Grayscale side shot of a heavily pregnant woman | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been five years since Daniel and I met, and our marriage has been perfect\u2026 or so I thought.\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re being ridiculous, Mary,\u201d my husband would say whenever I worried about fire. \u201cThere\u2019s a smoke alarm, what\u2019s the worst that could happen?\u201d\n\n\n\n
But I couldn\u2019t shake off the fear.\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy Mom\u2019s house burned down when I was 17. We lost our pet dog, Grampa. The smell of smoke still haunts me, Dan,\u201d I once told Daniel, but he just patted my hand and said not to worry.\n\n\n\n
I remembered that fateful night\u2014the smell of smoke, the sound of sirens, and the feeling of panic as Dad, Mom, and I crawled out from under the smoke.\n\n\n\nNight shot of a burning building | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Our neighbors and the rescue team saved us, but we lost everything. The trauma still lingers, and Daniel\u2019s constant reassurances did nothing to calm my fears.\n\n\n\n
Lately, I\u2019d been double-checking everything before bed. I make sure the electrical outlets are off, the stove is unplugged, and there are no lit candles.\n\n\n\nClose-up of a woman turning a stove knob | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Daniel would get annoyed, but I couldn\u2019t help it. My heart and mind wouldn\u2019t listen. I had to be sure we were safe\u2026 that our baby was safe.\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not going to have a house fire, Mary. You\u2019re just being paranoid,\u201d Daniel would say. But I knew what I felt.\n\n\n\n
Two nights ago, he came home from work with his friends. They lounged in the living room, creating quite a disturbance.\n\n\n\nThree men sitting on a sofa and shouting | Source: Freepik\n\n\n\n
I pulled him aside and asked him to send them away, explaining that I needed some peace and quiet. Daniel insisted they were just having \u201charmless fun\u201d and that he wanted to enjoy time with his friends before the baby arrived.\n\n\n\n
I didn\u2019t argue any further and just grabbed my pregnancy pillow before storming upstairs to our bedroom.\n\n\n\n
I drifted off to sleep as the noise from downstairs slowly faded. Suddenly, I heard Daniel\u2019s booming voice: \u201cMary, honey, get up! Get up! Fire, fire, fire! Get up!\u201d\n\n\n\n
My heart skipped a beat as adrenaline coursed through my body.\n\n\n\nA shocked woman covering her mouth | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my pillow and blanket, instinctively covering my belly as if to protect it. I opened the door and rushed downstairs, yelling for Daniel to open the door and call the fire department.\n\n\n\n
When I reached the living room, Daniel\u2019s friends burst out laughing. Daniel walked over to them, cackling like a hyena. I was confused and disoriented.\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d I asked, still trying to process the situation.\n\n\n\nA man laughing with his arms crossed | Source: Freepik\n\n\n\n
Daniel continued to laugh, explaining that his friends wanted to have some \u201cfun\u201d and play a prank on me. They had told him to yell \u201cFire! Fire!\u201d to scare me.\n\n\n\n
I felt like I\u2019d been punched in the gut. Anger and fear surged to the surface. I stopped Daniel in his tracks and confronted him.\n\n\n\n
\u201cHow could you do this to me? How could you play with my fear like this?\u201d I yelled, tears streaming down my cheeks.\n\n\n\nAn annoyed woman holding her head | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
Daniel\u2019s laughter faded, and he began apologizing profusely. But it was too late. The damage was done. My heart was racing, and my mind was reeling.\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou shouldn\u2019t have done that, Daniel,\u201d I retorted, turning and storming back upstairs.\n\n\n\n
I locked myself in our bedroom, trying to collect my thoughts. Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I thought about Daniel\u2019s carelessness.\n\n\n\n
How could he not understand that this was still a trigger for me? That the smell of smoke and the sound of sirens would always be etched in my memory like a scar?\n\n\n\nA man laughing with his hands on his hip | Source: Freepik\n\n\n\n
I couldn\u2019t believe I had let him do this to me. I thought we were past this. I thought we were working on trust and understanding.\n\n\n\n
As I sat down on the bed, I felt trapped. The walls seemed to close in on me. I took deep breaths, trying to calm down, but my mind kept racing.\n\n\n\n
Why would Daniel do this? Had he forgotten what I\u2019d been through? Did he simply not care about my feelings? I was used to his childish pranks, but this? This was cruel.\n\n\n\nA pregnant woman sitting on the bed holding her belly | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
I needed someone to talk to, someone who would understand.\n\n\n\n
I grabbed my phone and dialed a number I knew by heart.\n\n\n\n
\u201cDad?\u201d I said, trying to keep my voice steady.\n\n\n\n
\u201cHey, kiddo,\u201d my Dad\u2019s warm voice answered. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d\n\n\n\n
I took a deep breath and let it all out. \u201cDad, Daniel did something stupid, and it really triggered me\u2026 big time.\u201d\n\n\n\nA senior man talking on the phone | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
My Dad\u2019s tone turned serious. \u201cOkay, sweetie, calm down. Tell me what happened.\u201d\n\n\n\n
I took another deep breath and explained everything, from the prank to my subsequent meltdown.\n\n\n\n
