When Aurélie walked through the door of their Paris flat that Friday evening, she had no idea her life was about to change. As she entered, she called out, as she always did:
My love, I’m home!
Only a heavy silence answered her.
That’s odd He should be back by now, she thought, heading toward the bedroom.
She pushed open the door and froze. Theo, her husband, was hastily stuffing his belongings into a suitcase.
Theo what are you doing? she whispered, her heart tightening.
I’m leaving, he replied coldly, without even looking at her.
You’re going? Why? What’s happening?
It’s all because of your father, he spat, irritated.
My father? What does he have to do with this?
Aurélie was baffledby his words and the situation. In an instant, the marriage she had nurtured with love and patience began to crumble.
They had met when Aurélie was twentyeight. Theo, eight years older, was confident, charismatic, experienced. At the time she believed she had found the man of her life. Her family, friends, everyone kept telling her it was time to marry, that her biological clock was ticking. Consequently, she started seeing every suitor as a future husbanda notion that drove many away.
With Theo, however, things felt different. They bumped into each other in a Parisian café through a coworker, and the spark was immediate. He was attentive and charming. When he learned that Aurélie owned a flat in the 16th arrondissement, drove a new car, held a wellpaid publicsector job, and had an entrepreneurial father, he grew even more tender and considerate.
A year later they were planning an opulent wedding, fully funded by her father. Theo did not object; on the contrary, he eagerly accepted a position in one of his fatherinlaws boutiques.
Their shared life initially resembled a fairy tale: trips abroad, candlelit dinners, gifts. Yet one flaw ruined everythingTheo never spent a cent. All expenses fell on Aurélie’s shoulders. At first she ignored it, then she began to question, and eventually she pleaded.
Why am I shouldering everything? she confided to her best friend. I want to feel cherished, protected.
But Theo laughed:
Stop worrying, honey. Everythings fine. Dont make a fuss over trivial things.
At work he did the bare minimum, spent most of his time on his phone, and hid his earnings in a secret account. Aurélie remained unaware.
Then she fell seriously ill. Hospitalized for a month, she received only occasional visits from Theo, while her parents came daily. Upon returning, she was shocked to find the flat 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, Theo! And its always me who does all the cleaning!
Well, youre back now. Do it yourself.
Exhausted, she hired a cleaning service. Doctors warned her that recovery would take at least a year; a pregnancy was out of the question for the time being.
A year later, when doctors finally gave the green light, she told Theo, eyes shining.
Can you believe it? We could try we could finally have a baby!
Meh Not now, Im busy, he grumbled, eyes glued to his gaming console, a PlayStation she had bought with her own money.
Weeks passed and he kept avoiding her. Then, one day, he finally spoke:
Listen, Aurélie Im leaving. I have no interest in having a child with you.
What?!
I dont love you. I never have. You were only convenient the flat, the money, the car. Im fed up. Youre useless now.
Theo, 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 shut his suitcase, shoved his console inside, and walked out.
Aurélie collapsed for days, unable to eat or sleep. Three days later, worried, her parents came to fetch her. Seeing her in that state, her father nearly exploded with anger.
They took her to their house in Provence. That same night Theo was fired, and thanks to connections, his fatherinlaw managed to freeze his bank account. All his savings vanished.
Now completely broke, jobless, and homeless, Theo could barely afford a tiny room, with no clue about the future.
Months later Aurélie found a new job. There she met Lucas. He wasnt a young man, but he was upright, calm, and treated her with immediate respect and kindness.
Six months after that, a tiny miracle appeared: two pink lines on a test. Tears, laughter, a call to her parents and a profound pride in having finally mustered the courage to say enough.
When He Left: The Husband Who Deserted His Wife on the Eve of Motherhood
