Matthew had always wanted a son. When Anne couldn’t give him one, he decided their marriage was over. But instead of moving out after filing for divorce, he stayed in their house, making life miserable for Anne and their five daughters.
One day, Anne was out running errands in Seattle, taking a rare break from motherhood while her mom watched the girls. As she strolled down the busy sidewalk, she bumped into someone she hadn’t seen in years.
“Oh my God! Harry! It’s so nice to see you!” Anne exclaimed, her eyes lighting up with surprise.
Harry, her old school friend, grinned. “Anne! Wow, it’s been so long! Hey, would you like to grab a coffee and catch up?”
She nodded eagerly, and they walked into a nearby café, slipping into a cozy booth. As they sipped their drinks and reminisced about the past, Harry eventually asked about her life and family.
Anne sighed, stirring her coffee absentmindedly. “That’s actually a difficult subject.”
Harry tilted his head. “Well, raising five kids must be tough.”
“Yeah, but it’s more than that.” Anne hesitated before opening up. “Matthew changed after the twins were born. They’re nine now, and they barely talk to him. I think they’re scared of him.”
“Scared?” Harry frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Matthew always wanted a boy,” Anne explained, her voice bitter. “We kept trying, hoping, but we had two beautiful girls instead. Then another. And another. After our fifth daughter was born, he became a different person. He filed for divorce, but he still lives in the house. He parties, brings people over, wakes the kids up—he’s unbearable.”
Harry’s jaw clenched. “Anne, you deserve better. You’ve already raised those girls on your own. You don’t need him.”
Anne let out a small, tired laugh. “Tell that to the courts.”
“Listen,” Harry said suddenly, leaning in. “I’m in Seattle permanently now. If you ever need help, you could move in with me.”
Anne’s eyes widened in shock. She hadn’t expected such an offer, especially from someone she hadn’t seen in years. But Harry had always been kind to her in school—he’d even had a crush on her back then. Still, she couldn’t accept such generosity so easily. She quickly changed the subject, asking about his successful career, and they spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and talking.
But things at home only got worse in the following weeks. Matthew began bringing women over, acting like he was a bachelor while Anne struggled to keep their daughters’ lives stable. The final straw came when he brought a woman home while the girls were still awake.
Anne had had enough.
She grabbed her phone and called Harry. “I’m done. Can you come help us?”
That night, with Harry’s help, she packed up her daughters and left. The divorce got ugly, but Anne took Matthew to court, demanding the house. The judge ruled in her favor, giving her full custody and ordering Matthew to pay child support—though he never did.
Over time, Anne and Harry grew closer, and eventually, they fell in love. He treated her daughters like his own, giving them the father figure they had never truly had. A year after they married, Anne gave birth to their son, Alan. He was the most beautiful boy in the world, with five big sisters who adored him.
Years passed. One afternoon, Anne picked Alan up from preschool and decided to stop by the mall to buy him new shoes. The girls were at their extracurricular activities, so it was just the two of them.
As they strolled through the food court, Alan suddenly ran toward a pretzel stand. “Mommy, can I have one?”
Anne followed him and nearly gasped when she saw who was standing behind the counter, handing out samples.
“Matthew?” she blurted out.
Her ex-husband turned, his eyes widening. “Anne?”
Anne stared at him. He looked nothing like the man she had once been married to. His expensive suits were gone, replaced with a cheap uniform and a name tag. He had once been a high-earning executive, but now, he was handing out pretzel samples in a mall.
Matthew cleared his throat. “I… I work here.”
Anne glanced down at Alan, who was happily chewing on a pretzel. Matthew noticed him too.
“Is this your son?” he asked hesitantly.
Anne beamed with pride. “Yes. This is Alan. He’s Harry’s son.”
Matthew’s face fell. Of course, he knew that a child’s gender was determined by the father’s DNA. But for years, he had blamed Anne for not giving him a son. Now, she had one—with another man.
“Listen, Anne,” Matthew said, lowering his voice. “I didn’t want to ask this here, but… I lost everything. My job, my house… I was wondering if we could sell our old home.”
Anne raised an eyebrow. “I rented it out,” she replied coolly. “But I’ll think about it.”
She took Alan’s hand and walked away, feeling nothing for the man she had once loved. A part of her wanted to gloat, but she had moved past that. Instead, she did the right thing. She sold the house and gave Matthew half of the money, even though legally, she could have kept it all.
Matthew later tried to reconnect with his daughters, but none of them wanted to see him. The twins, now teenagers, had grown to despise him, and the younger ones followed their lead. Eventually, Matthew stopped trying. He faded from their lives completely.
Anne, on the other hand, had everything she had ever wanted—a loving husband, happy children, and a peaceful home. She had moved on, and she had won.
Lessons from this story:
- Family isn’t about DNA—it’s about love. Harry stepped up where Matthew failed.
- Your actions have consequences. Matthew lost everything because of his selfish choices.
- True happiness comes when you let go of the past and build a better future.
