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At Preschool, I Found My Husband's Three Kids—By Three Different Women
Novelix
Completed
Two years after Adrian pressured her to end their pregnancy, Lena arrives at a preschool with Thanksgiving gifts for three supposedly sponsored children. Their enrollment records reveal the same father: Adrian. The mothers are his childhood sweetheart, his ex, and his secretary. Lena learns she's been paying their tuition and serving as an unpaid caregiver while her husband divides his week among three households. Worse, he secretly authorized surgery that removed her fallopian tubes. Lena files for divorce and demands answers. Adrian offers money and apologies, but she wants control of her life back.
Chapters (2)
第1章
My husband told me he hated children the day he pressured me to end my pregnancy.
For two years afterward, I never brought up having a baby again—even though I wanted one more than anything.
Then, just before Thanksgiving, Adrian asked me to deliver gift baskets to three children our family supposedly sponsored.
"You're wonderful with kids, Lena," he said. "I'd trust you with them more than anyone."
At the preschool, the teacher smiled as soon as I introduced myself.
"Mrs. Price! All three of your children are in different classrooms. Which one would you like to see first?"
I stared at her. "I'm sorry—whose children?"
She brought out three enrollment forms. Three kids. Three different mothers.
The mothers were Sophie, Adrian's childhood sweetheart; Vanessa, his first girlfriend; and Mia, his secretary.
In the father field, every form listed the same man: **Adrian Price**.
The teacher handed me a phone Adrian had accidentally left after a parent event. The screen showed a group chat called *Adrian's Three Little Stars*. His lovers and friends were in it.
Everyone but his wife.
The latest photo showed me crouching to tie a child's shoelace.
*The wife makes a pretty good nanny,* Sophie wrote.
*Free childcare. Why wouldn't we use it?* Mia replied.
Someone asked where Adrian would spend the evening.
*Same rotation,* he answered. *Two nights at each house. Sunday with Lena so she doesn't suspect anything.*
My hands shook as I scrolled to messages from two years earlier, when I'd been recovering from my pregnancy termination.
*You're really not keeping the one your wife was carrying?* a friend asked.
*Handled,* Adrian answered. *She loves kids. She can help raise ours instead.*
That same week, still in pain from my procedure, I'd brought a baby shower gift to Mia's newborn son.
Adrian didn't hate children.
He hated the thought of having children with me.
I photographed the records and sent them to my attorney. Then I booked a one-way flight and arranged to leave the marriage.
On the way to the airport, the preschool texted me a tuition invoice.
*Mrs. Price, should we keep charging your account for the three children's next term?*
*No,* I replied. *Contact their father.*
For years I'd been paying tuition for the children of my husband's affairs, believing I was helping struggling single-parent families.
Adrian called as my car entered the highway.
"Did you leave divorce papers at home?"
"What does two nights at each house mean?"
He hesitated. "So you know. Monday through Saturday I stay with them. Every Sunday I come home to you. I've never missed a Sunday in five years."
"You made me end our pregnancy."
"You're my wife. You have the marriage and my love. They gave me children, so they get the houses and the family money. I promised to divide everything three ways. A fourth child would complicate that."
He had made room for everyone but me.
"I won't sign a divorce," he said. "I'll be home Sunday."
I hung up.
第2章
At my hotel in coastal New England, an electronic invitation arrived.
*PRICE FAMILY THANKSGIVING DINNER: WELCOMING OUR THREE GRANDCHILDREN.*
The date was our fifth wedding anniversary. My name appeared on the invitation as if I'd agreed to welcome the children into the family.
The event coordinator called to confirm I'd accompany them during the introduction.
"Remove my name," I said. "I won't be there."
Adrian called right away. "Now that you know, there's no point keeping the children secret. My grandfather will be there. You need to make this easy. I've already booked your return flight."
"I'm not going."
That afternoon a cream-colored designer handbag arrived at my room with a card wishing me a happy anniversary.
For one foolish moment, I thought Adrian had remembered something I liked.
Then I saw Sophie's Instagram Story. Three women stood together holding the same handbag in different colors.
*He bought four. We picked ours first. The boring cream one was left for the wife.*
In the corner of the photo was a travel itinerary: Adrian, three women, three kids. They were coming to New England to visit the aquarium, take family portraits, and enjoy a week of activities.
It was almost exactly the trip I'd planned when I was pregnant. I'd once sent Adrian a document called *Our Baby's First Adventures*.
He'd replied: *We won't need this.*
Now he was taking other people's children on the itinerary he'd rejected for ours.
I forwarded everything to my lawyer, declined the invitation in writing, and refused to collect the handbag.
I was not going to play the gracious wife in a family whose existence had depended on deceiving me.