I Gave Birth to a Child After 20 Years of Waiting & Treatment — When My Husband Saw Him, He Said, ‘Are You Sure This One Is Mine?’
I should have been happiest on the day my son was born. Rather, it was the day that everything in my universe started to unravel. What my spouse stated when he eventually arrived at the hospital made me doubt everything.
Ethan and I have been wed for twenty-one years. We have been fighting infertility for the majority of that time. I’ve cried more tears of hope, disappointment, and sorrow than I ever imagined I could.
Ethan appeared to be helpful enough when we initially started trying, showing up to doctor’s appointments and holding my hand while we made our way through the confusing array of treatments. However, as the years passed, something changed. He began to act… differently.
For a long time, I dismissed it, telling myself it was simply the stress of our circumstances. Marriage suffers as a result of infertility, after all. But he started making more covert calls and working late into the night.
He would mutter something like, “I’ll call you later,” and then abruptly end the call as soon as I entered.
Even though it was unnerving, I decided not to pay attention to it. The intense need for a child engulfed me so much that I was unable to prevent myself from becoming paranoid.
I was on the verge of giving up by the time I turned forty. But something in me, whether it was desperation or stubbornness, wouldn’t let go. I made the decision to give it one last go. When I explained my choice to Ethan, he muttered something like “whatever makes you happy” and appeared unconcerned. I didn’t want to admit how much that hurt.
Then, in spite of all, it occurred. I became pregnant.
I’d muttered, “Ethan,” while clutching the positive pregnancy test in unsteady hands. “We succeeded. I am expecting a child.
“That’s fantastic. His tone seemed strange, but he said, “That’s really great.” compelled. I choose to ignore it and concentrate on my happiness.
I gave birth to a gorgeous baby boy nine months later. The delivery room was not where Ethan wanted to be.
He had answered, “I’ll just pass out,” when I pleaded with him to stay. “They’ll end up taking care of me instead of you.”
I therefore went through it by myself. And I was devastated by his first words when he eventually entered the hospital room two hours later.
“Are you sure this one’s mine?” His voice was flat and icy as he spoke.
It seemed as if someone had hit me. “What? How can you even ask me that, Ethan? He’s yours, of course! For years, we had been trying for this child.
His jaw tensed, and he produced an object I couldn’t see from his jacket pocket. His words were, “I have proof,”
My entire world swayed. What evidence? What on earth might he mean?
He began telling me this crazy story about how his mother had “proof” that I had cheated on him. She said that no baby had been delivered from the room where I gave birth, but that someone had brought in a different baby to make it look like mine. The photos showed a man who was allegedly waiting for me outside our home.
I looked at him in disbelief. “This is crazy. All of it is false! Do you think she’s real?
“She wouldn’t lie to me,” he stated in a chilly manner. “She’s my mother.”
“I am also your spouse. The person who endured everything in order to give birth to this child. He was born to the woman who nearly died! And you’re standing here saying that I did… I was unable to complete the sentence.
His face was unreadable as he pivoted on his heel. He said, “I’ll be back when I’m ready to talk,” and then he left me sitting there, shaking with hurt and anger.
As soon as he was gone, I picked up my phone and dialed Lily, my best friend. The first ring caught her attention.
“Claire? “What’s wrong?”
I was unable to control my tears. “He believes I betrayed him. His mother has evidence, he said. It’s crazy, Lily. I’m not sure what to do.
“Okay, slow down,” she remarked in a stern but composed tone. “Start from the beginning.”
Lily’s tone had hardened by the time I had finished talking. “There’s a problem, Claire. You must observe him. He is not behaving normally.
“Observe him? “How?”
She said, “I’ll do it,” without hesitation. “If he’s up to something, I’ll find out.”
She tracked him down and called him back hours later. “He went to another woman’s residence, Claire. I watched him enter.
My heart stopped beating. “What?”
Lily said, “Listen to me,” with urgency. “This isn’t consistent. You require professional assistance. Employ a someone who can investigate this.
I got in touch with Lydia, a private investigator Lily had strongly suggested, a few days later. I told her everything, and she listened carefully.
She finally muttered, “This is messy,” as her piercing eyes locked with mine. “But I’ll find out. Give me two days.
Two days. Now I had no choice but to wait.
Ethan wasn’t there when I took Liam home from the hospital. No call, no text, just a chilly, meaningless quiet.
What sort of father fails to be there for his son?
It was too painful to wait. Every five minutes, I checked my phone in the hopes of hearing from Lydia, the private investigator. The following morning, I nearly jumped out of my skin when the doorbell rang.
Lydia’s lips were squeezed into a narrow line, her expression solemn. “We need to talk.”
After guiding her into the kitchen, I helped Liam get comfortable in his bassinet. Lydia looked at him, and her eyes softened.
