“Someone Else’s Husband”
“Emma, I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.”
“Was it your wife calling? Fine, go. I’m used to it.”
It hurt Emma every time she had to let Ethan go back to his wife. She wished he’d stay the night. They could’ve gone to a café, curled up under a warm blanket to watch a film. She’d make good coffee. But that was just a dream. Ethan never hid the fact he was married, with a son. He didn’t love his wife—stayed for the boy’s sake. Once he finished school, Ethan promised, he’d leave and be with Emma.
Emma didn’t care about his wife. Why should she care about some other woman’s happiness? If a marriage fell apart, the husband lost interest—his behaviour said it all. Let him go. Ethan was just a decent father, not wanting to hurt his son by walking out.
It didn’t matter. Her time would come. Two more years, and the boy would leave for university. Then there’d be blankets, films, a proper home. Emma dreamed of a daughter, a little version of herself.
Two years flew by. She waited for Ethan to keep his word, but there were always excuses.
“Emma, listen, Lily’s mum’s seriously ill—she’s moved in with us. I can’t leave now, you understand…”
She sighed and nodded. How much longer? Till retirement?
A missed period. A fluke? She bought a test. Two lines. Maybe it was for the best. She needed the doctor to confirm.
Emma sat at the clinic, waiting. The door opened—a heavily pregnant woman walked out, arm in arm with a man. No. It was Ethan. What was going on?
They left without seeing her. She went in.
“Miss, are you alright? You’re very pale.”
“Fine. Just here for a check-up.”
The doctor confirmed the pregnancy. “Bit late for a first child at 35, but it’s fine. Had a patient earlier—40, with a grown son. Her and her husband wanted a girl. Solid family, why not?”
Emma smirked but said nothing. Her thoughts spun. He’d lied. Said he’d leave, yet got his “unloved” wife pregnant. How long had he planned to hide it? What now?
“Little Fox, I can’t come tonight. Sorry.”
“Fine. I’m busy too.”
“Doing what?”
“Clubbing with Sophie. Tired of waiting around.”
“Clubbing? At your age? I don’t like this.”
“Well, I don’t have a family. That’s my right. You’re someone else’s husband. No say in it.”
She hung up. So she wasn’t allowed out? Expected to sit like a loyal dog while he played house, raised kids, and dropped by for fun until he got bored.
Only now did Emma see the shameful role she’d played. The best went to his family—she was just a backup. He didn’t care her clock was ticking. Well, now she’d have her own child.
Ethan showed up unannounced, drunk and crying. His wife had lost the baby during labour—a girl, despite everything going smoothly. Grief had unhinged her. He didn’t know what to do.
“Simple. Stand by your wife. It’s your shared loss. Why come to me, Ethan? Why lie if things were fine?”
“God took my daughter to punish me for you—”
“Don’t talk rubbish. This is on you. Lied to her, lied to me, to yourself. Be a man. Go home.”
“I love you both—differently. I can’t choose.”
“Leave. And don’t come back.”
She shut the door and cried. Pity for herself, for his wife who’d lost a child. Soon, she’d be a mother too—she imagined the pain.
Ethan called, turned up drunk, but she sent him away. He never knew she’d had a son—his son. She gave the boy her name, left the father blank. Little Mark looked just like Ethan… someone else’s husband.
Stats say roughly 10% of men leave wives for mistresses. Half go back. How many women wait forever, believing a married man’s empty promises?
