My Husband Abandoned Me During Childbirth, But He Got What He Deserved

A young mother, who has recently gone through a lot, sent us a letter. She shared her complicated relationship story with her husband. We are retelling her letter to you and hope that peace and harmony will return to this family.

Anna contacted our editorial team.

Anna began her letter: “My husband and I have been happily married for over 10 years. I always thought we had an ideal relationship and believed he truly loved me. However, his behavior during a crucial time in our lives has made me question his feelings and his character.”

She continued, “Before our daughter’s birth, we had a serious argument. Out of nowhere, he suggested a paternity test for our baby once she was born. Let me explain how I felt about this. It came completely out of the blue; he didn’t give any reason. I’m a part-time worker who works remotely and has no male friends besides my brother.”

“I asked him if he suspected me of infidelity, and he said he ’just wanted to be sure.’ He kept bringing it up constantly, and the stress started to make me physically ill. I eventually told him I didn’t want to talk to him and moved to live at my brother’s house.” Anna’s story underscores the emotional turmoil and distrust that can emerge in a relationship when communication breaks down and baseless suspicions arise.

She was deeply hurt but still made an effort to resolve the situation.

Anna shared, “I was devastated by our argument and spent a lot of time thinking about how to fix things between us. I called him while I was away and tried to talk it out, but he refused to speak with me.”

Reflecting on the events that followed their fight, Anna became very emotional. She wrote, “After being ignored and humiliated, I went back home after two days to grab some things while my husband was at work. That’s when I went into labor. I called him 30 times. Then I called my brother, who tried to reach him another half a dozen times while on his way to pick me up and then to the hospital.”

“It was a terrible and traumatic birth. I started crowning in the car, and the doctor had to deliver my daughter in the back of my brother’s van because I was too far along to move. I kept bleeding, so they rushed me to the hospital. It was awful. I hated every moment of it.”

“My brother’s wife, who is a nurse, even said she honestly thought I wouldn’t make it. I ended up opting for a hysterectomy because it was either that or something even more dangerous. I only ever wanted one child, maybe none, but my husband wants a large family. Now, I’m trying to bond with my daughter, but it’s been really hard.”

Anna and her brother felt it was time to give her husband a wake-up call.

Anna shared, “During this terrible time, while I was recovering from surgery—10 hours after my initial call — my husband finally responded. He immediately asked why I hadn’t answered his call. At that moment, my brother had my phone, and we were both so angry. My brother then said to him, ’Hey, it’s Derek. I’m at the hospital. She didn’t make it.’ Then he turned off the phone.”

Anna continued, “My husband rushed to the hospital and arrived just as I was waking up. He started shouting, and security had to remove him. He didn’t get to see our daughter until the next day because I was asleep, and they needed my signature to allow him back in.

My entire family believes it was incredibly cruel, but we all agree he deserved it. My brother keeps reminding him that I nearly died because we waited for him. My brother, who used to be mostly indifferent toward my husband, now absolutely despises him. You can see it on his face whenever my husband enters the room.”

Anna feels completely adrift because of her husband’s behavior.

Anna continued, “After everything settled down a bit, my husband tried to apologize. He kept saying he didn’t mean to cause so much stress and that he just wanted to be sure about the baby. But his words felt hollow to me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal. I told him, ’How can I ever trust you again?’”

She went on, “We decided to try counseling, hoping it would help us rebuild our relationship. The sessions were tough. There were a lot of tears and anger. At one point, I just broke down and told him, ’I needed you. You weren’t there. You chose your doubts over your family.’”

Anna shared, “My brother’s anger toward my husband didn’t fade. He was civil, but the tension was palpable. Every time we had a family gathering, it felt like walking on eggshells. My husband felt it too, and it was driving a wedge between us even further.

Eventually, my husband began to change his behavior, trying to prove he could be trusted again. He became more involved with our daughter, helping with every little thing. He told me, ’I want to earn your trust back, Anna. I know I messed up, but I want to fix this.’ It’s been a long journey, and we’re still not fully there yet, but I’m hopeful.”

Family life is much more complicated than what romantic movies show us. Here’s a very different story: a woman discovered that her husband married her solely for money.