My name is Liora. I work from home as a freelance writer, a career that affords me the quiet solitude I’ve come to cherish. Right now, I’m nine months pregnant, and the gentle kicks and rolls in my belly are a constant, joyful reminder that I can hardly wait to meet my baby. My husband, Marcus, is a sales manager at an IT company, a man whose kindness is the bedrock of my world. We’ve been married for two years, and every day is filled with a happiness I once thought was impossible.

But getting here wasn’t easy. Eight years ago, I was married to someone else. My ex-husband, Adrian, was an executive at a major financial firm, and even back then, his world revolved around his work. When we first married, I was drawn to how serious and sincere he was; I truly believed we’d build a wonderful life together.

But reality was a cold, empty house. Adrian would leave at seven every morning and wouldn’t return until after one in the morning. On weekends, he had business dinners and golf outings. I spent my days alone, eating dinner in front of the TV, the silence of our big house a constant companion. “It’s like I’m married to myself,” I’d complain to friends.

I put up with it for three years. But one day, I saw a photo that came through on Adrian’s smartphone. There he was, looking cozy with a woman I’d never seen before, their arms linked in what looked like a hotel lobby. My heart felt like it froze over. Everything I believed in came crashing down all at once. When I confronted him with that photo, Adrian didn’t make excuses. He just looked exhausted and said, “I’m sorry.” That was the end. We signed the divorce papers and went our separate ways, and for five years, he was just a ghost, a painful part of my past.

A year after the divorce, I was drowning in loneliness. The wounds in my heart didn’t heal easily. One day, while having coffee at my usual cafe, a man at the next table kindly struck up a conversation. That was Marcus.

“You look like you’ve been through a lot,” he said, his eyes full of a warmth that felt like a lifeline. “You’re not alone.”

Those simple words brought tears to my eyes. Marcus didn’t ask for anything; he just listened. He became my friend, a steady presence who supported me without judgment. Eventually, we fell in love. Marcus was the ideal man I’d always imagined. Even when work was busy, he always made sure to come home early. Every night over dinner, he’d ask, “Liora, how was your day today?”

After I got pregnant, he became even more caring. Whenever I tried to lift something heavy, he’d immediately take over. When I was suffering from morning sickness, he’d rub my back until the nausea passed. I truly felt I’d finally found real, unconditional happiness.

But there was one small, dissonant note in our perfect harmony. Marcus avoided any mention of Adrian. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Of course, I wanted to forget about my ex-husband, too. But recently, when a friend mentioned she’d run into Adrian by chance, Marcus’s expression hardened. “You’re better off forgetting about him,” he said, his tone a bit sharp.

He must just be worried about me, I thought. He doesn’t want me tied to the past. Marcus is such a caring person.

The baby moved in my belly, a gentle reassurance. Soon we’d meet. Marcus, the baby, and I. Our new family life would begin. A happy future was right around the corner. The past didn’t matter anymore. I had Marcus. That was enough.

Three days before my due date, around two in the morning, I woke up to a dull, persistent pain in my lower abdomen. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but a few minutes later, the same pain hit me again, stronger this time. This was it. This was labor.

“Marcus,” I shook his shoulder as he slept beside me. “It hurts. Wake up.”

He jumped up immediately, his sleep-fogged eyes clearing with adrenaline. “It’s okay. Let’s get to the hospital right away. Stay calm, Liora.” His voice was steady, and that alone helped me relax a bit.

Without panicking, Marcus grabbed the hospital bag we’d prepared and supported my arm. When we got in the car, another wave of pain hit me, so intense I cried out involuntarily. Marcus gripped the steering wheel with one hand and held my hand with the other. “We’re almost there. Hang in there.” His hand was warm and strong, calming my trembling.

When we arrived at the hospital, staff immediately brought a wheelchair. Marcus stayed by my side the whole way to the delivery room. “It’s okay. You’ll see the baby soon,” he kept saying, his voice a constant anchor in the storm of pain.

Once in the delivery room, the contractions kept getting closer together. The pain was beyond anything I’d imagined, and I screamed over and over. “Just a little more,” the nurse spoke gently. “You can do this.” But the pain was merciless.

