The Man of My Dreams Left His Wife for Me, but I Had No Idea What Was in Store

The man I had always dreamed of left his wife for me, yet I had no clue what lay ahead.
Since my student days in a tiny village near Lyon, Id been sighing for himan irrational, maddening love that makes you lose your mind and forget everything else. When he finally noticed me, any remaining sense I had vanished. It happened years after university: fate placed us together in the same law firm. The same profession, the same interests. I took it as more than coincidencea sign, a fairytale about to become real.
He seemed perfect, a figure lifted straight from my fantasies. His being married didnt bother my youthful selfI didnt understand what it meant to watch a marriage crumble or the hidden pain behind such stories. I felt no shame when Raphaël abandoned his wife for me. Who could have imagined that this choice would bring me so much sorrow? As the proverb says, you cannot build your happiness on someone elses misery.
When he chose me, I floated on air, ready to forgive anything. In everyday life, however, he was far from a prince. His belongings littered the flat, he flatout refused to wash the dishes, and the whole housework fell on my shoulders like a heavy load. At the time I turned a blind eyelove had blinded me, made me gentle, compliant, almost submissive.
He quickly erased his former marriage from his mind, as if it never existed. They had no children, and he admitted the marriage had been forced by his inlaws. With you its different; you are my destiny, he whispered, and I melted. My joy was intense but fleeting, like a flash of lightning. Everything shifted when I discovered I was pregnant.
At first Raphaël beamed with delight: a child, his child! We arranged a big family celebration, inviting close friends and relatives. Toasts, wishes for health and happiness for the baby that evening remains etched in my memory as a warm glow amid the darkness that followed. I dont regret that night, but after it, my blind love began to wane, like a candle in a draft.
As my belly grew, Raphaëls presence at home dwindled. I went on maternity leave, and our meetings were reduced to latenight encounters. He stayed late at work, vanished for corporate events. At first I endured it, but soon it became unbearable. Daily life turned into a torment: pregnant and immobile, I had to navigate his socks and shirts strewn everywhere, receiving silent reproaches. I wondered whether we had rushed into having a child. Love does cool over time, I knew, yet I never imagined it could evaporate so quickly.
He still brought flowers and chocolate, but they didnt fill the voidI craved his company, his support, his warmth. Then the truth burst open. A casual coffee chat with colleagues revealed a new hireyoung, energeticwho had been added to an already overloaded team, a situation worsened by my maternity leave. Coincidence? I didnt know, but it was clear Raphaël now had someone else. His world revolved around work, meetings, and urgencies. One day I found an unknown set of initials on a note tucked in his jacket pocket. My heart tightened, yet I slipped the paper back, pretending not to see it. Fear of being alone in my seventh month paralyzed me.
He complained that I was always on edge, and every argument ended with a weary sigh, as if I were a burden. I dreaded bringing up the main issueI knew it signaled the end. And then it came. The most terrible words I ever heard: Im not ready for a child. I have another woman. I cant recall exactly how he said it; my head was buzzing, my world collapsing. I felt I would go mad with pain and humiliation.
Still, a strength rose within me. I filed for divorce, each letter feeling like a stab to the heart. He didnt expect me to take that step, nor that I would throw his things out the next day. Fortunately the apartment was rented, so we didnt have to share it.
And the child? Think of the child! How will you manage? he shouted as he left.
Ill manage. Ill work from home, and my parents will help. Mother always said you were a womanizer; I should have listened, I replied, closing the door.
Responsibility for my son gave me an inner power I never knew I possessed. Alone I might never have left, but for him I could. His betrayal was so vile that I erased Raphaël from my life as if he had never existed. My eyes opened, and I finally saw who he truly was.
The first months after the divorce, including the birth, were a nightmare. I moved back with my parents in a nearby townthey welcomed me warmly, especially delighted by their new grandson. I missed Raphaël, but I shushed those thoughts. Deep down I knew Id made the right choice and would give my son everything I could.
Once I regained some strength, I returned to worktranslating legal texts from home. There were months without income, but my parents supported me until I built a client base. My son grew; the years slipped by unnoticed until I realized he needed his own space. My parents didnt want us to leave, yet I dreamed of independencea office for me, a room for him to study. By then I could afford to rent my own flat.
Life improved. Kindergarten gave way to school, primary to middle school, and for the first time in years I felt free and at peace. Then he resurfaced. Our small town is tightknit, especially in legal circles. Raphaël found my office without trouble. I regretted not having moved farther! He claimed he had taken a step back, regretted the past, and called himself young and stupid. He asked to meet his son, whom he had never seen.
Legally he has the right to see the child, and if he insists, he will get it. The very thought chilled me. Weeks have passed since that conversation. I said Id think about it, but my mind is in chaosI dont trust him and refuse to let him approach my son. Is this my punishment? The price for having taken him away from his first wife? Im seriously considering moving to another city to protect us from this past that has once again knocked on my door.