**The Day I Realised Id Lived with a Monster**
For eleven years, I thought I had a familya wife, two children, a home, a life that, from the outside, looked perfectly ordinary. We had dinner together, managed daily chores, attended the kids school events. A flawless routine.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Somewhere along the way, my wife and I stopped being a couple. We werent partners, nor lovers. Not even enemies. Just two strangers sharing a house, bound only by duty. We didnt argue, but we didnt talk either. Our conversations became mechanicalbills, groceries, the kids schedules.
And I grew used to it. Because it was easier.
Until I met her.
A different woman. Warm, alive, full of fire. A woman who looked at me as if I were the only man in the world. I tried to lie to myself, to call it a passing fancy, a fleeting attraction.
But the fire inside me wouldnt die.
Soon, she became my refuge, my escape from a life that suffocated me. We hid, stole moments together. And for the first time in years, I felt alive.
But secrets dont stay buried forever. One evening, after wed made love, she looked into my eyes and said:
*”I wont stay hidden forever. Either were together properly, or we end this now.”*
Her words echoed in my mind for days. I knew I couldnt delay the inevitable any longer.
**The Conversation That Destroyed My Life**
That night, after the children were asleep, I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. My wife was there, scrolling on her phone, barely noticing me.
I cleared my throat.
*”We need to talk.”*
She sighed and looked up, bored.
*”I cant live like this anymore,”* I said. *”I dont love you. Havent for years. I want a new life. But Ill always be there for the kids.”*
I expected shouting. Tears. Accusations.
What she did was far worse.
She said nothing. Slowly, she stood, walked to the hall closet, and pulled out two large suitcases.
Then she dropped them at my feet.
*”Take them,”* she said, voice icy.
I blinked, confused.
*”I dont need that much. A backpacks enough.”*
Then she smiled. Not a sad smile. Not an angry one. A strange, calculated grin, full of satisfaction I didnt understand.
*”You said youd take care of the kids, didnt you?”* she whispered. *”Then Ill pack their things too. From now on, youre the family.”*
My breath vanished.
*”What what are you saying?”*
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching me like I was a specimen under glass.
*”Im done with this life. Ive been a good wife. Sacrificed enough. Now its my turn. Ill find someone else. And without the children, itll be much easier.”*
I froze.
*”Youre joking,”* I said softly.
She gave a short laugh.
*”Did you think I didnt know? That I didnt notice you coming home late? The way you stopped looking at me? I knew. I always knew. I was just waiting for the right moment.”*
She pulled out her phone, typed a quick message, and smiled againbut not at me.
In that moment, I understood.
Id thought I was the one making choices. But shed already decided for us both. I was playing chess, and shed moved the queen, leaving me with no options.
**Trapped in a Nightmare I Cant Wake From**
And now here I am.
One woman demands I choose. Another has already chosen for me.
Do I take the children and knock on my lovers door, praying she wont turn me away? Or stay here, in a house thats no longer mine, with the woman who just showed me her darkest self?
I dont know the right answer.
Maybe there isnt one.
But one thing I know for certain:
For eleven years, I thought I knew my wife.
Tonight, I realised Id lived with a monster.
