I Left My Husband without Hesitation

Chapter 5

My consciousness drifted in and out. In brief moments of awareness, I could hear my mother sobbing. At other times, it was the doctors. urgently calling for more blood. A cold sensation brushed across my abdomen, and beneath the sterile surgical lights, I saw flashes of my past.

I remembered a simpler time. Back then, Daniel and I had just graduated from college. We were broke, living in the cheapest basement we could find. Despite the hardships, we were happy. To save money, no matter how late we got home from work, we’d cook meals in the narrow hallway. Even a simple bowl of noodles made us feel content.

One memory stood out. It was lingering in front of a shop window, staring at a dress. Daniel went without breakfast for two months to buy it for me. When he gave it to me, I was furious.

“If you keep skipping meals, you’re going to destroy your stomach! What were you thinking?” I yelled. “And what do I even need for such an expensive dress?”

But he held me close and said with all the sincerity in the world, “My wife deserves the best things in life. I’ll work hard to make sure you have everything you want.”

Time passed, and later, his career took off. He began showering me with luxury goods, but none of those things ever meant as much as that dress. The man who once promised me everything found another woman.

As these memories surfaced, even in my half–conscious state, the sadness consumed me. Tears rolled down my face. But then something loud broke through the haze. I heard my baby’s first cry. Instantly, my heart swelled, both aching and filled with joy.

With whatever strength I had left, I fought to open my eyes, my voice trembling as I asked, “Is my baby okay?”

“Don’t worry, Mrs. Hart! You’ve got a healthy little princess!” the doctor reassured me.

At that moment, I finally let myself relax. I closed my eyes, feeling at peace.

The next time I woke up, the smell of disinfectant lingered in the air as I struggled out of the darkness. When I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Mom’s tear–filled, bloodshot eyes.

She didn’t say a word, but her tears fell like rain.

“My poor Olivia, you’ve been through so much,” she said softly, her voice cracking.

Anxiety crept in as I touched my now–flat belly and looked at her. But Mom quickly soothed my worries. “Your baby is right here,” she said, cradling a tiny, peaceful angel in her arms. “You two were so lucky. God is watching over you.”

As if to reassure me further, she gently placed the baby beside me. “But the doctors said you went through hell this time. You lost so much blood. You’ll need to take good care of yourself, especially those stitches. You can’t overwork yourself!”

In that heavy silence, Mom carefully avoided mentioning Daniel. I had. just survived a near–death experience while Daniel, her son–in–law, had been missing all night. My mom was sharp and always had been. I kissed my daughter’s tiny fingers, and without hesitation, I calmly. told my mother, “I’m planning to divorce him.”

“Mom, Daniel-” I began, but she interrupted me.

“Olivia, you don’t need to explain anything. I know everything. My poor girl,” she said, her voice heavy with sorrow as she held my hand, tears streaming down her face.

“Last night, after you went into surgery, I kept calling that jerk. His phone was off, and he wasn’t answering! I thought he was tied up with work,” she went on, her voice shaking with anger. “It wasn’t until after you were out of surgery that I saw him. He was with some other woman at the hospital, getting her checked in.” Her voice cracked as

she fought back tears. “If it weren’t for the fact that you needed me, I would’ve marched over there and ripped both of them apart!”

I squeezed her hand, comforting her, feeling an unexpected sense of calm. Mom had raised me on her own, fragile on the outside but full of strength. No matter how old I got, in her eyes, I would always be her little girl who needed protection.

“Olivia, just like I raised you by myself, I’ll help you raise your

daughter, too,” she said, her voice strong again. “So whatever you need to do, go ahead. You don’t owe me any explanations.”

At that moment, I realized something important. Even without Daniel, I still had my mother. Her love would always be there, solid and. unwavering. My world wasn’t going to fall apart because of my husband.

It’s just a man, after all.

By evening, Daniel finally showed up. He burst into the hospital room, panic written all over his face.

“Olivia, how are you feeling?” he asked, kneeling beside the bed and slapping himself hard across the face. “I’m such an idiot! I wasn’t there for you when you gave birth! You can hit me, scream at me, whatever you want. There really was an emergency at work, and then my phone. died. It just turned off, I swear.”

I watched his little performance unfold with cold eyes, already fed up with the theatrics.

Without waiting for him to finish, I cut him off. “Let’s get a divorce, Daniel.”

“Divorce? Why? Olivia, come on, listen to me.” His voice rose in

desperation. “There really was an issue at the company last night, I-”

I didn’t have the patience for any more of his excuses. I got straight to the point. “Cara Walker. Twenty–nine years old. She lives in

Maplewood Estates. Three months pregnant. Last night, you were with her at the hospital for a check–up.”

I looked at him dead in the eye. “Daniel, you cheated on me. You’re disgusting.”

His face went pale as he stared at me in shock. Panicking, he grabbed my hand. “Olivia, I was confused! It was a mistake! I never wanted this to happen. I was going to end things with her, but then she said she was pregnant. What was I supposed to do? It’s a baby! Please, Olivia, you have to believe me! I’ve always loved you!”

Just then, my mom came back into the room, holding my daughter after her blood test.

Daniel’s eyes lit up like she was his lifeline. “Olivia, we have a child. now. Please forgive me this time for the sake of our daughter.”

Without missing a beat, my mom avoided his outstretched arms and carefully placed the baby beside me. She didn’t say a word but walked

straight to the corner, picked up a stool, and swung it at Daniel’s head.

He barely jumped back in time, the stool slamming into his shoulder with a loud thud. Without flinching, my mom raised the stool again. Daniel threw his hands over his head, yelping as he bolted for the door. The stool flew after him, crashing into the door with a loud. bang.

As the days followed, Daniel lurked outside the hospital room, sometimes peeking through the glass, trying to catch a glimpse of our daughter. After my mom hurled a thermos at him, I sent her outside with the baby for some fresh air and reluctantly allowed Daniel into the room.

He looked terrible. His cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were filled with desperation. “Olivia, please forgive me for our daughter’s sake. I swear I’ll never hurt you again. Please, believe me. Someday, when we’re old, this will be nothing but a tiny bump in our long life together.”

By now, I was healing and able to sit up in bed. I stared at Daniel, disgusted by his self–satisfied tone as if he still thought he had a chance.

Slowly, I spoke. “Daniel, I have evidence of your affair–bank transfers, electronic statements. If you don’t agree to the divorce, we’ll settle this in court.”

His smug expression crumbled instantly. Desperately, he grabbed my hand again. “Olivia, I’m a horrible person. I cheated, and I deserve whatever comes my way! But our daughter needs her father. You can’t let her grow up without me. Please give me another chance. I swear I’ll change.”

I pulled my hand away calmly, my voice firm. “There are no more chances. I find you repulsive.”

Before he could utter another excuse, I raised my hand to stop him. “And if I’m not mistaken, you’re up for the regional manager position, right? If this divorce gets messy, what do you think the company will think of that?”

The man who once took such pride in his image collapsed before me. Daniel dropped to his knees, sobbing loudly.

The sound of him slapping his face echoed through the room, but I remained calm. “I’ve already signed the divorce papers. They’re in the study room. Sign them. Mom will be back soon, and you know how she is. If you don’t want another beating, I suggest you leave.”

In the following days, I focused on resting and recovering. After being discharged, I moved into a postpartum care center. The center was a refuge as strict visitor policies and burly security guards ensured Daniel couldn’t force his way in.

Finally, I found some peace. But that peace was interrupted one day when I received a package.