When Elena went to the hospital to have her and Michael’s first baby, she never expected to face the experience alone. As she lay in her hospital bed with her mother by her side, there was no sign of Michael. He was simply missing.
When Elena was finally sent home, she hoped Michael would be there with an explanation. But 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?
“I always thought the happiest day of my life was when I married Michael,” Elena recalled. “But when I found out I was pregnant, I knew that the day our baby was born would be even better.”
Little did Elena know that what should have been a joyful day would turn into a nightmare. Michael had promised he would be there, holding her hand as they welcomed their baby into the world. They had planned every detail together—from the music in the delivery room to the tiny hat he would put on their baby’s head.
But when the big moment came, Michael was nowhere to be found.
Nurses gave Elena sympathetic smiles and told her that Michael was probably just running late. But with each passing minute, her worry grew. She called him over and over, leaving desperate voicemails, but there was no answer. As the contractions got stronger, so did her fear. Was she really going to do this alone? What could possibly have kept him away?
When their daughter Emily was finally born, Elena felt overwhelming joy, but it was mixed with the sting of Michael’s absence. Her mother stayed with her, holding her hand where Michael should have been. Even her mother couldn’t hide her worry. If she knew anything, she wasn’t saying.
“Just focus on Emily now,” her mother said gently. “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 in another hospital. The scenarios in her head grew more far-fetched with every mile.
But nothing could have prepared her for what she found when they got home.
The house was eerily quiet as Elena pushed open the door, half-expecting Michael to be inside with an excuse she might be able to forgive.
“Michael?” she called out, her voice echoing through the empty rooms. “Michael, are you here?”
No answer.
Ignoring her mother’s warning to keep quiet so Emily could sleep, Elena hurried upstairs to check the nursery. They had spent weeks making the room perfect, and she hoped to find Michael there. But when she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat.
The room was almost 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 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.”
Elena stared at the note, trying to understand. What did Michael mean? Why did he have to leave? And what did her mother have to do with this?
“Mom!” Elena shouted, rushing down the stairs despite the ache in her postpartum body. She clutched the note tightly as she confronted her mother in the living room, where her mother was sitting with Emily asleep in her arms.
“What is this?” Elena demanded, thrusting the note at her mother. “What did you do? Where is my husband?”
Her mother looked at her with heavy eyes, and for a moment, Elena saw something in her expression—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 making her desperate. “What are you talking about?”
Her mother took a deep breath, bracing herself for the difficult truth she was about to reveal.
“I found out something about Michael, honey. And 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 exhaustion washed over her.
“He’s been having an affair, darling,” her mother said, her voice gentle but firm. “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 mother’s words felt like a punch to the gut, and Elena had to sit down quickly. “No, Mom,” she said. “That can’t be true. Michael wouldn’t do that to us. He loves me! He was so excited about our baby, about growing our 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, then 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 sat by her side during labor, knowing the truth? How could she keep this from her?
But then Elena remembered her mother had never really liked Michael. She tolerated him because he took care of Elena, but their relationship was always strained. Had her mother done something to drive him away?
“Really, Elena?” her mother cried, tears welling in her eyes. “You think I would hurt you like that? That I’d risk your happiness? Michael made his own choices, and I tried to protect you. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
This couldn’t be happening. The man she trusted 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 held 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 couldn’t shake her anger. Everything she 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, not trusting 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, her voice soft. “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 answered by accident, his voice thick with sleep.
“Michael?” Elena asked.
“Elena?” he gasped, surprised.
“Is it true?” Elena’s voice trembled.
“Yes,” Michael 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 entered it. At least her daughter would never have to meet him or experience the pain he caused.
She was safe from Michael, and for that, Elena was grateful.
