{"id":93256,"date":"2025-01-02T14:54:25","date_gmt":"2025-01-02T07:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/levanews.com\/?p=48025"},"modified":"2025-01-02T14:54:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-02T07:54:47","slug":"my-husband-left-me-and-the-kids-at-home-on-x-mas-eve-and-went-to-celebrate-at-his-office-party-we-paid-him-a-visit-there","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/my-husband-left-me-and-the-kids-at-home-on-x-mas-eve-and-went-to-celebrate-at-his-office-party-we-paid-him-a-visit-there\/","title":{"rendered":"My Husband Left Me and the Kids at Home on X-Mas Eve and Went to Celebrate at His Office Party \u2013 We Paid Him a Visit There"},"content":{"rendered":"

$\"\"$ \n

Stepping back to admire my handiwork, I almost stumbled over the train set Michael had eagerly set up the previous weekend. It had been one of those rare moments where he was fully present with the family, a fleeting glimpse of the man I fell in love with.\n

“Mommy, mommy! Look at me spin!” Daisy twirled in her glittery princess dress, her golden curls bouncing with each whirl.\n

She was pure magic, my little girl. The sequins on her dress reflected the Christmas lights, scattering tiny rainbows across the walls.\n

“Wow, sweetheart! You’re the most beautiful princess I’ve ever seen,” I said, catching her as she spun too fast and nearly toppled over. “Maybe even prettier than Cinderella!”\n

“Does Cinderella have a sword?” Daisy asked, her gaze fixed enviously on her brother\u2019s plastic cutlass.\n

$\"\"$ \n

“Arrr, matey!” Max roared, charging through the living room in full pirate mode. His plastic sword waved high, and the eye patch I’d painstakingly painted on earlier now sat slightly askew. “Santa’s treasures are all mine!”\n

I laughed, catching him mid-charge and pressing a kiss to his messy hair. “Careful, Captain Max! Let\u2019s not knock over the tree before Daddy gets home.”\n

“When\u2019s Daddy coming?” Max\u2019s bottom lip trembled slightly as he looked up at me with wide eyes.\n

“Very soon, sweetheart,” I assured him, glancing at the clock again and ignoring the now-familiar pang of disappointment. Lately, Michael’s long hours and countless excuses had become the norm. But tonight? Tonight had to be different\u2014it was Christmas Eve.\n

As if on cue, the front door opened with a gust of chilly air, and in walked Michael. He looked sharp in his work clothes, but his expression was distracted, his eyes flitting over the room without really seeing it.\n

$\"\"$ \n

“Daddy!” The kids launched themselves at him, arms wide, like tiny missiles.\n

“Hey, munchkins!” He hugged them briefly before pecking me on the cheek\u2014a quick, obligatory gesture. “Everything looks great, honey. Can you press my black suit and find a white shirt for me? I need them ready in ten minutes.”\n

I froze, confused. “Your suit? Are we dressing up for Christmas Eve dinner now?”\n

Michael chuckled absently, already heading upstairs. “Not exactly. The office party is staff-only, but it shouldn\u2019t run too late. Don\u2019t wait up, okay?”\n

The words hit like a punch to the gut. The turkey timer beeped in the background, a grim countdown to my growing realization. “What? But… it’s Christmas Eve, Michael. The dinner, the kids…”\n

He waved off my protests. “We\u2019ll have plenty of time tomorrow. Save me some leftovers.”\n

$\"\"$ \n

“But, Daddy!” Daisy’s voice cracked, her sparkly crown slipping to one side. “You promised to read us ‘The Night Before Christmas’!”\n

“Tomorrow, princess,” he said over his shoulder before the door shut behind him.\n

I stood frozen, staring at the door while Max clung to my leg. “Is Daddy mad at us?” he asked, his voice small and trembling.\n

“No, baby,” I said, crouching to hold him close. “Daddy just…” My phone buzzed, cutting me off. Melissa\u2019s name lit up the screen.\n

“Lena!” her cheerful voice burst through the line. “What are you wearing tonight? I can\u2019t decide between my red dress or green one.”\n

My heart dropped. “Wearing tonight? For what?”\n

$\"\"$ \n

“For the party, of course! Everyone\u2019s bringing their spouses\u2014oh God, did Michael not\u2014”\n

I didn\u2019t let her finish. My stomach churned as I hung up, pieces clicking into place.\n

“Mommy?” Daisy tugged at my sweater. “Why are you mad?”\n

I forced a smile that felt like it might shatter. “Mad? Oh, no, sweetie. In fact, we\u2019re going on an adventure.”\n

“Really?” Max perked up. “Like pirates?”\n

“Exactly like pirates.” Upstairs, I yanked open the safe with trembling hands. Inside was our emergency stash: cash, passports, and Michael\u2019s prized cufflinks. Into my bag they went.\n

$\"\"$ \n

Twenty minutes later, we arrived at Michael\u2019s office building. The windows glowed with festive lights, and music thumped faintly from inside. Clutching the kids\u2019 sticky hands, I walked in, past glittering decorations and merry chatter, until I spotted him. Michael was laughing, his arm casually draped around a woman in a tight red dress.\n

Gripping the microphone at the DJ\u2019s stand, I tapped it once. The feedback silenced the room. “Merry Christmas, everyone! I\u2019m Lena, Michael\u2019s wife.” My voice rang clear and calm, belying the storm inside.\n

“I just wanted to introduce myself since I wasn\u2019t invited to this lovely party.” Gasps rippled through the room. Michael\u2019s face turned ashen. The woman in red shrank back.\n

“Our kids and I were expecting a cozy family Christmas at home,” I continued. “But I suppose Michael had other plans. Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to you all.”\n

$\"\"$ \n

Michael stammered as he tried to save face, turning to his boss. “She\u2019s confused. It\u2019s been a stressful holiday…”\n

I wasn\u2019t staying to hear the rest. Taking my children\u2019s hands, I walked out with my head held high.\n

The pawn shop didn\u2019t ask questions when I handed over the cufflinks and watches. The cash would be enough for three one-way tickets to somewhere warm. At the airport, Daisy\u2019s eyes sparkled as I told her about sunny beaches and blue waves.\n

“Are we going to see Santa?” she asked.\n

“Even better, baby,” I said, buckling her in. “We\u2019re going to find our own Christmas magic.”\n

$\"\"$ \n

A week later, Michael met us at the airport, looking gaunt and regretful. “Lena, please. I\u2019m sorry. I\u2019ll fix everything. Please come home.”\n

I studied his face, searching for the man I used to know. “We\u2019ll see, Michael,” I said, my voice steady. “But I\u2019m thinking about what\u2019s best for the kids and me now.”\n

As I walked out into the crisp December air, holding my children\u2019s hands, I felt lighter. Christmas wasn\u2019t about perfection\u2014it was about finding the strength to reclaim joy. And for the first time in years, I could breathe.\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Christmas lights glimmered softly as I adjusted the silver star perched atop our tree for what felt like the hundredth time. I wanted everything to be perfect\u2014because that\u2019s the kind of mother and wife I was. Stepping back to admire my handiwork, I almost stumbled over the train set Michael had eagerly set up …\n","protected":false},"author":31,"featured_media":93257,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1439],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-93256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93256","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/31"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93256"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93256\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":93266,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/93256\/revisions\/93266"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/93257"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93256"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=93256"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/echowoven.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=93256"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}