When Elena went to the hospital to have her and Michael’s first baby, she never imagined she’d go through it alone. As she lay in her hospital bed, her mother by her side, there was no sign of Michael. He was simply missing.

After being discharged, Elena went home, hoping to find Michael there with an explanation. Instead, she found silence and a note from Michael that blamed her mother for his disappearance. Where was Michael, and what had happened?

“I always thought the happiest day of my life was marrying Michael,” Elena reflected. “But I knew the day our baby was born would be even better.”

But the day that should have been filled with joy turned into a nightmare. Michael had promised he would be there, holding her hand as they welcomed their baby. They had planned every detail together, from the music in the delivery room to the tiny hat he would place on their baby’s head.

Yet, when the time came, Michael was nowhere to be found.

Nurses gave sympathetic smiles and said he was probably just delayed, but with every minute, Elena’s anxiety grew. She had been calling him for hours and leaving desperate voicemails, but he didn’t respond. As her contractions got stronger, so did her fear. Was she really going to go through this alone? What could have possibly kept him away?

When their daughter Emily finally arrived, Elena was overwhelmed with joy, but it was marred by Michael’s absence. Her mother stayed with her, holding her hand where Michael should have been, but even she couldn’t hide her worry. And if she knew anything, she wasn’t sharing.

“Just focus on Emily now,” her mother advised gently. “Your body needs rest.”

“I know,” Elena replied, trying to hide her concern. “But I can’t stop worrying.”

Two days later, when Elena was discharged from the hospital, her mother helped her carry Emily to the car. They drove home in silence, Elena’s mind racing with possible explanations for Michael’s absence. Maybe he had an accident, or something happened at work. The scenarios seemed endless.

But nothing could prepare her for what awaited at home.

As she pushed open the door, she half-expected Michael to be there with an excuse that she might forgive after seeing his face.

“Michael?” she called out, her voice echoing in the empty rooms. “Michael, are you here?”

There was no answer.

Ignoring her mother’s advice to keep quiet so Emily could sleep, Elena rushed upstairs to check the nursery. They had spent weeks making it perfect, and she hoped to find Michael there waiting for them. But when she opened the door, her breath caught in her throat.

The room was nearly empty. The crib was still there, but all the decorations, stuffed animals, baby clothes, and blankets they had chosen together were gone. The only thing left was a single piece of paper neatly placed inside the crib.

The note read:

“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.”

Elena stared at the note, trying to make sense of it. What did Michael mean? Why did he have to leave? And what did her mother have to do with this?

“Mom!” she shouted, rushing down the stairs despite the pain in her postpartum body. She clutched the note as she confronted her mother, who was sitting with a sleeping Emily in her arms.

“What is this?” Elena demanded, shoving the note toward her. “What did you do? Where is my husband?”

Her mother’s eyes were heavy, and Elena saw a flicker of guilt, maybe even regret.

“I didn’t want you to find out this way,” her mother said quietly.

“Find out what?” Elena nearly screamed, her exhaustion turning her desperation into anger. “What are you talking about?”

Her mother took a deep breath, preparing to reveal a painful truth.

“I found out something about Michael,” she said. “It was too big to keep to myself. He needed to know that I knew.”

“Knew what? Stop speaking in riddles!” Elena shouted, closing her eyes as exhaustion overwhelmed her.

“He’s been having an affair,” her mother said gently but firmly. “With someone from his office. I confronted him, and he admitted it. He’s been seeing his boss—a woman much wealthier than we could ever dream. She’s been offering him things he couldn’t refuse.”

The words hit Elena like a punch to the gut, and she had to sit down quickly. “No, Mom,” she whispered. “That can’t be true. Michael wouldn’t do that to us. He loves me! He was so excited about our baby.”

“I wish it weren’t true,” her mother said softly. “I overheard him making plans to meet her at a motel. I told him he had to tell you everything or leave for good. If he was willing to be honest, he still had some decency left. But this note… it shows he chose to leave.”

Elena didn’t want to believe her mother. She wanted to believe there was more to the story. How could her mother have stayed by her side during labor, knowing this truth? How could she keep this from her?

Then Elena remembered how her mother had never truly liked Michael. She had tolerated him because he took care of Elena, but their relationship was always strained. Had her mother done something to drive him away?

“Really, Elena?” her mother cried, tears welling up. “You think I would hurt you like that? That I’d jeopardize your happiness? Michael made his own choices, and I tried to protect you. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

This couldn’t be happening. The man Elena trusted with her life had betrayed her, and her mother had taken away her chance to confront him and fix things.

“You shouldn’t have taken that choice away from me,” Elena said, her voice trembling. “You should have let me decide.”

Her mother reached out and gripped Elena’s hand tightly.

“I’m so sorry, Elena,” she said. “I only wanted to protect you. I didn’t want you to suffer any more than you already have. This pregnancy was hard enough on you.”

Her mother seemed sincere, but Elena’s anger was still strong. Her world had been turned upside down in an instant. Her husband was gone, probably off with his mistress. Her mother had betrayed her trust. And now, she was left alone with a newborn and a broken heart.

Emily began to cry, her little face scrunching up in distress.

“She’s hungry,” her mother said softly. “Maybe one day, when Emily needs you to protect her more than make choices for her, you’ll understand why I did what I did.”

Elena nodded, unable to trust herself to speak as she prepared to feed her baby.

“I’m sure you’re right, Mom,” she finally said. “But I need some space for now. I need to adjust to being a single parent.”

“You’re not alone, Elena,” her mother insisted. “Michael may have left, but I’m still here. I’ll support you and love you, and I’ll be there for Emily too.”

“I know,” Elena replied softly. “But this is the choice I’m making.”

“Let me at least make you some food before I go,” her mother offered. “Let me help you plan meals for the week. Please.”

Elena agreed, grateful for the help, even though she couldn’t bear to look at her mother.

In the days that followed, Elena replayed Michael’s behavior in her mind. Of course, he had been having an affair. The late nights, the dinners with “colleagues”—it all made sense now. She tried calling him several times, but it always went to voicemail. Until one day, he accidentally answered, his voice thick with sleep.

“Michael?” Elena asked.

“Elena?” he gasped, surprised.

“Is it true?” she asked, her voice trembling.

“Yes,” he admitted. “It’s all true. I’m not coming back. I loved the idea of starting a life with you and our baby, but I’ve grown to love Gretchen and the life we have together. I have to give this a chance. I’ll transfer the house to your name. Gretchen’s lawyers will handle it.”

Elena couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

Michael never contacted her again, and she didn’t reach out either. He disappeared from her life as quickly as he had entered it. At least her daughter would never have to meet him or feel the pain he caused.

She was safe from Michael, and for that, Elena was grateful.