While I Was in Labor, My Husband Went to Care for His Ex’s Kid

The call connected quickly. My voice shook with fear. “My water broke…” To my shock, William scolded me first. “I just left and your water breaks now? I told you I was only going to see the baby. Stop being unreasonable. I’ll come back after that.” He hung up. I called back; busy. I tried again; still busy. Then no answer. My heart sank as the pain worsened. I trembled on the floor, too weak to get up. My phone screen showed my deathly pale face. I called 120. Every second on the floor was torture. I was shaking in pain. Twenty minutes later, the ambulance arrived, but I still had to walk downstairs on my own. I forced myself up and went down the stairs, step by step. William had bought a walk-up apartment to save money and every step was torture. After more than an hour, I finally reached the hospital. Sweat soaked my loose dress and the nurse frowned. “Where’s your family? Tell him to handle the admission and change your wet clothes quickly, or you’ll catch a cold.” Family member? For over an hour, Regina kept updating her WhatsApp—photos of William and the child, sometimes all three together. My message went unanswered. I should have brought clean clothes, but in the rush, I brought nothing. William was busy with another woman and a child. I smiled bitterly. “He’s busy.” The nurse understood and softened her tone. “Do you have a friend you can call to help?” I called William twice more, but he didn’t answer. I gave up on him and on this marriage. Six and a half hours later, I gave birth to a daughter. When I woke up, a nurse was beside me, giving me some hot water. “Where’s your husband? Should we call him? What could be more important than his wife giving birth?” I was stunned. “He didn’t come?” The baby was born overnight and he never came. Holding back my anger, I called him. This time, he answered. He lowered his voice and said, “I’ll be right back.” A woman’s voice followed, “William, have breakfast before you go. You must be exhausted after last night. I made chicken noodle soup.” My fingers clenched and my heart felt stabbed with pain. “You stayed at her place all night?” His calm tone turned sharp. “What are you implying? She has a baby. What could I do? Fine, I’ll come back after breakfast.” The call ended suddenly and tears poured down my face. Half an hour later, William arrived with roses and clean clothes. “Wife, I was wrong. I thought you were lying. When I got home, you were gone and the neighbors said an ambulance took you away.”

He kept explaining that Regina’s child had a tantrum and wouldn’t let him leave. After finally putting the child to sleep, it was already past midnight, so he stayed there to avoid disturbing me. I nodded. “Are you finished? I’m tired and need to rest.” William opened his mouth but said nothing. I slept lightly and regained some strength. When I woke up, he was gone. A note lay on the bedside: [Regina was in a car accident. I’m going to check on her.] For days, William was gone. His WhatsApp updates showed him caring for Regina. Her leg hurt, or she was injured and couldn’t cook, so he looked after her and the baby. Every update was about Regina. Since our child was born, he hadn’t even looked at her or given her a name. I stopped relying on him and named the baby Rena. I couldn’t eat the hospital food, while other mothers ate meals their families had brought. I could only ask if I could pay for an extra meal from them. Meanwhile, Regina posted a picture of delicious food on her phone. [Your cooking is still so good. I never get tired of it.] On the fifth day after Rena was born, the doctor said she had high jaundice and lung inflammation. I cried all night secretly. The next morning, as I left the ward for the bathroom, I saw William with Regina and the little girl. The girl looked a bit sick. William held her, gently patting her back. “Take your medicine and get better soon. Daddy’s here and won’t leave.” My hand was white from gripping the phone. I had messaged him last night about the baby’s stuffy nose and lung inflammation, but he hadn’t replied. He probably knew I was at this hospital, too. In the afternoon, William came with a bag of fruit. “Regina said her child had a fever and couldn’t manage alone, so I helped this morning. I didn’t see your message.” I noticed a lipstick stain on his collar. He saw me looking and looked awkward. “The child is playful; she wore Regina’s lipstick and accidentally rubbed it on me when she kissed me.” My heart had grown cold. Seeing him like this, my anger and resentment faded, replaced by calm. “Hmm.” William paused, surprised by my reaction. Seeing how much weight I’d lost, a hint of guilt appeared in his eyes. “You’ve been through a lot these past days. From now on, I’ll stay with you and your daughter and take care of you during your recovery.” Before I could reply, his phone rang. It was Regina’s child’s ringtone. The little girl’s loud voice filled the room. “Daddy, answer! Mommy needs you! Daddy, answer!” William quickly answered, “What is it? Okay, I’ll be right there.” The next moment, he stood up. “Regina fell and hurt her foot. The baby’s been crying. I’m going to check on her.” Finally, as if remembering, he added, “I’ll be right back.” But, like before, until Rena and I were discharged, William only came three times and each time Regina quickly called him away.

I registered the child’s household on my own. The house was cold and quiet and even the windowsill plants were mostly wilted. I bought formula and diapers myself, carrying them all while holding the baby, walking awkwardly down the street. At the street corner, William was with Regina and her child, chatting and laughing. Regina wore a pink Chanel dress with perfect makeup. I recognized that dress; William bought it last month on a business trip. It cost $1,846. He said it was a gift for a client. Last year, I bought shoes for $184 and he said they were too expensive. He made me return them, saying life was about necessities and expensive clothes weren’t needed. When he saw me, William’s smile froze. He walked over but didn’t take Rena from my arms, holding Regina’s daughter’s hand instead. “You’re discharged? Didn’t we agree I’d pick you up?” I looked indifferent. “No need. Didn’t you say you were worried Regina might get scammed and wanted to help her pick a car?” William frowned, sounding impatient. “I told you everything. Why are you upset now? It’s not easy for her to raise a child alone…” I interrupted coldly, “So it’s easy for me to raise a child alone?” William was about to speak, but Regina approached with an apologetic smile. “Isabella, sorry for all this trouble. We’re going out to celebrate my new car tonight. Want to join?” Half an hour later, the table was full of dishes that Regina and her child liked. William was busy feeding her child. Regina raised an eyebrow at me. “William is such a good father.” During the meal, I focused on calming crying Rena and feeding her milk, not touching any food. After Regina finished eating, I reached for my chopsticks, but William urged, “Let’s go. We’ve eaten long enough. You don’t usually eat this much.” I looked at him quietly. “This is my first—” Before I could finish, the ground shook and the diners panicked. “Earthquake?!” William’s face instantly changed. I bent down to pick up Rena, ready to tell William to take her and leave first. When I looked up, he was gone. He had taken Regina and her child and left. I held my child, pushed through the crowd, lost my balance and fell. I shielded Rena and someone stepped on my hand. A sharp pain shot through me, but it didn’t match the chill in my heart. The ground shook violently. Fifty seconds later, the tremors stopped. The empty streets were now full of people. After taking Regina and the child to safety, William went back for Isabella, but the restaurant had already been evacuated. William sighed in relief, thinking everything was fine. He called Isabella, but she didn’t answer. William’s heart sank for a moment. Usually, Isabella’s phone was always readily available for him; she would answer no matter when he called. What was wrong today? He tried to stay calm and first took Regina and the child home. But the child was scared and kept crying for him. He had no choice but to text Isabella, telling her where he was. But there was still no reply. William felt disappointed, but since he had reported his whereabouts honestly, Isabella had no reason to be upset. He chose to stay with Regina and her child. The next morning, William brought two bowls of ravioli home. The house was unusually quiet. He called Isabella, but she didn’t answer. He wanted to call the baby’s name, but realized she didn’t have one yet. William was about to set the ravioli on the table when he froze. His body trembled uncontrollably, his face pale. He stared at the divorce papers on the table, as if trying to pierce them with his gaze.