My Husband Moved Back in with His Mom Because My Cough ‘Was Annoying’ While I Was Sick with Our Baby – So I Taught Him a Lesson

When I got sick, I finally saw a side to my husband that I didn’t like. He abandoned me and our newborn baby because he didn’t want to step up and be a good father and husband, so I played along. But I came out on top!

I’m 30, married to a man named Drew who’s 33, and we have a six-month-old baby girl named Sadie. She’s the light of my life—a smile like sunshine, 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 sickly woman | Source: Midjourney

A sickly woman | Source: Midjourney

Let me tell you what happened. Strap in, because it still feels like a fever dream, and not just because I had a fever when it all started. This all occurred about a month ago. I’d caught some brutal virus. Not COVID-19, not RSV, but something gnarly.

I mean, this thing came with body aches, chills, and a cough that made my ribs feel like they were being punched from the inside! The worst part? Sadie had just gotten over a cold herself, so I was already drained.

A cute baby | Source: Midjourney

A cute baby | Source: Midjourney

At this point, I was sleep-deprived, sick, and trying to take care of a baby who was still clingy from her own recovery. Strangely, Drew had been acting weird for weeks, even before I got sick. He was distant.

Always on his phone, chuckling at things he wouldn’t share. When I’d ask what was so funny, he’d just shrug and say, “It’s work stuff.” His fuse was short, too. He snapped over stupid things—the dishes in the sink and my forgetting to defrost the chicken.

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

An upset man | Source: Midjourney

My husband also kept commenting on how tired I looked. “You always seem exhausted,” he said one night while I rocked Sadie in my arms and tried to suppress a cough.

“Well, yeah, duh. I’m raising a human,” I replied with a tinge 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. Pick up the slack. Be the man I married.

Boy, was I wrong!

A sickly woman struggling with a baby | Source: Midjourney

A sickly woman struggling with a baby | Source: Midjourney

The night my fever hit 102.4, I could barely sit up! My hair was stuck to my forehead, my skin burned, 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, I 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 up. I NEED SLEEP. I think I’m gonna stay at my mom’s for a few nights.”

I actually laughed—not because it was funny, but because it was so absurd I thought he had to be joking!

He wasn’t.

A sickly woman laughing while holding her baby | Source: Midjourney

A sickly woman laughing while holding her baby | Source: Midjourney

He actually got up, packed a duffel bag, kissed Sadie on the head—not me—and walked out. All the while, I kept asking him, “Are you serious right now? You’re really leaving?” And he just nodded his head and said nothing.

He didn’t even bother asking how Sadie would be taken care of while I could barely stand! After he left, I sat on the couch holding her while she cried from being overtired 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

A woman holding a baby and texting | Source: Midjourney

“You’re seriously leaving me here sick and alone with the baby?” I had texted, still in disbelief.

“You’re the mom. You know how to handle this stuff better than me. I’d just get in the way. Plus, I’m exhausted and your cough is unbearable.”

I read that text five times and stared at it in shock! My hands were shaking, whether from the fever or the 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 much of a hindrance than staying and helping with OUR child while I was clearly sick!?

FINE!

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

An upset woman | Source: Midjourney

I somehow made it through the weekend. I barely ate. I cried in the shower when Sadie finally napped. I kept her alive on nothing but Tylenol, willpower, and instinct. And during that time, Drew didn’t check in, not once!

I couldn’t rely on family because they were hours away, and although my friends popped in and called now and then, they were too busy, out of town, or had some other reason. The whole time I was burning up in bed, one idea kept playing in my mind: I need to show this man what it feels like to be completely abandoned.

So I did.

A serious and determined woman | Source: Midjourney

A serious and determined woman | Source: Midjourney

I started devising my plan. I figured if he thought being sick and then abandoned wasn’t a big deal, I was going to give him an idea of what it felt like. By the time I felt somewhat human again, with no fever, still coughing but functional, I knew exactly what I was going to do.

