“Abbie’s world is turned upside down when her husband vanishes without a trace, leaving behind only a cryptic note. A few days later, a phone call from her mother-in-law reveals a shocking secret that shakes Abbie to her core. Where is Matei?

“Matei? This isn’t funny, where are you?” I called out, expecting to hear his voice from another room.

But the house was silent, except for the soft hum of the refrigerator.

My heart began to race when I noticed a note on the kitchen table.

It read: “Don’t look for me.”

I stared at the note, hoping it was a bad joke. Matei loved pranks, but this felt different. I grabbed my phone and dialed his number, only to be sent directly to voicemail.

“Matei, call me back,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “This isn’t funny.”

I called his mother. “Hello, this is Abbie. Have you heard anything from Matei?”

“No, my dear,” replied Clara. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes, yes, it is. I’m sorry; I think he just went for a walk.”

I hung up and called his best friend, Ion.

“No, Abbie, I haven’t heard from him,” Ion said, his concern mirroring my own.

Matei never returned.

The kids kept asking, “Where is Daddy?”

I didn’t know how to answer. Eventually, I went to the police, clutching the note in my hand.

“Ma’am, with the note he left, we can’t start a search,” the officer told me.

“But he’s missing!” I protested, feeling a lump rise in my throat. “What if something happened to him?”

The officer shook his head. “I’m sorry, but adults have the right to disappear if they want. There’s nothing we can do.”

I left the station feeling powerless and alone.

Back home, our cozy suburban house was now filled with an eerie silence. I gathered the kids in the living room.

“Kids, I have to tell you something,” I began, my voice trembling. “Daddy… has left for a while.”

“Why, Mommy?” asked the youngest of them.

“I don’t know, my dear,” I replied, holding him tightly. “But we have to be strong, okay?”

The days that followed were a mix of tears and unanswered questions.

Every corner of the house reminded me of Matei.

His favorite coffee mug on the counter, his shoes by the door, the jacket he always wore still hanging in the closet.

I tried to keep things normal for the kids, but it was a constant struggle. Every time they asked about their father, my heart broke a little more.

Then, one day, I got a call from my mother-in-law.

“If you want to know the truth, promise me you won’t tell Matei anything I’m about to tell you,” her voice cracked through the FaceTime call, breaking the silence in the room.

“Promise? What’s going on?” I asked, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach.

“Matei is here, at my house. With his lover and their newborn baby,” she began.

I was horrified.

“Matei told me to keep this secret from you, Abbie,” she continued. “His lover had nowhere to go, so he brought her here. He plans to use money from your joint account to rent them an apartment. He told me he’s going to divorce you and stay with her. She… she’s only 19.”

It felt as if the ground had been pulled out from under me.

My vision blurred with tears as I struggled to process her words.

“He… he what?” I stammered.

“I’m sorry for lying about where he was and not telling you the truth sooner,” she continued. “I didn’t know what to do because he’s my son… I needed time to think it over. But you’re also part of my family and the mother of my grandchildren, whom I love dearly. That’s why I decided to tell you the truth. Abbie, you still have time. You can find a lawyer and protect your finances for the sake of your children.”

My hands shook as a mix of anger, betrayal, and heartbreak overwhelmed me.

“I can’t believe this,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Thank you for telling me. I need to… protect myself and my kids.”

After ending the call, I sat in silence, utterly shocked as the reality of the situation came crashing down on me. Matei, the man I had trusted and loved, was planning to abandon us for another woman.

The kids sensed something was wrong. “Mommy, where is Daddy?” my youngest asked, wide-eyed and confused.

“He’s not coming back, sweetheart,” I said, hugging her tightly. “But we have each other, and we’ll be okay.”

Though it was hard to believe my mother-in-law’s words, I knew I had to move forward for my children. I immediately reached out to a lawyer.

While discussing my options, I received a call from an unknown number. I hesitated before answering.

“Hello?” I said cautiously.