Marcus kept holding my hand. “You can do it, Liora. You’ll see the baby soon. I know you can.” His voice was my only lifeline.

Those hours felt like an eternity. Finally, I heard the doctor’s voice. “One more push. You can do it.” I summoned my last bit of strength, and then, the most beautiful sound in the world filled the room: the cry of our baby.

“It’s a healthy baby boy,” the doctor said, placing him on my chest. So small, so warm. I never knew anything in this world could be so precious. Tears streamed down my face and wouldn’t stop. Marcus was crying, too. “Thank you, Liora. Thank you so much.”

The baby was quickly taken to the nursery for tests. When I was moved to a private room, I felt all the strength drain from my body. Marcus kissed my forehead. “I’m going to step out for a bit. I’ll get some things we need—your favorite drinks, some snacks. Is there anything else you want?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you,” I answered. I really wanted him to stay, but his thoughtfulness made me happy. “Be careful.”

After he left, silence settled in. Outside the window, it was still dark. The exhaustion from childbirth hit all at once, and I fell asleep immediately.

When I woke up, morning sun was streaming into the room. I looked at the clock. It was past eight already. Marcus still hadn’t come back. Looking at the empty chair beside the bed, a twinge of anxiety pricked at me. For just shopping, he’d been gone quite a while. Maybe he was having trouble finding stores that were open, I told myself.

A nurse came in. “Good morning! Your baby is doing great. All the tests came back fine. We’ll bring him to your room later.” She smiled kindly. “Has your husband come back yet?”

“Um, not yet. He went shopping,” I said.

“I see. Maybe something came up. Can you reach him?”

“Yes, I’ll try calling him later,” I answered, though a small uneasiness spread through my chest. Marcus always carried his phone. If something had happened, he would have contacted me.

After the nurse left, I picked up my phone to call Marcus but stopped. He must be driving. I don’t want him to have an accident. I decided to get up and go to the bathroom. Slowly, I got out of bed, my body still aching, and started down the quiet hallway.

And then I saw a man walking toward me from the other end. My heart almost stopped. It was Adrian. My ex-husband, Adrian, was walking toward me.

“Huh?” A sound escaped my lips. He noticed me, too, stopping in his tracks, his expression shocked.

“Liora,” he said my name. “What are you doing here?”

We stood in the middle of the hallway, staring at each other. It had been five years. Adrian looked a bit thinner, more tired than I remembered.

“Did you just have a baby?” Adrian asked. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” I answered, my voice shaking. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, one of my client company’s presidents is hospitalized. I came to visit.” Adrian looked away slightly. “So, have you been well?”

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I answered briefly, an awkward silence falling between us.

Just then, the elevator doors opened. I reflexively looked that way. It was Marcus. He was walking toward us, carrying shopping bags in both hands. “Marcus, you’re back,” I said, feeling a wave of relief.

He saw me and smiled. “Sorry I’m late, but I got all your favorite things.”

I started to walk toward him, but I heard Adrian mutter something behind me. When I turned around, Adrian’s eyes were fixed on Marcus. And in the next moment, his face changed. The blood drained from it, turning it deathly pale. His eyes widened as if he were seeing a ghost. He backed up, hitting his back against the wall.

“You,” Adrian said in a trembling voice. “Why are you here?”

I was completely confused. “Adrian, what’s wrong? Do you know Marcus?”

Marcus slowly approached Adrian, his expression calm but with a coldness I’d never seen before. “It’s been a while, Adrian.”

Adrian was visibly trembling. “You… are you with Liora?” he said in broken phrases.

“That’s right,” Marcus answered, a faint, chilling smile on his lips. “Liora is my wife. Our son was just born. Aren’t you going to congratulate us?”

The color completely drained from Adrian’s face. He said nothing, just stared at Marcus, raw fear in his eyes.

“Do you two know each other?” I asked. “What’s going on?”

Marcus smiled gently at me. “A long time ago, just a little. But it’s nothing important, Liora. Don’t worry about it.”

But Adrian’s reaction was anything but normal. He looked at me, his eyes pleading, but he couldn’t form the words.

Marcus put his hand on my shoulder. “Liora, let’s go back to your room. You must be tired. Your ex-husband doesn’t matter.”

