My husband spent my inheritance on a $20 million condo for his parents while I was in labor. Result!
The Unexpected Move
I recently purchased a high-rise condominium located conveniently right opposite the train station. Speaking of unexpected topics, why did he suddenly start talking about this? He did buy it, after all, and it’s truly impressive.
The view from the condominium is stunning, and the rooms are impeccably clean. However, I’m a bit lost here. It’s shocking to discover that he secretly bought this luxurious condo while I was visiting my parents, can you believe it?
Where did he even get the money for such a purchase? Amidst my shock, he nonchalantly mentioned that he made the down payment with money from selling our previous place. He even declared he’d be moving in with his parents in their lovely home, leaving no room for me.
He chose to live with his parents without discussing it with me and abruptly asked me to leave. I was so stunned I couldn’t find the words to respond. My name is Carol, and I am a 31-year-old housewife, currently eight months pregnant.
The anticipation of meeting my baby grows every day. My husband, Terry, is two years my senior at 33, and he has a career with a prominent company. We’ve been married for four years, and I was overjoyed to finally become pregnant after some difficulties with conception.
However, I’m also quite nervous about experiencing childbirth for the first time. To find some peace and relaxation during this tense time, I often visit my in-law’s house. On one such visit, Terry’s sister-in-law, Madison, asked me:
“Carol, you’re about to have a baby soon, huh? What do you think motherhood will be like?”
“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real to me yet.”
Madison is actually the wife of Terry’s brother and one of the main reasons I enjoy visiting my in-laws. While I don’t really communicate with my brother-in-law, Madison and I have grown close.
She’s also a housewife and resides with my in-laws, which is especially important since my mother-in-law’s mobility worsened two years ago. The family was concerned about leaving her alone, so Madison, being married to the eldest son, has taken on the role of caring for her during the day.
Though my mother-in-law mainly uses a cane for walking and can manage quite well on her own, Madison, who has experience as a caregiver, stepped in to help without hesitation when she learned about my mother-in-law’s mobility issues. I was truly impressed by how decisively Madison handled the situation.
My brother-in-law and Madison have a four-year-old daughter, and Madison’s experience as a mother provides me with some comfort and reduces my anxiety about pregnancy and childbirth. As the weeks went by, the arrival of my baby drew closer.
With only a month left until my due date, I decided it was time to head to my parents’ house to prepare for the birth. Despite the heaviness of my belly, I enjoyed shopping for baby items and daydreaming about our future together.
It was refreshing to spend an extended period at my parents’ house after such a long time. However, three days past my due date, I began to experience contractions. I tried reaching out to my husband, but he was unreachable, neither answering calls nor responding to texts.
The only thing on my mind was the impending birth of our child. Eventually, I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. Holding her in my arms for the first time brought an indescribable joy that overshadowed everything else.
My husband, who had promised to be there, missed the birth. Exhausted from the delivery, I didn’t have the energy to confront him immediately, so I sent him a text announcing the birth of our daughter and then fell asleep.
When I awoke, I heard someone calling my name.
“Are you still asleep, huh?”
“Terry? Is it morning already?”
My husband cheerily asked as I opened my eyes to see him and his parents standing there, despite my previous request for privacy post delivery. Here they were.
“Why didn’t you come here yesterday?”
He didn’t respond directly to my question, which was frustrating.
“It couldn’t be helped,”
He replied casually ually, as if his absence and the sudden appearance of his parents were just minor issues. My husband chose to have sushi with his parents, which he justified as a prior commitment.
He didn’t show up at the hospital because he had been drinking and thought he’d be more of a nuisance than a help in his condition. When he finally visited, oblivious to my annoyance, he casually asked, “Where’s our baby?”.
I told him she was in the nursery, a healthy baby girl. Upon hearing this, my mother-in-law grimaced and muttered:
“What, a girl? Such a useless wife.”
My father-in-law chimed in with disappointment as well, calling both Madison and me pathetic. Even Terry wasn’t pleased:
“Oh damn it. I knew it was a girl but hoped a little for a boy.”
Amidst this turmoil, Terry sided with his parents, deepening my dismay. Thankfully, a nurse overhearing our conversation intervened and asked them to leave, providing me with some much needed peace.
Since then, Terry hasn’t visited us in the hospital. I pondered over the changes in Terry; he used to be more caring when we first married. I suspected his transformation might be linked to a significant mistake at work two years ago, which led to a considerable loss for his company.
The incident had derailed his career trajectory significantly. No matter how hard he worked, he couldn’t regain his former standing. This setback might have contributed to his detachment and recent coldness, even at home.
One of his juniors at the company had now become his boss, a colleague who was initially less competent than him. This reversal of roles at work might be impacting his behavior at home, making him more distant and less empathetic than before.
