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, utterly 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!
Only silence answered her, a heavy, odd quiet that filled the apartment.
Strange He should already be back, she thought, heading toward the bedroom.
When she opened the door, she froze. Her husband, Théo, was hastily packing suitcases.
Théo what are you doing? she whispered, her heart tightening.
Im leaving, he replied coldly, without even meeting her eyes.
Youre leaving? Why? Whats happening?
Its all because of your father, he spat, irritated.
My father? What does he have to do with this?
Aurélie was bewilderedby his words, by the situation. Yet, before her eyes, the marriage she had poured love and patience into was collapsing.
They had met when Aurélie was twentyeight. Théo, eight years older, was confident, charismatic, experienced. At the time she thought 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 view every suitor as a potential husband, which made many shy away.
With Théo it was different. They crossed paths in a Parisian café through a colleague, and the spark was instant. He was attentive, charming. When he learned that Aurélie owned an apartment in the 16th, a new car, a wellpaid publicservice job, and a businessman father, his tenderness grew even more.
A year later they were planning a lavish wedding, entirely funded by her father. Théo never objected; on the contrary, he eagerly accepted a job at one of his fatherinlaws boutiques.
Their life together initially resembled a fairytale: trips abroad, candlelit dinners, gifts. But one detail ruined everything: Théo never spent a cent. It was always Aurélie who paid. At first she ignored it, then she began to ask, and eventually to beg.
Why do I have to shoulder everything? she complained to her best friend. I want to feel cherished, protected.
Théo would laugh:
Stop worrying, sweetheart. Everythings fine. Dont make a fuss over trifles.
At work he did the bare minimum, spent most of 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, she rarely saw Théo, while her parents visited daily. When she returned, the flat was in a deplorable state.
You didnt even clean? she exclaimed.
Why? Thats a womans thing, isnt it? he shrugged.
But I was in the hospital, Théo! And its always up to me to tidy everything!
Well, youre home now. Do it yourself.
Exhausted, she hired a cleaning service. Doctors told her recovery would take at least a year; pregnancy was out of the question for the time being.
A year later, when doctors finally gave her the green light, she told Théo, trembling with hope.
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 consolea PlayStation she had bought with her own money.
Weeks passed. He kept avoiding 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 apartment, 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 collapsed for days, unable to eat or sleep. Three days later, her worried parents came to fetch her. Seeing her condition, her father nearly exploded with anger.
They took her to their house in Provence. That same evening Théo was fired, and thanks to connections, his fatherinlaw froze his bank account. All his savings vanished.
Théo found himself penniless, jobless, homelessbarely enough to rent a small room, with no clue about the future.
Months later Aurélie secured a new job. There she met Lucas, a man not young but upright, calm, and immediately respectful and kind to her.
Six months after that, a small miracle arrived: two pink lines on a pregnancy 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 Abandoned His Wife on the Eve of Motherhood
