My Husband Missed the Birth of Our First Child — After Discharge, I Returned to an Empty House and a Creepy Note in the Crib

When Elena is in hospital, ready to give birth to her and Michael’s first baby, she finds herself alone with her mother. Michael was simply nowhere to be found. Upon discharge, Elena walks into the house hoping to find Michael there with an explanation. Instead, she finds a note from Michael blaming Elena’s mother for his disappearance. Where is Michael and what happened?

I always thought that the happiest day of my life was the day I married Michael. But then we found out that I was pregnant, and I figured that the day I gave birth to our baby was going to be the happiest.

A woman holding a pregnancy test | Source: Midjourney

A woman holding a pregnancy test | Source: Midjourney

Little did I know that it would be the beginning of a nightmare. Michael had promised me that he would be there, holding my hand as we welcomed our first child into the world.

We had planned every detail together, from the music that would play in the delivery room to the tiny hat he would place on our baby’s head.

But when the time came, Michael just wasn’t there.

A pregnant woman sitting on a hospital chair | Source: Midjourney

A pregnant woman sitting on a hospital chair | Source: Midjourney

I remember the nurses’ sympathetic smiles as they assured me that he was probably just delayed. With each passing minute, the sinking feeling in my stomach grew worse.

I had been calling him for hours, leaving desperate voicemails, but there was no response. As the contractions intensified, so did my fear. Was I really about to do this by myself? What could have kept him from being here?

A close up of a worried woman | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a worried woman | Source: Midjourney

“Come on, Michael,” I said through gritted teeth.

When my daughter arrived, I was overwhelmed with joy, but it was tainted by the empty spot beside me where my husband should have been. Where was Michael? Why hadn’t he shown up?

My mother was with me throughout, holding my hand when Michael should have been, but I could see the worry in her eyes, too. And if she knew anything, she certainly didn’t tell me.

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

“Just relax, Elena,” my mother said. “Focus on Emily now. And yourself; your body needs a moment.”

“I know,” I said. “I’m just worried.”

After two days in the hospital, I was finally discharged. My mother helped me carry Emily to the car, and we headed home. The ride was silent, and my mother kept drumming her fingers against the steering wheel.

A close up of a woman in a car | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a woman in a car | Source: Midjourney

I tried to keep myself calm, telling myself that there must be a reasonable explanation for Michael’s absence. Maybe something happened at work. Maybe he’d had an accident and was away in another hospital.

The scenarios grew wilder with each mile we drove.

But nothing could have prepared me for what I found when we got home.

The driveway leading to a house | Source: Midjourney

The driveway leading to a house | Source: Midjourney

The house was eerily quiet. I pushed open the door, half-expecting Michael to be waiting inside with some excuse that I could forgive after seeing the look on his face.

“Michael?” I called out, my voice echoing through the empty rooms. “Michael, are you here?”

No answer.

A postpartum woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

A postpartum woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

“Be quiet, Elena,” my mother said. “Emily is sleeping.”

I ignored her and hurried upstairs. I had to check the nursery; maybe he was in there, just waiting for us to come home. We had spent weeks perfecting our daughter’s nursery to exactly how I envisioned it throughout my pregnancy.

But when I opened the door to the nursery, my breath caught in my throat.

A close up of a shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

The room was almost empty. The crib was there, but all the decorations, the stuffed animals, our daughter’s outfits, and the blankets we had lovingly chosen together were gone. All that remained was a single piece of paper, placed neatly inside the crib.

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.

A piece of paper in an empty crib | Source: Midjourney

A piece of paper in an empty crib | Source: Midjourney

I stared at the note, my mind struggling to make sense of the words. What did Michael mean? Why did he have to leave? And what did my mother have to do with any of this?

“Mom!” I shouted, trying to get down the stairs as fast as my postpartum body would allow. I clutched onto the note tightly as I thundered into the living room where she was sitting on the couch with Emily asleep in her arms.

An older woman holding a newborn | Source: Midjourney

An older woman holding a newborn | Source: Midjourney

“What is this?” I demanded, thrusting the note at her. “What did you do? Where is my husband?”

She looked at me with heavy eyes. And for a moment, I saw a flicker of something I couldn’t quite place. Guilt? Regret?

