The man Id always imagined as my perfect partner left his wife for me, yet I had no clue what lay ahead.
I’d been longing for him since my university days, living in a tiny hamlet near Lyon. It was a blind, reckless lovethe kind that makes you lose your mind and forget everything else. When he finally noticed me, my last shred of common sense vanished. This happened years after graduation: fate brought us together in the same law firm. Shared profession, similar passions. I convinced myself it wasnt coincidence but destiny, a fairytale about to unfold.
He seemed flawless, exactly the figure from my fantasies. His marital status didnt bother me thenI didnt understand what it meant to watch a marriage crumble, nor the hidden pain behind such stories. I felt no shame when Raphaël abandoned his wife for me. Who could have guessed that this decision would bring me so much sorrow? As the old saying goes, you cannot build your happiness on anothers misery.
When he chose me, I floated on a cloud, ready to forgive anything. In everyday life, however, he was far from a prince. His belongings littered the flat, he adamantly refused to wash dishes, and the whole housework collapsed onto my shoulders like a heavy load. At the time I turned a blind eyelove had blinded me, made me soft, compliant, almost submissive.
He quickly erased his previous marriage from his memory, as if it never existed. They had no children, and he confessed the marriage had been forced by his inlaws. With you its different, youre my destiny, he whispered, and I melted. My joy burned bright but fleeting, like a flash of lightning. Everything shifted when I discovered I was pregnant.
At first Raphaël beamed with happiness: a child, his child! We threw a big family party, inviting relatives and friends. Toasts, wishes for health and happiness for the baby that night remains etched in my mind as a warm spark amid the darkness that followed. I dont regret that evening, but after it, my blind love began to dim, like a candle in a draft.
As my belly grew, Raphaëls presence at home dwindled. I took maternity leave, and our meetings were reduced to latenight visits. He worked late, vanished for corporate events. At first I tolerated it, but soon it became unbearable. Daily life turned into torment: I, pregnant, struggled to move, while his socks and shirts lay strewn everywhere, silent accusations hanging over me. I wondered whether we had rushed into parenthood. I knew love cools over time, but I never imagined it would evaporate so quickly.
He still brought flowers and chocolate, but that wasnt what I neededI craved his company, his support, his warmth. Then the truth burst open. A casual coffee chat with colleagues revealed a new hire in our department, young and energetic. The team was already stretched thin, and my maternity leave had made the situation critical. Coincidence? I couldnt be sure, but it was clear Raphaël had someone else. His life now revolved around work, meetings, and urgencies. One day I found a note with unfamiliar initials tucked in his jacket pocket. My heart tightened, yet I slipped it back, pretending not to see. Fear of being alone in my seventh month froze me.
He complained that I was always on edge, and every argument ended with a weary sigh, as if I were a burden. I dreaded bringing up the main issueI knew it meant the end. And then it came. The most terrible words I ever heard: Im not ready for a child. I have another woman. I cant recall how he said it; my head was buzzing, my world collapsing. I thought I was going mad with pain and humiliation.
But I found strength inside. I filed for divorce, each letter feeling like a blow to the heart. He didnt expect me to act, nor to throw his things out the next day. Fortunately the apartment was rented, so we never had to share it.
And the child? Think of the child! How will you manage? he shouted as he left.
Ill manage. Ill work from home, and my parents will help. Mother always said you were a womanizer; I should have listened, I replied, slamming the door.
Responsibility for my son gave me an inner power I never knew I possessed. Alone I might never have left, but for him I did. His betrayal was so vile that I erased Raphaël from my life as if hed never existed. My eyes opened, and I finally saw who he truly was.
The months after the divorce, including the birth, were hellish. I returned to my parents home in a neighboring townthey welcomed me warmly, delighted by their new grandson. I missed Raphaël, but I banished those thoughts. Deep down I knew Id made the right choice and would give my son everything I could.
Once I regained my strength, I went back to worktranslating legal texts from home. There were months without income, but my parents supported me until I built a client base. My son grew, years slipped by unnoticed. I realized he needed his own space. My parents didnt want us to leave, yet I dreamed of independencea office for me, a room for him to study. By then I could afford to rent an apartment.
Life improved. Kindergarten gave way to school, primary to middle school, and for the first time in years I felt free and at peace. Then he reappeared. In our small legal community everyone knows each other. Raphaël located my office without trouble. I regretted not having moved farther away! He claimed to have taken a step back, regretted the past, and called himself young and foolish. He asked to meet his son, whom he had never seen.
Legally he has the right to see the child, and if he wants, he will get it. That thought sent chills down my spine. Weeks have passed since that conversation. I said Id think about it, but my mind is chaoticI dont trust him, and I dont want him near my son. Is this my punishment? The price for having taken him from his first wife? Im seriously considering moving to another city to shield us from a past that has knocked on our door once more.
The Man of My Dreams Left His Wife for Me, Little Did I Know What Awaits
