Allison and her husband Adam tied the knot just two weeks ago when they received the news of her pregnancy. The couple was thrilled to start their new family and embraced the upcoming changes with open arms.
Adam provided unwavering support to Allison during her pregnancy, accompanying her to her doctor’s appointments and ultrasounds. During one of their routine check-ups, the doctor shared that the baby was healthy and robust. Adam caressed Allison’s hair, and they both gazed at the monitor with beaming smiles.
Allison was grateful that her husband shared the same enthusiasm and eagerness about their baby. They worked together to decorate the nursery, selecting furniture and clothes for their new addition.
***
Allison had a baby shower with some of her closest friends when she was 28 weeks pregnant. They enjoyed an afternoon tea party, exchanging stories and gifts, until Allison suddenly started feeling contractions.
In pain, Allison clutched her stomach and moaned, feeling sharp shooting pains in her belly. Her friends rushed to her side and asked what had happened. Allison struggled to say that she was having contractions and needed to rush to the hospital.
Maya offered to take her to the hospital and also called Adam to come. When they arrived at the hospital, the doctor confirmed that Allison was in labor. She started to give birth not long after Adam arrived.
On her first try, everyone was surprised that the baby that came out was a girl.
“It’s a girl!” the doctor exclaimed.
“What? How is that possible? We’ve been seeing a boy in the ultrasound,” Adam asked, still clutching onto Allison, who was still in pain.
“Wait! Another baby is coming. We’re not done here,” the doctor said, guiding Allison to push some more.
“Here is your boy! ” the doctor exclaimed, showing Allison and Adam that she had now given birth to two healthy babies.
Before Allison could say anything, she let out another scream. Another baby was on the way, it came out soon enough.
Adam was taken aback by the news that Allison had given birth to triplets instead of the one baby boy they had been expecting.
As the triplets were premature, they had to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit for a few days before they could be discharged. Allison was wheeled to the recovery room, while the children were kept under observation.
Adam was overwhelmed with the responsibility of raising three kids at once, and he sought out the doctor to ask how they had not realized that there were three babies during the ultrasound.
The doctor explained that sometimes, the ultrasound is unable to detect all the fetuses, especially if they are too small or hiding behind each other. Adam was disheartened by the news and struggled to come to terms with the reality of raising three children.
During the days that Allison and the children were at the hospital, Adam stayed home and waited for the call that they were ready to come home.
When they were finally discharged, Allison expected him to be thrilled, but the car ride home was silent and awkward.
Allison inquired her husband, “Are you alright?” He shrugged and made a grunting noise in response.
Upon their arrival at home, Adam inquired about the children’s needs. Allison smiled, believing that he was finally adjusting to caring for the triplets.
“The kids ran out of diapers at the hospital. Can you please go to the store and purchase some?” she asked.
Adam agreed. “Sure, I’ll be back soon,” he said before leaving the house. While waiting for him, Allison enthusiastically tended to the three children. She was in a different ward at the hospital, so this was the first time she could care for them by herself.
“Hello, my sweet little ones,” she said as she placed each of them in their crib. “Daddy went to purchase more diapers for you, so just hang in there, okay? It’s not time to poop just yet,” she said, addressing her children.
After successfully putting the children to sleep, Allison decided to prepare dinner. She wasn’t sure how long they would sleep, so she chose to prepare a quick mac and cheese recipe for Adam’s return.
As the hours ticked by, Allison grew increasingly worried as Adam had not yet returned home. Her triplets were all crying at the same time, and she found it difficult to carry them all at once.
She tried calling Adam’s phone, but it went straight to voicemail. Leaving a message, she said, “Hey, where are you? Is everything alright? I’m getting worried. Call me back.”
An hour passed, and Allison called him again, only to find that his phone was now turned off. Fearing the worst, she dialed 911 for help.
“I just wanted to know if this number is active. My husband hasn’t come home, and I’m afraid he got into an accident,” she said, trying to remain calm.
The dispatcher was able to trace Adam’s number and informed Allison that her husband was currently driving on the interstate freeway and had not been in an accident.
Feeling overwhelmed, Allison broke down in tears, with her children echoing her cries in the background. She couldn’t understand why Adam had not come home or why he had turned off his phone.
Left alone with three newborn triplets, she felt agitated, afraid, and helpless. Desperate for answers, she decided to visit Greg, Adam’s best friend, to see if he had any information about Adam’s whereabouts.
***
The following morning, Allison paid a visit to Greg. She knew how close he and Adam were, always together like two peas in a pod. After everything that had happened, Allison needed answers from Greg, hoping he could shed some light on the situation.
“Hi, Greg,” Allison said as he answered the door. “Can I come in?”
“Of course, Allison! It’s great to see you,” Greg replied, welcoming her inside.
