Is Having a Baby Worth a Divorce

My husband's old flame, Ava, posted an ultrasound photo on her Instagram.
The caption read: A huge thank you to my dear 'brother' for lending me... well, you know... when I needed it most. I can finally have a baby of my own.
I silently liked the post and left a comment: Congratulations, you two.
The comment was up for less than a second before my husband, Scott, called. He roared into the phone, "I just gave her my sperm, Jenny! Can you stop making a big deal out of nothing?"
I quietly hung up. It was time for a divorce.

1
My hand rested on my slightly rounded belly. I took a deep breath, preparing to tell the tiny life inside me that I was sorry, that I couldn't keep it.
But as the words formed, a sob caught in my throat.
This baby was supposed to be my surprise for Scotts birthday. Now, it was clear he didn't need another one.
I was two months pregnant. It was a child I had to beg Scott for. He never liked being intimate with me, and he certainly didn't like kids. He'd always say they were wild, noisy, and a drain on your energy.
Lately, though, I'd seen him researching what you need for a new baby. He'd even stayed up late creating two detailed spreadsheets: one for an expectant mothers needs, and another for the newborn.
Like a fool, I thought he'd found out about my pregnancy and was preparing for us. Now I knew the truth. None of it was for me.
Scott came home unusually early tonight. I glanced at the clockonly 8 p.m. Normally, he wouldn't stumble in until after midnight.
He called my name, but I stayed silent in the bedroom. He didn't call again.
A few moments later, the sound of the shower started. When he was done, he slipped into the bedroom without turning on the light and quietly lay down beside me. A warm tingle spread from my waist as he wrapped an arm around methe first time he had ever initiated contact like this.
He buried his face in my neck, his voice a placating murmur. "Jenny, I swear nothing happened between us. I was just helping her fulfill a dream. Ava has always wanted a child. I promise, as soon as the baby is born, I'll cut all ties with her."
I said nothing. I just lifted his hand off my waist and shifted away.
Sensing my rejection, his tone instantly hardened. "I'm already humbling myself for you, what more do you want? Don't forget, you were the one who said you didn't care about my past. You just wanted to be with me."
His voice rose, thick with indignation. "Can you stop being so jealous? I could have kept this from you, but I told you out of respect. And this is how you repay me? You're a real disappointment."
He let it all out, a torrent of resentment, before delivering the final blow.
"You should think about how good I've been to you lately. You wanted a baby, and I did my best to give you one. I'm sleeping on the couch tonight."
The door slammed shut. A bitter laugh escaped my lipsa laugh for my pathetic marriage, for my own blindness.
In his eyes, apologizing to me was a favor. A gift I was expected to accept graciously, otherwise I was the jealous shrew he accused me of being.
But he could only treat me this way because I had loved him so desperately, for so long.
So maybe, in the end, I deserved this.