“I didn’t want you to find out this way…” she said quietly.

A close up of an older woman | Source: Midjourney

A close up of an older woman | Source: Midjourney

“What? Find out what?” I nearly screamed at her. “What are you talking about? Tell me now!”

She took a deep breath as if steeling herself for what she was about to say.

“I found out something about Michael, honey. And it was just too big to keep to myself. He needed to know that I knew.”

“Knew what? Why are you talking in riddles?” I asked closing my eyes, suddenly exhausted.

A close up of a woman with closed eyes | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a woman with closed eyes | Source: Midjourney

“He’s been having an affair, darling,” she said. “With someone from his office. Imagine the nerve.”

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I had to sit down quickly.

“No, Mom,” I found myself saying. “That can’t be true at all. Michael wouldn’t do that to us. He loves me! And he’s been so excited about our baby and growing our little family!”

A close up of a shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a shocked woman | Source: Midjourney

“I wish it wasn’t true, darling. Do you think I enjoyed being right?” she asked softly. “I overheard him talking to someone on the phone. They were talking about meeting at a motel. I confronted him about it, and he admitted it. He’s been seeing his boss, a woman who’s much wealthier than we could have ever dreamed. She’s been offering him things he couldn’t refuse.”

“You mean… the promotion? It wasn’t just hard work? And the car wasn’t just because he made a big deal for the company?” I gasped.

A smiling man sitting in his office | Source: Midjourney

A smiling man sitting in his office | Source: Midjourney

My chest felt tight, like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked, tears streaming down my face as my lower pelvis ached. “Why didn’t you give me the chance to talk to him? A chance to fix it?”

“Oh, honey,” my mother said soothingly. “I gave him the chance. I told him that he had to tell you everything or leave, for good. I knew that if he told you everything, it would mean that he was still a good man with redeeming qualities. But see this? He chose to leave you, to leave Emily.”

A close up of an upset woman | Source: Midjourney

A close up of an upset woman | Source: Midjourney

For a moment, I didn’t want to believe my mother. I wanted to believe Michael, and that there was more to this story. How else could my mother have sat there during my labor, holding my hand while knowing the truth?

It made no sense to me.

Well, one thing made sense to me. My mother had never really taken to Michael in the way I had hoped. She tolerated him and liked that he took care of me. But there was nothing beyond that. They had no other relationship beyond me.

What if my mother just wanted him out?

Unknowingly, I said all these thoughts out loud.

An upset woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman holding her head | Source: Midjourney

“Really? Elena! You think I’d purposely hurt my daughter and jeopardize her relationship with her father?” my mother cried. “He hurt you by choosing to have an affair. I can tell you everything you need to know, but I need you to believe me.”

This couldn’t be happening. My husband, the man I had trusted with my life, had betrayed me, and my mother had forced him to leave without giving me the chance to even hear him out.

“You shouldn’t have taken that choice away from me,” I said. “You should have let me decide what to do!”

My mother gripped my thigh tightly.

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

“I’m so sorry, Elena,” she said. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want you to suffer more than you already did; this pregnancy was a lot on your body and mind, my darling.”

She seemed earnest enough, but I couldn’t help but be angry with her. All I could think about was how everything I had known, everything I had believed in, had been ripped away in an instant.

My husband was gone, and probably off with his mistress, my mother had betrayed my trust, and I was left alone with a newborn and a broken heart.

A silhouette of a couple | Source: Midjourney

A silhouette of a couple | Source: Midjourney

Emily’s eyes opened, and before I knew it, her little mouth twisted into a cry.

“She’s hungry,” my mother said. “Maybe 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.”

I nodded.

A crying baby girl | Source: Midjourney

A crying baby girl | Source: Midjourney

“I’m sure you’re right, Mom,” I said, slipping my shirt off my arm to feed my little girl. “But I need some space for a little while. I need to adjust to being a single parent right now.”

“But you’re not alone, Elena!” my mother exclaimed. “Michael may have chosen to leave you, but I’m still here. I’m right there to love and support you. And your little girl.”

“I know that,” I said. “But this is the choice I’m making.”

“I’ll make you some food and then I’ll leave,” my mother said. “Please, let me do that. Let me plan meals for a week. Okay?”

