Yo, amablemente, entré a la recámara y saqué algo. Ella se puso pálida y confesó la verdad sobre el bebé en su vientre…

“The mistress showed up at our house with a pregnant belly, my husband timidly accepted the child as his own to have a ‘son and a daughter,’ but I calmly went into the bedroom and brought out something. She turned pale and confessed the truth about the baby in her womb…

I was hanging up the baby’s clothes when the iron gate was pushed open with a loud bang. A strange girl in a maternity dress, with a huge belly and a resentful look, stormed in:

– “Are you Mrs. T? Then you should know that he has a child with me. I don’t need marriage, I just want my child to have a father!” Before I could say anything, my husband ran out of the house. When he saw her, his face went pale. She turned to him, sobbing:

– “What did you tell me? You told me to keep the baby, that you would talk to your wife…” I felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over me. The air was thick with tension. My husband looked down at the floor, not denying anything, just muttering for me not to make a big deal:

– “Think of it as our child having a sibling. I was wrong, but what’s done is done…” I didn’t say anything, didn’t yell. I just turned my back and went into the house, up to the attic, and pulled out an old wooden box covered in dust from last year.

Inside were a bunch of bank transfer receipts, printed messages from a fake Facebook account—she had messaged my husband before, flirting, sending nudes, asking for money to pay her debts, and even crying that she would have an abortion if he didn’t provide for her.

I put the box on the table and pushed it towards the girl: – “I’ve known about you for a long time. You receive 10,000 pesos a month from my husband, and I didn’t say anything. But don’t pull out that fake pregnancy belly to lie again. Your mother works as a nurse at the maternity hospital. Don’t you think I would recognize a fake rubber belly?” She was speechless, looked down at her belly, and pulled her shirt to cover it. My husband flew into a rage:

– “What? It’s not a real pregnancy? Are you mocking me?” She mumbled:

– “I… I just wanted to see if he would leave his wife… I don’t have a child yet… Ma’am, please, let me take back what I just said…” I looked at both of them like they were garbage. I walked inside, packed my son’s things, and called a taxi. As I was leaving, I turned back and said just one thing:

– “You two deserve each other. Remember to split the child support money, and the money for your fake belly.” That evening, I went back to my mother’s house. A week later, I filed for divorce and posted a listing to rent out the house under my name—the house my husband was living in.

After that, I quickly received a call from my ex-husband. He was angry, disappointed, and couldn’t believe I would do such a thing. He said I was ruining him, ruining his life. I remained silent, not arguing. He had a new woman, and now they would have to face the difficult reality. The other girl also called me. She was crying, begging for forgiveness, saying it was all just a mistake. I just said one thing: “Your mistake, and I have to pay the price?” Two months later, I received a phone call from a friend.

She said that my ex-husband and that girl were living in misery. They couldn’t find work, and their debts were piling up. They had to move out of the house because I had found a new tenant. I didn’t feel gloating, but I didn’t feel sorry for them either. I did what I had to do. My life, my son’s life, had to be protected. The divorce was finalized by the court. I was granted full custody of my son, and my ex-husband had to pay monthly child support. The house was rented out, and I used that money to buy a small apartment near my son’s school. My son and I’s new life was peaceful and happy. We didn’t need a man to lean on, just a mother strong enough to protect her child.

One afternoon, I took my son to play at the park. I saw my ex-husband sitting on a bench, looking in our direction. His eyes were empty, sad. I hugged my son close and smiled. I knew I was right. Life is a cycle, and what you sow, you shall reap. I don’t want to live in hatred, but I will also never forget this expensive lesson. I found happiness, a true happiness, not something that can be bought with money, or exchanged for foolishness.”