The Night He Chose Her

the perfect partner, driving across town every night for the organic kale I craved. But I soon

ng for our child's life, Brie called him threatening suicide. He looked

lone. Our son

er baby," he said, as if replacing a broken toy. He then announced that Brie, his

e it all: the grieving wife an

over our dying child, the love I had fo

pte

nor

high-risk." The room spun. All those years, all those IVF cycles, the pain, the hope, the endless wai

g rush hour traffic, just to get the specific organic kale I craved. He said it was a sma

ople," he' d whisper, kissing my

d be drifting off to sleep, feeling my body ache from another day of carrying our child, and he' d slip into be

y, my voice thick with sleep. "You

little prince or princess." His voice was a soft lullaby, full of

e, his architect wife, taking a pause from my career to nurture our family. We had overcome so much to get here. Infert

lled, their tone apologetic, almost embarrassed. "Mrs. Jordan, we noticed a re

ched. "A deto

o building on the other side of town.

illy, it had to be a mistake. Maybe he was visiting a client

of my unraveling. Aaron, my devoted husband, parking his car, not at the grocery store, but in fron

I saw her.

r I couldn't quite make out through the muffled audio. He' d hold her, stroke her hair, his face etched

hen, he' d drive to the grocery store, pick up my organic kale, and

place, a horrifying mosaic of betrayal. The whispers I had dismissed, the late-night call

ouch, every single piece of kale, felt like a poisoned offering. My mind replayed fragments of our life, searching for clu

was just being kind. But as the hours stretched, the image of his eyes, so soft, so concerned for

h. It was too early. Far too early. I screamed for Aaron, my voice cracking with panic. He

oices. The doctors spoke in urgent tones, their faces grav

is phon

ght. "It's Brie," he muttere

g his hand, a fresh wave of pain washi

een me and the glowing screen. The

is voice strained. "She

heard his voice, low and urgent, then a sharp, desperate cry I recogniz

through the pain of my contractions. H

h terror and betrayal. "Don't you dare! Ou

id. "I'm sorry, Elinor," he said, his voice

. "What about us? What about our child? If you walk o

t walked out, the heavy hospital door swinging shut behin

ng I had ever known. The nurses rushed in, their

ut, tears streaming dow

tched with horror and fury when they learned Aaron had abandoned me. My mothe

ied, her voice trembling with ra

my hand, his knuckles white. "We'll dea

absence. My gold locket, a gift from Aaron on our wedding day, a symbol of our forever, slipped from my ne

staff became distant echoes. A searing pain, then a sudden, terrify

vy, thick with unspoken grief. My mother' s eyes were swolle

a raspy whisper. "The b

. Her lips trembled. "Elinor," she began, then her voic

rn. Our baby was stillborn. The world shattered around me,

me, to tell me it wasn't my fault, but the image of Aaron walking out th

he complications were severe, Elinor. Even with your h

he had held my hand, if he had just been there, perhaps, just pe

r. It was his fault. He abandoned her in her most critical mo

ed uncomfortable, shifting his weight. "Aaron's devastated, Elinor," h

as parchment. "He chose to chase after a manipulative woman rather than be with his dying wife

Elinor. You know she's fragile. He p

e to a dead man is more important than his living wife and u

pale. He muttered an a

to beg for forgiveness. For him to even pretend to care. But he didn't. The hospital roo

hair disheveled. He looked... exhausted. Not devastated.

flat. "Are you okay? I... I

hoed, my voice barely a whisper. "You were gone

was devoid of genuine grief. It was an apology offered out

ou're sorry? Where were you, Aaron? While I was

Brie was suicidal, Elinor. She was on a rooft

screamed, my voice cracking. "Let o

be dramatic, Elinor. You weren't going t

en see it. He truly didn't unde

spilling down my face. "What about our baby?

se, I care. It's a tragedy. But we can

hispered, the words barely audible. "We can j

or, please. Don't make this harder than it already is. Brie is... fragile. She's m

ght? While I was lying in a hospital bed, mourning our

r?" I whispered, my voice dev

temporary, Elinor. Just until she

s, all the love, all the sacrifices. It was all a lie