After years of longing, Emily’s dream finally came true: she gave birth to beautiful triplet daughters. But one day later, her husband abandoned them, claiming they were cursed.
I looked at my three little girls, and my heart swelled as I took them in. Sophie, Lily, and Grace were perfect, each a miracle. I had waited for them so long—years of hope, waiting, and prayers.
And now they were here, sleeping in their cribs, their faces so peaceful. I wiped away a tear, overwhelmed by how much I loved them.
But then I looked up, and there was Jack. He had just returned from running errands, but something was wrong. He looked pale. He wouldn’t look me in the eye, and he didn’t come closer. He stood by the door, as though he wasn’t even sure he wanted to be in the same room.
“Jack?” I said softly, stroking the chair by the bed. “Come sit with me. Look at them, they’re here. We made it.”
“Yeah… they’re beautiful,” Jack murmured, barely glancing at the babies. He took a step closer but still wouldn’t look me in the eye.
“Jack,” I said, my voice trembling. “What’s going on? You’re scaring me.”
He took a deep breath and said, “Emily, I don’t think… I don’t think we can keep them.”
It felt like the sky had fallen down on me. “What?” I choked. “Jack, what are you talking about? They’re our daughters.”
He grimaced in pain and turned his gaze away as though he couldn’t stand to look at my face. “My mom… went to see a fortune teller,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.
I blinked, unsure if I had heard him right. “A fortune teller? Jack, you can’t be serious.”
“She said… she said that these babies… our girls…” He paused, his voice unsteady. “She said they would only bring bad luck. That they would ruin my life and be the reason for my death.”
I gasped, staring at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. “Jack, that’s crazy. They’re just babies.”
He lowered his gaze, his face filled with fear. “My mom swears by this fortune teller. She’s been right before, and… she’s never been so sure about anything.”
I felt anger rising, hot and sharp. “So, because of some ridiculous prediction, you want to abandon them? Leave them here, just like that?”
He stopped, looking at me with fear mixed with guilt. “If you want to take them home… fine,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I won’t be there. I’m sorry, Emily.”
I stared at him, trying to process his words, but all I felt was shock. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” My voice cracked. “You’re going to walk away from your daughters over a story your mother heard?”
He didn’t say anything. He just lowered his gaze, shoulders slumped.
I gasped for air, trying to hold myself together. “If you walk out that door, Jack,” I whispered, “don’t come back. I won’t let you do this to our daughters.”
He looked at me one last time, his face twisted in agony, but then he turned and headed for the door. “I… I’m sorry, Em,” he said softly, and he left, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.
I sat there, staring at the empty door, my heart pounding in my chest and my mind spinning. A nurse came back in, saw my face, and placed a hand on my shoulder, offering silent comfort as she gathered my things.
I looked at my babies, tears blurring my vision. “Don’t worry, girls,” I whispered, stroking each little head. “I’m here. I’ll always be here.”
While I hugged my triplets, I felt a mix of fear and fierce determination growing inside me. I had no idea how I would manage on my own, but I knew one thing for sure: I would never abandon my daughters. Never.
Weeks had passed since Jack left, and every day without him was harder than I had imagined. Taking care of three newborns by myself was overwhelming.
Some days, I felt like I could barely hold on, but I pushed forward for Sophie, Lily, and Grace. They were my whole world now, and although Jack’s abandonment hurt, I knew I had to focus on them.
One afternoon, my sister-in-law Beth came to help with the babies. She was the only one from Jack’s family who was willing to stay in contact with me, and I accepted, thinking I might be able to convince Jack to come back. That day, I realized something was bothering her.
Beth bit her lip, looking at me with a pained expression. “Emily, I’ve heard something… I’m not sure if I should tell you, but I can’t keep it to myself.”
My heart raced. “Tell me.”
She sighed and took a deep breath. “I heard mom talking to Aunt Carol. She… admitted there was no fortune teller.”
I froze. “What do you mean there was no fortune teller?”
Beth’s eyes filled with sadness. “Mom made it up. She was worried that with the triplets, Jack would have less time for her. She thought… thought that if she convinced him the babies would bring bad luck, he would stay closer to her.”
The room seemed to spin. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt a wave of anger so fierce that I had to put Grace down before my trembling hands betrayed me.
“That woman,” I whispered, my voice thick with rage. “She destroyed my family for her own selfish reasons.”
Beth placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Emily. I don’t think she realized what she was doing to you, but… I thought you should know the truth.”
That night, I didn’t sleep. Part of me wanted to confront my mother-in-law, make her face what she had done. But another part of me wanted to reach out to Jack, tell him the truth, and hope he would come back.
The next morning, I called Jack. My hands were shaking as I dialed, each ring felt longer than the last. Finally, he answered.
“Jack, it’s me,” I said firmly. “We need to talk.”
He sighed. “Emily, I don’t know if this is a good idea.”
“Just listen,” I insisted, struggling to keep my voice steady. “There was no fortune teller, Jack. Your mom made it all up.”
There was a long silence. Then he spoke, his voice calm but dismissive. “Emily, I don’t believe it. My mom wouldn’t make something so serious up.”
“She did, Jack,” I said, my anger bubbling to the surface. “She confessed it to Carol. Beth heard her. She lied to you because she was afraid of losing you.”
He scoffed. “Look, Em, that fortune teller has been right before. You don’t know her like I do. My mom wouldn’t lie about something this big.”
I felt my heart sink, but I forced myself to continue. “Jack, please, think about it. Why would she lie? It’s your family, your daughters. How can you abandon them over something like this?”
He didn’t answer, and finally, I heard him sigh. “I’m sorry, Emily. I can’t do it.”
The line went dead. I stared at the phone, realizing he had made a decision. He was gone.
In the following weeks, I did everything I could to adjust to life as a single mom. Every day was a struggle, balancing meals, diapers, and my own pain over the life I thought I would have with Jack.
But little by little, things started to change. Friends and family stepped in to help, bringing meals and holding the babies so I could rest. And despite everything, my love for Sophie, Lily, and Grace only grew. Each smile, each coo, or each tiny hand wrapped around my finger filled me with a joy that nearly erased the pain of Jack’s absence.
Several weeks later, there was a knock at my door. I opened it, and there stood Jack’s mother. Her face was pale, her eyes filled with regret.
“Emily,” she began, her voice trembling. “I… I didn’t want any of this to happen.”
I crossed my arms, struggling to maintain composure. “You lied to him. You convinced him that his own daughters were a curse.”
Tears filled her eyes as she nodded. “I was scared, Emily. I thought… I thought he would forget about me if he had you and the girls. I never thought he would really leave.”
I felt my anger soften, but only a little. “Your fear destroyed my family.”
She lowered her gaze, her face twisted in guilt. “I know. And I’m so sorry.”
I watched her for a moment, but my mind was already with my daughters, sleeping in the next room. “I have nothing more to say to you.”
She left, and I closed the door, feeling a strange mix of relief and sadness.
A year later, Jack appeared at my door, looking like a ghost of the man I once loved. He begged, saying that he had finally realized his mistake and wanted to come back, to be with us, and to be a family again.
But now I knew better. I looked him straight in the eyes and shook my head. “I already have a family, Jack. You weren’t there when we needed you. I don’t need you now.”
As I closed the door, I felt like a weight was lifted from me. After all, it wasn’t me or our daughters who ruined his life. It was him.