The Colonel's Secretary

Years ago, before I became a lawyer, I met the most attractive and confident man. The stupidest thing I did was break up with him, or maybe he broke up with me. Well, it was mutual. He made me happy, and we had the best s*x in the world; he was a god. But now I know nothing about him. Maybe he's already married; his parents were a bit obsessed with the idea that he should be married with three kids by the age of 25. This was something persistent and very annoying; I was always present in those conversations. We both decided it wasn't the right time and that it was better to leave it as a beautiful friendship, so we went our separate ways. I moved to New York, and he stayed in Miami. It's hard to believe that just six years ago, I had the love of my life right in front of me, and I let him go. So stupid of me! Since then, I haven't heard from him. The first month, we talked once a week, then once a month, and so on until the last time I tried to call him, his phone seemed to no longer exist. Maybe he changed his number, and that's why I couldn't reach him. So I haven't heard from him, and that's okay. Maybe he's already married, and that's why he changed his number. Or at least that's what I think. Today, I'm married and have a 5-month-old daughter. Her name is Harriet, and she's such a precious baby with small, chubby cheeks that make me want to pinch them. She has green eyes like her father and black hair with little curls. She definitely doesn't look like me, except for her curly black hair. In contrast, her father has light brown hair and emerald green eyes, but our baby's eyes are even lighter. He is a good man and very responsible. As soon as he found out I was pregnant, he left everything at his old job and decided to pursue his own company project. We've been married for three years, and right now, I don't even know why I'm still here. Do I love him? No. Do I care for him? Yes. But, why don't I love him? Because with John, it's all about business. As I said, John is a good man, but only when it comes to business. When it comes to his family, it's another matter. He doesn't spend time with us. Sure, he left his job, but because his parents forced him to, because the image of a united family was good for business. He's responsible, yes, but with his work. Harriet and I are just like display dolls; he wasn't even in the delivery room because he was on a work video call. Anyway, I asked him for a divorce, and he agreed, leaving me with full custody of Harriet, since he didn't have time for children. I fell in love with him at his father's company. I had just joined the firm and was the new hire. Over time, maybe I missed the signs. I thought, ‘Why not?’ and ended up married to him, with a baby—the only thing I don’t regret, because I love her deeply. But I stopped loving him a long time ago. I got pregnant with Harriet by accident after a dinner where John and I hadn’t been intimate for ages. That night, we were both drunk and furious, and after yelling at each other, we ended up having s*x. Quite the lovely process of creating Harriet. We decided we would stay together for her, but in the end, I discovered he had been unfaithful for a year. What a jerk. So now we're about to board a plane directly to Miami, where my mother and my best friend Josie are. They will help me take care of Harriet, so I can go to work. Wish us luck.