Two weeks after the birth of their second child, Dennis Paul
married his baby mama. His OTHER baby mama. Alicia had heard the rumors about
Dennis and Paula but Dennis always had a good excuse for the whispered tales of
her and him together. After all, Paula was the mother of his first two kids and
the third little girl who’d come just weeks after the birth of his and Alicia’s
little girl together. Even that little faux pas wasn’t enough to convince Alicia
that Dennis wasn’t quite the guy she kept telling herself he was. In fact none
of the abuse she suffered at Dennis’ hands was enough to convince her that
Dennis really wasn’t much of a catch at all.
To hear Alicia tell it, Dennis was just misunderstood. He
really did love her and their family and wanted them all to be together. So
much so it had taken very little to convince her to cross state lines and
follow behind him. Upending her life and sacrificing her dreams was well worth
all that love Dennis was known to lavish on her when he came to visit those
two, maybe three days per week.
But then he got married. The news came via Twitter. It was a
quick shout out to the happy couple with pictures of the decorated church and the
wedding program posted on Instagram. It came from a mutual friend who either
assumed Alicia already knew or who purposely wanted to break the news to her.
With less than thirty minutes to make it to the chapel,
Alicia was grateful that she and her children had all had their baths. So
Alicia put on a new dress purchased for the next date night she and Dennis had
planned, put bows in the little girl’s hair and a new outfit on the new baby.
When her own hair and makeup were perfection she packed her small family into
her car and pointed it in the direction of the church.
The bride had already made her way down the aisle by the
time Alicia found her way inside. She sat on the edge of the back pew and
watched as Dennis said his I do’s. Dennis and Paula stood with loving looks on
their faces, family and friends wishing them well. When the pastor asked if
anyone had any objections, Alicia’s baby boy let out a loud wail, moving
everyone to turn and stare in their direction. Standing, Alicia didn’t say
anything at all, only turning an about face as she headed out the door.
Returning to her apartment Alicia packed all of her belongings, called her
parents and asked if she could come back home.
Dennis wasn’t fazed by the unexpected intrusion. Alicia knew
better than to make a scene in front of his mother. Dennis figured by the time
the honeymoon was over Alicia’s hurt feelings would be a faint memory. Her missing
him would be enough to overlook the fact he now had a wife. Dennis had been playing both
women for so long that he figured he’d be able to do so even after legalizing
his relationship with Paula.
But Dennis didn’t expect to find his second home abandoned
when he finally made his way back. Being unable to reach Alicia, her cell phone
number changed, gave him reason to pause. He also didn’t like that he’d been
unfriended and blocked on Facebook as well. And the restraining order and court
summons demanding child support came as a complete surprise.
Alicia isn’t the first woman to have this happen to her. But
she is the first who read a similar tale on my blog a few years ago and was
determined that her story would have a very different ending.
“I hope that my heartbreak will be a lesson for any woman
who isn’t being treated the way she deserves,” Alicia wrote. “I thought having
this last baby would make him love me more. I realized I needed to love myself
instead. And my children needed to see me do better.”
Comments