The Day I Realised I Had Lived with a Monster
For eleven years, I believed I had a familya wife, two children, a home, a life that, from the outside, looked perfectly normal. We had dinners together, handled daily chores, attended the childrens school events. A flawless routine.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Somewhere along the way, my wife and I had stopped being a couple. We werent partners, lovers, or even enemies. Just two strangers sharing a house, bound only by responsibility. We didnt argue, but we no longer spoke. Our conversations became mechanicalbills, shopping, the childrens schedules.
And I grew used to it. Because it was easy.
Until I met her.
A different woman. Warm, alive, full of energy. 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.
But the fire inside me wouldnt fade.
Soon, she became my refuge, my escape from a life that suffocated me. We stole moments together, hidden away. And for the first time in years, I felt alive.
But secrets dont stay buried forever. One evening, after we made love, she looked into my eyes and said:
“I wont stay hidden forever. Either were truly together, or this ends now.”
Her words echoed in my mind for days. I knew I couldnt delay the inevitable any longer.
The Conversation That Shattered My Life
That night, after the children were asleep, I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. My wife was there, scrolling through her phone, barely acknowledging me.
I cleared my throat. “We need to talk.”
She sighed and glanced up, bored.
“I cant live like this anymore,” I said. “I dont love you. I havent for a long time. I want a new life. But Ill always be here for the children.”
I expected shouting, tears, accusations.
What she did was far worse.
She said nothing. Slowly, she stood, walked to the hall cupboard, and pulled out two large suitcases. Then she dropped them at my feet.
“Take them,” she said, her voice ice-cold.
I blinked, confused. “I dont need that much. Ill just take a rucksack.”
Then she smiled. Not sadly, not angrily. A strange, calculated smile, brimming with satisfaction I didnt understand.
“You said youd take care of the children, didnt you?” she whispered. “Then Ill pack their things too. From now on, youre their family.”
My breath caught.
“What what are you saying?”
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, studying me as if waiting for me to crumble.
“Im done with this life. Ive been a good wife. Ive sacrificed enough. Now its my turn. Ill find someone else. And without the children, itll be much easier.”
I froze.
“Youre joking,” I said slowly.
She laughed, short and sharp.
“You thought I didnt know? That I hadnt noticed you coming home late, avoiding my eyes? I knew. I always knew. I was just waiting for the right moment.”
She pulled out her phone, typed a quick message, and smiled againnot at me.
Thats when I understood.
I thought I was making the choices. But she had already decided for both of us. I was playing chess, and she had already moved the queen, leaving me with no way out.
Trapped in a Nightmare I Cant Wake From
Now Im here.
One woman is asking me to choose. Another has already chosen for me.
Do I take the children and knock on my lovers door, hoping she wont turn me away? Or do I stay in this house thats no longer mine, with the woman who just showed me her darkest side?
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 I had lived with a monster.
**Life is not about the lies we tell othersits about the ones we tell ourselves.**