So a week later, I texted him.

“Hey babe. I’m feeling much better now. You can come home.”

He didn’t hesitate. “Thank God! I’ve barely slept here. Mom’s dog snores and she keeps asking me to help with yard work.”

Yard work. Poor baby. Imagine that.

A happy man texting | Source: Midjourney

A happy man texting | Source: Midjourney

Ahead of his return, I cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, prepped Sadie’s bottles and food, and even made Drew’s favorite dinner, spaghetti carbonara with garlic bread from scratch. I showered, put on makeup for the first time in two weeks, and wore jeans that didn’t scream “I’ve been up every two hours with a baby.”

When he walked in, he looked around like everything was back to normal. He was smiling, looking relaxed, ate like a king, burped, and then collapsed onto the couch with his phone! He barely said a word to me about the week I had endured!

A happy man using his phone | Source: Midjourney

A happy man using his phone | Source: Midjourney

A few minutes into his relaxation time, I finally struck!

“Hey,” I said sweetly, “Can you hold Sadie for a sec? I need to grab something upstairs.”

“Sure,” he muttered after sighing and rolling his eyes. He kept scrolling TikTok with one hand and held her with the other.

I came down five minutes later with my small suitcase and my car keys. Sadie was smiling and babbling in his lap.

Noticing the movement, he blinked. “What’s that?”

“I booked a weekend spa retreat,” I said, calm as can be. “Massage, facial, room service. I just need some rest.”

He sat up, confused. “Wait, you’re going now?!”

A shocked man holding a baby | Source: Midjourney

A shocked man holding a baby | Source: Midjourney

“Yep. Just two nights. I left instructions. Bottles are labeled and her toys are there. Diapers and wipes are stocked. Emergency numbers are on the fridge. I got lots of groceries. Everything’s good. Unlike you, I actually planned ahead for you. Besides, you’re the dad. You know how to handle this stuff.”

“Claire, I don’t know what to—” he started.

I raised a hand. “No, no. Your words last week, remember? ‘You’re the mom. You know how to handle this stuff better than me.’ Now it’s your turn.”

A woman leaving with luggage | Source: Midjourney

A woman leaving with luggage | Source: Midjourney

He seemed gobsmacked for a few seconds before he said, “Wait—Claire, c’mon. You can’t just—”

“I can. I am. You abandoned me when I needed you most. So now you’ll see what it’s like to carry everything alone. Don’t call unless it’s a real emergency. And no pawning her off on your mom. You’re the dad. Figure it out.”

He just stared at me with his eyes wide. I don’t think he was processing what was happening.

A shocked man | Source: Midjourney

A shocked man | Source: Midjourney

“You wanted sleep? Good luck getting any. Bye-bye, 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, tranquil, and 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 issue, Drew could get in touch with his mother or take Sadie to the hospital. I even ignored the first wave of panicked voicemails and FaceTime attempts.

A woman relaxing at a spa | Source: Midjourney

A woman relaxing at a spa | Source: Midjourney

Instead, I had a 90-minute massage, took naps, read by the fireplace, got a pedicure, and watched trashy reality shows in a fluffy robe. Bliss!

Saturday? Slept in until 9 a.m., got a facial, and ate a warm croissant while reading a book by the fire.

He did call twice. Left two voicemails. One was mild panic. The other was an attempt to guilt-trip me.

“Claire, Sadie won’t nap. I don’t know how you do this. She spit up on me twice. Please call back.”

I didn’t.

A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney

A woman using her phone | Source: Midjourney

But I did FaceTime that evening because, despite everything, I missed my daughter, and unlike him, I still really loved him.

When the screen lit up, Drew looked like he’d aged 10 years. Sadie was in his arms, hair a mess, chewing on his hoodie string. Her diaper looked… full.

“Hey, Sadie-bug,” I said, my voice softening. “Mommy misses you.”

