Charlotte spent two years as nothing more than a nurse to his mother.
Charlotte managed to marry quite a distinguished man. All her friends envied her greatly. Her husband owned his own business, lived in a luxurious, expensive house, drove several cars, and had a cottage in the countryside. And all this by the age of thirty-two.
Charlotte herself had only just finished university and spent a year working as a teacher. They married during the summer. After the wedding, her husband insisted she shouldnt bother working for a pittance. He told her to stay at home and prepare for children. Charlotte didnt oppose his decision.
The first year of marriage was like something out of a storybook. Charlotte and her husband travelled, bringing back memories and extravagant purchases. But Charlotte found she had nowhere to wear her new dresses. Her friends were working long hours and dedicated weekends to their families. Her husband was always out at various functions, but never once asked her to join.
Charlotte grew bored. She hadnt succeeded in having a child, and her feelings for her husband started fading. Day after day, when her household chores were finished, she would wander from room to room and wonder about her future. Another year went by. Her husband was rarely home during the day and would return in the evenings, worn out and irritable. Hed complain that business wasnt going as well as hed hoped.
First, he told his wife to spend less money. Then he demanded she keep strict accounts of every purchase and expense. He scrutinised everything and insisted they could live just as well on half as much. Charlotte grew anxious. She wanted to get back to work, but couldnt find a job in her field.
She enrolled in a course, but then her husbands mother fell ill. For two years, Charlotte had to care for her. Her husband moved his mother into their home and Charlotte did everything, tending to the sick woman. Her husband became even more absent.
When his mother passed away, her husband retreated further. He barely spoke to Charlotte anymore, seemed perpetually low, avoided eye contact, spent longer hours at work, and was barely home.
Charlotte couldnt understand what had changed, until she visited his mothers old flat, a place she hadn’t been for some time. Behind the closed door she heard a child crying. Charlotte was startled; she believed the flat was empty. Still, she pressed the doorbell.
A young woman answered the door. It turned out her husband had started another family, even before his mother had fallen ill. He set them up in his mothers flat.
It was a shock for Charlotte. She understood there was nothing she could do to save her marriage. She left for another city to stay with her aunt, practically penniless, with just a small handbag. She didnt want to bring anything that might remind her of her marriage and all the ways her life had gone wrong.
Looking back, Ive realised one important thing: respect for yourself should always come first, and no one can live your life for you.
