My Mil Called Me A “fruitless Tree” And Forced A Divorce. My Ceo Husband Handed Me $5m And Kicked Me Out In The Rain. Little Do They Know, I’m Carrying His Twins. Should I Disappear Forever?

The Neighbor

Two weeks later, my children and I were discharged. Instead of going to my parents’ house or hiring help, I decided to take care of them myself in the apartment. I wanted to do everything with my own hands, as if to make up for the days they spent alone in the incubator.

But taking care of one newborn is already difficult, let alone two premature ones. Everything was chaos. James, as the biological father, made full use of his visitation rights. Every morning he would arrive early laden with nutritious food and move around the house like an expert nanny. From a CEO used to signing million-dollar documents, he was now clumsily changing diapers and holding bottles with inexperienced hands.

One time while I, exhausted, was trying to get the older one to sleep, the younger one woke up crying with hunger. James rushed to prepare the bottle but shook it so hard that milk splattered all over his expensive suit, leaving his face dusted with white powder. The scene made me feel a mixture of irritation and amusement. I tried to get up to do it myself but he insisted, “Rest, I’ve got this. I saw it on the internet. It’s easy.”

The result was that 5 minutes later the baby baptized him with a stream of urine that soaked his shirt. James stood petrified with the child in his arms, not knowing what to do. The baby giggled while the CEO father had an expression of total defeat. “Well, what a welcome gift, my son. A bit salty, don’t you think?”

I watched him from the bed as he clumsily cleaned up the mess and an indescribable emotion arose in me. This man who previously wouldn’t even wash a plate was now willing to get dirty and exhausted for his children. His persistence and shamelessness were making my defenses crumble. My voice sounded less cold. “Go get changed, you stink. And don’t come tomorrow, I can manage on my own.”

James looked up and smiled. “It’s okay, I brought a change of clothes. I’m not leaving tonight. I’ll sleep on the sofa and take care of the babies so you can rest. Look at you, you have raccoon eyes.”

With that, he started washing a towel, indirectly ignoring my hint. I watched his broad back hunched over the sink and suddenly I felt a strange peace.

That night I woke up thirsty. When I went into the living room, I saw James asleep on the sofa, one hand still on the children’s crib, the other holding a bottle. The dim nightlight illuminated his tired but serene face. I watched him in silence for a while, wondering if people could really change for love, or if this was just a fleeting remorse. Whatever the answer, at least in that moment I no longer felt alone in the tough battle of raising my children.

Time flew and in the blink of an eye the boys turned 6 months old. From tiny red creatures, my two princes were now chubby fair-skinned babies with dark eyes identical to their father’s. The older one was named Leo; he was calm and smiley. The younger one, Hugo, was a little tornado always rolling and moving. My small home was always filled with laughter and babbling.

James continued to play his role as a part-time father. He didn’t miss any important milestones. The day Leo learned to roll over, he shouted with joy and video-called his entire office to show off. The day Hugo got his first tooth, he bought a huge cake to celebrate even though the baby only drank milk. His presence in the house became so natural that sometimes I forgot we were divorced.

One afternoon while I was preparing baby food, I heard the sound of drills in the apartment next door. I remembered it had been empty since the incident where James bought the entire floor to keep me curious. I opened the door and saw workers moving in furniture, and directing the operation was, of course, James, covered in dust and with a blueprint in hand.

Seeing me, he grinned from ear to ear and pointed to the open door. “Hello neighbor! I just bought this place. I’m going to knock down the wall to make a connecting door to yours for more convenience. From now on I’m moving in here. If you feel unwell at night or need anything, you just have to shout and I’ll come running.”

I stood frozen not knowing whether to laugh or cry at his audacity. I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “What new trick is this? The CEO of a corporation leaving a multi-million dollar mansion to live in a small apartment? Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you?”

James came closer. His gaze was so tender and sincere that my heart skipped a beat. He whispered, “A huge mansion without my wife and children is just an empty house. Eleanor, this place is small but my children’s laughter is here, you’re here. I don’t need appearances, I just need to be near you. I promise not to disturb your private life. I just want to be a good neighbor, a good father.”

The sincerity in his words disarmed me. I sighed, turned and went back inside leaving a sentence hanging in the air. “As you wish. But don’t make noise. If my children wake up because of your drilling, you’ll have to deal with me.”

James laughed behind me. “At your command boss! Oh sorry, at your command neighbor!”

From that day on my life had a very special neighbor. He didn’t demand my forgiveness, he didn’t pressure me to come back. He just quietly took care of me, protected me. Every morning a bag with breakfast hung on my door. Every night if a baby cried he would run over half asleep to rock him. The distance between our apartments was just a wall, but the distance in my heart seemed to be slowly filling up with his persistence.