My Husband Left Me When I Was 8 Months Pregnant For My Best Friend Of 20 Years. He Just Crawled Back After Finding Out Her Baby Isn’t Even His. Should I Let My Mom Throw Another Bucket Of Water On Him?

Shadows of Suspicion

But lately, everything was different. Almost daily, I would receive a text from him saying he had to work overtime on a team project. The nights he spent out, which used to be one a week, were now three or four.

One day, when he came home late, I cautiously asked, “Have you had dinner? Where did you sleep last night?”

James loosened his tie and sighed. “Stop nagging, please. I’m exhausted.”

I went to the kitchen, got a glass of water, and just stood there for a long time. I could only feel my fingertips growing cold. But there were more strange things. His phone, which he used to leave lying on the couch, he now took with him even to the bathroom.

One night while he was showering, I tried to look at his phone, but the passcode had been changed.

“Why did you change the passcode?”

“We had a security training at the company. They told us to change it periodically. But you, why are you looking at my phone?” he asked, irritated,.

While sorting the laundry, I found expensive lingerie that I didn’t recognize. In the bathroom, there was also a bottle of unfamiliar perfume, a sweet and intense scent. Suddenly, I saw my reflection in the mirror, my face swollen from pregnancy, my lifeless hair.

Was James dressing up more because he was disgusted with my current appearance? I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I held them back.

One night, sitting alone on the sofa in the empty living room, watching TV without seeing it, a notification from Instagram made my phone buzz. Sarah, my high school classmate and friend of 20 years, had just posted a photo.

It was an image of two intertwined hands, one of a man and one of a woman, with matching rings. Only the hands were visible, so you couldn’t tell who he was. Last year, she had a tough time after breaking up with her boyfriend, but it seemed she had met someone new.

I called her. “Sarah, do you have a new boyfriend?”

“Yes, I’ve met someone wonderful. I think we’ll get married soon.”,

“Wow, congratulations! We have to get together so you can tell me all about it and introduce me.”

“Of course, we’ll see. See you soon. Hey Emily, I’m a little busy right now. I’ll call you later, okay?” And she hung up.

Although it was a brief conversation, I was happy that Sarah was happy again. However, it seemed a bit strange that she, being so talkative, hung up in such a hurry. I had a strange feeling, but I quickly dismissed it.

A Financial Shock

The next day, coming back from the grocery store, I found a credit card statement in the mailbox. $900 at a high-end maternity boutique and $2,500 at a luxury department store. When had I bought that? It wasn’t like me to spend like that.

The sum exceeded $3,000 in a single month. Maternity clothes, I read. What if James was preparing a surprise for me? Perhaps he felt guilty for coming home late lately and for being so distant, and he had bought me a gift.

The disappointment I felt transformed into a small spark of hope. I felt the baby kick in my belly and, stroking my stomach, I whispered, “It seems daddy has a gift for us.”,

Excited, I called James. “Honey, will you be home soon? We could go out for a nice dinner tonight.”

“I have to work late tonight. I don’t know what time I’ll be done. Don’t wait up for me, just go to bed.”

As night fell on the empty house, anxiety took hold of me again. Lying alone in bed with the other side empty, I stroked my belly and told myself, “Dad is just very busy right now, that’s all. When our baby is born, he’ll surely change.”

Clinging to that idea, I fell asleep. A few days later, while taking out the trash in the morning, I opened the mailbox. Usually, it was just junk mail, but that day I found a thick envelope. On the front, in bold letters: Default Notice Demand for Payment.

My heart skipped a beat. With trembling hands, I opened the envelope. Inside was a detailed list: loan date, amount, interest rate, outstanding balance. The loan amount was $350,000. He was 3 months behind on the interest payments.