After years of waiting, Emily’s dream finally came true: she gave birth to beautiful triplet daughters. But just one day later, her husband abandoned them, claiming the children were cursed.
I looked down at my three little girls and my heart filled with warmth. Sophie, Lily and Grace were perfect, each a true miracle. I had waited so long for them – years of hoping, waiting and praying.
And here they were, sleeping in their cradles, their tiny faces so peaceful. I brushed a tear from my cheek, overwhelmed by how much I already love them.
But then I looked up and saw Jack. He had just come back from some errands, but something was wrong. He looked pale. His gaze avoided mine, and he didn’t approach. He just stood at the door, like he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to be in this room.
Jack? – I said softly, patting the chair next to the bed. – Sit down. Look at them – they’re here. We made these.
Yeah… they’re beautiful,’ Jack muttered, barely glancing at the girls. He moved a little closer, but never met my gaze.
Jack,’ my voice shook, ’what’s going on? You’re scaring me.
He took a deep breath and then blurted out:
Emily, I don’t think…I don’t think we can leave them.
I felt the ground go out from under my feet.
What?’ I breathed out. – Jack, what are you talking about? They’re our daughters!
He grimaced and looked away, as if he couldn’t bear to look at me.
My mum… she went to a fortune teller,’ he whispered.
I blinked, not believing my ears.
A fortune teller? Jack, you can’t be serious.
She said… she said that these children… our girls…’ he stopped talking, his voice trembling. – She said they would bring nothing but misery. That they would ruin my life and cause my death.
I aghast, staring at him, trying to realise what he’d just said.
Jack, that’s crazy. They’re just kids!
He lowered his head, his face full of fear.
My mum has a lot of faith in that fortune teller. She’s predicted things that have come true before… and she’s never been so sure before.
I felt a hot, sharp anger rise up inside.
So because of some ridiculous fortune teller, you want to leave them? Just leave them here?
He stopped talking, looking at me with an expression of fear mixed with guilt.
If you want to take them home…fine,’ he said, his voice barely audible. – ‘But I won’t be there. I’m sorry, Emily.
I stared at him, trying to comprehend his words, but all I felt was shock.
You’re serious, aren’t you? – My voice broke. – You’re going to give up your daughters because of some story your mum heard?
He didn’t say a word. Just lowered his gaze, his shoulders slumped.
I took a shaky breath, trying to hold myself together.
If you walk out that door, Jack,’ I whispered, ’you won’t come back. I won’t let you do this to our girls.
He looked at me one last time, his face torn, but then he turned and walked towards the door.
I’m… sorry, Em,’ he said quietly and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the corridor.
I sat there, staring at the empty doorway, my heart pounding and my thoughts spinning. The nurse came back, saw my face and put her hand on my shoulder, offering silent comfort as I gathered my things.
I looked at my babies, tears smearing everything in front of my eyes.
Don’t worry, girls,’ I whispered, stroking each tiny head. – I’m here. I’ll always be here.
As I held them in my arms, a mixture of fear and indomitable determination grew inside. I didn’t know how I would handle this alone, but I knew one thing for sure: I would never leave my girls. Never.
It had been a few weeks since Jack had left, and every day without him was harder than I could have imagined. Caring for three newborns was overwhelming.
Sometimes I felt like I was barely hanging on, but I kept fighting for Sophie, Lily and Grace. They were my world, and although their father’s abandonment of them was painful, I knew I had to focus on them.
One afternoon my mother-in-law, Beth, came over to help with the little ones. She was the only person in Jack’s family who kept in touch with me, and I agreed, thinking she might be able to talk Jack into coming back. That afternoon I noticed something was bothering her.
Beth bit her lip, looking at me with an expression of pain.
Emily, I heard something…I don’t know if I should tell you, but I can’t keep it to myself.
My heart is racing.
Just tell me.
She sighed, inhaling deeply. ‘I overheard Mum talking to Aunt Carol. She…she admitted that there was no fortune teller.’
I froze. ‘What do you mean, no fortune teller?’
Beth’s eyes filled with sympathy. ‘Mum made it up. She was afraid that with triplets, Jack would spend less time with her. She thought…she thought if she convinced him the girls would bring bad luck, he’d stay by her side.’
The room spun. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. A feeling of rage swept over me so strongly that I had to put Grace on the floor to keep from giving myself away with trembling hands.
‘That woman,’ I whispered, my voice full of rage, ’she destroyed my family for her own selfish ends.’
Beth placed a soothing hand on my shoulder. ‘I’m so sorry, Emily. I don’t think she realised he would leave you like that, but…I thought you should know the truth.’
I didn’t sleep that night. Part of me wanted to confront my mother-in-law, to get her to admit what she’d done. But the other part of me wanted to call Jack, tell him the truth, and hope he’d come back.
The next morning, I called Jack. My hands shook as I dialled the number, each ringtone dragging on longer and longer. Finally, he answered.
‘Jack, it’s me,’ I said, trying to keep my voice sounding calm. ‘We need to talk.’
He sighed. ‘Emily, I don’t know if we should.’
‘Just listen,’ I insisted, fighting the urge to keep my voice from shaking. ‘There was no fortune teller, Jack. Your mum made it all up.’
There was a long silence. Then he spoke, his voice calm but dismissive. ‘Emily, I don’t believe that. My mum wouldn’t make up something so serious.’
‘She did, Jack,’ I said, anger breaking through. ‘She confessed to Carol. Beth heard her. She lied to you because she was afraid of losing you.’
He snorted, the sound sharp and painful. ‘Look, Em, that fortune teller was right before. You don’t know her like I do. My mum wouldn’t lie about something like that.’
My heart dropped, but I forced myself to continue. ‘Jack, please think about it. Why would I lie? This is your family, your daughters. How can you just leave them over something like this?’
He didn’t answer, and finally I heard him sigh. ‘I’m sorry, Emily. I can’t do this.’
The line cut off. I stared at the phone, realising he’d made his choice. He was gone.
In the weeks that followed, I struggled to adjust to life as a single mum. Every day was a struggle: feedings, nappies, and my own sadness at the life I thought I would have with Jack.
But gradually things started to change. Friends and family came to help, bringing food and holding the children so I could rest. And through it all, my love for Sophie, Lily and Grace only grew. Every smile, every little babble or tiny hand wrapped around my finger filled me with a joy that almost erased the pain of Jack’s absence.
A few weeks later, someone knocked on my door. I opened it and Jack’s mother stood in front of me. Her face was pale, her eyes full of regret.
‘Emily,’ she began, her voice shaking. ‘I…I didn’t mean for it to happen like this.’
I crossed my arms, trying to remain calm. ‘You lied to him. You convinced him that his own children were a curse.’
Tears filled her eyes, and she nodded. ‘I was afraid, Emily. I thought…I thought he’d forget about me if he had you and the girls. I never thought he’d actually leave.’
My anger eased a little, but only a little. ‘Your fear destroyed my family.’
She lowered her gaze, her face contorted in pain. ‘I know. And I’m so, so sorry.’
I stared at her for a few seconds, but my mind was already focused on my daughters sleeping in the other room. ‘I have nothing more to say to you.’
She left and I closed the door, feeling a strange combination of relief and sadness.
A year later, Jack appeared at my door, looking like the ghost of the man I once loved. He begged, saying he had finally realised his mistake and wanted to come back, to be with us and be a family again.
But now I knew better. I looked him straight in the eye and shook my head. ‘I already have a family, Jack. You weren’t there for us when we needed you. I don’t need you now.’
Closing the door, I felt a weight lifted off of me. After all, it wasn’t me or our daughters who ruined his life. He’d done it on his own.