As she entered, he asked, “Would you like some coffee?”
Allison nodded, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Adam and what had happened between them.
“Did you see him after he left us?” Allison asked, cutting straight to the chase.
“Yes, I did,” Greg replied. “And we had a bit of an argument about it. I tried to talk to him and make him understand what he was doing was wrong. I even told him to stay and take care of you and the babies, but he refused.”
Allison’s heart sank. She had hoped for more from Greg’s response.
“Is that all?” she asked, her voice tinged with disappointment.
Greg hesitated for a moment before deciding to share something else with her.
“And now that he’s gone, I think you need to know a little more about your relationship,” he said.
Allison was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
“Do you remember the first time you met him?” Greg asked.
Allison’s eyes filled with tears as she thought back to that fateful day. “Yes,” she replied softly. “I was working at the café, and you and Adam came in with a group of friends to celebrate someone’s birthday.”
“That’s right,” Greg said. “And there’s something else you don’t know…”
Allison looked at him expectantly.
“Adam and the birthday boy, Sam, they both liked you,” Greg revealed. “They were drunk and argued about who would get you first. And then they made a deal.”
“A deal? What kind of deal?” Allison asked, stunned.
Greg paused, unsure if he had made the right decision by revealing what he knew. However, he realized he had no choice but to tell Allison everything that had transpired that day.
“I need to tell you something, Allison, and it may not be easy to hear,” he began. “Adam made a bet with his friends that he could sleep with you for a hundred dollars that night. Sam even upped the stakes, offering a thousand dollars if Adam could woo you and take you out for a month.”
Allison was stunned. “He bet on me? How could he do something so cruel?”
Greg continued, “At first, we all thought it was just a joke, but Adam took it seriously. He started dating you and eventually fell in love with you. But he had a fear of commitment and couldn’t handle the responsibilities of marriage. He even had mistresses.”
Allison was devastated. “How could he keep this from me? Why did he stay with me if he didn’t want to be committed?”
Greg answered, “He was afraid to divorce you, but your pregnancy with triplets was too much for him to handle. He left because he couldn’t handle the responsibility of being a father.”
Allison began to cry, “What will I do now? How will I survive without him?”
Allison was frightened at the mere thought of the obstacles she would face in raising her children alone. Her head ached from hours of crying, but she couldn’t stop her tears. She paced back and forth in Greg’s living room, trying to reach Adam on the phone, but it was still switched off.
“Okay, Allison, you need to calm down,” Greg said. “Have some water. Give me five minutes, and I’ll take you home.”
After dropping her off at her house, Allison thanked her neighbor for babysitting her triplets while she was gone, but all she could manage was a fake smile before sending her out and inviting Greg in.
“They’re beautiful,” he said, tenderly touching each baby’s head. “Adam shouldn’t have done this. He should have stayed, at least for his children if not for you.”
After Greg left, Allison tried to soothe her babies, nurse them, and put them to bed. She was restless, hurt, and too exhausted to even cry. As the hours passed, she fell asleep next to her children.
The next morning, a long chiming ring of the doorbell jolted her awake, and her heart began to race. “ADAM?” she called out as she ran to answer the door, only to find Greg standing on the other side.
“Hey, I called you, but you didn’t answer,” he said as he walked in with a big bag of diapers and baby essentials. “Wait a sec, there’s more in my car trunk. I’ll grab it.”
Allison was surprised by Greg’s sudden visit and even more taken aback by his attention and care for her babies.
“Would you like some coffee?” she asked.
“No, thank you. I’m running late. Another time, perhaps.”
Part of Allison’s burden was lifted when Greg arrived to help. She had run out of diapers and baby essentials and was already overwhelmed by the prospect of raising three children on her own.
***
Initially, Allison found the first few days to be very challenging. However, her life took a turn for the better when Greg began to visit her frequently and offered his assistance.
Eventually, Allison came to the realization that she could not manage to raise her triplets on her own without Greg’s help. Greg made a consistent effort to support Allison so that she could move forward and focus on her future. He even offered to babysit the children while she went for job interviews.
Soon, Allison secured a job as a lawyer in a private law firm. She juggled her responsibilities at work with taking care of her babies, and Greg’s presence provided her with the greatest support she needed. Despite Allison’s resistance, she could not prevent Greg from showering the children with the attention and care they required.
Over time, Andy, Amara, and Ashton grew fond of Greg’s company. They no longer nagged Allison to take them to the amusement park on weekends, nor did they argue with her about not receiving expensive Christmas gifts. Greg fulfilled all the duties of a father for them, which melted Allison’s heart, and she gradually developed feelings for him.