When I finished, my Dad listened in silence for a moment before speaking. \u201cMary, I\u2019m so sorry you\u2019re going through this. I\u2019m on my way.\u201d\n\n\n\nA pregnant woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
A lump formed in my throat. \u201cDad, sometimes I feel trapped in a never-ending cycle of fear and anxiety.\u201d\n\n\n\n
My Dad\u2019s voice softened. \u201cYou\u2019re not alone, Mary. You\u2019re strong, and you can get through this. We\u2019ll figure it out together.\u201d\n\n\n\n
Ten minutes later, I heard the familiar sound of Dad\u2019s car pulling up outside.\n\n\n\n
The door opened, and my Dad stepped in, his expression stern. \u201cMary, come on. We\u2019re leaving.\u201d\n\n\n\nNight shot of vehicles on the street | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
I nodded and gathered my belongings. Daniel remained seated on the couch, his smug, unconcerned expression unchanged. His friends had long since left after the chaos they\u2019d created. I ignored him and focused on packing my things.\n\n\n\n
As we walked out of the apartment, I noticed the way my dad\u2019s eyes bore into Daniel\u2019s.\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re lucky I didn\u2019t lose it on you right now, buddy,\u201d he muttered under his breath.\n\n\n\nClose-up of an angry senior man\u2019s eyes | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
We drove in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being the hum of the engine, soft music, and the distant pitter-patter of rain.\n\n\n\n
Finally, my Dad spoke up. \u201cThat boy\u2019s got some serious issues. He knows better than to push you around like that.\u201d\n\n\n\n
I felt a pang of sadness at the thought of Daniel\u2019s actions. \u201cI know, Dad. It\u2019s just\u2026 sometimes I feel like he doesn\u2019t care about me or my feelings.\u201d\n\n\n\nA car on an empty road on a rainy night | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
My Dad put a hand on my knee. \u201cYou\u2019re worth so much more than this, Mary. Don\u2019t let him dim your light.\u201d\n\n\n\n
I smiled slightly at his words, feeling a sense of comfort wash over me.\n\n\n\n
We arrived home, and Dad opened the door. \u201cLet\u2019s get you inside and settled. We\u2019ll deal with Daniel later.\u201d\n\n\n\n
In the quiet of the night, the full impact of Daniel\u2019s actions hit me. It wasn\u2019t a joke; it was a deliberate attempt to frighten me, and while I was pregnant, no less.\n\n\n\nA pregnant woman sitting on the bed holding a glass of water | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
The thought sent a wave of fear through me. What if something happened to me or our baby because of his stupidity? The uncertainty was suffocating.\n\n\n\nThe next morning, I woke up with a sense of determination. I couldn\u2019t let Daniel\u2019s behavior define our relationship or my pregnancy. I needed to take control and protect myself and my baby.\n\n\n\n
I called my lawyer and filed for divorce, knowing it wouldn\u2019t be easy, but it was necessary.\n\n\n\nClose-up of divorce papers on a brown table | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
My Dad was supportive, as always, but my Mom was less understanding. She kept telling me that I was overreacting and that Daniel didn\u2019t mean to hurt me.\n\n\n\n
But I knew better. Daniel had played with my fears, and that wasn\u2019t a joke. It wasn\u2019t just about me; it was about our child, too. What kind of father would he be if he couldn\u2019t even respect his partner\u2019s boundaries or fears?\n\n\n\nAn upset woman covering her face | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s been two days since I made the difficult decision to initiate divorce proceedings. Daniel has been bombarding me with apologies and promises to change, but it\u2019s too late. The damage is done, and my feelings have been irreparably hurt.\n\n\n\n
I\u2019ve come to realize that my emotions aren\u2019t something to be taken lightly or toyed with, and it\u2019s high time Daniel understood that.\n\n\n\nClose-up of a man using a smartphone | Source: Pexels\n\n\n\n
What would you do if you were in my shoes? Would you take control, prioritize your safety and well-being, and protect your child from the toxic influence of someone who didn\u2019t care about your feelings or well-being? Or would you choose to forgive and forget, hoping that things would magically get better?\n\n\n\nClose-up of a pregnant woman holding her baby bump | Source: Unsplash\n\n\n\n
Here\u2019s another story: When Lara gets a mysterious box from her husband\u2019s mistress on her birthday, little did she know her world was just moments away from shattering.\n\n\n\nThis work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.\n\n\n\nThe author and publisher make no claims to the accuracy of events or the portrayal of characters and are not liable for any misinterpretation. This story is provided \u201cas is,\u201d and any opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As I await the arrival of my baby, my heart is heavy with sorrow. My due date is just two weeks away, and I\u2019m torn […]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4976"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4976"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4976\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4977,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4976\/revisions\/4977"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4976"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4976"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/runeecho.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4976"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}