I was seven months pregnant with twins when everything came crashing down. I was sitting at home, folding baby clothes, imagining what they would be named and what their nursery would look like, when the phone rang.
My stomach clenched when I saw that the message came from my husband Eric’s boss, Veronica. At first I thought something had happened to Eric, but the truth was much worse.
The message contained a picture of a shirtless Eric smirking in Veronica’s bed. The text beneath it was chilling, ‘It’s time for you to find out. He’s mine.’
My heart stopped. The babies inside me squeaked, sensing my anxiety. I tried to call Eric, but his phone immediately went straight to voicemail. Feeling dizzy, I collapsed onto the couch, clutching my stomach.
‘It’s going to be okay,’ I whispered to my unborn daughters, trying to stay calm. ‘Daddy won’t leave us, even if he hurts me.’
I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Eric came home that evening, but he wasn’t alone. Veronica walked in behind him, confident and unapologetic.
‘Eric, what’s wrong?’ I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
‘It’s simple,’ he replied. ‘I’m in love with Veronica. I’m leaving you. Let’s leave it alone.’
My breath caught. ‘We’re having twins, Eric! How can you do this now?’
He shrugged indifferently. ‘Life happens.’
Veronica stepped forward, crossed her arms, and looked at my stomach with cold detachment. ‘Since this flat belongs to Eric, you’ll have to move out by the end of the week.’
Panic gripped me. ‘Are you out of your mind? I’m heavily pregnant! I have nowhere to go!’
She smiled, cold and calculating. ‘I have a solution. I’ll pay your expenses and provide you with a place to live, but I need one of your children.’
I froze in horror. ‘What?’
She waved her hand dismissively. ‘I want a baby, but I won’t ruin my body for it. Raising twins on my own would be impossible anyway. This way everyone wins.’
Eric nodded in agreement, as if this horrifying suggestion was reasonable.
I was seized with rage. Did they think they could use my children as a bargaining chip? Not without a fight.
Pretending to give up, I lowered my gaze and whispered: ‘Okay. But I have a condition.’
Veronica smirked, thinking she’d won. ‘And what’s your condition?’
‘I get to choose which baby you take,’ I said, making tears come to my eyes. ‘I need time to make a decision after they’re born.’
She hesitated, but agreed. ‘Okay, but don’t take too long. I don’t have the patience.’
I paused, then added: ‘And you’ll buy me a house, not rent it. Otherwise I’ll disappear and you’ll never see either of them again.’
Eric seemed ready to object, but Veronica stopped him. ‘You’re smart, aren’t you? Good. But you’d better hang in there until the end.’
She had no idea that I was already planning my next move.
Veronica quickly bought me a beautiful three-bedroom house with a quick glance at the papers she’d signed. I played along, reporting back to her with doctor’s appointments and pretending I couldn’t make a decision.
When the day came, I calmly texted Veronica that I was having contractions and going to the hospital, but asked the nurses to keep her or Eric out during labour.
A few hours later my beautiful daughters, Lily and Emma, were born. I spent two quiet days bonding with them and finalising my plan.
On the third day, Veronica and Eric showed up at my house. Veronica walked in, confident of her victory.
‘So, which one is mine?’ – she demanded.
I hugged my daughters, standing to my full height and smiling. ‘None of them.’
Her face darkened. ‘Excuse me?’
‘I said ‘neither.’ Did you really think I would sell you my child?’
Eric let out an intermittent sigh. ‘Don’t start drama…’
But I wasn’t done. ‘This house is mine. You totally signed it over to me. You were too busy celebrating your disgusting deal to read the papers, weren’t you?’
Veronica went pale. ‘What?’
‘Oh, and one more thing,’ I added calmly. ‘Last night I posted everything – your messages, your pictures, your perverted proposal – on social media. I tagged your company, your investors, and all those charities you care so much about.’
Veronica grabbed my phone, scrolling through it in a panic. Her face reflected horror. ‘You ruined us!’
‘No,’ I corrected her. ‘You ruined yourself.’
Eric was fired immediately. The scandal ruined their company, and Veronica became an outcast.
Meanwhile, I settled into my new home, cradling my daughters in my arms, and felt at peace knowing I’d fought back and won.