Allison and Greg decided to take things slow and began dating once they were certain that the kids were comfortable with Greg being their father figure. Once they received the children’s approval, Allison and Greg tied the knot in a modest wedding ceremony.
***
After twelve years, a lot had changed for Allison and Greg. They had successful careers and raised three children together. However, the scars that Adam inflicted on Allison’s heart remained. One day, Allison’s secretary called her to sign a courier from a client. To her surprise, it was Adam, her ex-husband who had abandoned her with their newborn triplets.
“ADAM??” she exclaimed at seeing her ex-husband.
She then invited him to meet her in her office. Allison wanted answers from Adam…for everything he did to her twelve years ago.
As Adam nervously followed Allison to her office, he couldn’t help but notice how much she had changed since he last saw her. Allison sat down on her rolling chair and began to speak.
“I did miss you at first. I even hoped you’d change your mind and return. But when I dug some truths out, I started hating you more than I loved you. I wanted you to see my success.”
Adam was taken aback by Allison’s words.
“Don’t you think it’s strange that we meet here, like this, today? I have nothing to say now. But I have just one question—How could you do this to me, Adam?”
“It’s not my fault, Allison. I know what I did. I know it was wrong, but I had no choice,” said Adam. “I was too young. I was afraid I rushed with everything…with you, our love, marriage, then kids…and I was really young then. I was not ready to be a father of three kids.”
Allison couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Young? Nonsense! You were 27, Adam. You were not young. You were old enough for everything…Or should I remind you once again about what you did?”
“What did I do?” asked Adam, his face showing confusion.
Allison’s face contorted with anger as she spoke. “Did you forget your bet on me with your friend Sam?? You dated me and faked a happy marriage. You pretended you were happy to be a father. You lied to me and cheated on me with your mistresses…and when you thought it was enough, you were afraid and ran away, abandoning me with our triplets.”
Adam’s jaw dropped as he heard Allison’s words. He never thought she would know about the bet or his mistresses. “How do you know that? About the bet and everything else? Who told you?” he asked.
“Greg told me everything about you. And when you abandoned me, he supported the kids and me. He helped us survive. He did what you were supposed to do for us,” said Allison, her voice filled with bitterness.
Adam was shocked that Greg had told Allison everything. “Wait, are you and Greg married?” he asked.
Allison’s silence was enough to answer his question. Adam’s mind began to race as he realized he had a golden opportunity to blackmail Greg. “You hid it from her, eh Greg? In that case, I think I should pay a surprise visit and teach you how to tell her the whole truth,” he thought to himself.
“Allison, you should be glad I left you,” he said as he walked closer to her. “Look at me…I have nothing—no good job. I’m drowned in debt. I would’ve come running to you for help if I knew you were so rich.”
Allison was incensed by Adam’s words. “Are you drunk, Adam? Well, what more can I expect from you? It doesn’t surprise me, either.”
“Please, Allison, help me. I need money,” Adam pleaded with her.
“Why should I help you? You left the kids and me. You just walked out on us. Did you ever think about us? Then why should I? You may leave now. I don’t want to see you ever again. And please don’t cross my line again…GET OUT,” said Allison, her voice filled with anger as she booted Adam out of her office.
***
Adam stormed out of the office and waited outside a café, plotting to follow his ex-wife Allison after work. He spotted her hugging her new husband Greg on the threshold of their house and their children playing in the yard.
The following day, Adam showed up at Allison’s house after she left for work and startled Greg. Adam barged into the house and sat comfortably on the couch.
“How did you find us, Adam?” Greg asked.
“My best friend wooed my wife behind my back. You knew I loved her. Why did you do this to me?” Adam taunted.
Greg argued that if Adam truly loved Allison, he wouldn’t have abandoned her and their children. However, Adam was uninterested in listening and demanded $5000 to keep his mouth shut.
Greg was stunned and asked why he needed the money.
“It’ll help me get some ‘stuff’ and pay my debts, and you get to save your marriage with Allison. Imagine what will happen if she finds out you were involved in that bet,” Adam replied.
Greg reluctantly agreed to give Adam $5000 to keep his mouth shut about the bet he had with him. Adam left, setting a deadline of Saturday to receive the money.
The following day, Greg withdrew $5000 from the joint account he shared with Allison, hoping she wouldn’t find out. However, Allison received a notification on her phone and immediately called Greg to inquire about it.
After Greg revealed the truth about Adam’s blackmail, Allison laughed, reassuring him that she would never leave him over such a petty issue. She hung up on Greg, realizing that Adam had gone too far with his threats and decided to report him to the authorities.
Adam was arrested for blackmailing Greg and evading alimony payments for twelve years. The situation highlights the importance of honesty in a relationship and the consequences of greed and dishonesty. It also shows how blackmail can have severe legal consequences, leading to criminal charges.
