Abbie’s world was turned upside down when her husband, Matthew, vanished without explanation, leaving only a cryptic note behind. In the days that followed, confusion and fear consumed her, but nothing could have prepared her for the devastating truth revealed in a phone call from her mother-in-law.
“Matthew? Where are you?” I called out, expecting to hear him from the other room.
But the house was silent, except for the low hum of the fridge. My heart began to race as I spotted a note on the kitchen table: “Don’t search for me.”
I froze, hoping it was some cruel prank. Matthew always loved playing jokes, but this felt different. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number, only to reach voicemail.
“Matthew, call me back,” I said, trying to mask my growing panic. “This isn’t funny.”
I called his mom next. “Hi, Claire. Have you heard from Matthew?”
“No, sweetheart,” she replied, concern in her voice. “Is everything okay?”
I hesitated. “Yeah, I just thought he might’ve stopped by. Sorry to bother you.”
I then reached out to his best friend, James, but he hadn’t heard from him either. My panic only deepened. That evening, I found myself at the police station, clutching the note. But the officer’s words didn’t provide any relief.
“Ma’am, we can’t start an investigation. Adults have the right to disappear if they choose,” he explained.
I left the station feeling helpless. Days turned into weeks. The kids kept asking, “Where’s Daddy?” and I could barely hold back my tears as I reassured them, “Daddy’s away for a little while.”
Then, out of the blue, my phone rang one afternoon. It was Claire, and I could hear the hesitation in her voice. “Abbie, there’s something I need to tell you, but you have to promise me you won’t tell Matthew I told you.”
My stomach dropped. “What’s going on?”
After a long pause, she said, “Matthew’s with his mistress. They just had a baby.”
The world seemed to stop. “He… he what?”
“He’s planning to rent them an apartment using your joint account. He’s going to leave you, Abbie. I’m so sorry.”
I felt like the ground had fallen out from under me. The man I loved, the father of my children, was about to abandon us for someone else.
Claire’s voice cracked. “You need to get a lawyer. Protect yourself before he drains your accounts.”
A wave of anger surged through me, but I held it together for the sake of the kids. I contacted a lawyer the next day and started preparing for the battle ahead.
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