When Elena gave birth to her and Michael’s first child, she was alone with her mother in the hospital. Michael, who had promised to be there, was conspicuously absent. Upon discharge, Elena returned home, hoping to find Michael with an explanation. Instead, she was met with silence and an unsettling note in the nursery.
The house was eerily quiet as she called out for Michael, receiving no response. Ignoring her mother’s warning about the sleeping baby, Elena hurried upstairs to the nursery. The room, once filled with lovingly chosen decorations and gifts, was now nearly empty. The crib held only a single note that 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.”
Confused and distraught, Elena demanded answers from her mother, who was holding the baby. The note’s message was a shock. Her mother’s response was equally disturbing. “I didn’t want you to find out this way,” she said, revealing that Michael had been having an affair with someone from his office. “He’s been seeing his boss, a wealthy woman who offered him things he couldn’t refuse. I confronted him, and he admitted it.”
An empty crib | Source: Flickr
Elena struggled to process the betrayal. “I thought the promotion and the car were just perks of his hard work,” she said, her voice breaking. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why didn’t you give me a chance to talk to him?”
Her mother explained that she had given Michael an ultimatum: confess or leave. Michael chose to leave. “I thought it was the right thing to do,” her mother said. “I didn’t want you to suffer more than you already did. This pregnancy has been so hard on you.”
Overwhelmed and heartbroken, Elena confronted her mother’s decision. “You shouldn’t have taken that choice away from me. I needed to decide what to do.” Her mother’s apology felt hollow, and Elena needed space to adjust to being a single parent.
As days passed, Elena reflected on Michael’s behavior. The late nights and mysterious meetings now made sense. Despite numerous attempts to contact him, Michael only answered once, confirming his new life with his mistress. “I’m not coming back,” he said. “I’ve grown to love Gretchen, and I need to give this a chance. I’ll transfer the house to your name.”
Michael vanished from Elena’s life, leaving her to rebuild on her own. At least their daughter, Emily, was spared the pain of knowing him. Elena faced the future as a single parent, grappling with the betrayal and the new reality of her life.
