I always believed that having a baby would bring Bill and me closer, that it would be the start of a beautiful new chapter in our lives. But I never expected that his mother, Jessica, would take over everything\u2014and that Bill would let her. I tried to set boundaries, but nothing prepared me for the ultimate betrayal that left me standing at the door with my newborn in my arms, nowhere to go.\n\n\n\n

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was overjoyed. Bill and I had dreamed about this for so long, imagining the day we\u2019d finally hold our baby in our arms. We talked for hours about names, about decorating the nursery, about how our little one would change our lives for the better.\n\n\n\n

But I wasn\u2019t the only one waiting for this child. Jessica had been waiting, too\u2014only in a way that made my life miserable.\n\n\n\n

Jessica had never liked me. From the beginning, she made it clear that I wasn\u2019t good enough for her son.\n\n\n\n

\u201cBill deserves someone better,\u201d she would say with a disapproving shake of her head, never bothering to lower her voice.\n\n\n\n

But the moment she found out I was pregnant, her attitude changed\u2014not for the better, but in a way that made it clear she saw this baby as hers, not mine.\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou need me to come with you to the doctor,\u201d she\u2019d say, already grabbing her coat before I could protest.\n\n\n\n

She took control of everything. She picked out furniture for the nursery, dismissed my choices without a second thought, and even declared, \u201cThe room should be blue. You\u2019re having a boy.\u201d\n\n\n\n

I was already struggling with nausea, barely able to eat. But Jessica didn\u2019t care. She\u2019d come over with greasy food, filling the house with smells that made me sick, and then smile as Bill enjoyed every bite of her cooking. Meanwhile, I spent my days hunched over the toilet, feeling worse and worse.\n\n\n\n

But when we arrived at the clinic for our ultrasound\u2014the one where we\u2019d find out the baby\u2019s gender\u2014there she was, sitting in the waiting room, acting like she belonged.\n\n\n\n

Anger flared in my chest, but I had no time to argue. The doctor\u2019s voice broke through my thoughts.\n\n\n\n

Tears welled in my eyes. A daughter. My heart swelled with love. I turned to Bill, expecting to share in the joy. His face lit up for a moment\u2014until we both heard Jessica scoff.\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou couldn\u2019t even give my son a boy,\u201d she sneered. \u201cHe needed an heir.\u201d\n\n\n\n

I clenched my fists. \u201cAn heir to what? His video game collection?\u201d I snapped. \u201cAnd just so you know, the father determines the baby\u2019s gender, not the mother.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Jessica\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cThat\u2019s a lie,\u201d she spat. \u201cYour body is the problem! You were never right for my son.\u201d\n\n\n\n

I rubbed my temples, trying to stay calm. \u201cLet\u2019s go, Bill,\u201d I muttered.\n\n\n\n

In the car, I turned to him, my voice shaking. \u201cHow could you tell her? I begged you not to!\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I\u2019m your wife! I\u2019m carrying our daughter! Don\u2019t you care about how I feel?\u201d\n\n\n\n

But I couldn\u2019t ignore her. Not when she was everywhere, poisoning my life, making me feel completely alone.\n\n\n\n

Then, the worst happened. My labor started too soon. Pain crashed over me like waves, my body trembling as Bill rushed me to the hospital.\n\n\n\n

The contractions hit hard and fast, stealing my breath. Nurses surrounded me, bright lights blinding me, the pain unbearable. I gripped Bill\u2019s hand, gasping. \u201cI can\u2019t\u2014\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re doing great,\u201d he whispered, but I saw the fear in his eyes.\n\n\n\n

The doctors took my daughter away the moment she was born. I reached for her, desperate to hold her, but they didn\u2019t let me.\n\n\n\n

When I woke up, I was weak, my body drained. The doctor later told me I was lucky to be alive. That I had come too close to dying.\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou didn\u2019t even tell me you were in labor!\u201d she snapped.\n\n\n\n

Then a nurse entered, carrying my daughter. My heart clenched. But before I could reach for her, Jessica snatched her from the nurse\u2019s arms.\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat a beautiful girl,\u201d she cooed. Her voice was soft, but her eyes gleamed with triumph.\n\n\n\n

Jessica held her tighter. \u201cShe needs to be fed,\u201d the nurse interjected.\n\n\n\n

Jessica\u2019s lips tightened. \u201cBut then you\u2019ll always be taking her away from me!\u201d\n\n\n\n

Bill finally stepped in, prying our daughter from her grip and placing her in my arms. The moment I held her, I wept. She was mine.\n\n\n\n

But Jessica wasn\u2019t done. Two weeks later, she arrived uninvited, holding an envelope.\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou and the baby need to be out of here within an hour,\u201d he said coldly. Then he stormed off.\n\n\n\n

Tears blurred my vision as I packed Eliza\u2019s tiny clothes, grabbing what I could. Before leaving, I snatched Bill\u2019s toothbrush.\n\n\n\n

Days later, I returned. Bill opened the door, his face unreadable. \u201cWhat do you want?\u201d\n\n\n\n

Wordlessly, I handed him an envelope. \u201cThis is the real DNA test,\u201d I said. \u201cI took your toothbrush.\u201d\n\n\n\n

Bill\u2019s eyes filled with regret. \u201cCarol, I\u2019m so sorry. I\u2014\u201d\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo.\u201d I shook my head. \u201cYou believed her without question. You threw us away.\u201d\n\n\n\n

I took a deep breath. \u201cI\u2019m filing for divorce. And I want full custody.\u201d\n\n\n\n

As I drove off, I knew one thing for certain\u2014Eliza and I would be just fine.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"