When I got sick, I finally saw a side of my husband I didn’t like. He abandoned me and our newborn because he wouldn’t be a good father and husband, so I played along. But I came out ahead!
I’m 30 years old, married to a man named Drew, who is 33, and we have a six-month-old baby girl named Sadie. She is the light of my life. She has a smile like the sun, chubby cheeks, and the sweetest little giggle. But apparently, all of that was just a minor inconvenience to my husband when I got sick.
A sick woman | Source: Midjourney
Let me tell you what happened. Brace yourself, because I still feel like I’m dreaming, and not just because I had a fever when this all started. This all happened about a month ago. I had caught a brutal virus. Not COVID-19, nor RSV, but something terrible.
This virus came with aches, chills, and a cough that felt like someone was punching my ribs from the inside! And the worst part was, Sadie had just gotten over a cold, so I was already exhausted.
A cute baby | Source: Midjourney
At this point, I was sleep-deprived, sick, and trying to care for a baby who was still clingy from his own recovery. Strangely, Drew had been acting strange for weeks, even before I got sick. He was distant.
Always on his phone, giggling about things he didn’t want to share. When I asked him what was so funny, he’d just shrug and say, “It’s for work.” His fuse was also short. He’d snap at stupid things—dishes in the sink and me forgetting to defrost the chicken.
A frustrated man | Source: Midjourney
My husband also kept telling me I looked tired. “You always look exhausted,” he said one evening as I cradled Sadie in my arms and tried to suppress a cough.
“Well, yes. I’m raising a human,” I replied with a hint of annoyance.
I thought maybe, just maybe, this illness would snap him out of it. I hoped he’d see me struggling and finally step up. Take over. Be the man I married.
But I was wrong!
A sick woman struggling with a baby | Source: Midjourney
The night my fever hit 102.4, I could barely sit up! My hair was plastered to my forehead, my skin was burning, and my whole body ached like I’d been hit by a truck! I looked at him and, with all the strength I could muster, whispered, “Can you please take Sadie? I just need to lie down for 20 minutes.”
He didn’t even blink. “I can’t. Your cough is keeping me awake. I NEED TO SLEEP. I think I’ll spend a few nights at my mom’s.”
I laughed, not because it was funny, but because it was so absurd that I thought he must be joking!
But, it wasn’t.
A sick woman laughing while holding her baby | Source: Midjourney
He got up, packed a duffel bag, kissed Sadie on the head—not me—and left. The whole time, I kept asking him, “Are you serious? Are you really leaving?” And he just nodded and said nothing.
He didn’t even bother to ask how we were going to take care of Sadie when I could barely stand! After he left, I sat on the couch holding her while she cried about being too tired and hungry. I stared at the door. My phone buzzed a few minutes later after I texted him.
A woman holding a baby and texting | Source: Midjourney
“Are you seriously leaving me here, sick and alone with the baby?” I texted, still incredulous.
“You’re the mom. You know better than I do how to handle this kind of thing. I’d only get in your way. Besides, I’m exhausted and your cough is unbearable.”
I read this text five times and stared at it in shock! My hands were shaking, whether from fever or rage, I’ll never know! I couldn’t believe that this man, who was supposed to be my life partner, thought my cough was too bothersome to stay and help with OUR child when I was clearly sick!?
ALL RIGHT !
A distraught woman | Source: Midjourney
I made it through the weekend. I barely ate. I cried in the shower when Sadie finally took her nap. I kept her alive with nothing but Tylenol, willpower, and instinct. And through it all, Drew didn’t check in, not once!
I couldn’t count on my family because they were hours away, and even though my friends stopped by and called occasionally, they were either too busy, out of town, or had some other reason. The entire time I was burning in my bed, one thought kept running through my head: I have to show this man what it feels like to be completely abandoned.
That’s what I did.
A serious and determined woman | Source: Midjourney
I started to formulate my plan. I figured if he thought being sick and then abandoned was no big deal, I’d give him an idea of what it felt like. When I felt somewhat human again, no fever, still coughing but functional, I knew exactly what I was going to do.
A week later, I texted him.
“Hey babe. I feel much better now. You can go home.”
He didn’t hesitate. “Thank God! I’ve barely slept here. Mom’s dog snores, and she keeps asking me for help with the yard work.”
Gardening. Poor baby . Just imagine.
A happy man texting | Source: Midjourney
Before she got back, I cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, prepared Sadie’s bottles and food, and even made Drew’s favorite dinner, spaghetti carbonara with garlic bread, from scratch. I showered, put on my makeup for the first time in two weeks, and wore jeans that didn’t scream “I got up every two hours with a baby.”
When he walked in, he looked around as if everything was back to normal. He smiled, looked relaxed, ate like a king, burped, and then collapsed on the couch with his phone! He barely said a word to me about the week I’d endured!
A happy man using his phone | Source: Midjourney
After a few minutes of relaxing, I finally struck!
“Hey,” I said kindly, “Can you hold Sadie for a second? I need to get something upstairs.”