A woman in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney

A woman in the kitchen | Source: Midjourney

“Fine,” I said, grateful for the assistance even though I didn’t want to look at her.

In the days that followed our hospital return, I thought about Michael’s behavior closer. Of course he was having an affair. There were endless late nights and shared dinners with “colleagues over business.” It was clear now, that during those intimate hours, Michael and his boss were becoming closer.

I tried to contact Michael many times, but it always went to voicemail. Until one day, when he answered by accident. I could tell he had no intention of answering the phone because his voice was thick with sleep.

“Michael?” I asked.

“Elena?” he gasped.

“Is it true?” I asked.

A sleepy man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

A sleepy man talking on the phone | Source: Midjourney

“Yes. All of it,” he said. “I’m not coming back. I was excited to start my life with you and our baby, but I’ve grown to love Gretchen and our lives together. I have to give this a chance. And the least I can do is transfer the house to your name only. Gretchen’s lawyers will do it soon.”

I couldn’t believe my ears.

Michael never contacted me again, and I didn’t reach out either. He disappeared from my life as quickly as he had entered it. But at least my daughter didn’t meet him and get to experience any of that.

She was safely away from Michael.

A smiling woman holding her baby | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman holding her baby | Source: Midjourney

What would you have done?

If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you:

My MIL Thought I Was Cheating on Her Daughter and Tried to Teach Me a Harsh Lesson

When Mike plans a surprise weekend away for his and Steph’s anniversary, he hires an event planner to do most of the work. But when a nosy mother-in-law catches wind of Mike with another woman, things get out of control…

So, let me set a scene for you. It’s hilarious now, but it was anything but when it actually happened.

A man laughing | Source: Midjourney

A man laughing | Source: Midjourney

I’m Mike and I’ve been happily married to my wife, Steph, for ten years. We had a perfect little life with our eight-year-old son, Jack. Steph and I are the kind of couple that people envy.

As lame as it sounds, we have been completely in sync since we got married, finishing each other’s sentences, the whole deal.

Or at least, we were until my mother-in-law, Karen, got involved.

A happy couple | Source: Midjourney

A happy couple | Source: Midjourney

“I’m going to surprise Mom for our anniversary,” I told Jack when we were kicking a ball around outside one afternoon.

“Just don’t decide on having another kid,” Jack said, giggling as he spoke.

Well, I didn’t plan on that, but I did want to surprise Steph with a romantic weekend getaway to celebrate our anniversary.

A father and son playing with a ball | Source: Midjourney

A father and son playing with a ball | Source: Midjourney

I wanted everything to be perfect, so I hired an event planner to hold down the fort.

“Catherine,” I told her when I sat across from her in her office. “I need this weekend to be perfect. I know that it’s small scale compared to the events you plan, but I need it to be perfect for Steph. She deserves this.”

Catherine beamed, and I thought she actually looked quite beautiful. Not as beautiful as my wife, but lovely nonetheless.

A smiling woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman sitting at her desk | Source: Midjourney

She was great to work with too. She was professional, attentive, and yes, attractive.

This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.

The author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.

Men Mock Sister for Inheriting Old Barn, Money Falls at Her Feet as She Enters It – Story of the Day

After Alice’s grandfather passed away, she was shocked to learn that he had left everything to her brothers, even though he was closest to her. However, after paying a visit to the old barn she had inherited, she stumbled upon something that would change her and her family’s lives forever.

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Alice was the only daughter of her parents and had two older brothers, Jake and Ashton. Her parents both worked on cruise ships in their younger years, which often required them to travel a lot.

Alice’s parents wanted stability for their children, so they made an agreement with the children’s grandfather, Bill, agreeing that the children would stay with him when they were away at work. As a result, Alice and her brothers spent much time with their grandfather growing up.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

Alice loved her grandfather dearly, and over the years, they built a solid relationship. It was not a grandfather and granddaughter relationship, but they were actual friends. Even after Alice’s parents had found stay-home jobs in the country, Alice still visited Bill on a regular.

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Alice would discuss everything with her grandfather. He would tell her all his stories about his adventures over the years and his hard but joyful upbringing. Alice would tell him all of her dreams and the things she hoped to achieve in her life.

