Story

My 5-Year-Old Was Always Whining Around My New Husband — When I Asked Why, He Whispered, ‘He Said I’m a Problem’

admin February 8, 2025

Alice’s son had always been a happy child, but lately, he would shrink away whenever her new husband, Sam, walked into the room. At first, she brushed it off as fussiness. But then, her son told her something about Sam that sent a shiver down her spine.

Being a single mother was never part of the plan.

When I married my first husband, Daniel, I had dreams of building a life together and raising our child in a home full of love.

But fate had other ideas.

A woman standing in her house | Source: Midjourney

Jeremy was barely a few weeks old when I woke up one morning to find Daniel gone.

At first, I thought he had gone for a walk or stepped out for coffee. But then I noticed his closet was empty and his suitcase was missing.

His toothbrush was also gone.

I panicked and immediately called his phone, but it went straight to voicemail.

Then, I called his best friend, Chris.

A woman using her phone | Source: Pexels

“Hey, Chris, have you heard from Daniel? He’s not home.”

Silence. Then a sigh.

“Alice, I… I think you should sit down before I tell you what’s going on.”

That’s when I learned the truth.

Daniel hadn’t just left me. He had run away to another country with another woman.

A woman he had been seeing behind my back for months.

I spent weeks in a daze after learning where my husband was. I was unable to eat, sleep, or function properly.

And the worst part was that I blamed myself for everything. Was I not enough? Did I do something wrong? Why did he leave us like this?

A woman looking outside her bedroom window | Source: Midjourney

But when I finally gathered the courage to face the truth, I realized it had nothing to do with me. He was the one who was selfish. The one who betrayed our family.

And I refused to let his betrayal define me.

Soon, I threw myself into work, determined to give Jeremy the best life possible. My mother looked after Jeremy while I juggled my job.

Slowly, the pain faded, and I started finding happiness in small moments. I found myself laughing at Jeremy’s giggles and adoring the way he called me “Mommy.”

With time, I realized we were doing just fine.

Then I met Sam.

A man standing outdoors | Source: Midjourney

It was a hectic afternoon at my favorite coffee shop. Jeremy was at daycare, and I had just wrapped up a long morning at work.

I reached into my purse to pay, only to realize my card wasn’t working.

“Oh, come on,” I muttered, trying again.

Still nothing.

The cashier gave me a polite but tired look, and I felt the heat of embarrassment creep up my neck. Just as I was about to put my coffee back, a deep voice spoke up behind me.

“Let me get that for you.”

A woman holding a cup of coffee | Source: Pexels

I turned to see a tall man with warm brown eyes. He pulled out his card and tapped it against the reader.

“Oh no, you don’t have to—”

“Really, it’s fine,” he said with a charming smile. “It’s just coffee.”

I hesitated before sighing. “Alright. But give me your number so I can pay you back.”

He chuckled. “Deal.”

That was how it started. A simple act of kindness. A number exchanged. A text here and there.

A man using his phone | Source: Pexels

Over time, I learned Sam was an insurance broker. He was two years older than me and didn’t mind the fact that I came with a little boy.

I still remember the day I told him about Jeremy.

“Alice, that’s wonderful!” he cheered. “I love kids.”

For the first time in years, I felt hope bloom inside me. Maybe love wasn’t off the table after all.

We dated for a year before getting married, and Sam was everything I could have wished for. He was attentive and patient and never made me feel like I was “too much.”

A couple holding hands | Source: Pexels

The best part was that Jeremy bonded with him instantly, giggling at his silly jokes and reaching for his hand whenever we walked together.

That’s when I let my guard down for the first time in a LONG time. That’s when I believed we were finally a family.

But then… my life took an unexpected turn. Never in a million years had I thought I’d experience something like this.

A woman looking straight ahead | Source: Midjourney

It all started the day my mother pulled me aside. She had this look of concern on her face.

“Alice,” she began in a hushed tone. “Don’t you see that he’s always whining around Sam?”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Just watch him. Every time Sam’s around, Jeremy looks different.”

At first, I brushed it off as my mother being overly protective. She had always been wary of men after what Daniel did to me.

But later that evening, I started paying attention.

A boy sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney

Jeremy was his usual cheerful self when it was just the two of us. He laughed, played, and chatted endlessly about his day at daycare. But the moment Sam walked into the room, something changed.

His shoulders stiffened, his voice quieted, and sometimes he would start crying for no apparent reason.

It made me realize I needed to talk to Sam about it.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” I said later that night.

He glanced up from his phone. “Of course.”

“Have you noticed how Jeremy acts around you?”

“What do you mean?”

A man sitting in his bedroom | Source: Midjourney

I hesitated. “He… he gets quiet. Sometimes he even cries.”

“Alice, I love that kid,” he said. “I treat him like my own. Why would he—-“

“I know,” I interrupted, unsure if I had offended him. “It’s just… I don’t know.”

He reached for my hand and squeezed it. “Maybe he’s adjusting. It’s a big change for him, right? A new father figure. It’s a lot for a five-year-old.”

I nodded, wanting to believe him. He sounded so sincere. But deep down, something didn’t sit right.

A woman looking away while talking to her husband | Source: Midjourney

A few days later, I picked up Jeremy from daycare, and on our way home, we stopped for ice cream. He sat on the bench beside me as he licked his cone.

“Hey, buddy,” I said gently. “Can I ask you something?”

He nodded while enjoying his ice cream.

“Why do you get upset around Sam?”

His smile faded, and he turned the other way.