Emma sat in the kitchen with her best friend, struggling to hold back tears. Her hands trembled, her thoughts jumbled, and her voice cracked.
“Wait… He just packed his things and left?” asked Natalie, her long-time friend, in disbelief.
“Yes,” Emma rasped. “After twenty years together. He just grabbed a bag, said, ‘I’ve fallen for someone else,’ and walked out.”
“Maybe you misunderstood him? Could it just be a midlife crisis?” Natalie ventured uncertainly.
“Natalie, listen to yourself! What misunderstanding? He left. No tears, no fights, no explanation. Like our twenty years meant nothing.”
Emma buried her face in her hands. Fresh tears welled up. She had never felt so hollow, so betrayed.
“Do the kids know?” Natalie asked carefully.
“No… Sophie and Jack are at summer camp. I just put them on the train three days ago. They’ll be back in two weeks… And I don’t even know how to tell them. How?!”
“Maybe it’s better they’re not here right now. You’ll have time… to gather yourself.”
“Gather myself? After this? He was my whole life…” Emma whispered, clutching her head. “How didn’t I see this coming? How?”
Silence stretched between them until Natalie suddenly suggested, “Let’s get back at him. The woman’s way.”
“What?” Emma looked up, startled. “How do you mean?”
“Simple. We book you on a date tonight. With a stranger. You’re beautiful, put-together, smart. You’ve got a home, a career, amazing kids. You’re a catch. Let’s show him you’re not just his ex-wife—you’re the woman men dream of.”
“I don’t know… I still love him…”
“And does he love you? Did he love you when he walked out with someone else?” Natalie squeezed her hand. “Come on. What do you have to lose? Just a night out.”
Emma hesitated but finally nodded. An hour later, they were swiping through a dating app for a blind date candidate. That evening, Natalie dropped her off at the restaurant, winked, and left her to it.
Heart pounding, Emma stepped inside. Table 13. Someone was already seated there.
“Sorry I’m late, traffic… Robert?”
“Emma?” The man stood abruptly. “No way! What are the odds?”
It was her old colleague, someone she’d worked closely with for five years before he’d moved away. They’d lost touch, but there had always been a spark between them.
“Fate works in funny ways,” Emma smiled, taking her seat.
Conversation flowed effortlessly—old work stories, mutual friends, silly mishaps. Laughter and warmth returned as if no time had passed. Then Robert suddenly asked, “So, what made you join a dating app?”
Emma froze. At first, she considered lying. But something in his voice made her honest.
“My husband left me. Yesterday. Just packed his things and walked out. Said he’d met someone else. I… don’t know how to move forward.”
Robert lowered his gaze, then gently took her hand. “You’re not alone, Emma. And I’ll admit—I’m glad you were the one at this table tonight.”
For the first time in twenty-four hours, Emma didn’t feel discarded—but seen. Valued.
But Robert stayed respectful. “Let’s not ruin tonight. I’ll call you a taxi. But this weekend—let’s meet again. Just as old friends.”
She woke at home to find Natalie dozing in the armchair.
“You stayed here all night?” Emma squinted against the morning light.
“Yep. You could say thank you,” Natalie yawned. “So, how was the date?”
“I ran into Robert,” Emma whispered.
“Robert? The one who nearly fell for you three years ago?”
Emma nodded, but before she could say more, someone knocked. Natalie went to answer, while Emma, sensing trouble, fled to the bathroom.
“Emma! You’ve got a visitor,” Natalie called, amused.
“Who—?”
Standing at the door… was her husband.
“Emma, love, forgive me… I made a terrible mistake…”
“You? A mistake? Was it when you went to Brighton with her and posted it on Instagram? Or when you spent the night ‘at a mate’s’?”
“I never loved anyone but you… Think of the kids—”
“Don’t you dare bring them into this!” Emma snapped. “You know what? Last night, I went on a date. With Robert. We had a wonderful evening. And even if nothing happened, I realised—I don’t need you anymore.”
Her husband paled.
“So, you’re with him now?”
“And who were you with when you betrayed me? We’re even.”
He stormed out, white-faced. She exhaled—light, free, as if a weight had lifted.
That evening, she called Robert.
“Hi. I’m officially divorced. Still up for that walk along the Thames?”
“Always, Emma. I’ve been waiting for this call.”
They took things slow—no rush, no illusions, just trust and warmth. When the kids returned, Robert met them as an old family friend. And somehow, it worked. Not easily, not overnight, but genuinely.
Sometimes, what feels like an ending is actually a new beginning. Emma learned that the hard way. And she’d never let anyone take her for granted again.