Unfortunately, Alice’s grandfather eventually passed on. This completely shattered Alice’s heart and brought her world tumbling. Losing her grandfather seemed to have changed everything for her.

Alice understood that he was of ripe age and had lived a long, fruitful life, and had passed away peacefully, but it didn’t make the pain any easier to bear. Her grandfather had become a friend she could count on, someone she could argue and laugh with.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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The time soon came for the family to address Bill’s will. Their grandfather had left most of everything to his grandchildren, so the meeting was between Alice, Jake, Ashton, and Bill’s lawyer, Lawrence. They all sat in Lawrence’s office as he explained who would get what.

“How could someone who brought such warmth and life suddenly be so cold and lifeless in a single moment?”

Jake and Ashton were eager to learn what they stood to gain as Lawrence read and explained their grandfather’s final wishes.

“Okay. So, what did he leave for us?” Jake asked impatiently.

“Yeah, what do I get?” Ashton added.

“Hold on. We’ll get there. I just want you to understand what your grandfather left behind. So, the estate of…” Lawrence started.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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Lawrence and her brother’s words faded into the background as Alice was engulfed by her thoughts. She sat there stoically, reliving the trauma of losing one of the people closest to her.

She remembered her mother’s bitter weeping when the doctor announced that her father was gone. She remembered kissing him for the last time and thinking, “How could someone who brought such warmth and life suddenly be so cold and lifeless in a single moment?”

Alice still had a lot to deal with, and Lawrence’s office was the last place she wanted to be. She still had so many questions. She was happy that her grandfather was at rest, but it didn’t make the pain any easier to digest.

“Something like what? You got left with peanuts, sis’. So much for all those summers at grandpa’s.”

“Alice, do you understand what I just said?” Lawrence asked, everyone now staring at her.

“Uhm… What?” Alice asked, snapping out and coming back to reality.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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“I said, the house will be going to your brothers. Bill left you the barn where his farm used to be. The farm itself was foreclosed, as you know. However, somehow your grandfather managed to make it independent from the property. So, you will have access to it even after it was repossessed,” Lawrence explained.

“Wow! A whole barn,” Jake said with a scoff as Ashton broke into laughter.

“Uhm… I strongly suggest you look into trying to salvage what you can from it. It won’t be much, but if you could at least make a deal with the new owners of the land, I’m sure you should be able to get something out of it,” Lawrence said empathetically.

“Something like what? You got left with peanuts, sis’. So much for all those summers at grandpa’s,” Ashton said as he and Jake erupted into laughter again.

Alice, unable to hold back her tears, grabbed her stuff and rushed out.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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“Oh, come on, Alice. We were just having a laugh,” Jake yelled as Alice exited.

Alice didn’t care much for Bill’s assets. What really tugged at her heartstrings was that this made her question her relationship with her grandfather. Her brothers had barely spent as much time with him or loved him as she did.

Alice’s grandfather also knew how financially strained she was compared to her brothers. She would have hoped he may have considered this as well. If Alice had inherited the house, she might have at least had a place to stay without paying rent.

The house wasn’t in the best of conditions. It was old and dilapidated. However, if Jake and Ashton worked on it, they could make a good profit from it. Alice, on the other hand, didn’t have much to work with.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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While she was slightly offended that she received practically nothing as the only person who sincerely loved her grandfather, she tried not to let it get the best of her.

“So, what do you say, guys? Can I stay at the house for a bit? Just until I get my situation sorted out.”

She was still rich in the memories she shared with her grandfather, and she couldn’t let material possessions get in the way of that. In the end, her grandfather showed Alice he loved her while he was alive; she didn’t need anything more than that.

Alice was a hard and determined worker. Her financial troubles came as a result of a failed business due to forces that were beyond her control. She was tirelessly working at getting back on her feet, but it seemed that all her efforts were in vain.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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She decided she would try to reach out to her brothers. Perhaps they would be open to letting her stay at the house until she got back on her feet. That way, she could save money on rent and try to put the pieces of her life together. So, she set out to meet with Jake and Ashton over lunch, and things did not go as she had hoped.

“So, what do you say, guys? Can I stay at the house for a bit? Just until I get my situation sorted out,” Alice asked, sitting across from her brothers at a diner.