2
Scott was gone by the time I woke up. I knew exactly where he was. These past few days, he'd been leaving early and coming home late. His assistant, Sarah, had called my phone several times looking for him, saying he hadn't been to the office at all recently.
Putting it all together, there was only one conclusion: he was taking care of Ava.
I booked an appointment and took a cab to the clinic. The procedure was quick. Ten minutes later, I was being wheeled out.
As fate would have it, while I was at the front desk settling the bill, I ran into Scott. He had his arm around Ava's shoulder, and his brow furrowed when he saw me. "Are you following me?"
I ignored him and looked straight at Ava. She averted her gaze, then playfully tugged on Scott's ear with a fake pout. "Don't talk like that! Why would Jenny follow us? We have nothing to hide. It's not like she doesn't understand."
Her words were a masterclass in manipulation, neatly tossing the problem back to me. All I could do was force a smile. "Of course. Your prenatal appointment is your business. Why would I follow you?"
My directness seemed to anger Scott. He shoved me. "What's that supposed to mean? I only see Ava as a big sister."
My body was still weak from the procedure. The push sent me stumbling to the ground. A sharp pain shot through my lower abdomen, and I let out a pained hiss.
Ava immediately knelt down to help me up, scolding Scott under her breath. But as she leaned in, her expression twisted into a triumphant, provocative smirk meant only for me.
Disgusted, I pushed her away and tried to use the wall to pull myself up. But instead of helping, she plopped right down on the floor beside me and started wailing, clutching her stomach. "My baby! I think something's wrong with my baby!"
Scott rushed to her side, scooping her up into his arms. He turned and glared at me, his voice a low growl. "If anything happens to Ava, I will never forgive you."
A cold sweat broke out across my body as I watched my husband carry another woman away, leaving me crumpled on the floor without a second glance.
In that moment, I was more certain than ever that I'd made the right decision. A man who couldn't even love his own wife would never be able to love her child.
Back home, I opened my phone, thinking about posting something, only to see a new picture from Ava. It was a shot of Scott's back. The caption read: Feeling so safe and loved with a man like this in my life.
The comments were all from Scott's closest friends.
Carter: "That back doesn't look like your husband's... lol."
Matt: "Attaboy, Scott! Knew you'd win the goddess back."
Leo: "Ooooh, I get it now. So the 'donation' came from this guy. Congrats, congrats!"
A second later, Scott's own comment appeared.
"Don't talk nonsense. I was just helping out. Are you guys trying to get my wife to divorce me?"
His friends immediately fell in line. "Got it." "Roger that."
But Carter added one more comment. "Who cares? What's the point of having a petty, insecure wife anyway? You'd be better off without her. You've been hung up on Ava for years, everyone knows it. Why not just follow your heart?"
Carter was Scott's best friend since childhood. He'd never liked me, always thinking I wasn't good enough for Scott, and certainly no match for Ava. According to him, I wasn't as beautiful, as feminine, or as understanding as Ava. In his eyes, I was nothing compared to her.
For Scott's sake, I had always bitten my tongue. But now that my marriage was shattered, I had no reason to protect anyone's feelings.
I replied directly to Carter's comment: "It's happening soon. Thanks for worrying about him all these years."
Then, I went to my own profile. I chose two images: the ultrasound confirming my pregnancy, and the medical report from my procedure today.
The caption was simple: "Finally free."

3
The post went live, and my phone immediately blew up with likes and comments.
Not a single one was from Scott's friends. They were all pretending they hadn't seen it. I bet they were on the phone with Scott right now, celebrating.
Soon, the calls started flooding in. My parents. Scott's parents.
And Scott, calling again and again. I didn't answer any of them. I just sent a text to my parents.
I'm coming home today. I'll explain when I get there.
I packed quickly. As I was leaving, Scott's car screeched into the driveway.
He stormed out of the car and marched towards me, his face a mask of fury.
"Jenny, what the hell is this? You got rid of our child over a single sperm donation?"
He grabbed my arm. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?"
His questions made me sick, but there was no point in arguing anymore. I ignored his rage, pulled my suitcase down the steps, and headed for the gate.
He yanked me back, his grip like iron. "Is this fun for you? I told you I'd cut things off with her after the baby was born! I've compromised so much for you, and you're still pushing me like this?"
His shameless words echoed in my ears. I couldn't hold it in any longer. I slapped him, hard, across the face.
"Don't you dare pretend you're ruining your 'pure' relationship on my account. Carter was right. You should follow your heart." My voice was dripping with scorn. "What do you need a petty woman like me for? Go find someone who's 'understanding' enough for you."
"The divorce papers are in your email. Sign them."
With a final surge of strength, I ripped my arm from his grasp, opened the gate, and walked away.
Behind me, I heard his helpless roar. "You'll regret this!"
How could I possibly regret this? I should be thanking him. His latest stunt finally opened my eyes. My life would only be better without him.
When I got to my parents' house, they rushed to my side, demanding to know what happened. My mother's eyes were red and puffy; she'd obviously been crying.
I told them everything about Scott and the baby.
My mom pulled me into a tight hug, her voice cracking. "I told you from the start he was bad news."
My dad was silent for a moment before saying, "Good riddance."
My own composure finally broke. I buried my face in my mother's shoulder and sobbed.
They had never approved of Scott. They'd always said there was no love for me in his eyes. But I had chased him for seven years, and when he finally agreed to date me, I was ecstatic. I ignored everyone's warnings, convinced I could make him fall in love with me.
Clearly, I had failed. After a decade of my life, it had all come to this. You can't force happiness. I had learned that lesson with ten years of my youth.
I waited. Days passed, and Scott still hadn't signed the papers. Finally, I told him I was taking him to court. That got a response. A reluctant text message.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow. We'll have dinner, get Carter and the guys to apologize to you. Can we please stop this drama? I'm so exhausted, Jenny. I'm torn between you and Ava, and there's no easy solution."
He followed it up with another. "I'm sorry. But can't you try to understand my position? I told you I'd see her less, but she's pregnant now. She needs someone to take care of her, especially with her husband gone."