“Sure,” he mumbled after sighing and rolling his eyes. He continued scrolling through TikTok with one hand and held her with the other.
I came downstairs five minutes later with my small suitcase and car keys. Sadie was smiling and babbling on her lap.
Noticing the movement, he blinked. “What is it?”
“I booked a spa weekend,” I said, as calmly as possible. “Massage, facial, room service. I just need to rest.”
He sat up, confused. “Wait, are you leaving now ?!”
Shocked man holding baby | Source: Midjourney
“Yes. Just two nights. I left instructions. The bottles are labeled and her toys are there. The diapers and wipes are stocked. The emergency numbers are on the refrigerator. I did a lot of shopping. Everything’s fine. Unlike you, I really did have everything planned out for you. Besides, you’re the dad. You know how to handle this kind of thing.”
“Claire, I don’t know what…” he began.
I raised my hand. “No, no. Remember what you said last week? ‘You’re the mom. You know better than I do how to handle this kind of thing.’ Now it’s your turn.”
A woman leaving with luggage | Source: Midjourney
He looked speechless for a few seconds before saying, “Wait, Claire. You can’t just…”
“I can. You abandoned me when I needed you most. So now you’re going to see what it’s like to carry everything alone. Don’t call unless it’s a real emergency. And don’t blame your mother. You’re the father. Figure it out on your own.”
He stared at me, his eyes wide. I don’t think he understood what was happening.
A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
“Wanted to sleep? Good luck finding any. Goodbye, my dear. I’ll be back Sunday night!”
And then I walked out. I didn’t slam the door. I didn’t cry in the car. I drove 45 minutes to a beautiful, quiet little inn with a spa and free chocolate chip cookies in the lobby.
That day, I vowed not to answer any calls or texts. I figured if there was a real problem, Drew could contact his mom or take Sadie to the hospital. I even ignored the first wave of voicemails and FaceTime attempts.
A woman relaxes in a spa | Source: Midjourney
Instead, I got a 90-minute massage, took naps, read by the fire, got a pedicure, and watched trashy reality TV in a fluffy bathrobe. Pure bliss!
Saturday? I slept in until 9 a.m., had a facial, and ate a warm croissant while reading a book by the fire.
He called twice. He left two voicemails. One was mildly panicked. The other was an attempt to make me feel guilty.
“Claire, Sadie doesn’t want to take a nap. I don’t know how you do it. She spit on me twice. Please call me back.”
I didn’t do it.
A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney
But I made a FaceTime call that night because, despite everything, I missed my daughter, and unlike him, I still really loved her.
When the screen lit up, Drew looked 10 years older. Sadie was in his arms, her hair a mess, chewing on the string of her hoodie. Her diaper looked… full.
“Hey, Sadie-bug,” I said, my voice softening. “Mom misses you.”
She smiled. She reached out toward the screen. Drew looked like he was about to melt.
“Claire,” he said, his voice cracking. “I’m sorry. I’m really, really sorry. I didn’t realize how hard this is!”
No kidding!
I nodded. “I know.”
A woman on her phone | Source: Midjourney
Sunday night, I came home to a war zone! Toys everywhere. Dirty bottles in the sink. Drew was still wearing the same shirt as the day before, his eyes sunken, his hair standing on end like a cartoon scientist!
Sadie squealed and started laughing when she saw me! I hugged her and kissed her all over! She smelled like baby wipes and panic, but she was fine, maybe a little clingy.
A happy woman carrying her child | Source: Midjourney
Drew looked at me like he was seeing a goddess with infinite powers—exhausted and ashamed.
“I understand now,” he whispered. “I really understand.”
“Really?” I asked.
He nodded. “I did something stupid.”
I took a folded piece of paper out of my purse and laid it on the table. Don’t get too excited, they weren’t divorce papers, at least not yet. He looked down like a deer caught in the headlights, probably thinking the papers were the end of our marriage.
A shocked man looking at a list | Source: Midjourney
But it was a list. A schedule. Morning chores, evening meals, errands, laundry, baths. Her name was next to half of them.
“You’re not allowed to tap dance anymore,” I told him. “I need a partner. Not a third child.”
He nodded slowly. “Okay. I’m in.”
Admittedly, he tried. He wakes up when Sadie cries at night. He prepares her bottles and finally managed to change her diaper without gagging! He even learned how to swaddle her without watching a tutorial!
A happy man holding his swaddled child | Source: Midjourney
But I’m not stupid. I’m not rushing to forgive him. I’m still observing. I’m still deciding.
But at least now he knows: love doesn’t mean allowing someone to walk all over you, and I’m not the kind of woman you leave behind when things get tough.
I’m the woman who makes sure you never, ever forget it.
A determined woman | Source: Midjourney
In the following story, a woman was delighted when her boyfriend proposed, but his mother quickly dismissed the idea of them getting married. Long story short, the jilted woman didn’t let it get to her and got her revenge in the best way possible!
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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