I thought the day my daughter was born would be the best day of my life. Not at all. It was the start of a nightmare. Michael, my husband, was not to be found.
I remember how the nurses smiled at me as I gave birth by myself, with my mom by my side. Michael said he would be there, but he wasn’t. This made me wonder what was going on.
After being in the hospital for two days, I went home hoping that Michael would be ready with an explanation. In the nursery, I instead found a creepy quiet and a note that wasn’t clear.
The note said that he was going because of my mother, which shocked and confused me. What did she have to do with Michael not being there?
My mom shocked me by telling me that Michael had been having an affair with his boss, a rich woman who made him offers he couldn’t refuse. She had addressed him and told him he had to tell her the truth or leave.
My mother chose to keep this secret from me, so I felt cheated by both Michael and her. How come she took away my chance to talk to him about our marriage?
I understood Michael’s cheating wasn’t just a one-time mistake as the truth set in. It was a series of choices. It made sense now about the late nights, work dinners, and ads.
I tried to get in touch with Michael, but he stayed away from me until I called him by chance. He told me about the affair and his plan to leave, and he offered to give the house to me.
Michael left my life just as fast as he came into it in the end. But I had to pick up the pieces and deal with the difficulties of being a single mom.
My mom’s words echoed in my mind: “One day, when Emily goes through something where she needs her mother to protect her more than give her a choice, you’ll understand why I did what I did.”
Even though my mom and I didn’t get along, I knew she was trying to keep me safe. I only wished she had let me talk to Michael about it so I could try to save our marriage.
When I looked at my daughter, I knew I had to push forward and make her life better. It hurt, but it taught me how important it is to be independent and how much family loves you no matter what.