4
He claimed he was torn between me and Ava, but his actions had already proven, time and time again, who he would always choose.
On our wedding day, he left me at our own reception to comfort Ava after she had a fight with her husband.
On our anniversary, he abandoned our dinner plans to sit with Ava because she was afraid of a thunderstorm.
On my birthday, he was out celebrating Ava's promotion.
Every holiday, he would buy two identical giftsone for me, one for heras if that made his betrayal fair. I complained, I cried, I begged him to stop. He would always promise it wouldn't happen again, only to break that promise the next time. Eventually, if I pushed too hard, he'd call me petty and insecure.
Looking back, the only truly happy memory I had with him was the day he proposed.
He had planned so many surprises. The proposal itself took place on Starlight Peak, over ten thousand feet up, where the stars felt so close you could almost touch them. Under that vast, glittering canopy, he got down on one knee and slid a sparkling ring onto my finger. His eyes were sincere, burning with an intensity I'd never seen before, and his vows were a torrent of passionate promises.
That was the only time he had ever been truly serious about me. It was a ceremony he had planned for months, a moment that was just for the two of us.
When I didn't reply to his text, Scott called. "Ava... I've already booked the restaurant. We'll all get together and make it up to you, okay? Just stop this."
He had called me by her name.
I replied coolly, "Is Ava going to be there?"
"Yes."
"Fine. Come get me tomorrow."
If they wanted to apologize, why should I be the only one to hear it?
When Scott arrived the next day, Ava was in the passenger seat. She offered me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Jenny, I get terrible car sickness. I have to sit up front."
"It's fine," I said, my own smile just as fake.
The old me would have been stewing in resentment, but now, nothing they did could touch me. It was a funny thing: the passenger seat of Scott's car was always reserved for her. Yet, she never seemed to get car sick when riding with anyone else.
When we got to the restaurant, Scott's friends were already there. Carter was the first to greet me, pulling me into the seat beside him. "Here, Jenny, sit next to me. I've got a big apology coming your way."
His tone held no remorse, only a faint trace of a threat.
Once we were all seated, Carter poured me a glass of wine. "First, I'm going to down one myself as punishment." He threw back his glass, then turned to me. "Jenny, I'm a blunt guy, you know that. Don't take it personally. It's true, I don't think you're good enough for my boy. But what can I do? He still wants to be with you, so for his sake..."
He paused, a smirk playing on his lips. "I sincerely apologize."
He poured himself another glass. "I'll take another. I was out of line the other day. I'm sorry."
As soon as he finished, Scott's other friends mumbled their own apologies. Seeing the tension ease, Scott tried to smooth things over, telling everyone to eat.
But Ava stood up, holding a glass of juice. She looked at me, her face a mask of sympathy. "Jenny, I need to apologize, too. Scott's feelings for me run so deep... I'm so sorry you've had to suffer because of it."
Before she could continue, Scott quickly pulled her back into her seat. "You did nothing wrong. You don't need to apologize."
Then, he turned to me, his expression serious. "I'm sorry, Jenny. It was my fault. I didn't handle this situation well."
"It's okay," I said, my voice calm. "But there's someone else who'd like to hear you two apologize to him."
Just as I finished speaking, the private room door swung open, and a man in a sharp suit walked in.

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