1 Seven Months Far
Dina,
Very unapologetic for not addressing you as 'dear', because I can't bring myself to affectionately address the woman who ruined my daughter's and my life. While I am writing this letter to you, I ponder whether I'd send this to you. Never did I think of blaming you or to look up for you to hold you responsible for my broken marriage with Stephen. It wasn't your fault that you fell in love with him. I don't even know whether he told you about me and his unborn child when you both were dating. (Yes. Stephen is a father to a nine year old girl.) Once a cheater, forever a cheater. He might be having an affair with plenty of women that time, who knows?
To survive or to thrive? Your choice is your near future with or without Stephen. I chose to survive. Survive for the sake of my unborn baby. I was as far as the 7th month when one day, accidentally mine and Stephen's mobile phones got exchanged. He put a password on his mobile but forgot about the notifications and then I saw a text from you. "Let's meet over a coffeeđ?" (along with a winking emoticon). I had just visited my gynaecologist who told me my baby was healthy. I had a hunch for a long time that Stephen had an affair and your message confirmed it. It's so amazing that one harmless emoticon could shatter someone's life and family forever.
I had a relationship for 2 years with Stephen after which I agreed to his marriage proposal. After 1 year of our marriage, on our wedding anniversary, I found out that I was one month pregnant. I was the happiest. Though I was unprepared, I was happy with this feeling of having a life in me. I wanted to keep the baby and I decided to keep it. Stephen was very disappointed then and there. He tried to coax me enough to abort the baby. He even forced me to abort my baby.
Heartless right? Too bad for him, as I am financially independent. I freelance as a content editor, content writer and also write books. I survive by my pen and I will always be independent financially. I left Stephen's place and went to my apartment. Stephen started to look out for me everyday apologising for all the things he said and did. Seeing his guilt-tripped face, I gave in and I started to stay with him again. (Only for the sake of my unborn child). I wanted my baby to have a father as she grows. I didn't want my baby to be sad over anything. Love? After his heartless act of forcing me to abort my baby I could never bring myself to love him again.
I fell out of love but decided to wait back only for my baby. Days passed by and the arguments between us increased. Stephen even left the house for a few days and never came home. I tried to contact him but he never answered my calls or my messages. It was a highly toxic relationship but I had no other option. I would give my all only for my baby. My baby means the world to me and I would face everything that happens. I visited for health check-ups by myself. I was three months far when the doctor told me that the fetus was unstable and there was a high risk of losing the baby. No one can understand how I felt that time. I felt my world shattering. Gods against me. Everything crashing down. Only darkness in my world with no ray of sunlight.
Unknown to me, Stephen's business wasn't doing well that time. He started to come home regularly and put up an act of reflecting on his mistakes. Pregnancy makes a woman emotional and so she trusts rather easily. Trust is broken by the ones who are trusted. I accepted him and everything was fine on the surface. Stephen spent a lot of time at home and very naively I thought it was for me and for the baby. But I was wrong. His business was on the verge of collapsing and he had no guts to face the employees, his business partners or anyone. He wanted to live off me and save each and every penny he could. I invested and earned pretty well in the share-market. (and spending time with me he understood more about investments and finances.) He tried and earned money by investing in it. In a few months his business came out of the crisis. And lo! The arguments, the fights the ignore-game started off (again). I was 7 months far when I saw your text on his mobile phone.
That very day, I decided not to forgive this person ever again. Revenge was an emotion I decided to suppress for the sake of my child. I filed for a divorce and registered a complaint in the police station. In my ninth month of pregnancy 2 days before giving birth to my baby I got divorced. My child was born fatherless. It is acceptable for me that my baby would have no father than let her see the quarrels at home and lose faith in love, trust, understanding, adjustments and all the emotions.
Time passed by and my daughter is now nine. She's beautiful, mature, loving and understanding. She was very bothered about the fact that she has no father. But I can't tell her what sort of a man her father is. I told her father was a kind man but he was busy at work and so he can't make time to come home. (This was the biggest mistake I made. I lied to my daughter!)
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Dear readers,
First few chapters cover up the letter Annelies (our FL) has written to Dina which changes Dina's life. After a few chapters you will see Annelies fight for her daughter and her rights.
