Pregnancy is supposed to be a magical time—a journey filled with excitement, love, and anticipation. That’s what I had always imagined. But for me, it became a nightmare.
The man who once worshipped me, who had held my hands with so much love and tenderness, turned into someone I barely recognized. My husband, Arnie, changed the moment I became pregnant. He mocked my body, ignored my pain, and treated me as if I were worthless. And in the end, he left me for someone else, thinking he had won.
But what he didn’t know was that I had a plan. And when the time came, he never saw it coming.
Before my pregnancy, Arnie was the perfect husband. He would surprise me with flowers, run his fingers through my hair as we watched TV, and whisper sweet words that made my heart melt. We had been trying for a baby for months, and when I finally held that positive pregnancy test in my hands, I couldn’t wait to tell him.
“Arnie, we’re going to be parents!” I had said, my voice shaking with joy.
His eyes lit up, and he pulled me into his arms, lifting me off my feet. “Jess, this is the best news ever! We’re going to have a little one!” He had grinned so wide, I thought his face might split in half.
But that happiness didn’t last.
The moment my body started changing, so did Arnie. It started with little remarks.
“You could at least dress better instead of walking around in pajamas all day,” he muttered one morning as he grabbed his coffee.
I had spent the entire night battling morning sickness, barely able to keep anything down. My energy was drained. But did he care? No.
Then, the complaints began. “You just lie around all day. This house is a mess,” he grumbled one evening, throwing his shoes across the room.
I swallowed hard. “Arnie, I feel nauseous all the time. My back is killing me. I can barely stand without feeling dizzy.”
“You always have an excuse,” he scoffed, rolling his eyes.
I started noticing the late nights. The constant texting. The smell of a different perfume on his shirts. But every time I asked, he brushed it off. “It’s just work, Jess. Don’t be paranoid.”
Then came the night that shattered me.
I was eight months pregnant. My belly was massive, my feet swollen, and breathing felt like a struggle. Arnie came home late again, reeking of perfume that wasn’t mine.
“Where have you been?” I asked, my voice weak.
Arnie didn’t even look at me. He tossed his keys on the table and shrugged. “None of your business.”
Then he walked into the kitchen and let out an angry shout. “JESSICA!”
I flinched. My heart pounded. Slowly, I forced myself up from the couch, my back screaming in protest. I gripped the armrest for support and waddled toward the kitchen.
“What is it?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He stood by the fridge, glaring at me. “Where’s dinner?”
I swallowed hard. “I tried, but every time I smell food, I start throwing up again.”
Arnie rolled his eyes. “Could you at least have washed the dishes? This place is disgusting! No food. No clean plates. What do you even do all day?”
Tears burned my eyes. “Arnie, I’m sorry. I—”
“My sister was pregnant,” he cut me off. “She cooked. She cleaned. She still looked good. And she never ignored her husband in bed!”
His words were like a knife to my heart. “Pregnancy isn’t the same for everyone. I’m doing my best.”
“Your best isn’t enough,” he snapped before storming out. The front door slammed behind him.
That night, I couldn’t sleep. Where had he gone? Was he with someone else? My thoughts tormented me until my phone buzzed with a message.
He’s here. He needed space.
His mother.
A wave of relief washed over me. At least he wasn’t with another woman. Not yet.
But when he came back, it was worse. He looked at me with resentment. Every word he spoke was sharp, designed to wound me. And then, one evening, everything changed.
Arnie was in the shower. His phone, which he never left unattended, buzzed on the nightstand. I hesitated for only a second before picking it up.
A dating app. Dozens of messages. Pictures. Women he had been seeing.
My stomach dropped. My hands trembled. I clutched my belly protectively. I had to leave. But I needed a plan.
The next day, I started putting it into motion.
Two weeks later, I went into labor. And just as I was about to give birth, Arnie walked through the door—with another woman.
“Who is this?!” I gasped, my voice shaking.
Arnie smirked and wrapped an arm around the young woman beside him. “This is Stacy, my girlfriend.”
My world crumbled.
“WHAT?!” I screamed, my breath coming in short gasps.
“You heard me.” He pulled a folder from under his arm and tossed it onto the table. “Here are the divorce papers. I’m done with you.”
“And our baby?” I whispered.
He shrugged. “I don’t want you or your kid.”
Tears welled in my eyes, but I refused to let him break me. Without hesitation, I grabbed the pen and signed the papers.
Arnie thought he had won. He had no idea I had set a trap for him.
Months later, I stood in my new home with my baby, Riley, in my arms when there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Stacy standing there.
“It’s over. Your plan worked,” she said.
A slow smile spread across my face. “Finally.”
She stepped inside. “He signed everything over without a second thought. The house. The accounts. He never even read the papers.”
“He was never the sharpest tool,” I smirked. “He just wanted to be with you so badly.”
Stacy chuckled. “Well, congratulations. It’s all yours now.”
I took back everything Arnie had tried to take from me.
And then, one evening, I heard shouting outside. I stepped onto the porch and saw Arnie, disheveled and desperate.
“Stacy! Come back to me! I have nothing left!” he begged.
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. “Poor thing.”
Arnie turned to me, his eyes filled with fury. “What are YOU doing here?!”
I smiled. “Didn’t expect this, did you? I tricked you. Stacy was part of my plan all along.”
His face turned red. “You set me up?!”
I shrugged. “No, Arnie. Your own greed and ego set you up. I just let you destroy yourself.”
He fell to his knees. “Jessica, please. I’ll be better.”
I smirked. “No.”
I turned and walked back inside, locking the door behind me. I held Riley close, my heart full of love.
I had won. And this time, there was no going back.
