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

The man Id always imagined as my perfect partner left his wife for me, yet I had no clue what lay ahead.
Id been sighing for him since my school days, growing up in a tiny village near Lyon. It was that reckless, blind love that makes you lose your mind and forget everything else. When he finally noticed me, I abandoned the last shred of common sense I possessed. Years after university, fate brought us together in the same law firmsame profession, shared interests. I took it as more than coincidence, a sign that a fairytale was about to unfold.
He seemed flawless, the very man from my dreams. His marital status 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 such sorrow? As the old saying goes, you cannot build your happiness on someone elses misery.
When he chose me, I felt as if I were floating on a cloud, ready to forgive anything. In everyday life, however, he was far from a prince. His belongings littered the apartment, he outright refused to wash dishes, and all the housework fell on my shoulders like a heavy weight. Back then I turned a blind eyelove had blinded me, made me soft, obedient, almost submissive.
He quickly erased his previous 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; youre 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 threw a big family gathering, inviting close friends and relatives. Toasts, wishes for health and happiness for the baby that night remains etched in my memory as a warm glow amid the darkness that followed. I dont regret that evening, but after it, my blind love began to dim, like a candle in the wind.
As my belly grew, Raphaëls presence at home waned. I took maternity leave, and our meetings were reduced to latenight encounters. He worked late, vanished for corporate events. Initially I tolerated it, but soon it became unbearable. Daily life turned into a torment: pregnant and immobile, I watched his socks and shirts strewn everywhere, feeling silently blamed. I wondered whether we had rushed into parenthood. I knew love cools over time, yet I never imagined it would evaporate so quickly.
He still brought flowers and chocolate, but those gestures 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 was already stretched thin, and my maternity leave had left the department in crisis. Coincidence? I wasnt sure, but Raphaël clearly had someone else. His life now revolved around work, meetings, and urgencies. One day I found a note with unfamiliar initials in his jacket pocket. My heart clenched, yet I slipped it back, pretending not to see, terrified of being alone at seven months pregnant.
He complained that I was always on edge, and every argument ended with a weary sigh, as if I were a burden. I feared confronting the core issueI sensed the end was near. And then it happened. The most horrible 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 was losing my mind from pain and humiliation.
Nevertheless, I found strength within. I filed for divorce, each letter feeling like a stab to the heart. He hadnt expected me to act, nor to toss his belongings out the next day. Luckily the flat was rented, so we didnt have to share it.
And the child? Think about the child! How will you manage? he shouted as he left.
Ill manage. Ill work from home. My parents will help. Mom always said you were a philanderer; 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 hed never existed. My eyes opened, and I finally saw who he truly was.
The months after the divorce, including the delivery, were hellish. I returned to my parents house in a nearby townthey welcomed me warmly, especially delighted by their new grandson. I missed Raphaël, but I pushed those thoughts away. Deep down I knew I had made the right choice and would give my son everything I could.
Once I regained some strength, I went back to worktranslating legal texts from home. There were months with no income, but my parents supported me until I built a client base. My son grew, years slipped by unnoticed until I realized he needed his own space. My parents didnt want us to move, yet I dreamed of independencea office for myself and a room for him to study. By then I could afford to rent an apartment.
Life improved. Kindergarten gave way to school, primary grades to fifth grade, and for the first time in years I felt free and at peace. Then he resurfaced. Our small town is tightknit, especially among lawyers, and Raphaël found my office without trouble. I regretted not having left farther away! He claimed to have taken a step back, to regret the past, to admit hed been young and foolish. He asked to meet his son, a child hed never seen.
Legally he has the right to see him, and if he wants, he will get that right. The thought freezes my blood. Weeks have passed since that conversation. I said Id think about it, but chaos roils in my mindI dont trust him and I refuse to let him near my child. Is this my punishment? The price for having taken him from his first wife? Im seriously considering moving to another city to protect us from a past that has once more knocked at my door.