That morning, an unsettling quiet woke me up. Usually, Max would already be up, showering, making coffee, or mumbling about the news. But not today… nothing. I reached over to his side of the bed. Cold. I sat up and looked around. His suit, which was always carelessly draped over the chair, was gone.
I jumped out of bed and hurried to the living room. Empty.
The kitchen? Spotless.
On the dining table, a single sheet of white paper:
“I’m sorry. I’m not ready.”
I read those five words again and again, unable to make sense of them.
“What?” I whispered.
A sinking feeling spread through me. I rushed to the closet—empty. No shirts, no pants, not even his shoes.
The bathroom? His favorite cologne, shaving cream, even his towel—gone. I yanked open his drawer. Nothing.
He was really gone.
Why? How?
I replayed the night before in my head.
When I handed Max the envelope with the ultrasound photo, he took it carefully. At first, he smiled, but then… his whole face changed.
“You’re… you’re pregnant?”
“Yes! Isn’t it wonderful?”
I was practically glowing with excitement.
“But… we weren’t planning this…”
“I know, but some things are meant to be, right?”
His eyes fell back to the ultrasound. His jaw tightened.
“Wait… what is this?”
“It’s twins, Max.”
His arms wrapped around me, but something felt off. A wife expects a certain reaction when she shares life-changing news. That wasn’t it.
He didn’t ask how I felt. He didn’t kiss me or say we’d figure it out together. He just got up.
“I need some fresh air.”
And then he left.
I had imagined that moment so differently. I thought he’d be overwhelmed in a good way, maybe come back with flowers or chocolates. But he didn’t come back at all.
I stood there, a hollow pit in my stomach, clutching my phone.
I called once. No answer. Twice. Three times.
“The number you are trying to reach is currently unavailable.”
I opened my messages. The last one I sent, last night:
“I’m so happy! I can’t wait until we feel their first kicks together! ❤️”
He hadn’t even read it.
The last message from him? Before dinner:
“Running late. Don’t wait up.”
I thought nothing of it then. Work, business, the usual last-minute meetings.
But after he left… I saw the pattern. Late nights, unexplained absences, the phone off at night. Was he just scared of being a father? Or was there something else?
I wiped the tears from my face. He was wrong if he thought he could just disappear without an explanation.
At first, I thought Max was just panicking, that he just needed time to process. But days passed, and he didn’t come back.
By day four, I was done waiting. If he wasn’t coming back, I needed answers.
I started cleaning. Partly because the apartment felt suffocating, partly because I was determined to find something.
I opened the closet and started sorting through his remaining things. I folded, sorted, and packed, but every movement was driven by one goal: finding answers.
When I reached the laundry basket, I pulled out a pile of clothes, including his shirt, trousers, and jacket, which had been at the bottom of the pile. The same jacket he wore the night before.
I brought it to my nose. A faint, floral scent lingered. Soft, unmistakably feminine. And it wasn’t mine.
It can’t be…
I frantically turned the jacket inside out, shaking as I dug into the pockets. Loose change. Crumpled receipts. A folded napkin from a restaurant.
Then… something that made my breath catch.
A receipt.
I scanned the details. The purchase wasn’t important, but the location… there was a neatly written address in a woman’s handwriting.
What if it’s just a random receipt? What if it means nothing?
But deep down, I already knew the truth. It wasn’t just an address. It was a lead. And I had a gut feeling that someone at the end of it would have the answers.
That evening, I stood outside a small house on the outskirts of town, my breath shallow. I had been watching for half an hour, long enough to see the woman arrive—blonde, at least ten years younger than me. She parked her old Jeep, grabbed grocery bags, and disappeared inside.
Later, I saw warm light glow from the windows. I could see her moving around, preparing dinner.
For herself? Or for Max?
I had to act while she was still alone. I stepped forward and knocked.
The door opened almost immediately, and the woman blinked at me, confused.
“Hi,” I said, my voice cold.
“Hi… Do I know you?”
“You really don’t?”
“No… Should I?”
A few seconds passed before realization hit me. She had no idea who I was.
“I’m Max’s wife.”
