Ultimate betrayal – my hubby had a baby with our son’s ex
Jack wanted a pool, but Aimee wanted a garden – who would win?
Nicola Adams, 37, heard of keeping it in the family, but her husband Trevor went too far
Iheard the key in the door and looked up as my son Shaun walked in.
‘Mum, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,’ he smiled nervously.
I recognised
Joanne* from the flat over the road.
At 19, she was three years older than my Shaun, but she was the first girl he’d brought home and
I was proud.
‘Why don’t you sit down, I’ll put the kettle on,’ I smiled.
My hubby Trevor, then 32, and I had been teenagers when we first met.
Shaun was our first and he was quickly followed by three more.
I was happy for Shaun and Joanne − until he announced they were having a baby.
He was only 16 and I was completely shocked.
‘This isn’t like buying a puppy,’ I said to Shaun and Joanne. ‘This is the biggest commitment of your life. Are you sure you’re ready?’
The pair were determined to make it work, though.
Although I was worried, I busied myself preparing for their new arrival.
Any spare cash Trevor and I had went into re-decorating
Shaun’s room as we turned it into a nursery.
‘Will you be with me at the birth?’ Joanne asked me. I was so touched.
‘You try and keep me away, love,’ I grinned.
When their little boy was born, he was the apple of my eye.
I’d help by feeding, bathing and playing with him.
While I relished my new role, I could have done with an extra pair of hands to help out.
‘Can you do this feed?’ I asked Trevor one day, passing him the bottle.
‘I’m watching the game,’ he replied, barely looking up from the match on TV.
We began arguing constantly, and when our grandson was 18 months old, Trevor and I separated, after 19 years together.
It was heartbreaking, but Shaun and Joanne’s relationship was also on the rocks and I had to put my grandson first.
A month later, with Joanne’s blessing, I was granted a child arrangement order through the courts, which meant their little one would live permanently with me.
It was what was best for him, and when Trevor and Joanne moved out, I focused on bringing him up.
But one day, my neighbour
phoned me.
‘Have you heard about
Trev and Joanne?’ she blurted.
I had more important things to think about than silly gossip and laughed it off.
But then she sent me a photo of Trevor and Joanne walking down the street together.
At first glance, it seemed innocent enough.
After all, there was no crime in Trevor walking with the mother of his
I began to think the unthinkable
grandson, but it did strike me as odd.
He’d barely uttered a word to Joanne when Shaun brought her home.
Then I looked more closely at the photo − and it looked like Joanne was pregnant again.
My mind raced and I began to think the unthinkable.
Trevor couldn’t have started a relationship with our teen son’s girlfriend… could he?
Grabbing my mobile, I called Trevor.
‘Can you tell me why I’ve got a picture of you and Joanne waltzing down the street in front of me?’ I demanded.
‘Oh that’s nothing,’ he blustered. ‘I’m just staying at Joanne’s at the moment because my benefits are being paid into her account.’
Trevor was my first love, my childhood sweetheart
– so I knew when he was lying.
And when Joanne and Trevor’s baby was born, I felt numb.
My husband was dating our son’s ex and the mother of our grandson − and now he had a baby with her too.
It was almost too much to bear when I told Shaun about his dad’s betrayal.
‘Why would Dad do that to us?’ Shaun cried. ‘I’ll never forgive him.’
It was one thing breaking my heart, but for Trevor to hurt and humiliate his own son was unforgivable.
Poor Shaun had to face the fact that his ex was now shacked up with his dad, while the baby was his half-brother, as well as his son’s half brother.
It was wrong.
Trevor and Joanne went on to have another baby, but I heard that they’ve since split up.
I refuse to waste a moment’s more heartbreak on them.
My grandson is four now and still lives with me.
He is the only good thing to come out of all this.
Oh Jack, look at this yard,’ said Aimee. After living in units all her life, she instantly fell in love with the big open backyard of the property they’d just bought.
‘Imagine the garden we can put in,’ she beamed.
Jack huffed. ‘That’ll be the day. I hate gardening and you don’t have a green thumb. You kill anything that’s trying to grow.’
‘That’s not fair, we only had a balcony with pots.’ ‘And plants I didn’t want.’ ‘You know I love gardens,’ Aimee said. ‘And I’ve always wanted a vegie patch.’
‘The only thing I’m imagining is a pool under the shade of that big tree down there. Now that would be nice on a hot summer day.’ It was clear Jack thought a vegie patch and garden beds were a waste of space, time and money, but Aimee stood her ground.
‘I bet you can’t grow anything in abundance,’ Jack said
smugly. ‘I bet I can,’ Aimee said. ‘Really? Willing to bet $1000 on it?’
They had always kept their money separate, and Jack was so tight, Aimee knew she’d love to win.
‘You’re on,’ she said.
‘Great, this will be the easiest grand I’ve ever made,’ Jack grinned.
Aimee was determined to prove him wrong. But as summer went on she feared Jack might win the bet as nothing seemed to thrive.
Then one day she came running into the house.
‘Jack, look! See, I can grow things.’ Aimee said holding up a carrot. Jack laughed. ‘One small shrivelled carrot doesn’t count. Don’t go calling yourself a green thumb just yet.’
Aimee’s mood dropped. She had been so proud of that carrot. Trust Jack to pop her happy bubble. But was it really a surprise?
In 10 years, her husband never could bring himself to praise her or be encouraging.
His attitude was starting to wear thin.
‘There’s still plenty of time until the end of summer,’ said Aimee. ‘I’ll win that bet.’
And she tried hard. She researched soil conditions and PH levels. She absorbed all the online gardening advice like a sponge. Yet as the months passed, plants still died, and she was hardly reaping baskets of fresh produce. But each day over summer she still spent hours pottering outside.
One hot day when Jack woke from an afternoon nap, he found Aimee on the verandah.
‘Are you ready to concede you’re a terrible gardener yet?’ Jack asked.
Aimee sighed.
‘Come outside. I have something to show you.’
After he slipped on his thongs, she led him down the backyard.
In 10 years, her husband never could bring himself to praise her
Under the shade of the leafy tree she’d set up a large inflatable pool, a deck chair, and an esky full of ice and his favourite drinks.’
‘Wow, he said, stripping down to his shorts, flicking off his thongs and stepping into the pool. This is great.’
When he sat down the water lapped his chest.
‘I know what you’re doing though. You think I’ll let you out of the bet if you pamper me a little? Sorry love, not going to happen. Pass me a drink will you?’
Aimee passed the can over, then headed back to the house. She kicked off her shoes, dropped Jack’s thongs down, then waited.
It wasn’t long before she heard a yelp of pain. And again. And again.
Jack said she had to grow something in abundance, but he didn’t say what. It seems he had just discovered she’d successfully grown an abundance of prickly bindi-eyes all over the yard. Jack yelped again.
Yep, Aimee smiled. She had definitely won.