When Elena went to the hospital to have her first baby with Michael, she was excited and nervous. She never thought she’d face this big moment alone. But as she lay in her hospital bed, her mother by her side, Michael was nowhere to be seen.
After being discharged, Elena went home, hoping Michael would be there with an explanation. Instead, she found silence and a note from Michael blaming her mother for his disappearance. The big question was: where was Michael, and what had happened?
Elena had always believed that marrying Michael was the happiest day of her life. But when she found out she was pregnant, she knew that the day their baby was born would be even better.
Little did she know, the day that should have been filled with joy would turn into a nightmare. Michael had promised he would be there, holding her hand as they welcomed their child. They had planned everything together, from the music in the delivery room to the tiny hat for their baby’s head.
But when the moment arrived, Michael was nowhere to be found.
Nurses gave her sympathetic smiles and assured her that he was probably just delayed. But with each passing minute, Elena’s anxiety grew. She had been calling him for hours, leaving desperate voicemails, but there was no response. As her contractions got stronger, so did her fear. Was she really going to do this alone? What could have possibly kept him away?
When their daughter, Emily, finally arrived, Elena was overjoyed, but the joy was marred by Michael’s absence. Her mother stayed with her, holding her hand where Michael should have been, but even she couldn’t hide her worry. If she knew anything, she wasn’t saying.
“Just focus on Emily now,” her mother gently advised. “You need to rest.”
“I know,” Elena replied, trying to hide her concern. “But I can’t stop worrying.”
Two days later, Elena was discharged from the hospital. Her mother helped her carry Emily to the car, and they drove home in silence. Elena’s mind raced with possible explanations for Michael’s absence. Maybe something happened at work, or perhaps he was in an accident and was in another hospital. The possibilities seemed endless.
But nothing could have prepared her for what awaited at home.
The house was eerily quiet as Elena pushed open the door, half-expecting Michael to be there with an excuse that she might forgive after seeing his face.
“Michael?” she called out, her voice echoing through the empty rooms. “Michael, are you here?”
No answer.
Ignoring her mother’s advice to keep quiet so Emily could sleep, Elena hurried upstairs to check the nursery. They had spent weeks making it perfect, and she hoped to find Michael waiting for them. But when she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat.
The room was nearly empty. The crib was still there, but all the decorations, stuffed animals, baby clothes, and blankets they had lovingly chosen together were gone. The only thing left was a single piece of paper neatly placed in the crib.
The note read:
“I love you and our baby, Elena. But I have to leave forever. Ask your mom why she did this. I’ve taken some of Emily’s things to remember you both.”
Elena stared at the note, trying to make sense of the words. What did Michael mean? Why did he have to leave? And what did her mother have to do with any of this?
“Mom!” Elena shouted as she rushed down the stairs, ignoring the pain in her postpartum body. She clutched the note tightly as she confronted her mother, who was sitting in the living room with Emily asleep in her arms.
“What is this?” Elena demanded, thrusting the note at her. “What did you do? Where is my husband?”
Her mother looked at her with heavy eyes, and for a moment, Elena saw a flicker of guilt, maybe even regret.
“I didn’t want you to find out this way,” her mother said quietly.
“Find out what?” Elena nearly screamed, her exhaustion turning her desperation into anger. “What are you talking about?”
Her mother took a deep breath, as if preparing herself for the difficult truth.
“I found out something about Michael,” she said. “It was too big to keep to myself. He needed to know that I knew.”
“Knew what? Stop speaking in riddles!” Elena demanded, closing her eyes as a wave of exhaustion washed over her.
“He’s been having an affair, darling,” her mother said gently but firmly. “With someone from his office. I confronted him, and he admitted it. He’s been seeing his boss—a woman much wealthier than we could ever dream. She’s been offering him things he couldn’t refuse.”
Her words hit Elena like a punch to the gut, and she had to sit down quickly. “No, Mom,” Elena whispered. “That can’t be true. Michael wouldn’t do that to us. He loves me! He was so excited about our baby, about starting a family.”
“I wish it weren’t true,” her mother continued softly. “I overheard him on the phone, making plans to meet her at a motel. I told him he had to tell you everything or leave for good. If he was willing to be honest with you, he still had some decency left. But this note… it shows he chose to leave.”
Elena didn’t want to believe her mother. She wanted to think there was more to the story. How could her mother have stayed by her side during labor, knowing this truth? How could she keep it from her?
But then, Elena remembered how her mother had never really liked Michael. She tolerated him because he took care of Elena, but their relationship had always been strained. Had her mother done something to drive him away?
“Really, Elena?” her mother cried, tears welling up. “You think I would hurt you like that? That I’d destroy your happiness? Michael made his own choices. I tried to protect you. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
This couldn’t be happening. The man Elena trusted with her life had betrayed her, and her mother had taken away her chance to confront him, to try and fix things.
“You shouldn’t have taken that choice away from me,” Elena said, her voice shaking. “You should have let me decide.”
Her mother reached out and gripped Elena’s hand tightly.
“I’m so sorry, Elena,” she said. “I only wanted to protect you. I didn’t want you to suffer any more than you already have. This pregnancy was hard enough on you.”
Her mother seemed sincere, but Elena’s anger was still strong. Everything she had believed in had been shattered. Her husband was gone, probably off with his mistress. Her mother had betrayed her trust. And now, she was left alone with a newborn and a broken heart.
Emily began to cry, her tiny face scrunching up in distress.
“She’s hungry,” her mother said softly. “Maybe one day, when Emily needs you to protect her more than give her a choice, you’ll understand why I did what I did.”
Elena nodded, unable to trust herself to speak as she prepared to feed her baby.
“I’m sure you’re right, Mom,” she finally said. “But I need some space for now. I need to adjust to being a single parent.”
“You’re not alone, Elena,” her mother insisted. “Michael may have left, but I’m still here. I’ll support you and love you, and I’ll be there for Emily too.”
“I know,” Elena replied softly. “But this is the choice I’m making.”
“Let me at least make you some food before I go,” her mother offered. “Let me help you plan meals for the week. Please.”
Elena agreed, grateful for the help, even though she couldn’t bear to look at her mother.
In the days that followed, Elena replayed Michael’s behavior in her mind. Of course, he had been having an affair. The late nights, the dinners with “colleagues”—it all made sense now. She tried calling him several times, but it always went to voicemail. Until one day, he accidentally answered, his voice thick with sleep.
“Michael?” Elena asked.
“Elena?” he gasped, surprised.
“Is it true?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Yes,” he admitted. “It’s all true. I’m not coming back. I loved the idea of starting a life with you and our baby, but I’ve grown to love Gretchen and the life we have together. I have to give this a chance. I’ll transfer the house to your name. Gretchen’s lawyers will handle it.”
Elena couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
Michael never contacted her again, and she didn’t reach out either. He vanished from her life as quickly as he had come. At least her daughter would never have to meet him or feel the pain he caused.
She was safe from Michael, and for that, Elena was grateful.