Throughout my pregnancy, my hubby changed. He insulted my appearance, ignored my sorrow, and made me feel unworthy. Then he left me for someone else, believing he had won. But he had no idea that I had my own strategy. When the time came, he had no idea what would happen.
Pregnancy.
As for me, I had not only persistent morning sickness throughout my pregnancy, but also Arnie, who never tired of reminding me how horrible I was looking.
Before I became pregnant, we had a fantastic relationship.
He made me feel like the most cherished woman in the world, always finding small ways to express his love.
When we decided to have a baby, he was as thrilled as I was, grinning from ear to ear as he held the positive result in his hands.
But the moment I got pregnant and my body started changing, it was as if he had been replaced by someone else.
At first, it was just small remarks. “You could at least dress better for your husband instead of walking around in pajamas all day,” he muttered once.
Then he started complaining. “You just li:e around all day,” he grumbled one evening, kicking off his shoes. “This house is a mess.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Arnie, my back is k:illing me, and I feel nauseous all the time. I can barely stand without feeling dizzy.”
Then Arnie started coming home late, always glued to his phone, texting someone.
It made me uneasy, but every time I asked, he brushed it off. “Just work,” he’d say.
One night, I was eight months pregnant.
“Where have you been?” I asked.
Arnie didn’t even look at me. He tossed his keys on the table and shrugged off his jacket.
“None of your business,” he muttered and walked straight into the kitchen.
“JESSICA!” His voice thundered through the apartment.
I flinched. My heart pounded.
“What is it?” I asked, breathing heavily.
Arnie stood by the fridge, glaring at me. “Where’s dinner?”
“I feel sick again. I tried, but every time I smell food, I run straight to the bathroom.”
Arnie rolled his eyes. “Could you at least have washed the dishes?”
His voice rose. “I come home exhausted, and this place is disgusting! No food. No clean plates. What do you even do all day?”
“Arnie, I’m sorry. I wish I could, but I feel terrible.” My voice cracked.
He scoffed. “The only thing you do is sit around in your sweatpants.”
“I’m carrying our daughter. My body is working hard—”
“Don’t start!” He cut me off.
“My sister was pregnant. She did everything. She cooked. She cleaned. She still looked good. And she never ignored her husband in bed!”
I gasped.
“Pregnancy isn’t the same for everyone. I never thought it would be this hard either, but I’m doing this for her. For us.”
Arnie scoffed. “Stop making excuses. You’re just lazy!”
That night, I was unable to sleep. My thoughts went in circles, teasing me with unending questions.
Where has Arnie gone? Was he with anyone else? Hours passed, and the silence in the home became more intense, until just before dawn, a message flashed on my screen.
He’s here. He needed space.
It came from his mother.
When Arnie returned, the situation only became worse.
He was continuously criticizing me, making me feel like a failure.
“This place is always filthy.” “You just lie around all day.” “You don’t even try to take care of yourself.”
One day, I told my best friend everything. She listened, her expression growing darker with each word. “Jessica, you need to leave him,” she said.
I shook my head, my throat tightening. “I can’t. I’m pregnant. I have no money, no job, nowhere to go.”
“You have people who care about you. You’re not alone,” she insisted. “You don’t deserve this.”
Then, one evening, things changed.
Arnie was in the shower. His phone, which he never left unattended, displayed a notification.
A dating application. dozens of messages.
My stomach fell, and I held my tummy as if to protect my baby from the anguish, but then my head cleared. I had to leave him. But I needed a plan.
The next day, I set it in motion.
“Who is this?!” I shouted, my voice shaking with rage and disbelief.
Arnie stood in the doorway, completely unfazed. “This is Stacy, my girlfriend,” he said, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
My stomach twisted. “WHAT?!” I screamed.
“You heard me,” he said, his voice cold and detached.
“I’m leaving you. Here are the divorce papers.”
Arnie shrugged. “I don’t want you or your baby.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. “How can you do this to us? How can you be so cruel?”
Arnie scoffed. “Jessica, look at yourself! You’ve really let yourself go. There’s nothing attractive about you. You sit around all day, whining. Stacy, on the other hand, is beautiful, young, and—most importantly—she never says no to me.”
He pulled Stacy closer and kissed her in front of me. My stomach churned. My heart pounded with fury.
“YOU’RE A MONSTER!” I screamed.
Arnie smirked. “At least I don’t look like you!”
I glared at him. “I’ll get my things when you’re not home!”
“Do it fast,” he sneered. “Soon, you won’t have access to this house—it’s my property!”
I gave birth to my daughter on the same day I finalized my divorce from Arnie.
It felt as if one life had ended and another had just begun.
For a while, we lived with my mother. She helped with the baby and gave me a break when I became tired.
My body quickly recovered, and when I looked in the mirror, I barely recognized myself.
One afternoon, a knock on the door surprised me. I opened it and froze. Stacy stood there.
I opened the door and frowned when I saw her standing there. “What are you doing here?” I asked, folding my arms.
“It’s over. Your plan worked.”
I shook my head. “He was never the sharpest tool in the shed. I handled all the paperwork when we were married. He never questioned anything I put in front of him.”
Stacy chuckled. “Well, congratulations. It’s all yours now.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Stacy! Come back to me! I’m begging you! I have nothing left!” Arnie’s voice was desperate, his hands reaching for her as she stood stiffly in the driveway.
I crossed my arms and tilted my head. “Poor thing,” I said, my voice dripping with amusement.
Arnie’s head snapped toward me. His face twisted with anger. “What are YOU doing here?!” he yelled.
I raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t expect this, did you?” I took a step forward. “I tricked you, Arnie. You fell right into my trap with Stacy.”
His brow furrowed. “What the hell are you talking about?!”
I let out a small laugh. “At some point, I got fed up with your disgusting behavior. Your lies. Your aff:airs. So, I hired Stacy—a young, beautiful woman—to seduce you. And you, being exactly who I knew you were, didn’t even hesitate. You were so blinded by your own ego that you didn’t realize you were signing everything over to me.”
His face turned red with fury. “You witch! You set me up!”
I shrugged. “No, Arnie. Your own lust set you up. I just gave you the perfect opportunity to destroy yourself.”
I didn’t even pause. “No.”
“You’ll never find anyone else besides me! No man will ever want you!” he snapped.
I smirked. “Look at me—I look amazing, and now I don’t have a worthless man dragging me down. Meanwhile, you’re practically homeless. I think I’ll be just fine.”
“Jessica, please,” he begged
I turned without saying anything else and headed back inside. The lock clicked behind me.
I cradled Riley in my arms. I had her and didn’t need anything else.
