I became a single mom while I was still in college. From that moment on, every man I dated disappeared the second he found out I had a child. It was heartbreaking. But then, I met Glenn—and for the first time, I thought maybe things could be different. I kept my child a secret, but little did I know, that secret would come crashing down at the worst possible moment—my wedding day.
It all started years ago.
I remember the day I found out I was pregnant. My heart raced with joy as I imagined a happy family with my boyfriend, Hans. He was my teaching assistant at the University of Richmond in Virginia—handsome, charming, and he treated me like I was the only girl in the world.
One night, I gathered all my courage and told him.
“I’m pregnant, Hans. We’re going to be parents. Isn’t it wonderful?” I said, smiling, expecting him to hug me, maybe even cry happy tears.
But instead, he jumped up, his face twisted in anger.
“What? Are you crazy? No! That baby can’t be mine! You have to abort it!” he shouted.
His words cut through me like a knife. My lips trembled as I whispered, “Hans, darling… we can’t do that. It’s our baby. We made him or her out of love!”
But he glared at me as if I had ruined his life.
“No! I’m not going to be in his life. This is your problem. Goodbye!”
He left that night. He quit the university, changed his number, and vanished from my life forever.
When I told my parents, I thought they’d at least stand by me. But they looked at me like I had committed a crime. My mother said coldly, “If you go through with this pregnancy, don’t expect us to support you.” My father didn’t even speak—he just shook his head and walked away.
I was disowned.
But I couldn’t give up my baby. No matter what anyone said, I already loved the little life growing inside me.
Months later, I gave birth to a beautiful boy and named him Simon. Raising him wasn’t easy. I had a kind roommate, Sara, who let us stay with her, but juggling classes, work, and a newborn felt like a constant uphill climb. Still, I pushed through. Somehow, I graduated. Somehow, I built a career.
Simon grew into a bright little boy, about to start school. My life felt steady—except for one thing: love.
Every man I dated since Hans backed away the moment they learned I had a child. One man, Terrence, even pretended it didn’t bother him. He said all the right things—“It’s fine, Lana. I don’t mind that you’re a mom.” But as soon as he met Simon and things got serious, he disappeared. No explanation. Just silence.
That’s when I made a decision. From then on, I would never tell a man about Simon until I was sure the relationship was rock solid.
Then Glenn came into my life.
Glenn was different. He wasn’t just handsome—he was thoughtful, funny, and we could talk for hours without getting bored. We shared dreams, hobbies, even the same sense of humor. He felt like the one.
But hiding Simon was hard. Babysitters were expensive, and there were moments I almost slipped up. Then, one day, the doorbell rang—and there stood my parents.
My mother’s eyes filled with tears. “Lana, I don’t know if you can forgive us, but I really want to make up for all our lost time. I want to meet my grandson and have a relationship with you again.”
My father stepped forward, guilt all over his face. “I’m sorry, my baby girl. We thought that having a baby would ruin your life, and you were so adamant about not having an abortion. Now I know that it was the right choice for you. Please… let us be part of Simon’s life.”
I hesitated, but in my heart, I knew Simon deserved family. So I introduced them. Simon’s eyes lit up when he realized he had grandparents. He hugged them instantly, and from that moment, they became part of his world.
With their help, I could finally focus on Glenn.
After months of dating, things turned serious. One night, I carefully asked, “Glenn, do you ever think about kids?”
He smiled. “I definitely want children, Lana, don’t get me wrong. But I think we’re still too young for that. We should get married, maybe travel the world for a few years first.”
My heart sank. He wanted kids one day—but not yet. And definitely not kids that already existed. So once again, I decided to keep Simon a secret.
Then, one magical evening, Glenn proposed. I said yes without hesitation. But deep down, a storm brewed inside me. What about Simon? How could I keep hiding him?
When my wedding day finally arrived, I asked my mother to babysit. She looked at me sternly and said, “You’re not going to tell him about your child?”
I shook my head, tears welling up. “Please, Mom. You don’t know what it’s been like. Every man runs away when they find out I have a son. I’ll tell Glenn after the wedding. Just… not today.”
She sighed. “Darling, he’s not going to like this either. A marriage has to be built on trust.”
“Please! I’m begging you!” I cried. Reluctantly, she agreed—or so I thought.
The plan was simple: Dad would walk me down the aisle, then leave to take care of Simon so Mom could enjoy the celebration. But my mother had other plans.
During the ceremony, everything seemed perfect. Dad walked me down the aisle, the priest began speaking, and Glenn held my hands tightly. I was moments away from sealing my secret with a kiss.
But then I saw it—my mother slipping into the church pew with Simon by her side. My heart nearly stopped.
When the priest said, “You may kiss the bride,” Glenn leaned in, and the crowd erupted in cheers. That’s when Simon broke free, ran down the aisle, and shouted at the top of his lungs:
“Mom! Mom! Congratulations! You got married! I have a new father finally!”
The room went silent. Glenn’s lips froze against mine. He stared at Simon, confusion and shock flashing in his eyes. Then, through clenched teeth, he whispered, “Mom? Is he your son, Lana? What is going on?”
I panicked. “Let’s go outside. I’ll explain everything,” I whispered back.
We walked through the crowd, smiling stiffly as friends threw rice and snapped photos. But once we got into the car, Glenn’s face darkened.
“Tell me the truth now,” he demanded.
Tears streamed down my face as I told him everything—about Hans, about being abandoned, about how every man since had rejected me the moment they found out. “I know you might not understand, but I love you, Glenn. I couldn’t risk losing you. I was going to tell you after the honeymoon. My mom was supposed to watch him, but she brought him instead.”
Glenn clenched his jaw. “I can’t believe this, Lana. You hid your five-year-old son from me for almost a year. How can we trust each other after that?”
“Please, don’t be angry with me,” I begged. “Try to put yourself in my shoes. I was so scared.”
He sighed, his anger softening. “I understand why you did it. I’m angry because children are a gift, Lana. And you didn’t trust me enough to share the most important part of your life.”
When we arrived at the reception, Glenn walked straight to Simon. He knelt down and said warmly, “Hi, buddy. I’m Glenn. I guess I’m your new dad.”
Simon’s eyes sparkled. “Really? You’ll be my dad?”
“Yes,” Glenn said firmly. “I’ll always be here for you.”
I stood there, crying.
Later that night, at our hotel, Glenn turned to me. “I’m still angry, Lana. But Simon is amazing, and we made vows today—to love each other through everything. I’m in this for the long haul. But you can’t ever lie to me again.”
I threw my arms around him. “Thank you! Thank you! I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you and Simon. I love you so much!”
He chuckled, kissing my forehead. Just like that, our fight was over.
Our honeymoon was magical, and when we came back, Glenn and Simon bonded quickly. A few months later, I found out I was pregnant again. We had a baby girl, Julianne, and soon after, Glenn officially adopted Simon. He became the best father in the world.
I had finally chosen the right man.
Lesson:
- The right person is out there. After so many heartbreaks, Lana found Glenn. Don’t give up on love.
- Secrets can destroy relationships. Lana was lucky Glenn forgave her. Honesty really is the foundation of love.