Abbie’s world is turned upside down when her husband disappears without a trace, leaving behind only a cryptic note.
Days later, a call from her mother-in-law reveals a shocking secret that shakes Abbie to her core. Where is Matthew?
„Matthew? This isn’t funny, where are you?“ I called out, expecting to hear his voice from another room.
But the house remained silent, except for the faint hum of the refrigerator.
My heart began to race as I noticed a note on the kitchen table.
It read: „Don’t look for me.“
I stared at the note, hoping it was a bad joke. Matthew loved pranks, but this felt different.
I grabbed my phone and dialed his number, only to hear it go straight to voicemail.
„Matthew, please call me back,“ I said, trying to keep my voice steady. „This isn’t funny.“
Next, I called his mother. „Hello, it’s Abbie. Have you heard from Matthew?“
„No, darling,“ Claire replied. „Is everything okay?“
„Yes, yes, everything’s fine. I’m sorry, I guess he’s out for a walk.“
I hung up and tried his best friend James.
„No, Abbie, we haven’t heard from him,“ James said, his concern mirroring mine.
Matthew never returned.
The children kept asking, „Where is Papa?“
I didn’t know how to answer them. Eventually, I went to the police, clutching the note in my hand.
„Madam, with the note he left behind, we can’t initiate a search,“ the officer said.
„But he’s missing!“ I protested, feeling a lump rising in my throat. „What if something has happened to him?“
The officer shook his head. „I’m sorry, but adults have the right to disappear if they want. There’s nothing we can do.“
I left the station feeling helpless and alone.
Returning to our cozy suburban home, now filled with an eerie emptiness, I gathered the children in the living room.
„Kids, I need to tell you something,“ I began, my voice trembling. „Daddy is… he’s gone away for a while.“
„I don’t know, sweetie,“ I replied, pulling them into a hug. „But we have to be strong, okay?“
The following days blurred with tears and unanswered questions.
Every corner of the house reminded me of Matthew.
His favorite coffee mug on the counter, his shoes by the door, the jacket he always wore still hanging in the closet.
„I tried to keep things normal for the children, but it was a struggle. Every time they asked about their father, it broke my heart a little more.
Then one day, I received a call from my mother-in-law.
‚If you want to know the truth, promise me you won’t tell Matthew,‘ her voice broke through the FaceTime call, breaking the silence of the room.
‚Promise? What’s wrong?‘ I asked, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.“
„Matthew is here at my house. With his mistress and their newborn baby,“ she began.
I was horrified.
„Matthew told me to keep it a secret from you, Abbie,“ she continued. „His mistress had nowhere else to go, so he brought her here.“
He plans to spend money from your joint account to rent them an apartment. He told me he’s going to divorce you and stay with his mistress. She’s… barely 19.“
I felt like the ground had just been pulled out from under me.
My vision blurred with tears as I struggled to comprehend her words.
„He… he’s what?“ I stammered.
„I’m sorry I lied to you about his whereabouts and didn’t tell you the truth earlier,“ she continued. „I didn’t know what to do, since he’s my son… I needed some time to think everything through.“
„But you’re family to me too, Abbie, and the mother of my grandchildren whom I love dearly. That’s why I’ve decided to tell you the truth. You still have time. You can find a lawyer and save your money for your children.“
I trembled, a mix of anger, betrayal, and heartbreak coursing through me.
„I can’t believe this,“ I said, trying to steady my voice. „Thank you for telling me. I need to protect my children and myself.“
As I ended the call, I sat in stunned silence, the reality of my situation crashing down on me. Matthew, the man I trusted and loved, was planning to leave us for another woman.
The children sensed that something was wrong. „Mommy, where’s Daddy?“ asked my youngest, her big eyes filled with confusion.
„He’s not coming back, sweetheart,“ I said, pulling her into a tight hug. „But we have each other, and we’ll be okay.“
I could hardly believe what my mother-in-law had told me, but I had to keep going for my children. I immediately contacted a lawyer.
As we discussed my options, I received a call from an unknown number. I hesitated before answering.
„Hello?“ I said cautiously.
„Hello, Abbie? It’s Lisa. I’m the woman Matthew has been seeing. I need to talk to you,“ came the voice on the other end.
