When Elena was admitted to the hospital, eager to welcome her and Michael’s first baby, she never imagined she would face this monumental moment alone. As she lay in her hospital bed, her mother at her side, there was no sign of Michael—he was simply nowhere to be found.
Upon her discharge, Elena returned home, hoping to find Michael there with an explanation for his absence. Instead, she was met with silence and a note from Michael, placing blame on her mother for his disappearance. The question loomed: where was Michael, and what had happened?
I had always believed that the happiest day of my life was my wedding to Michael. But when I discovered I was pregnant, I knew the birth of our baby would surpass even that day.
Little did I know that what should have been a joyous occasion would turn into a nightmare. Michael had promised to be there, holding my hand as we welcomed our child. We had planned every detail together, from the music in the delivery room to the tiny hat he would place on our baby’s head.
But when the moment came, Michael was nowhere to be found.
I remember the nurses’ sympathetic smiles as they assured me he was probably just delayed. But with each passing minute, my anxiety grew. I had been calling him for hours, leaving desperate voicemails, but there was no response. As contractions intensified, so did my fear. Was I really going to do this alone? What could have possibly kept him away?
When our daughter Emily finally arrived, I was overwhelmed with joy, though it was marred by Michael’s glaring absence. My mother stayed with me, holding my hand where Michael should have been, but even she couldn’t hide her worry. And if she knew anything, she wasn’t sharing.
“Just focus on Emily now,” my mother gently advised. “Your body needs rest.”
“I know,” I replied, trying to mask my concern. “But I can’t stop worrying.”
Two days later, I was discharged from the hospital. My mother helped me carry Emily to the car, and we drove home in silence. My mind raced, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation for Michael’s absence. Maybe something happened at work, or perhaps he was in an accident and in another hospital. The scenarios in my head grew more outlandish with each passing mile.
But nothing could have prepared me for what I found when we got home.
The house was eerily quiet as I pushed open the door, half-expecting Michael to be inside with some excuse that I might forgive after seeing his face.
“Michael?” I called out, my voice echoing through the empty rooms. “Michael, are you here?”
No answer.
Ignoring my mother’s caution to keep quiet so Emily could sleep, I hurried upstairs to check the nursery. We had spent weeks perfecting the room, and I hoped to find him there waiting for us. But when I opened the door, my breath caught.
The room was almost empty. The crib remained, but all the decorations, stuffed animals, baby clothes, and blankets we had carefully chosen were gone. The only thing left was a single piece of paper, neatly placed inside 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.”
I stared at the note, struggling to understand. What did Michael mean? Why did he have to leave? And what did my mother have to do with this?
“Mom!” I shouted, rushing down the stairs, clutching the note tightly as I confronted her in the living room, where she was holding a sleeping Emily.
“What is this?” I demanded, thrusting the note at her. “What did you do? Where is Michael?”
Her eyes were heavy with a flicker of guilt, maybe even regret.
“I didn’t want you to find out this way,” she said quietly.
“Find out what?” I nearly screamed, my exhaustion making me more desperate. “What are you talking about?”
She took a deep breath, as if preparing herself to reveal a difficult truth.
“I found out something about Michael, honey. It was too big to keep to myself. He needed to know that I knew.”
“Knew what? Stop speaking in riddles!” I demanded, feeling a wave of exhaustion.
“He’s been having an affair, darling,” she 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 me like a physical blow, and I had to sit down quickly. “No, Mom,” I said. “That can’t be true. Michael wouldn’t do that to us. He loves me! He was so excited about our baby and growing our family.”
“I wish it weren’t true,” she continued softly. “I overheard him 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. But this note shows he chose to leave.”
Continue reading on next page…