My future mother-in-law canceled our wedding, blaming my illness on infidelity
Until recently, my life felt like a fairy tale. I was engaged to a loving man, felt I might soon become a mother, and was eagerly preparing for our wedding. But a single hospital visit shattered everything I held dear, leaving me in a void of despair.
My fiancé, Andrew, and I were making plans for the future. We had rented a cozy flat in Bath and were dreaming about our wedding. We spent evenings together, relishing in each other’s warmth and quiet. A month before the ceremony, I began to suffer from morning sickness. My heart hinted at the miracle I was longing for. But I held off telling Andrew, wanting to surprise him with this gift of joy. That day, I visited my parents to share the good news with my mum.
My head spun in the taxi, but I dismissed it as tiredness. At home, my mum made me a cup of chamomile tea, and I felt better. However, later that night, a fever engulfed me, as if flames consumed me from the inside. Despite my resistance, Mum called an ambulance. The doctor looked at me with a pale face and delivered the verdict:
— Urgent resuscitation. Suspected ectopic pregnancy.
The words struck like lightning. I had wanted to give Andrew a child, and now that dream lay in ruins, replaced by fear and pain.
I woke up after the operation in a hospital room where a weary doctor gazed at me with sympathy.
— I’m sorry, dear. We barely saved you.
Only upon discharge did I understand his apology. My life was spared, but the hope of motherhood was taken forever. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Andrew the truth, gripped by the fear that he would turn away knowing I couldn’t give him children. He loves kids so much! At home, I lied about having a routine check-up. Whether he believed me, I didn’t know, but his mother, Tamara, certainly suspected something was amiss.
A week before the wedding, Andrew and I planned to take time off to relax before the ceremony. Work, however, dragged on—I was finishing an important project while Andrew handled things at home. Finally free earlier than expected, I returned home, anticipating his smile. But as I entered the flat, a fragment of conversation froze my blood. Tamara’s voice boomed:
— I’ve been saying she’s still running to that Stan! She spent a week at gynecology, and you couldn’t care less!
— Mum, it was just a check-up… — Andrew tried to protest.
— Wake up! She had an abortion! And a botched one, it seems. I’m a woman, I know why they’d keep her in the hospital. You’re a blind lovesick fool! The wedding must be canceled. It will only be a disgrace!
The room swirled around me, and I collapsed unconscious. When I came round, I saw Andrew and his mother. Tamara forced a tight smile:
— Awake, dear? Have some sweet tea. You and Andrew need to talk. I’ll leave you.
Paralysed with horror, Andrew began:
— Helen, how are you? We need to discuss something. We’ll have to postpone the wedding. You’re too weak. Recover first, and then we can marry.
— Andrew, are you serious? You’re not really concerned about my health…
— What do you mean?
— I heard your conversation! Do you also think I had an abortion because of an affair?
He looked away, and that hurt more than words.
— I love you, so I’m ready to forgive. Everyone makes mistakes. But I need time.
— Forgive?! I never cheated on you! I had an ectopic pregnancy; I nearly died! I hid it to spare you. And you’re abandoning me because of your mother’s nonsense?
— I know Stan still loves you. He told me himself. Maybe you gave in to old feelings…
— That never happened!
— Then why did you hide the diagnosis?
— I feared losing you! Now I can’t give you a child!
— Helen, I’m sorry, but I can’t believe you. I need to think. We’ll postpone the wedding, and I’ll stay with my parents.
He packed and left without looking back. My pain, my health—it didn’t matter to him. He was consumed by imagined suspicions. It’s over. My world crumbled in an instant.
While he’s with his parents, Tamara will poison his mind completely. I’m left alone―no fiancé, no child, no hope. How do I go on when all I cherished has turned to ash? I don’t know.