Suddenly, Adrian started running. He turned his back on us and bolted down the hallway. “Adrian, wait!” I shouted, but he didn’t look back, disappearing around a corner.

“What was that about?” I muttered.

“Who knows?” Marcus said. “Forget about him, Liora. Right now, let’s just think about you and the baby.” He hugged me gently, but in his arms, I felt a deep, chilling uneasiness. Adrian’s eyes, filled with sheer terror. Something was terribly wrong.

Back in the room, Marcus took out what he’d bought: orange juice, sandwiches, my favorite cookies. Everything I liked. “Thank you,” I said.

“You’re welcome,” Marcus smiled, but somehow, that smile looked different. Was it just my imagination?

While Marcus was in the bathroom, I sat on the bed, my mind racing. Why had Adrian been so frightened? Just then, my phone buzzed. A message from an unknown number. My heart started pounding as I opened it. It was from Adrian. There was just one line:

Divorce him immediately. That man is dangerous.

I gasped. What are you talking about, Adrian? Marcus is dangerous? That can’t be. He’s the perfect husband, always kind, always putting me first. But Adrian’s drained, terrified face came back to me.

The bathroom door opened. Marcus was coming back. I quickly hid my phone. “What’s wrong, Liora? You don’t look well,” Marcus asked with concern.

“No, I’m fine. Just a little tired,” I lied.

My phone rang again. Adrian’s name appeared on the screen. I hesitated. “Who is it?” Marcus asked.

“A friend,” I said, forcing a smile. “It’s girl talk. I’ll just step out for a minute.”

Marcus looked a bit suspicious but sat back down. I hurried out to the hallway and answered. “Liora, listen to me calmly,” Adrian’s urgent voice said.

“Adrian, what is this about? What do you mean Marcus is dangerous?”

“He—” Adrian started to say, then choked on his words. “He approached you for revenge.”

“What are you talking about? That doesn’t make sense.” Just then, the call dropped. A few seconds later, an unknown number called. It was Adrian again. “Liora, he probably cut off the last call. Listen to me. What I’m about to tell you may be hard to believe, but it’s all true.”

“Tell me,” I leaned against the wall, my body trembling.

“Marcus was a classmate of mine in high school,” Adrian began, his voice shaking. “And I… I did something terrible to him. It’s the most shameful part of my past. I bullied him. Severely.”

“Bullied?” I repeated, my mind spinning.

“Every day,” Adrian’s voice sounded pained. “I beat him, took his money, didn’t treat him like a human being. I humiliated him in front of the whole class. I was the worst. After graduation, I’ve regretted it ever since.”

“So, how does that relate to Marcus and me?”

“Do you remember three years ago, when you were struggling with our marriage?” Adrian took a deep breath. “It wasn’t a coincidence that Marcus approached you during that time. It was all planned. He targeted you when you were lonely and hurting.”

“That can’t be,” I shook my head. “We met by chance.”

“It wasn’t by chance,” Adrian’s voice was full of certainty. “He’d been watching me for years. My life, my work, my marriage. He knew everything. He waited until you were at your most vulnerable, then he made his move.” My head was spinning. “I can’t believe this.”

“And that photo,” Adrian said. “The one at the hotel with that woman. It was fabricated. I never cheated.”

“That’s a lie!” I shouted. “I saw it clearly!”

“It was fabricated, Liora. Marcus created it. That woman was a colleague. He combined separate pictures. After the divorce, I hired an investigator. They found out the photo was fake, but it was too late. You were already with him.”

I leaned my back against the wall, my legs shaking. “Then… Marcus… it’s all… revenge.”

“Yes,” Adrian’s voice was pained. “Revenge for what I did to him in high school. He approached you to take everything from me. He used you to make me suffer.”

“Used me?” I whispered.

“His goal from the start was to take you from me. He didn’t love you. He just used you as a tool.”

“No,” I cried. “Marcus loves me! He was so kind throughout my pregnancy. Our son was just born.”

“Liora, think carefully,” Adrian pleaded. “Do you really think he loves you, or is he just using you to make me suffer? He spent years planning this. Marrying you, having a child… it was all part of the plan.”

