Bringing newborn twins home is often imagined as one of life’s most blissful events. For me, however, what began as a dream swiftly turned into a distressing ordeal. After a challenging childbirth, I spent three days recovering in the hospital before finally being discharged, eager to start a new chapter with my beloved daughters, Ella and Sonja. I had pictured the moment countless times: my husband, Daniil, greeting us with flowers, tears of happiness welling as he cradled one of our little girls.
Instead, everything was abruptly upended at the last minute by an unexpected call.
“Hello, darling,” Daniil’s hurried voice came through. “I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to pick you up as planned.”
Still adjusting Sonja’s diaper, I questioned, “What do you mean? Daniil, I just gave birth to twins. What could be more important?”
He interjected, “It’s my mother. She suddenly has severe chest pains. I must take her to the hospital nearby.”
His words felt like a cold splash of water.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Daniil, I need you here.”
He sighed, “I know. It was sudden. I’ll come as soon as I can.”
Swallowing my frustration and hurt, I simply replied, “Alright. I’ll get a taxi.”
“Thanks,” he mumbled before hanging up.
Because Daniil’s mother lived in another city, there was virtually no chance he would return the same day. His devotion to his mother was well-known, so I had little hope. I tried to convince myself he wasn’t being cruel but was once again placing her above us. Yet, deep within, the pain was undeniable.
This same mother-in-law, Larisa, had previously insisted on a house key, claiming she wanted to help with the babies. Now, suddenly, she was “ill.” Trying to push these unsettling thoughts aside, I buckled the girls into their car seats — the ones Daniil had brought earlier — and took a taxi home.
Arriving at the house, I froze. Suitcases, diaper bags, even the mattress from the baby crib lay scattered across the porch and lawn. My heart clenched. I paid the driver, gathered the children, and approached the door.
Instinctively, I called Daniil, although I already knew he wasn’t around. I tried the key in the lock—it didn’t fit. Again and again—still no success. The locks had been changed. Then I noticed a note stuck to a suitcase:
“Get out of here with your little freeloaders! I know everything. Daniil.”
The breath was knocked out of me. Trembling, I read and reread the note, hoping it was some cruel joke. But it was real.
I immediately tried calling him—all calls went to voicemail. Panic surged as the babies began to cry. Holding their car seats, I tried to calm down.
“Mom…” I whispered, dialing my mother’s number.
“Zhenya? What happened? Are the girls okay?” she asked with urgency.
Through choked words, I explained,
“Daniil changed the locks, threw out our things, and left this terrible note.”
“WHAT?!” Her voice rose sharply. “Stay put. I’m coming.”
Hours felt like an eternity. When my mother arrived and saw the scene, everything became clear instantly.
“This can’t be true… Daniil wouldn’t do this. He loves you all,” she said.
“That’s what I thought too, but he’s not answering. And what does ‘I know everything’ mean?” I showed her the note.
“Come with me. We’ll sort this out,” she reassured, embracing me.
We gathered our belongings and left. I couldn’t sleep that night. The next morning, after leaving the girls with my mother, I returned to our home seeking answers. The yard was empty. No response came when I knocked.
Peering through a window, I was shocked.
Larisa, calmly sipping tea at the table, noticed me pounding on the door. She flinched then smiled mockingly.
“What are you doing here?” I hissed.
“Zhenya, didn’t you get the note? You don’t live here anymore.”
“Where’s Daniil? Why…”
“He’s at the hospital in my city, taking care of his ‘ill mother.'”
I stared, speechless.
“Ill? You’re standing right in front of me!”
She shrugged with a sly grin, “Maybe I’m feeling better now. These things happen.”
“You staged all of this! Pretended to be sick!”
With a venomous smile, she responded, “So what?”
My fists clenched tightly.
“Why did you do it?”
“From the start, I told Daniil the family needs a boy. But you? You gave birth to two girls. Useless.”
My throat tightened.
“I knew you’d ruin his life. So, I did what was necessary: wrote the note myself in his name, took his phone while he wasn’t looking. I arranged for you to leave. Yet here you still are…”
I struggled to comprehend. She had deceived her own son, lured him away, seized his phone, and forged the note—all because we had girls.
“You evicted us for that?”
“Of course,” she said calmly. “I even bribed the nurse to keep him in the hospital longer. And it worked.”
“You’re sick!” I breathed out.
“I believe I’m protecting my family. Daniil always listens to me and understands me, as usual.”
Reaching the hospital was a struggle. Daniil paced anxiously in the corridor.
“Zhenya! Where have you been? I don’t have my phone and don’t know your number!”
“Your mother took your phone. She lied about being ill. She locked the doors, and the babies and I were left outside.”
He stopped.
“What? That can’t be…”
“It was all orchestrated. The note, too. And she’s at home, drinking tea like a queen.”
“Why?” he muttered.
“Because we have girls,” I said bitingly.
His face blanched, then darkened with fury. Without uttering a word, he stormed out. I followed him.
At home, Larisa’s confident smile remained, but it vanished as she saw the determination on her son’s face.
“Mom,” he said coldly, “what have you done?”
“I only wanted…”
“Stop! You forced me to abandon my wife and newborn daughters over a lie! You took my phone, forged the note, and threw Zhenya out!”
“I wanted to protect you! I didn’t mean…”
“Protect my family? You think my girls aren’t good enough? That’s your problem, not mine. If you want a son, give birth to one yourself!”
Shock struck me. I had never witnessed him like this before. Yet inside, I felt proud—he stood with me.
“Pack your things and leave,” he said firmly.
“I am your mother!” Larisa protested.
“And Zhenya is my wife. Ella and Sonja are my daughters. If you can’t respect them, you don’t belong in our lives.”
This time, Larisa was left speechless. She left that very evening.
Daniil apologized at length, changed the locks, blocked her number, and reported the nurse’s misconduct. Although the ordeal was challenging, we endured everything together. One evening, while putting the girls to bed, I realized Larisa’s attempts to tear our family apart had only forged an unbreakable bond between us.
Key Insight: Sometimes, adversity reveals true strength. Our family, tested by deception and betrayal, emerged more united and resilient than ever before.
In summary, the experience of returning home with newborn twins, which should have been filled with joy, instead exposed deep fractures caused by jealousy and manipulation. Despite the hardships imposed by family dynamics, unwavering love and courage allowed us to overcome the turmoil and secure a harmonious future for our daughters.