After My Child Died That Party Night, I Divorced Him

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My husband abandoned our three-month-old baby to go to his childhood sweetheart's bachelor party, and our baby choked on milk and suffocated to death.

When I came home from my business trip, what I saw was my child's stiff little body and the dried milk at the corners of her mouth.

And the wedding ring Winston had taken off, sitting on the nightstand.

I went cold all over, and then I got a message from his childhood sweetheart.

"Adeline Henson, even if I do marry someone else, the one Winston loves is still me! You'll never have his love, not in this whole life."

There was a photo attached.

In the photo, Winston was slipping a ten-gram gold bracelet, the one he'd saved three years to buy, onto Paula Delgado's wrist.

Paula was in his arms, her eyes red from crying, unwilling to let go.

And I, just to make this month's rent, had applied for the hardest assignment there was, a whole month inspecting construction sites.

With trembling hands I made a video call to Winston, and one of his buddies answered.

The camera pointed straight at their tangled bodies.

My eyes went red, and I screamed into the phone, "Winston! Why did you leave our three-month-old baby home alone! Something happened to her! She choked on her milk and she's dead, and you're off cuddling with Paula Delgado!"

Winston cut me off. "Adeline Henson! Besides using our kid to guilt-trip me, is there anything else you can even say!"

"Three years ago, because of that one night, you forced me to marry you. And now I can't even see Paula one last time? How can you be so selfish!"

The call cut off. He blocked me, and I never heard from him again.

After sitting there frozen all night, I contacted the funeral home and took a taxi home alone, carrying the urn with her ashes.

On the way, I collided with their wedding car. Winston shoved me aside and told me to make way for Paula's wedding car.

I let out a cold laugh and looked at him. "Making way is no fun. I already gave up your wife's spot too."

Section 1

After hanging up, I didn't look at my phone again.

The special ringtone I'd set for Winston kept going off, again and again.

I used to drop everything to answer his calls, terrified of missing something.

But now, staring at the contact name, "My Dear Husband," all I felt was bitter irony.

Three years of marriage, and his childhood sweetheart's bachelor night mattered more than our own child's life!

Three years ago, Winston's childhood sweetheart broke up with him to go abroad.

Out of spite, he treated me like her, and after one night I was pregnant. That's how Winston and I ended up married, no ceremony, just a baby on the way.

Both of us orphans, no car, no house, having to count every dollar just to eat.

And because we were so poor, I fell at work and lost that first child.

I thought Winston would divorce me, but instead, he stayed by my hospital bed and made me a promise.

"Adeline, I won't leave you. When you're better, let's have another baby!"

"Next time, I'll never let you suffer alongside me again."

It took three years before we finally had our daughter, Nora.

After she was born, life got even harder for Winston and me.

He took care of the baby during the day and delivered food at night.

I worked during the day and took care of the baby at night.

Even so, a month's rent and the cost of having the baby left us gasping for air.

To pay the rent, I took on one of the company's out-of-town assignments.

A month-long business trip would pay nearly two hundred thousand.

To make it work for me, Winston took a month off and promised to take good care of our baby, only three months old, at home.

Before I left, Winston kissed my forehead and tucked the last twenty thousand we had into my bag.

"You need cash on you when you're away. Don't worry, I'll take good care of the baby."

I nodded.

Worried I'd wear myself out, he stayed up all night putting together a detailed guide for the construction site I was headed to.

When he dropped me at the train station, he told me over and over,

"If it gets to be too much, just come home. I'll be waiting!"

Back then, I thought I was the happiest person in the world.

No matter how hard life got, I was willing to keep walking it with him.

But that bubble of happiness burst the moment I saw my child's body, with a single pop.

The pieces cut me until I was covered in blood.

I held her in my arms, pressing her tiny body against my chest.

Trying to warm her back to life with my own body heat.

So she could lift her little hand like before and tug at my collar.

And stare up at me with those clear eyes and giggle.

But I warmed her for so, so long.

From noon at the edge of the bed until the middle of the night, the baby in my arms never stirred again.

I hummed softly, just like I had those ninety-some nights, humming a song to lull her to sleep.

"Sleep now, sleep now, Mommy's here..."

Then, ever so carefully, I dressed her in the new clothes I'd bought out of town.

And I just watched her, all night long.

My tears had long since run dry.

And all that night, the phone was unbearably silent. Not a single message from Winston.

It wasn't until the sky brightened that I heard Winston's key in the door.

He appeared in front of me, face covered in stubble, his collar hanging open to show the bluish-purple marks beneath.

He shoved two stone-cold breakfast sandwiches into my hands.

The smell of Paula Delgado's perfume on his clothes was nauseating.

My voice came out hoarse. "So you finally remembered to come home?"

His eyes drifted to our "sleeping" daughter behind me, and he frowned.

"You didn't dress her warmly enough. Look how pale her face is."

"I knew you were coming back yesterday, that's why I left the baby at home. What's so wrong about asking you to look after her?"

"See, I even remembered to bring you breakfast. Can't you stop making a scene and just live a normal life!"