A chill ran down my spine. „How dare you!“ I exploded. „How dare you call me?“
„Please, just meet with me. There’s something you need to know, something important. It’s about your family,“ she pleaded.
I seethed. I would have never agreed to see her face if I hadn’t sensed desperation in her voice.
„Fine. Where do you want to meet?“ I asked.
„Do you know the old café on 8th Street? 6 o’clock. Does that work?“
Promptly at 6 o’clock in the evening, I entered the café, my eyes scanning for her. When I saw Lisa’s face for the first time, I couldn’t believe Matthew could be involved with such a young girl.
She was already seated at a corner table.
„Thank you for coming,“ she said as I sat down.
„Why did you want to meet?“ I asked.
„Matthew told me he was going to leave you, but I didn’t know he would leave you like this. I didn’t agree to any of this,“ she began.
„Why should I believe you?“ I asked, crossing my arms defensively.
She reached into her bag and pulled out a stack of papers.
„These are emails and messages from Matthew. He said terrible things about you, things I know aren’t true. He manipulated both of us.“
I took the papers and began to read.
My hands trembled with anger as I saw the lies and deceptions laid bare. „I can’t believe this,“ I muttered, shaking my head.
Lisa looked at me seriously. „He’s planning to take everything from you. But I don’t want any part of it. I want to help you.“
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, incredulous.
„Because I didn’t know what kind of man he truly was until it was too late. I want to make things right, at least in some small way,“ she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
I looked at her and saw genuine remorse and desperation on her face. Maybe she was telling the truth.
„Alright,“ I said slowly. „If you’re serious about helping, we need to gather as much evidence as possible. I need to protect my children and secure our future.“
Over the next hour, we discussed our plan. Lisa shared more details about Matthew’s plans, and we began to form an unlikely alliance.
It felt strange to trust the woman who had been with my husband, but her willingness to help gave me hope.
The next morning, I sat in my lawyer’s office.
„We need to confront him together. But first, I need to secure my finances and make sure he can’t take anything else from us,“ I said to my lawyer, Kate.
„Based on the information Lisa provided, we can freeze the joint accounts and protect your assets,“ Kate reassured me.
We went through the details step by step.
Kate filed the necessary paperwork to freeze our joint accounts and safeguard my assets.
It felt like a race against time, but I knew we had to be thorough.
Every piece of information Lisa had given us was crucial.
One evening, I sat at the kitchen table, paperwork spread out in front of me.
My mother-in-law had come over to help with the children. She brought me a cup of tea and sat down across from me.
„You’re doing the right thing, Abbie,“ she said softly. „I’m so sorry for what my son is putting you through.“
„Only Matthew can be held responsible for what’s happening, Claire. No one saw this coming, not even Lisa,“ I replied, taking a sip of tea. „I’m so grateful for your support.“
„You’re stronger than you think,“ she said, reassuringly squeezing my hand. „I’m always here for you, okay?“
Finally, the day arrived when everything fell into place. I took a deep breath and walked to the door of my mother-in-law’s house with Lisa by my side.
Authorities followed closely behind, ready to enforce the legal actions we had taken.
As we entered, Matthew looked up, shocked to see us.
„Abbie, what are you doing here?“ he demanded, his eyes darting between me and Lisa.
„It’s over, Matthew,“ I said firmly. „We know everything. Your lies, your betrayal, and your plans. You won’t get away with this.“
“What is this? You can’t do this to me!” he screamed, his face turning red with rage.
Lisa stepped forward, her voice calm yet resolute. “It’s already done. You won’t hurt anyone else.”
The police officers moved in and presented the legal documents.
„Mr. Johnson, you need to come with us. You are being served with a restraining order and an eviction notice,“ one of them stated.
Matthew looked around, his bravado crumbling. „This isn’t fair,“ he muttered, his voice wavering as he tried to find a way to extricate himself from the situation.
„Oh, it’s entirely fair, ex-husband,” I replied, holding up the divorce papers. “You made your choice, and now you face the consequences.”
As the officers escorted him out, a wave of relief and exhaustion washed over me. I turned to Lisa and my mother-in-law, who stood by my side with unwavering support.
„Thank you,” I said, tears of relief streaming down my face. “I couldn’t have done this without the two of you.”
I cried again, but this time they were tears of hope and gratitude. It was time to rebuild and move forward.
What would you have done?