“A child,” I whispered, my hand on my belly. “Our son.”

“That child is also a tool for his revenge,” Adrian’s voice was sad. “He’s going to use your son to make me suffer even more.”

“That’s a lie!” I said through my tears. “That’s impossible!”

“Liora, please, get help right now. He’s dangerous. If the truth comes out, there’s no telling what he’ll do. I have evidence, Liora. All of it. Analysis of the fake photo, records of his stalking. I’m taking it to the police right now.”

“Does Marcus really… not love me?” I asked, my voice breaking.

“He doesn’t love you,” Adrian stated it flatly. “All he loves is revenge. You were nothing but a tool to make me suffer.”

My knees almost gave out. I barely managed to stay standing. “Call a nurse right now,” Adrian urged. “I’m heading to the hospital with the police.”

“Okay,” I answered in a trembling voice.

“Liora,” Adrian said. “I’m truly sorry. This is all my fault.”

The call ended. I stood frozen in the hallway, tears streaming down my face. Marcus didn’t love me. From the beginning, it was all a lie. Three years of memories, the marriage, the pregnancy, our son… all tools for revenge.

Just then, I sensed a presence behind me. I turned around, and Marcus was standing there.

“You should hang up that phone, Liora,” he said. His expression wasn’t his usual kind, loving one. It was cold, expressionless, like a completely different person.

“Marcus,” I said, my voice trembling. “Were you listening?”

He slowly approached. “Yeah, I heard everything.”

I backed away. “Is it true? Everything Adrian said… is it all true?”

Marcus’s expression twisted into a sneer. With eyes devoid of any kindness, he looked at me. “Yeah, that’s right. Everything went according to plan. I never loved you. Not once. From beginning to end, it was all an act.”

Tears overflowed. “Then this child,” I held my belly.

“The kid?” Marcus said dismissively. “Honestly, I don’t care. My goal was to take everything from Adrian. To take you, to take his happiness, to make him suffer. That’s my revenge.”

“Why?” I screamed. “Why did you drag me into this?”

“Because you were the most important thing to him,” Marcus said, his voice laced with venom. “So, I took you. That’s all.”

I saw the nurse call button on the wall. I had to press it. But before I could move, Marcus grabbed my wrist. “What do you think you’re going to do?”

“Let go!” I shouted.

Just then, I heard multiple footsteps from down the hallway. “This is the police! Nobody move!”

Marcus’s grip loosened. Several police officers rushed over and restrained him. He didn’t resist, just smiled that cold, empty smile. Adrian had come with them, too.

“Liora, are you okay?” he rushed over. I collapsed in tears as he supported me. “It’s okay now. It’s over.”

Marcus, being handcuffed, looked at me one last time. “I don’t regret it, Liora. I made him suffer. That’s enough for me.” The police took him away.

After that, everything came to light. The evidence Adrian had gathered was conclusive: analysis of the fake photo, records of Marcus’s stalking, even a notebook with detailed plans for his revenge. Marcus was charged with fraud and violations of stalking laws. At the trial, he spoke of his deep-seated hatred for Adrian, but at the end, in a small voice, he admitted, “This revenge produced nothing. It was just empty.” He was sentenced to five years in prison, and a permanent restraining order was issued.

Several months passed. I was holding my son, meeting Adrian at a cafe. He looked at my baby tenderly. “I’m sorry, Liora. This all happened because of me.”

I shook my head. “You tried to make amends for your mistakes. That’s enough.”

Adrian took my hand. “Could we… try again? Taking our time, slowly.”

I looked at him with different eyes than before. This person had also suffered from the past. He’d made mistakes, but he was trying to make amends. “It’ll take time,” I said. “But I’ll think about it.”

Adrian smiled, then looked at my son. “Could you let me raise this child as my own?”

“Even though you’re not blood-related?” I asked.

“Family isn’t about blood. It’s about love,” Adrian said. “I can love this child. I can love you, too. That’s enough, isn’t it?”

My son grasped Adrian’s finger, that small hand holding the large one. Someday, maybe we could be a family again. For the first time in a long time, I thought it was possible. Outside the window, the spring sunshine was pouring down. A new season was about to begin.