I gripped the cold sandwich in my hand and laughed.

That sandwich came from the shop below Paula Delgado's place. He'd spent the whole night with her!

And my baby was gone because of him!

"If you're so good at taking care of people, why did you leave Nora home all alone?

Do you even understand? You left our baby home alone last night, she choked on her milk, and she's already gone!"

His phone suddenly rang.

It was Paula's cover of "Let's Get Married," and her voice drowned out what I was saying.

Winston shoved me away impatiently and strode to the balcony to answer.

I heard Paula's voice, choked with tears.

"Winston, Edward and the others said you left. Don't you want to see me off at my wedding? Are you angry that I married someone else, and you won't forgive me?"

Winston softened completely. He turned around and pulled an old tin box off the bookshelf in the living room.

"Do you still remember the promise we made? You said that on the day you got married, I'd give you back the ninety-nine love letters I wrote you. But there are a hundred letters in hereone of them is the one you wrote to me."

"Paula, I hope you can always be happy from now on. And even when you're not, remember that I'm here for you."

That tin box had a passcode. Winston had guarded it carefully for three years and never once let me touch it.

So it turned out what he'd hidden inside were their memories.

And yet in our three years of marriage, I was even the one who filled out the report for our marriage certificate.

The consent form for my cesarean, I signed that myself too.

Winston explained that his handwriting was ugly.

I foolishly believed him.

The baby lay quietly on the bed, and a faint, rotten smell hung in the stuffy room.

Winston came over and glanced at the tightly bundled baby, frowning in displeasure.

"The baby's obviously soiled herself. Can't you even wipe her clean?"

"Adeline, even if you're fighting with me, you can't neglect the baby!"

"Paula's getting married. There's never going to be anything between us again, so stop making a scene!

She's unstable right now. I'm going to go comfort her first. You calm yourself down and take good care of the baby at home!"

I couldn't stop myself from hurling the cup at him; the broken glass cut open my palm.

"Winston! If you walk out that door today, then we're getting divorced!"

He had just opened the door when his hand froze. He turned his head slightly, without so much as a glance at me.

"Divorce? Adeline Henson, you forced me to marry you, and now you want a divorce? And you're trying to guilt-trip me on top of it? You think I'm scared?"

"Bang!"

The door slammed so hard it was like a thunderclap that blew my hopes completely to pieces.

I stared in the direction he'd gone for a long time.

My eyes stung, and the wedding photo on the wall slowly blurred.

On my phone, Paula's messages kept buzzing, one after another.

And all I looked at was the last thing she sent.

"Adeline, I regret giving up Winston, so I broke off my engagement with someone else and decided to marry him. I didn't tell him today's wedding was prepared for him."

"Don't you think he'll be so moved?"

I moved my stiff fingers and replied with a single word.

"Congratulations!"

I took Nora to the funeral home alone.

The staff frowned when they saw her bruised, blue face.

"What kind of parents are you people? If you don't know how to raise a child, then keep it in your pants and don't have one!

This poor babyher life taken by a single mouthful of milk!"

Every word cut straight to the heart. Guilt and hatred wrapped around me like a net, until I couldn't breathe.

I watched with my own eyes as she was wheeled in, and when she came back out, she was just a handful of ashes.

In three months, I'd fed her up from a premature four pounds seven ounces to ten pounds.

That chubby, soft little dumpling could now only lie quietly in the cold, hard urn.

Winston had driven off in our only car.

So all I could do was stand on the roadside by the funeral home and try to flag down a ride.

But I waited all morning and flagged down thirty cars, and not one of them was willing to carry an urn of ashesthey all thought it was bad luck.

My phone rang. It was Winston.

When the call connected, he saw me, and his voice paused.

"Where did you run off to again? Nora's had a bit of a cold these past few daysshe can't be out in the wind!"

My nose stung, and my voice came out hoarse.

"Nora doesn't need a doctor anymore, because she's already lying in a box! Winston, you caused all of this!"

"In your heart, Paula matters more than anything!"

Winston's frown deepened.

"What box?"

"I stay home with the baby every day. What's wrong with going out for a little while?"

"Yesterday was the last day Paula and I could spend togetherhow could I not go?"

"Adeline, we have our problems, but can you please stop taking it out on the baby!"

The urn in my arms was so light.

Just like when Nora was newborn, and I held her so carefully.

Afraid she'd break.

My throat felt stuffed with wet cotton, dull and airless.

"Winston, you killed our baby! Give me back my Nora!"

Before I could finish, a sweet, simpering female voice came from the other end. It was Paula.

She appeared in front of the camera in a strapless wedding gown, then turned her back as if put out.

"Winston, it's all your fault for being too rough last nightyou broke the zipper on my back. What are we supposed to do now?"

A flash of panic crossed Winston's face as he explained to me.

"Don't get the wrong idea. All the guys were here last night. I was just joking around with Paula and broke the zipper by accident."

"Adeline, bring over that wedding dress you set aside for yourself, so Paula can borrow it in a pinch!"

I couldn't believe it. "You know that wedding dress was left to me by my mother! Why should I give it to her?"

