**Love turned into a bitter disappointment without warning**
I never saw it coming He simply placed me in front of the fact: how love became a harsh disillusionment.
My name is Élodie, Im twentyseven. Im a selfassured, attractive woman with a steady job and reliable income. My ambitions were modest: get married, have two children, and one day buy a car with my own hardearned money. Wealth mattered little; I only wanted love and peace.
A year ago I met Antoine. He seemed mature, dependable, calmtempered, with a gentle smile. I fell in love the way you only do once in a lifetime. We started dating, and soon he invited me to move into his flat in Lyon. I didnt think twice.
My parents were absolutely against it.
He’s already been married, Élodie! If he couldnt keep his family, the fault lies with him, my mother warned, eyes full of worry.
My father showed his disapproval as well, but I believed everyone deserved a second chance. So I left, taking my suitcases, clothes, books and a little comfort. I had no idea that stepping over his doorstep also meant crossing a line of trust.
In the kitchen a boy of about seven sat at the table.
Thats my son, Théo. Hell be living with us, Antoine said, as detached as if he were mentioning a kitten, not a child I was expected to become a stepmother to on day one.
I was left speechless.
Why didnt you tell me earlier?
What would that have changed? he shrugged. His mother moved to Marseille with her new husband, and now the child is a problem. We cant manage alone; youre an adult
I tried to convince myself I could handle it. Ive always liked children and thought we could form a bond, become close. Instead, everything fell apart.
Théo turned out to be irritable, spoiled and badly behaved. He insulted me, threw tantrums, shouted that I cooked poorly and smelled terrible. Whenever Antoine approached me, Théo grew jealous and loudly demanded his fathers attention.
I was exhausted. After work I scrubbed the floor, did the laundry, cooked, and on top of that had to look after a child who openly despised me. I tried to be good: helped with his homework, played games, read stories. He would turn his back or call for his father. To him, only his father existed.
When I complained, Antoine downplayed it:
Youll get used to it, youre an adult. Be firmer. If you cant, ignore him. Hes just a kid, what do you expect?
I clenched my teeth. Each night my courage waned. I didnt want to return home anymore; I no longer felt loved.
One day I didnt go back. I drove to my grandmothers place in Bordeaux, switched off my phone and vanished for twentyfour hours. The next morning, when I called Antoine, his tone was icy. I tried to explain:
Antoine, we need to talk. You never warned me wed be three. I wasnt ready for that. I cant get along with Théo, and youre not supporting me
Support you? Youre an adult! If you cant handle a child, thats your problem. You failed the test.
What test? I asked, bewildered.
The resilience test! You ran away, which shows youre not meant for me. You liked my flat and my salary, not me. Youre selfish!
My selfish? Your exwife is selfish for abandoning her son! And you didnt even tell me! I wasnt prepared to become a mother!
Leave, he snapped. Take your things and go.
I gathered my belongings in silence. Tears threatened to choke me, but I held on. I left the apartment, abandoning what had just yesterday seemed the start of a new life.
And you know what? I have no regrets. I realized I dont have to prove my worth to anyone, especially not to someone who turned love into an experiment. I still believe in family, but now I know I will never let anyone secretly rewrite my story. A man with a child isnt a sentence, but a man who hides the truth is certainly not for me.