“I don’t know, Alice. It seems to me like you might be asking for a lot,” Jake said.

“Yeah. Why don’t you crash at the barn until you’re good,” Ashton said, high-fiving his brother with a cheeky chuckle.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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“This is not a joke, guys. Please, I really need your help on this. Please!” Alice pleaded.

“Okay, okay. All jokes aside. This is what you can do. We’ll let you stay there. You’ll just have to pay rent,” Ashton said impassively.

“Pay rent? What’s the use of moving in there if I’ll be paying rent?” Alice

“I mean, we can try to give you a little family discount,” Jake said.

“It’s a good offer, little sis’,” Ashton added.

“Thank you for nothing, guys. So much for family,” Alice said, getting up and leaving.

“It’s either that or the barn Alice,” Jake yelled, chuckling as he and Ashton high-fived again.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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Alice realized that she truly was on her own now. She was growing weary of pondering on her financial troubles. She needed a break from it all. She needed to get away, just for a moment.

Alice decided she’d go and visit the barn. It had been forever since she was there. At one point, she and her grandfather spent so much time there.

As Alice drove up what used to be the farm’s driveway, she looked at the vast empty grasslands and wondered how things happened to change so quickly. At one point, this was a lively, rich, green farm teeming with crops. And now, just like her grandfather, it was lifeless and no longer there.

Alice pulled up to the barn and walked into it. It was in pretty bad condition. Alice reminisced on back when her grandfather’s farming business was still running.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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How she would play hide and seek with her grandfather in the barn, and it would be such a nuisance for his workers, but they could never complain because he was the boss.

Alice laughed to herself as she looked around, the memories flooding back. At that moment, it hit her. Her grandfather left her so much more than she could have ever asked for. All the memories, lessons, time, and love shared were more than any material possession he could have given her.

Alice realized that what actually made the barn valuable were the memories shared there. As she looked up to the hayloft, she saw one of her grandfather’s favorite hiding spots. She decided she’d go up and look for him just one last time.

Alice knew she was being a little silly, but it felt right. As she climbed the ladder, it began to shatter, throwing her to the ground and pulling down a part of the hayloft with it.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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Alice was a bit shaken up, but she wasn’t hurt. She recalled something falling from her grandfather’s hiding spot as the hayloft broke. So she went to look for it amongst the rubble. As she searched through the rubble, she came across a black bag.

Alice opened the bag and what was inside left her shocked. Inside the bag were wads of cash with a note on top of it. The note read:

“To my dear, sweet Alice. If you are reading this, then I guess you found me again. I was never good at hide and seek.

I left you this barn so you could rebuild my failed business. Unlike your brothers, I know you dearly loved this farm and me. This is your home. This money I have saved over the years should help you get the farm and business back up. I know you can do it.

Love,

Your grandpapa.”

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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When Alice finished reading the note, she was in tears. She wished she could have had more faith in her grandfather. However, she was also overjoyed at the opportunity she had been given. She finally knew that he wasn’t really gone. He was still with her. Otherwise, how would she have ever thought to seek him again?

That year Alice put all her efforts and the money she had been giving into reviving the farm. She bought back the farm, shut down her business, and moved to the farm. After many months of hard work, she finally earned her first earnings.

By the time the next harvest season came around, the farm was famous and highly successful. And when her brother’s heard about it, they were filled with regret. They had never actually taken time to work on the house they had inherited, and by the time they wanted to, it was too late.

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

For illustration purposes only. | Source: Getty Images

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The house was a dump, and they could only get peanuts for it. To make matters worse, things weren’t going too well for them in their careers either. They decided to ask Alice for help shamefully. However, unlike them, she gracefully provided for them and comforted them in their troubles.

What can we learn from this story?

  • Greed is not rewarded. Jake and Ashton’s greed ended up coming back to bite them. However, because of Alice’s kind heart, they were not left stranded in the end. She treated them how she wished they would have treated her.
  • Don’t let your circumstances determine who you are or will become. Alice could have easily treated her brothers how they had treated her, but she handled the situation with grace and mercy. She could have also easily given up on getting her life back together, but she kept resilient, hoping for better.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

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