”
She admitted everything. The fake illness. The note. Stealing Derek’s phone. Locking me out. Even bribing a nurse to keep him at the hospital.
“I knew he’d choose me,” she said proudly.
I drove straight to the hospital and found Derek pacing.
“Jenna!” he said. “I couldn’t call you—”
“Your mother took your phone,” I said. “She lied. She locked me out.”
His face changed instantly.
When we got home, Lorraine’s smile disappeared the second she saw him.
“Mom,” Derek said coldly. “What did you do?”
She tried to speak, but he stopped her.
“You made me abandon my wife and newborn daughters. You lied. You manipulated me.”
She cried. “I was protecting you.”
“Protecting me from my own children?” he shouted. “If you want boys so badly, go make them yourself.”
I had never loved him more.
“Pack your things and leave,” he told her.
She left that night.
Derek changed the locks, cut contact, and even reported the nurse.
It wasn’t easy rebuilding after that—but we did.
As I rocked Ella and Sophie to sleep one night, I realized something important.
Lorraine tried to destroy our family.
Instead, she showed us exactly what—and who—was worth fighting for.