Love Turned into Bitter Disappointment Without Warning

Love Turned Into Bitter Disappointment Without Warning
I never saw it coming He simply placed me in front of the reality: how love had morphed into a harsh disillusion. Gift baskets
My name is Élodie. Im twentyseven, confident, attractive, with a solid job and steady income. My wishes were modest: get married, have two children, and eventually drive my own car, bought with my hardearned money. I wasnt after wealth, just love and peace.
A year ago I met Antoine. He seemed mature, reliable, with a calm temperament and a gentle smile. I fell in love, the kind you only feel once in a lifetime. We started dating and, soon after, he invited me to move into his flat in Lyon. I didnt hesitate.
My parents, however, were adamantly opposed.
Hes already been married, Élodie! If he couldnt keep his family, the fault lies with him, my mother warned, her eyes uneasy.
My father voiced his disapproval as well. I believed everyone deserved a second chance, so I left. I packed my suitcases, clothes, books, a little comfort. At that moment I had no idea that stepping over his threshold also meant crossing a line of trust.
In the kitchen, a boy about seven years old was seated at the table.
Thats my son, Théo. Hell be living with us, Antoine said, detached, as if he were mentioning a kitten rather than a child I wasnt prepared to become a stepmother to from day one.
I was left speechless. Family games
Why didnt you tell me earlier?
What would that have changed? he shrugged. His mother moved to Marseille with her new husband, and now a child is in the way. We cant manage two people, youre an adult
I tried to convince myself I could cope. Ive always liked children and thought we could build a bond, become close. Instead, everything fell apart.
Théo turned out to be irritable, spoiled, and poorly behaved. He hurled insults, threw fits, screamed that I cooked badly and smelt terrible. Whenever Antoine approached me, he grew jealous and loudly demanded his fathers attention.
I was exhausted. After work I scrubbed floors, did laundry, cooked, and on top of that cared for a child who openly despised me. I attempted to help with homework, play, read stories. He turned his back or called his father. To him, only his father existed.
When I complained to Antoine, he downplayed it:
Youll get used to it, youre an adult. Be firmer. If you dont want to, ignore him. Hes a kid, what else can you do?
I clenched my teeth. Yet each night my courage waned. I no longer wanted to return. I didnt feel loved.
One day I didnt go back home. I drove to my grandmothers in Bordeaux, turned off my phone, and disappeared for twentyfour hours. When I called Antoine the next morning, his tone was icy. I tried to explain:
Antoine, we need to talk. You never told 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. That means youre not meant for me. You liked my flat and my salary, not me. Youre selfish!
Me, selfish? Your exwife is selfish for abandoning her son! And you didnt even inform me! I wasnt prepared to become a mother!
Leave, he snapped. Take your things and go.
I silently gathered my belongings. Tears choked me, but I held firm. I left his apartment, leaving behind what, only yesterday, had 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. Gift baskets
I still believe in family, but I now know one thing: I will never let anyone secretly rewrite my life. A man with a child isnt a condemnation. A man who hides the truth, however, is definitely not for me.