Paula slipped her arm through Winston's. "If your wife doesn't want to, then forget it. Worst case, I'll just have someone go rent one."

Winston immediately shot that down.

"Absolutely not! How could you wear something secondhand?"

Then he turned his head, his eyes darkening.

"Adeline, it's just a wedding dress. Do you really have to watch Paula make a fool of herself on such an important day to be happy?"

"If you hadn't butted in back then, you'd never have had the chance to wear that dress at all!"

I opened my mouth, and every bit of hurt and resentment vanished completely.

I wiped my tears and forced a smile at the camera.

"Fine. I'll bring it over!"

"The wedding car leaves in half an hour, so you'd better hurry! I'll send you the address!"

After I hung up, I held the urn tightly and set off toward the address Winston had sent.

I would bring something overbut not a wedding dress. I'd bring our child's ashes, and the divorce papers!

I couldn't get a cab, so in the end I begged the staff at the funeral home for help.

I paid them an extra twenty thousand to drive me away in a hearse.

"To the Convention Center Hotel!"

The moment I reached the entrance, I heard one of Winston's buddies, the one serving as best man, ribbing him.

"Winston's really generous to Paula. Not only did he spend a hundred grand booking out the top floor of a five-star hotel, he even gave her ten years' worth of savings as a gift."

"No kidding! Winston and Paula are the ones who never got their happy ending. It's all Adeline Henson's fault for taking advantage of him. Otherwise the one marrying Winston today would be"

I clenched my fists, and my palms, cut open from working on the construction site, throbbed with a piercing pain.

Winston's eyes stayed fixed on Paula, brimming with tenderness.

"I was the one who wronged Paula back then. I fell for Adeline Henson's scheme. If I'd only waited a few more years, I'd be the one marrying Paula now."

"But things are what they are. All I want is for Paula to be happy!"

The car pulled up in front of them. Winston's voice, neither loud nor soft, shattered my defenses with ease.

It was true that I'd loved him for eight years.

But back when Paula left Winston, when his depression flared and he hurt himself,

I was the one who saw him through it.

Every cent of his medical bills, I earned.

Even our first childthat pregnancy happened because he couldn't have one otherwise.

And yet now, in his eyes, all of it had been scheming!

The driver glanced at me and hesitated.

"Ms. Henson, are you sure this is the place? There's a wedding up ahead, and this is a hearse. It's bad luck"

I tightened my grip on the urn in my arms, stared at Winston holding Paula's hand, and spoke.

"Drive up closer."

"But"

"Whatever happens, it's on me. Keep going!"

The driver hesitated a moment, but did as I said, stopping the car in front of the hotel, right in front of Paula's wedding car.

The white paper flowers and red silk quickly caught Winston's and Paula's attention.

Paula went pale and shrank behind Winston.

"Winston, is your wife upset? Is that why she rented a hearse to trash the place?"

Winston stepped in front of Paula.

When he saw me climb out carrying the urn, his frown deepened.

"Adeline Henson! Enough! You bring something this ominous here to wreck the wedding, all over one lousy wedding dress!"

"You really think I won't divorce you?!"

I gently stroked the urn in my arms and let out a cold laugh.

"Fine. I'll give you what you want."

Winston froze, then pulled Paula tighter against his waist, as if doing it on purpose for me to see.

"Adeline Henson, keep this up and I'll steal the wedding today and marry Paula on the spot!"

"Get out of my way right now, hurry back and bring the dress, and I'll let everything go!"

I didn't move. I slapped a set of divorce papers down in front of Winston.

"Sign it."

His eyes went wide and his voice climbed.

"Are you serious?"

His buddies suddenly broke into cheers, whooping like they were celebrating something.

"Nice, Winston! The woman's finally done clinging to you!"

"Today's a lucky daywhy not just marry Paula right here!"

"Marry her! Marry her! Marry her!"

Winston and I locked eyes in a standoff.

Paula tugged at his clothes.

Just as she was about to say something, he signed the divorce papers and threw them in my face.

"Fine! Divorce!"

"The kid's mine. Now get lost!"

With that, he turned, pulled Paula close, and kissed her deeply.

I don't know how long it lasted before he finally let her go.

He pressed a bank card into her hand.

"Paula, this is my paycheck card, and there's five hundred grand on it. It's all yours."

"Will you marry me?"

Holding my daughter's urn, I gave a bitter laugh.

"Winston, three years of marriage. All those times you watched me suffer alongside youdid you think I was a fool?"

Winston's lips moved.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, my gaze was ice cold.

"I'm not giving you the child!"

"Because you don't deserve to be a father!"

Winston scoffed.

"Fine. Then see you in court!"

"Now get out of here, right this second! You bring a hearse to trash my and Paula's weddingwhat rotten luck!"

He swung his arm and shoved me to the ground.

The blow was hard, and I fell in a heap in front of everyone.

The urn slipped from my hands, and my daughter's ashes and photo spilled out.

Carried on the wind, they swept to Winston's feet.

And the instant he saw his daughter's photo, the color drained from Winston's face.