She smiled. Reached for the screen. Drew looked like he wanted 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

A woman on her phone | Source: Midjourney

Sunday evening, I came home to a war zone! Toys everywhere. Dirty bottles in the sink. Drew was still in the same shirt from the day before, his eyes sunken, hair sticking up like a cartoon scientist!

Sadie squealed and giggled when she saw me! I scooped her up and kissed her all over! She smelled like baby wipes and panic, but was fine, maybe a little clingy.

A happy woman carrying her child | Source: Midjourney

A happy woman carrying her child | Source: Midjourney

Drew just looked at me like he was seeing a goddess with infinite powers—exhausted and ashamed.

“I get it now,” he whispered. “I really do.”

“Do you?” I asked.

He nodded. “I messed up.”

I pulled out a folded paper from my purse and placed it on the table. Don’t get excited, it wasn’t divorce papers, at least, not yet. He looked down like a deer caught in headlights, probably thinking the papers were the end of our marriage.

A shocked man looking at a list | Source: Midjourney

A shocked man looking at a list | Source: Midjourney

But it was a list. A schedule. Morning duties, nighttime feedings, grocery runs, laundry, baths. His name was next to half of them.

“You don’t get to tap out anymore,” I told him. “I need a partner. Not a third child.”

He nodded, slowly. “Okay. I’m in.”

To his credit, he has been trying. He wakes up when Sadie cries at night. He makes her bottles and finally managed to change her diaper without gagging! He even learned to swaddle her without watching a tutorial!

A happy man holding his swaddled child | Source: Midjourney

A happy man holding his swaddled child | Source: Midjourney

But I’m not stupid. I’m not rushing to forgive him. I’m still watching. Still deciding.

But at least now, he knows: love doesn’t mean allowing someone to walk all over you, and I’m not the type 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

A determined woman | Source: Midjourney

In the following story, a woman was thrilled when her boyfriend proposed but, his mother quickly shut down any idea of them actually getting married. To cut a long story short, the jilted woman didn’t take the slight lying down and got revenge in the best way possible!

Priest Conducting Funeral Service for Wealthy Woman Leaned over Her Coffin – He Was Stunned to the Core by What He Saw

When Father Michael is conducting a funeral service for a woman, he notices an oddly shaped birthmark on her neck, exactly like his own. What comes next is a journey of self-discovery through the grieving process. Will Father Michael get the answers he so desperately wants to find?

The cathedral was silent, veiled in the heavy air of loss. Shadows from towering candles flickered along the marble floor as mourners dressed in black filled the pews, their heads bowed in reverence.

A funeral in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney

A funeral in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney

Eleanor, known throughout the community as a generous but reserved woman, had left behind both a sizable fortune and an enduring mystery.

Father Michael took a deep breath, the weight of yet another funeral pressing on him as he approached her casket. He’d never met Eleanor in person, yet something about her presence had always seemed familiar, almost hauntingly so.

As he moved closer, a strange compulsion stopped him. It was something that he couldn’t explain.

A priest in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney

A priest in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney

He paused, then leaned in, bowing his head to begin the prayer. But as he did, his gaze drifted to her neck, and he froze.

Just behind her ear, a small, purplish birthmark stood out against her pale skin. It was almost shaped like a plum, the same shape and color as the one he had carried his whole life.

“How?” he muttered. “What does this mean?”

A woman in a casket | Source: Midjourney

A woman in a casket | Source: Midjourney

A chill shot through him, his hand reaching up to press against his neck. He was well aware that everyone was looking at him, but still, he couldn’t help himself.

This is impossible, he thought.

His heart hammered as memories flooded him, half-forgotten sounds and incidents from his years in the orphanage, from the searches for any record of his parents. The longing he’d held onto for so long stirred within him, demanding answers.

A little boy standing in a room | Source: Midjourney

A little boy standing in a room | Source: Midjourney

Is there a connection between Eleanor and me? he wondered.