Her face turned pale.
“Wife?” Her hands gripped the doorframe. “Max is… coming soon, but… but you should come in,” she stammered.
I stepped inside. The house was simple, clean, nothing fancy. A few grocery bags on the counter, a half-prepared dinner on the stove. It smelled like garlic and rosemary.
She pulled the curtains shut before pouring me a glass of water. Then she grabbed one for herself and downed it in a single gulp. She was more nervous than I was.
“I’m Katie,” she said finally. “I’ve been dating Max for six months. I… I swear, I didn’t know he was married.”
A sharp laugh almost escaped me. Instead, I slipped off my wedding ring and placed it on the table.
“We’ve been married for two years. And we’re having twins.”
“Oh my God…”
She didn’t know. She really didn’t know.
Katie exhaled, rubbing her temples.
“How could he…”
In that moment, we weren’t two women on opposite sides of a betrayal. We were two women on the same side.
Katie leaned forward, eyes locked on mine.
“What are we going to do with him?”
And just like that, an idea started to form. A slow, deliciously cruel idea. I lifted my glass and took a sip.
“I think it’s time Max got a taste of his own medicine.”
Katie leaned in closer. “Tell me more.”
And that’s how it all began.
The living room buzzed with laughter and cheerful chatter. The warm scent of vanilla cake filled the air, pastel-colored balloons swayed above, and a golden banner gleamed above the dessert table.
“Congratulations, Daddy-to-Be!”
I stood in the shadows, watching Katie accept hugs and well-wishes, no hint of the performance behind it. Finally, Max arrived.
“Wow… A party?” He spread his arms slightly, his nervous laughter betraying him.
“Surprise!”
Katie bounced toward him, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I wanted to make this day unforgettable for you.”
“Unforgettable? For me?”
His eyes scanned the room, searching.
“Wait… are you saying you’re pregnant?”
“Oh, yes!” Katie beamed. “And tonight, Daddy, this isn’t even the biggest surprise!”
Before he could react, Katie’s friends, Megan and Sophie, appeared beside him, thrusting a brightly wrapped box into his hands.
The room applauded as Max unwrapped it. He pulled out a giant pack of newborn diapers.
“Oh… wow…” he muttered.
“You’re going to need these!” Sophie winked. “And don’t forget the wipes!”
“And the sleepless nights! You’ll love those! Ten wake-ups a night—minimum!”
“But it’s so precious when they scream at 3 a.m.,” Sophie sighed dreamily.
I saw a bead of sweat trickle down Max’s temple. And then, the cake arrived.
Katie handed him the knife.
“You should do the honors, love.”
Max hesitated, but with so many expectant eyes on him, he had no choice. He sliced through the soft frosting, and the room gasped.
Inside, pink and blue swirled together.
“Two?…” Max mumbled.
Katie clapped her hands together.
“Surprise! We’re having twins!”
“Twins?!” Max gasped.
“Yes! And it must be fate! You once told me your grandmother had twins—maybe it runs in the family!”
Cheers, whistles, laughter.
Max opened his mouth, but no sound came out. His hands twitched at his sides, as if trying to ground himself.
“This… this is so… unexpected…”
“But you always wanted kids, right?” Megan teased.
“A big, loving family?” Sophie chimed in.
“Oh, and double the love, double the fun!”
Max’s eyes darted toward the door. He was calculating his escape. But then… Katie’s parents stepped forward.
“Son!” her father boomed, slapping a hand on Max’s shoulder. “Congratulations!”
Max flinched. He took a step back. “I… I need some air…”
“Going somewhere?” I stepped forward.
“You’re not running away again, are you, Max?”
Katie gasped. “Oh no! Not after all those speeches about being a family man.”
Max turned, but Katie’s father blocked his path.
“Leaving so soon, son?”
Max was trapped. And I felt a wave of satisfaction.
I adjusted my purse and paused just long enough to enjoy the sight of him, covered in cake, completely exposed.
“Oh, and Max?” I called over my shoulder. “Enjoy the attention. You deserve it.”
And with that, I walked out the door, leaving my ex drowning in the chaos he created.