Blessing in Disguise

Chapter 48: Bitter truth or Sweet lie

Amelia shared her thoughts, her gaze avoiding Daniel's, "It all began when I gave birth to Liam. My beautiful son, with big grey eyes and dark brown hair, a miniature version of you. In those initial months, I felt an overwhelming sense of joy, as if I had achieved everything life had to offer. Liam became my purpose, my prize, and my entire world. Despite struggling with postpartum depression, occasional bouts of missing work life, and the struggles of adapting to my post-pregnancy body, those first six months were a blissful chapter in our lives."

"The happiness I experienced wasn't solely due to Liam; it was also because of you, Daniel. You proved to be the ideal husband for a new mother-supportive, understanding, and willing to share every aspect of our married life. We divided everything equally, be it chores, love, sorrows, or financial responsibilities. Liam's care became a shared duty, and I felt content."

"However, when the time came for me to return to the office, heavy guilt descended upon me. Daniel, you may love Liam as much as, if not more than, I do, but the guilt of leaving a six-month-old baby at home while navigating a predominantly male-dominated field is indescribable. It started with subtle jokes, jabs, and taunts-too insignificant to report formally, yet enough to create a palpably uncomfortable atmosphere."

"One day, an incident involving a leaked shirt brought a series of mortifying gazes and leering eyes. I hid in the office restroom, crying that day. These seemingly small incidents accumulated, creating an emotional burden that weighed me down. Importantly, it was never about you, Daniel."

"My own mind began to convince me that something terrible had happened to me, providing leeway for people to mock and belittle me, making me feel inferior. Today, as I reflect on those moments, it may seem trivial or immature, but back then, it became the foundation for a growing resentment. Not towards you, Daniel, but an irrational blame took root in my mind-that you were somehow responsible for the difficulties I faced."

"If it weren't for you, I reasoned with myself, we wouldn't have had a child, I wouldn't have experienced that humiliating incident at the office, and I wouldn't have had to explain why I couldn't work late into the night because I had to return home, feed my child, put him to sleep, and show him his mother's face. It became an exhausting and humiliating experience, and in my selfishness, I started to paint you as the villain."

"You, who had always been a loving and giving husband, took the brunt of my frustrations. I started associating you with my problems, feeling incompetent both at home as a lawyer and at the office as a mother. In my distorted perception, you transformed into a villain, and gradually, I found myself resenting the man I had once been deeply in love with."

Amelia paused, glancing briefly at Daniel, who maintained a stoic expression. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, allowing the weight of her confession to linger in the room.

"Today, when I reflect on those moments, it all seems rather foolish, immature. Yet, back then, Daniel, I found myself harboring resentment towards you. It's peculiar how the mind works; somehow, it blamed you for leading me into this intricate mess. Without you, there would be no child, no unsettling incident of leaking breasts, no need to justify leaving the office early to tend to my child's needs, ensuring he slept peacefully while glimpsing his mother's face. It became an ordeal-humiliating and exhausting. My mind, desperate to shield Liam from any negativity, conveniently painted you as the villain, an easy target owing to your unwavering goodness.

"You never demanded anything, Daniel; you simply gave. Perhaps my selfishness took advantage, crafting you into a villain. My problems found their scapegoat in you-my stagnating career, the overwhelming sense of incompetence, both a failing lawyer at home and an inadequate mother at the office. This resentment grew, casting a shadow over the man I once deeply loved." Amelia paused, glancing at Daniel briefly to gauge his reaction, but finding none, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.