After the service, as the organ played its final verse, the mourners began to disperse, and Father Michael approached Eleanor’s children. They were all clustered near the altar, as her daughters decided who was taking home the floral bouquets.

His request hung on his lips like a prayer he wasn’t sure he was ready to speak.

A close up of a priest | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a priest | Source: Midjourney

“I’m sorry for interrupting,” he said. “But I… I need to know something.”

“Of course, Father,” Jason, the youngest son, said. “Whatever you need.”

“I just wanted to know if there’s any chance that Eleanor… if she might have had a child. Another child, I mean. Years ago. Many years ago?”

Eleanor’s eldest son, Mark, frowned deeply, exchanging a wary glance with his siblings.

A frowning man | Source: Midjourney

A frowning man | Source: Midjourney

“I’m sorry, Father, but what are you saying?” he asked. “Do you know something we don’t?”

“Did our mother come to you in confidence? Was there a confessional?” one of the daughters asked.

Father Michael took a deep breath and swallowed his nerves.

A close up of a priest | Source: Midjourney

A close up of a priest | Source: Midjourney

“I don’t know,” he said, looking at Mark. “And no, your mother didn’t come to confessional. But I have reason to believe that it is true… If… if I could request a DNA test, just to put this to rest, I would be grateful.”

A wave of discomfort swept over the group, some of them shifting uncomfortably. Mark’s face hardened, skepticism clearly written all over.

“With all due respect, Father, this sounds preposterous. Trust me, our mother was an upstanding woman. She would have told us if something like this were true.”

A woman looking surprised | Source: Midjourney

A woman looking surprised | Source: Midjourney

Father Michael shifted on his feet.

“I understand that,” he said. “It’s just that Eleanor could have had her child very young, and while she wouldn’t have done anything wrong by allowing that child to be adopted, the child still exists.”

Father Michael knew he was speaking as a priest, but he couldn’t turn it off. He had been trained to speak softly and objectively. And even now, he didn’t know how to fight for this DNA test.

A priest looking uncertain | Source: Midjourney

A priest looking uncertain | Source: Midjourney

Instead, he nodded and began to back away before anything else happened.

“Wait,” Anna, Eleanor’s youngest daughter, said. She stepped forward, her gaze soft as she studied him.

“If you believe that it could be true, then I’ll do the test. I’d want answers, too. Are you the child?”

“I could be,” Father Michael said. “It’s that birthmark on her neck. I have it, too. And when I was at the orphanage, the old woman who was in charge of the kitchen said that all she could remember of my mother was the birthmark on her neck.”

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling woman | Source: Midjourney

A week crawled by, and each day, Father Michael found himself tossing in his bed as he imagined what it would mean if it were true. Then, one morning, an envelope arrived at the rectory. He tore it open, barely able to see through his shaking hands as he read the results.

It was a match.

Days later, Father Michael sat alone in the rectory. Since the results had come out, he had visited Eleanor’s family, hoping they would be willing to listen now the results were concrete information.

DNA testing | Source: Midjourney

DNA testing | Source: Midjourney

Eleanor’s daughters, his half-sisters, were ready to welcome him into the family, but the brothers didn’t want anything to do with him. It was as though having a new “big brother” was too threatening for them.

He didn’t know what else to do. He wasn’t going to fight for a way into their lives and their family. He wasn’t going to push himself in. But it did help that he knew where he belonged now.

Except… the one person with all the answers wasn’t around anymore.

A priest sitting in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney

A priest sitting in a cathedral | Source: Midjourney

“Father Michael?” an elderly woman’s soft voice brought him back to the present. “I’m Margaret, a friend of your mother. I was Eleanor’s best friend. Her daughter, Anna, told me everything when I went to have tea with them.”

“How can I help you?” he asked.

Her words struck him like a blow. Your mother. He motioned for her to come in, barely able to speak as they settled into chairs across from each other.

An elderly woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

An elderly woman standing in a doorway | Source: Midjourney

Margaret took a deep breath, her eyes misting over.

