“Emily, honestly, nothing terrible has happened! Men slip up sometimesthey get carried away and cant stop themselves in time. Be the bigger person. Are you really going to let some other woman take your husband? Shell think shes won! Fight for your family! her mother-in-law pleaded.
That Saturday morning, Emily dropped her son off at her parents place. Shed arranged for Daniel to stay with them for a while.
Back at home, she pulled out cardboard boxes from the balcony and started packing. She began in the nursery.
Clothes, toys, booksshe folded them neatly, taped the boxes shut, and labelled each one. Soon, the room would be empty except for the furniture she wasnt taking.
Around noon, her phone rang. Her mother-in-laws name flashed on the screen.
Hello, Margaret.
Good afternoon, Emily. James told me everything. I know youre upset, but maybe dont act so hastily? Take some time to cool off, think it through. Is it really worth breaking up the family?
Im not the one breaking it, James is, Emily replied.
Emily, Im not excusing him! But maybe you could forgive him, just this once?
Once? Your sons been seeing his colleague for six months, lying to me. And you want me to forgive him? No, she said firmly.
Please, think again. Youre depriving Daniel of his father. James adores him!
Margaret, James can still see DanielI wont stop him. But I wont stay married to him. Lets leave it at that. Ive got packing to do.
Emily sealed the last two boxes and moved to the bedroom, filling suitcases with her clothes.
Her mother-in-law arrived an hour later, convinced she could talk Emily out of leaving.
The conversation went in circles.
Emily, nothing so awful has happened! Men make mistakesthey get carried away. Be wiser than this. Are you really going to let some girl steal your husband? Shell think shes beaten you! Fight for your family!
Margaret, James isnt some trophy I need to fight over. Should I challenge this Jane to a duel? A boxing match? Its not about her. If it wasnt Jane, itd be someone else.
Ill tell you a secretJamess father, William, wasnt perfect in his youth either. But I was wiser than you. I stayed, and now weve been married nearly thirty-five years. Were celebrating our coral anniversary soon.
And how exactly were you wiser? Emily smirked.
I didnt pick fights. I was more affectionate, cooked his favourite meals, took interest in his work. I even worked on myselfchanged my hair, lost weight, greeted him with a smile when he came home.
Sometimes I knew hed just come from seeing *her*, and all I wanted was to grab a frying pan and smack him over the head. But I bit my tongue and smiled. And lookI kept my husband. My son grew up with his father, and now my grandson has a grandfather.
Margaret, youre an incredible woman. I couldnt do that. I have this unfortunate thing called self-respect. What youre suggesting is like eating from a bin.
Her mother-in-law stormed out without another word.
Emily kept packing. She knew this wasnt the endJames and Margaret would keep making her life difficult. Thats why she was in such a hurry to leave.
The next day, her dad came to help load the boxes into a van. On the way, she asked him to stop by Margarets to drop off the flat keys.
Can you believe it? Emily told her best friend, Sophie, the next day. Yesterday, Margaret spent an hour begging me to forgive Jamess “little slip-up” and not file for divorce.
What did she say? Sophie asked.
The usual. “Youre taking Daniels father away,” “All men cheat,” “Women have to be the bigger person.” Then she shared how *she* handled it when her husband strayed.
How?
I wont repeat it, but trust meits mad. You wouldnt do it.
Have you filed yet?
Yes, last Friday, Emily said.
Finally, youre free of that womaniser. It was painful watching him trot around like some prize stallion.
What do you mean “painful”? Did you know about Jane? Emilys voice sharpened.
Not for sure, but I suspected, Sophie admitted guiltily.
And you didnt tell me? I thought we were friends. Emily stood to leave.
Wait! Sophie grabbed her arm. Listen. First, I didnt *know*. I just saw the same things you did and drew different conclusions. Remember the office Christmas party?
How Jane was glued to James. You saw that, right? And how she kept volunteering for business trips with him?
Youre in HRyou handle the paperwork. Didnt it strike you as odd how Jane always swapped in last minute to go with him? I suspected, but I wasnt sure enough to say anything.
You couldve at least hinted.
And if I was wrong? Youd think I was trying to break you up. Remember what happened to Lucy?
She told a friend shed seen her husband with another womaneven showed a photo of them hugging. There was a huge row, they made up, and Lucy got blamed for trying to ruin their marriage out of jealousy. She ended up leaving the company.
So dont be mad. If Id had proof, Id have told you. Where are you going to live now?
The flats in Margarets name, so Daniel and I have moved in with Mum and Dad for now.
But in a week, well fix up Grans old placeits been rented out, but the tenants left last month. Its only two bedrooms, but its enough for us.
Still sorting out nurserythe old ones too far, but Mums friend promised to help get him into the one near us. Once were divorced, Ill file for child support. Thats it.
Is James agreeing to the divorce? Sophie asked.
Says he doesnt want one, that hes “learned his lesson.” But once was enough for me. He begged me not to file for supportpromised hed pay voluntarily.
And?
No chance. I dont want to see him again. Let it be official. Then he had the nerve to say hed take Daniel: “Ive got a better flat, a higher salary.”
I didnt argue. Just counted how many business trips he took last year. Eight.
Whatd he say to that? Sophie asked.
Im saving it for court. If he tries for custody, Ill ask whos looking after Daniel when hes away. Besides, Ive got a job and a home. He wont win.
James did file for custody, demanding Daniel live with him:
My ex-wife cant provide the standard of living our son deserves, he declared.
Margaret even claimed Emily was hiding the boy:
She took him from nursery. We thought they were at her parents, but they were only there a week before vanishing. The neighbours have proofwhere is she keeping him? A child shouldnt be hidden in some shady place!
Emily had to explain they were living in her two-bed flat, that Daniel was attending a nursery nearby.
She also pointed out Jamess frequent business trips made him an unfit primary carer.
In the end, neither James nor Margaret got their way.
Emily didnt want to see James again, so she found a new jobshe was good at what she did, so it wasnt hard.
Not long after, Sophie brought news:
Jane quit and left town.
Why? Emily frowned.
The office women made her life hell. She stuck around a month, realised there was nothing left for her here, and bolted for London. So your ex is on his own now.
Honestly? I dont care, Emily said.
And she meant it. Some wells are so spat in, you just cant drink from them again.”
