Pregnancy is supposed to be one of the most beautiful times in a woman’s life. That is, of course, if she has a loving husband who supports her every step of the way.
For me, it was a different story. Not only did I suffer from morning sickness that lasted all day, every day, but I also had to deal with Arnie, my husband—the man who once cherished me but had now turned into a stranger.
Before I got pregnant, Arnie treated me like a queen. He carried me in his arms, showered me with compliments, and made me feel loved. We were excited to start a family, and when I showed him the positive pregnancy test, he grinned like a child on Christmas morning. “We’re going to be parents!” he had said, pulling me into his arms.
But something changed once my body started transforming. At first, it was just small remarks.
“You could at least try to look presentable instead of walking around in pajamas all day,” he muttered once, his eyes scanning me in disappointment.
He didn’t care that I had just spent the whole day battling nausea, barely able to stand without feeling dizzy.
Soon, his comments became crueler. “You just lie around all day,” he grumbled one evening, tossing his shoes aside. “This house is a mess. What do you even do?”
“Arnie, my back is killing me, and I feel sick all the time. I can barely stand without feeling like I’m going to pass out,” I said softly, hoping for some understanding.
But all he did was roll his eyes. “Excuses. My sister was pregnant, and she still managed to take care of her husband. You’re just lazy.”
It hurt. It hurt more than I could put into words.
As my belly grew, Arnie became more distant. He started coming home late, always glued to his phone, texting someone. Whenever I asked him about it, he would wave me off.
“It’s work. Stop nagging,” he’d snap.
Then, one night, eight months pregnant and feeling more exhausted than ever, I smelled perfume on him. A strong, flowery scent that I had never worn in my life.
“Where have you been?” I asked, my voice shaking.
Arnie didn’t even look at me as he tossed his keys onto the table. “None of your business.”
I swallowed hard, my heart sinking. I wanted to believe I was imagining things, but deep down, I knew.
That night, I lay awake, my mind racing. Where had Arnie gone? Was he with someone else? My phone buzzed just before dawn. A message from his mother:
He’s here. He needed space.
Relief washed over me for a brief moment. He hadn’t gone to another woman—at least not tonight. But why did he need space from his pregnant wife?
When Arnie returned, things got worse. His resentment toward me grew, and his words became sharper, crueler.
“This place is always filthy. You don’t even try to take care of yourself. No wonder I don’t feel attracted to you anymore.”
Each word cut deeper than a knife.
One day, I told my best friend everything. She listened, her face darkening with every word. “Jessica, you need to leave him,” she said firmly.
I shook my head, tears welling up. “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.”
I wanted to believe her, but fear held me back. Then, everything changed.
One evening, while Arnie was in the shower, his phone lit up with a notification. My hands trembled as I picked it up.
A dating app. Dozens of messages from different women.
He had been cheating on me the entire time.
A sharp pain shot through my chest. My hands instinctively went to my belly, as if to shield my unborn daughter from the heartbreak.
At that moment, something inside me shifted. I had to leave him. But not before teaching him a lesson.
The next morning, I put my plan into motion.
Weeks later, just as I was about to give birth, Arnie walked in with another woman.
“Who is this?!” I gasped, my breath catching in my throat.
Arnie smirked, wrapping an arm around the young woman beside him. “This is Stacy, my girlfriend.”
My heart pounded in disbelief. “WHAT?!”
“You heard me,” he said, completely unfazed. He tossed a folder onto the table. “I’m leaving you. Here are the divorce papers.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “What about our child?” I whispered.
Arnie shrugged. “I don’t want you or your baby.”
That was it. That was the moment I knew I would make him regret everything.
I took the pen, signed the papers, and said, “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 mine.”
I turned on my heel and left, but inside, I was smiling. Arnie thought he had won. He had no idea what was coming.
A month later, I gave birth to my beautiful daughter, Riley. And just like that, a new life began for me.
With my mother’s help, I healed. I regained my strength. And most importantly, I set my final plan into motion.
Then, one afternoon, there was a knock on my door.
I opened it to find Stacy standing there, looking defeated.
“It’s over. Your plan worked,” she said, crossing her arms.
I smirked. “Finally.”
She sighed. “Arnie signed everything over without reading. The house, the accounts—he was too distracted with me to notice.”
I chuckled. “He never was the brightest.”
And just like that, everything he had tried to take from me was back in my hands.
One evening, I heard shouting outside. Curious, I stepped onto the porch.
“Stacy! Come back! I have nothing left!” Arnie was standing in the driveway, desperate and broken.
I crossed my arms and smirked. “Didn’t expect this, did you?”
His head snapped toward me. “What are YOU doing here?!”
I laughed. “Oh, Arnie, you fool. I set you up. Stacy was part of my plan. I knew you’d fall for her. And you were so busy chasing your own desires that you signed everything over to me.”
His face turned red. “You witch! You tricked me!”
“No, Arnie. You tricked yourself. I just helped you along.”
His anger turned into desperation. “Come back to me. I’ll be better.”
I tilted my head. “No.”
“You’ll never find another man!” he yelled.
I smirked. “I don’t need a man. I have everything I need.” I held Riley close, feeling nothing but peace.
As I walked back inside and locked the door behind me, I knew—I had finally won.
