When he left: the husband who abandoned his wife on the eve of motherhood
Youre useless to me now: how a husband walked out on his wife just as she finally could become a mother
That Friday evening, Aurélie was coming home from work, unaware that the day would change everything. Pushing open the door of their Paris flat, she called out as she always did:
My love, Im home!
A heavy silence answered her.
Strange He should already be back, she thought, heading toward the bedroom.
She opened the door and froze. Her husband, Théo, was hurriedly packing a bag.
Théo what are you doing? she whispered, her heart tightening.
Im leaving, he replied coldly, not even looking at her.
Youre leaving? Why? Whats happening?
Its all because of your father, he snapped, irritated.
My father? What does he have to do with this?
Aurélie was bewilderedby his words and the situation. In an instant, the marriage she had nurtured with love and patience was collapsing.
They had met when Aurélie was twentyeight. Théo, eight years older, was confident, charismatic, experienced. At the time she believed she had found the man of her life. Her family and friends kept urging her to marry, reminding her that the biological clock was ticking. Consequently, she began to see every suitor as a future husband, which made them shy away.
With Théo, however, things felt different. They crossed paths in a Parisian café through a colleague, and the chemistry was instant. He was attentive and charming. When he learned that Aurélie owned a flat in the 16th arrondissement, drove a new car, held a wellpaid civilservice job, and had an entrepreneurial father, he became even more tender and considerate.
A year later, they were planning an extravagant wedding, fully financed by her father. Théo never objected; on the contrary, he gladly accepted a position in one of his fatherinlaws boutiques.
Their shared life initially resembled a fairytale: trips abroad, candlelit dinners, gifts. Yet one flaw ruined everything: Théo never spent a cent. Aurélie always footed the bill. At first she ignored it, then she began to ask, and finally to beg.
Why am I the one carrying everything? she complained to her best friend. Id like to feel cherished, protected.
Théo would laugh:
Stop worrying, sweetheart. Everythings fine. Dont make a fuss over nothing.
At work he did the bare minimum, spent his time on his phone, and secretly stashed his earnings in a hidden account. Aurélie remained oblivious.
Then she fell seriously ill. Hospitalized for a month, Théos visits were rare, while her parents came daily. When she returned, the flat was in a dreadful state.
You didnt even clean? she exclaimed.
Why? Thats a womans job, isnt it? he shrugged.
But I was in the hospital, Théo! And its always me who has to clean everything!
Well, youre home now. Do it yourself.
Exhausted, she hired a cleaning service. Doctors warned that recovery would take at least a year, and a pregnancy was out of the question for the time being.
A year later, when doctors finally gave her the green light, she told Théo with trembling excitement.
Can you believe it? We could try we could finally have a baby!
Meh Not now, Im busy, he growled, eyes glued to his gaming console, a PlayStation she had bought with her own money.
Weeks passed. He avoided her. Then, one day, he blurted out:
Listen, Aurélie Im leaving. And Im not interested in having a child with you.
What?!
I dont love you. I never have. You were just convenient the flat, the money, the car. Im done. Youre no longer useful.
Théo, you you cant do this. Youve seen everything Ive been through, everything Ive waited for
Your problems, not mine. I do what I want.
He slammed his suitcase shut, shoved his console inside, and walked out.
Aurélie lay collapsed for days, neither eating nor sleeping. Three days later, her worried parents arrived to take her away. Seeing her in that condition, her father nearly blew a fuse with anger.
They brought her to their house in Provence. That same night Théo was fired, and thanks to connections, his fatherinlaw froze his bank account. All his savings vanished.
Théo was left penniless, jobless, homelessbarely enough to rent a modest room, with no clue about his next move.
Months later, Aurélie found a new job. There she met Lucas, a man not much younger but upright, calm, and immediately respectful and kind.
Six months after that, a small miracle appeared: two pink lines on a pregnancy test. Tears, laughter, a call to her parents, and an overwhelming pride for finally having had the courage to say enough.
When He Left: The Husband Who Abandoned His Wife on the Eve of Motherhood