“Father,” she said. “Eleanor and I were close, closer than sisters, even. She told me things that no one else knew.”

He leaned forward, his heart pounding.

“Please, I need to know everything. I spent my entire life wondering where I came from.”

A priest sitting in an office | Source: Midjourney

A priest sitting in an office | Source: Midjourney

Margaret gave a sad smile.

“She was always so careful, our Eleanor. Always afraid of what people would think. But one summer, she met a man, a traveler, a free spirit. He was very different from who we were back then. And she said that he was like no one she’d ever met.”

Father Michael closed his eyes, imagining his mother as a young woman, full of life, swept away by the prospect of love. He didn’t speak; he was afraid that if he interrupted, the truth would slip through his fingers.

A smiling young couple | Source: Midjourney

A smiling young couple | Source: Midjourney

“She didn’t even tell me at first,” Margaret continued. “When she found out she was pregnant, she was terrified. Her family had expectations. A child born out of wedlock would have ruined her. So, she concocted this story, and she told everyone that she was leaving for the North Pole, studying penguins of all things.”

The old woman chuckled and sighed.

“I thought it was absurd, but she left. She had you in secret and arranged for you to be taken to the orphanage.”

A pregnant woman holding her belly | Source: Midjourney

A pregnant woman holding her belly | Source: Midjourney

Father Michael’s throat tightened, emotions too tangled up to unravel.

“She gave me away to protect her reputation?” he asked.

“Oh no, Father,” she said. “It wasn’t about reputation, it was about survival. Eleanor loved you. I knew that. She would check in at the orphanage from time to time.”

“She asked about me?” he asked.

The exterior of a building | Source: Midjourney

The exterior of a building | Source: Midjourney

“Oh, yes,” Margaret said, smiling. “She kept track, as best she could. She couldn’t be in your life, but she made sure you were safe.”

Father Michael’s heart ached.

“I spent my life thinking that she’d abandoned me. And all this time, she… she was watching from a distance?”

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

A smiling older woman | Source: Midjourney

“She didn’t forget you. It broke her heart, Father. She loved you in her own, quiet way. She just had to do this because it was either this or… who knows what your grandfather would have done.”

She’d loved him, even if he’d never felt it, even if she’d never told him herself.

In the weeks that followed, Eleanor’s family decided to embrace Father Michael with cautious but open arms. Anna became a steady presence at the rectory, often stopping by with scones or muffins and ever-ready to fill him in on family stories, recounting memories of Eleanor.

A basket of muffins | Source: Midjourney

A basket of muffins | Source: Midjourney

One afternoon, as Father Michael sat in his office, Anna came by with a small, worn photo album.

“I thought you might want this,” she said, placing it in his hands. “It’s… all the photos we have of Mom. Maybe they’ll help you piece her together.”

An old album on a table | Source: Midjourney

An old album on a table | Source: Midjourney

The next day, Father Michael found himself at Eleanor’s grave.

“I forgive you,” he said. “And I thank you for watching over me.”

Flowers on a grave | Source: Midjourney

Flowers on a grave | Source: Midjourney

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

A Homeless Man Approached Me and Showed Me a Birthmark on His Neck Identical to Mine

I never imagined a quick lunch break would lead me to the man who might be my father — a homeless stranger with the same birthmark as mine. As we wait for the DNA test result that could change everything, I can’t shake the feeling that my life is about to take a turn I never saw coming.

I stepped out of the office, loosening my tie as I hit the street. The sun was glaring, and the city buzzed around me, but all I could think about was grabbing a quick bite before my afternoon meetings. Work was nonstop these days, but that’s what comes with the territory. I’ve worked too hard to get here to complain now.

Man walking in the city | Source: Pexels

Man walking in the city | Source: Pexels

Growing up in that old trailer with Mom, life wasn’t easy. We didn’t have much, but she made sure we had enough. Mom, Stacey, was a force of nature.

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.

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