“Darling,” she would coo, her voice full of fake concern, “you won’t believe what your fiancée did today. She ruined your silk shirt, the foolish girl. Washed it on the wrong setting. And she’s been lounging around all day acting like she owns the place. Where did you find her again? You’ve barely known each other, and she’s already pregnant with twins. Are you sure they’re yours? There’s never been twins in our family, you know. It’s genetic, after all.”
Brenda’s words only grew sharper as she continued.
“Why burden yourself with this? What’s so special about her? She’s a simple girl, not even that smart, and she hasn’t even finished school yet. She doesn’t have a penny to her name. Can you imagine babies crying all the time? It would drive me mad, and it will drive you mad too. You’re still young, James. Your whole life is ahead of you, and now you want to tie yourself down with sleepless nights and all this responsibility? You’re still just a child at heart, used to living with Mommy. Are you sure you’re ready for this? You don’t need to worry about children who might not even be yours. Wake up while you still can.”
James, clearly upset, would defend himself. He asked his mother what she was suggesting, that he throw out his pregnant fiancée? What would people think?
He insisted he truly loved me, even admitting he didn’t want kids right now and couldn’t imagine what life would be like with them, but said we would get used to it. What else could we do?
Brenda’s smile would turn even sweeter, almost sickening, as she replied, “Of course we don’t need to throw Olivia out. That would be cruel. But I have another idea.”
After these talks, James would come out of the study irritated and on edge. It was clear he was not happy about becoming a father so soon either. He felt like his life was over, that he would be stuck at home forever. Even the wedding felt like a hollow, pointless event, done only to keep up appearances.
I stood there watching James mumble something I could hardly understand before the registrar. His hands were shaking as he slipped the ring on my finger. This moment, the one I had dreamed of since I was a little girl, felt empty.
Like a badly rehearsed play.
After the ceremony, he disappeared into the celebration, not even noticing when I quietly slipped away, too tired and heartsick to keep pretending.
Is this how a man in love acts?
Where is the tenderness?
The warmth we used to have?
It was as if our unplanned pregnancy had erased every bit of affection between us.
Three weeks went by, and there was no talk of a honeymoon. James’s parents were watching every penny that had been gifted to us as newlyweds, money I had not even seen.
We started arguing over the smallest things. He was annoyed by my tossing and turning at night, complaining that I kept him awake. Before I knew it, he had moved to another room.
My heart broke a little more each day.
I missed him so much, craving just a little love and support, especially at night when my fears felt overwhelming. I was scared of the birth, of needing a C-section, of something going wrong with the babies. I was still a student, and soon I would be caring for twins. I had no one to confide in. No shoulder to cry on. No family or real friends nearby.
I tried to calm myself by imagining James falling in love with our babies the moment he held them.
But even that hope felt shaky.
Then, out of nowhere, he dropped another blow.
He was leaving for a five-week business trip starting the next day.
He said he had important things to take care of, as if it were no big deal.
Tears filled my eyes as I begged him, asking how he could do this. I was already struggling, feeling unwanted by his mother and judged by his father, and now he was leaving me. What if the babies came early? I had read that it was common with twins. What was I supposed to do if I was alone? The doctors still weren’t sure if I would need a C-section.
How could he leave me now, at such an important time?
I begged him not to go, not to leave me feeling so scared.
But he just got annoyed.
He told me to stop reading silly things, insisting I still had a month to go and I was not alone. His parents would take me to the hospital if anything happened. He claimed he was doing this for us, earning money, but his tone was like that of a spoiled child. He said he was just starting his career and needed to do this now to be successful later.
As I listened to him, a cold feeling crept over me.
This was not the man I had fallen in love with.
Is this the future I imagined for myself or for my children?
As I placed my hand on my swollen belly, feeling the twins move, I knew I had to be strong for them, even if I could not be strong for myself.
I might feel alone in this marriage, but I would not be alone in motherhood.
These babies were my family now, and I would do whatever it took to give them the love and security their father had refused to give us.
Lying here in this cold hospital bed, I have never felt more alone in my life. The pain in my abdomen has lessened, but the ache in my heart feels overwhelming, like it might swallow me whole.
How did I end up here, fighting to keep my babies safe with no one by my side?
Just a few weeks ago, I was living in my mother-in-law’s mansion, a place that felt more like a fancy prison than a home. Every minute of my day was planned, my needs and opinions completely ignored. It was like I was invisible to them, like they didn’t even see me.
I still get chills thinking about that night.
The pain hit me like a train, my belly tightening with contractions. Panic took over as I stumbled to Brenda’s room, barely able to call for help. Her annoyance was clear as she asked why I was making noise in the middle of the night. She accused me of causing problems before labor had even really started.
As I begged her for help, the pain getting worse by the minute, she finally called an ambulance.
But her words hurt more than the pain in my body.
“Stop screaming like a child. Be a real woman.”