I was filled with excitement as I drove to the hospital, my heart racing with joy. Today was the day I was bringing my girls home! My smile couldn’t have been bigger, and I couldn’t wait to see them. As I hurried through the hospital corridors, I waved at the nurses at the station. It felt like everything was falling into place.
I rushed to Suzie’s room, but when I pushed the door open, I froze. My daughters were sleeping peacefully in their bassinets, looking so perfect and tiny. But something was wrong. Suzie, my wife, was gone. I looked around, thinking she might have stepped out for some fresh air. But then I saw it—a note, sitting on the bed. My hands shook as I tore it open.
“Goodbye. Take care of them. Ask your mother WHY she did this to me.”
I stared at the words, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. What was happening? What had Suzie done? I didn’t understand.
Just then, a nurse entered the room, carrying a clipboard. She smiled warmly at me and said, “Good morning, sir. Here’s the discharge papers—”
But I didn’t let her finish. “Where’s my wife?” I cut in, my voice urgent.
The nurse hesitated, looking down at the papers. “She checked out this morning. She said you knew.”
My heart sank. “She—where did she go?” I asked, my voice trembling. I waved the note at her. “Did she say anything else? Was she upset?”
The nurse looked uneasy. “She seemed fine. Quiet, but fine. Are you saying you didn’t know?”
I felt like the ground was slipping from under me. I left the hospital in a daze, holding my daughters tightly in my arms, the crumpled note still clenched in my hand.
Suzie was gone. The woman I had built my life with, the woman I thought I knew, had disappeared without a word. All I had now were two tiny babies and a cryptic message that made no sense. What had happened? Why had she left?
When I got home, I wasn’t prepared for what awaited me. My mom, Mandy, was waiting for me on the porch, holding a casserole dish. She looked up when she saw me, her expression faltering as she noticed the weight of the situation.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, concern furrowing her brow.
I didn’t say anything at first. I just handed her the note. “This is what’s wrong. What did you do to Suzie?”
Mom’s face twisted with confusion as she read the note. “Ben, I don’t know what this is about. She’s… she’s always been emotional. Maybe she—”
I couldn’t hold back the frustration anymore. “Don’t lie to me!” I snapped, my voice shaking with anger and hurt.
Mom blinked in shock, but I wasn’t finished. “You’ve never liked her, have you? You’ve always found ways to criticize her, to undermine her. Every chance you got, you made her feel small.”
Her face fell, and her voice cracked. “I’ve only ever tried to help you!” Tears welled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.
I took a deep breath, but the damage was done. That night, I sat alone, replaying every family gathering, every dinner, every holiday. I thought back to the small jabs my mother had made toward Suzie. At the time, I’d brushed them off, never realizing how much they must have hurt her. How could I have been so blind?
Then, I found it. A letter written in my mother’s handwriting, tucked away in the drawer. It was addressed to Suzie. I opened it, my hands shaking as I read:
“Suzie, you’ll never be good enough for my son. You’ve trapped him with this pregnancy, but don’t think for a second you can fool me. If you care about them, you’ll leave before you ruin their lives.”
I felt like the world was crashing down around me. It was almost midnight, but I couldn’t let this go. I couldn’t wait until morning. I stormed to the guest room and banged on the door until Mom opened it, looking startled.
“How could you?” I demanded, fury rising in my chest.
Mom’s face drained of color as she saw the letter in my hand. “Ben, listen to me—”
“No!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the house. “All this time, I thought you were just being overbearing, but no, you’ve been bullying Suzie for years, haven’t you?”
Her lips quivered, and she looked away, unable to meet my eyes. “Ben, please—”
“Don’t you dare try to explain!” I snapped. “You’ve hurt her more than you’ll ever understand.”
She didn’t respond. There was nothing left to say.
The truth was, I had failed to protect Suzie. I hadn’t seen what was right in front of me. Now she was gone, and all I had left were the shattered pieces of my life, and my two beautiful daughters. And in my heart, I knew I had to make things right—not just for Suzie, but for them.
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