Her voice was quiet yet purposeful as she leaned closer. “I spoke with Ethan’s sister.”
“His sister?” I furrowed my brows. “We don’t communicate. She’s—well—”
Lydia cut in, “She’s not an addict as you think.” “She’s been sober for years, and she told me a lot—things that are going to change everything for you.”
I said, “What kind of things?”
To put it plainly, “Ethan married you for your money,”. “His whole family was aware. They had it planned out from the start.
“What?” My grasp tightened on the table’s edge as my voice broke.
He has been embezzling money from your inheritance for the last 20 years. Not just to help himself, but also to provide for his other family. He has three kids from a previous relationship.
I said, “No… you’re wrong,” loudly.
“I’m not,” Lydia remarked as she slid a packet in my direction. “Everything is here, including pictures, bank statements, and medical bills. There’s more. It appears that Ethan may have been interfering with your efforts to become pregnant.
Staring at her, I froze. “What… what do you mean?”
“There is proof that he tampered with items at a few of the clinics you visited. Claire, he didn’t want you to become pregnant.”
I had a constricted chest. I was having trouble breathing.
I felt as though Lydia’s words were choking me. I was having trouble thinking. “Sabotaging my treatments?” With a trembling voice, I whispered. “An additional family? How could he have done this to me?
Liam’s small hand was curling and uncurling in his bassinet as he slept, and I looked at him. Like a tidal wave, the weight of twenty years swept over me. My once-cherished memories were corrupted now. All of it had been false, including the small acts of affection and the hushed assurances of eternity.
I was shaken to my very core by the sobbing, which began softly at first but soon erupted in waves. What caused my blindness? So stupid? For years, I had been blaming my body and myself for our infertility problems, while Ethan had been working against me.
I recalled every unsuccessful treatment, every late-night appointment, and every time I’d cried in the dark while he pretended to be worried.
I broke my voice when I said, “I trusted him,” out loud. “Lydia, I loved him. I gave him everything.
Lydia put a steadying hand on my arm and stood up. “And for that reason, Claire, you must fight back. Your tears are not justified for him. Consider Liam. He needs you to be strong.
My tears slowed as I turned to face Liam, the anguish giving way to rage. Lydia was correct. I was needed by my son. I wiped my face, each breath solidifying my resolve.
I finally said, “You’re right,” in a more steady voice. “I’m not going to let him get away with this.”
I grabbed my phone and stared at the screen for a while before making a call. “James,” I stated in response to my attorney. “We must speak. It has to do with Ethan.
A few days later, I heard Ethan’s car pull into the driveway with that familiar rumbling. He found the divorce papers nicely arranged on the kitchen table.
I waited for him to enter the living room, Liam curled up in his bassinet next to me. Ethan entered after the door opened.
With a cautious tone, as if he already knew he was about to fall into a trap, he shouted out, “Claire?”
I said, “I’m here,” in a firm voice.
I wasted no time at all. “Why are you abandoning your son?” I asked, carefully and incisively.
Startled, he blinked. “What? I’m not going to desert anyone. Claire, I Alright, I apologize. I felt emotional and bewildered. I made a lot of foolish and unintentional statements. It was all untrue.
“Really?” I cocked my head. “So why did you not come get us at the hospital? For three days, where were you? Why didn’t you pick up when I called?
After a moment of hesitation, his face settled into that recognizable, disarming grin. He said, “I had an urgent business trip,” with a veneer of seriousness in his voice.
“I promise I wasn’t ignoring you, Claire. Never would I do that. I’m so sorry, my love.”
I said, “Interesting,” bending slightly back. “What are your three kids’ names?”
His whole face became cold. A look of sheer disbelief took the place of the smile. The mask came off for the first time, revealing the man beneath it—the manipulator, the liar.
He opened his mouth to say, “I—” but nothing came out.
“Save it,” I interrupted, giving him a cold glance. “Everything, Ethan, I know. Standing and turning toward the stairs, I added, “Be sure to pick up the divorce papers from the kitchen table before you go today. Thank you.
I did not await his response. My heart was pounding as I brought Liam upstairs.
I heard the front door slam a moment later. The papers were gone by the time I descended again. At last, it was over.
The deal was settled after a few weeks. Ethan took a small payment, which I thought was a good deal to be rid of his poisonous influence from my life. My legal team produced a mound of evidence that allowed me to keep the house, cars, and businesses.
In addition, my attorneys were constructing compelling arguments against Ethan and the fertility clinics that had colluded with him. “This will take time,” James, my lawyer, cautioned me. “But I’m confident we’ll win.”
I was prepared to spend time on time. I was concentrating on Liam for now. He was entitled to a life free from dishonesty.
I tenderly whispered to Liam as I rocked him to sleep one night, “I’ll make sure you never grow up doubting your worth, little one.”