“Hi, Abbie? This is Liana. I’m the woman Matei has been seeing. I need to talk to you,” came the voice from the other end.

A chill ran down my spine. “How dare you!” I burst out. “How dare you call me?”

“Please, just meet me. There’s something you need to know, something important. It’s about your family,” she pleaded.

I was furious. I would never have agreed to meet her if I hadn’t sensed the desperation in her voice.

“Fine. Where do you want to meet?” I asked.

“Do you know the old café on 8th Street? Six o’clock. Is that okay?”

At exactly 6 PM, I entered the café, looking around. When I saw Liana, I couldn’t believe Matei would be with such a young girl.

She was already seated at a table in the corner.

“Thank you for coming,” she said as I sat down.

“Why did you want to meet?” I asked, crossing my arms defensively.

“Matei told me he was planning to leave you, but I didn’t know he’d abandon you like this. I never agreed to any of this,” she began.

“Why should I believe you?” I asked, eyeing her with suspicion.

She pulled a stack of papers from her bag.

“These are emails and messages from Matei. He said horrible things about you, things I know aren’t true. He’s been manipulating both of us.”

I took the papers and began reading.

My hands shook with rage as I saw the lies and deceit unfold before me. “I can’t believe this,” I murmured, shaking my head.

Liana looked at me sincerely. “He’s planning to take everything from you. But I don’t want to be part of this. I want to help you.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, stunned.

“Because I didn’t know what kind of man he really was until it was too late. I want to make things right, at least in some small way,” she said, her eyes welling with tears.

I looked at her, seeing in her eyes genuine regret and desperation. Maybe she was telling the truth.

“Alright,” I said slowly. “If you’re serious about helping, we need to gather as much evidence as we can. I need to protect my kids and secure our future.”

We spent the next hour discussing our plan. Liana shared more details about Matei’s schemes, and we began forming an unlikely alliance.

It felt strange to trust the woman who had been with my husband, but her willingness to help gave me hope.

The next morning, I sat in my lawyer’s office.

“I need to confront him, but first, I need to secure my finances and make sure he can’t take anything more from us,” I told my lawyer, Catrina.

“With the information Liana provided, we can freeze your joint accounts and protect your assets,” she assured me.

We went through the details, step by step.

Catrina filed the necessary paperwork to freeze our joint accounts and secure my assets.

It felt like a race against time, but I knew we had to be thorough.

Every piece of information Liana had given us was crucial.

One evening, I was sitting at the kitchen table, papers spread out before me.

My mother-in-law had come to help with the kids. She brought me a cup of tea and sat across from me.

“You’re doing the right thing, Abbie,” she said quietly. “I’m so sorry for what my son is putting you through.”

“Only Matei can be blamed for what’s happening, Clara. No one saw this coming, not even Liana,” I replied, sipping the tea. “I’m so grateful for your support.”

“You’re stronger than you think,” she said, squeezing my hand reassuringly. “I’ll always be here for you, alright?”

Finally, the decisive day arrived. Taking a deep breath, I approached my mother-in-law’s door, with Liana by my side. Authorities followed closely behind, ready to enforce the legal measures we’d taken.

As we entered, Matei looked at us, shocked.

“Abbie, what are you doing here?” he asked nervously, glancing between Liana and me.

“It’s over, Matei,” I told him firmly. “We know everything. Your lies, your betrayal, and your plans. You’re not getting away with this.”

“What is this? You can’t do this to me!” he yelled, his face turning red with anger.

Liana stepped forward, her voice calm but resolute. “We already did. You won’t hurt anyone else.”

The police officers approached,

informing him of the legal actions we’d taken.

Matei had no choice but to leave, defeated.

As he walked away, a wave of relief washed over me.

I turned to Liana, grateful for her courage and her honesty.

Our alliance had been unexpected, but together, we had reclaimed control over our lives and protected our children’s future.

In the end, I had found the strength to move forward, with or without Matei.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt at peace.”