After nineteen years of marriage and raising two children, my husband left me for a younger colleague.
I’m 42 years old, and two weeks ago, my world turned upside down. My husband, with whom I shared 19 years of life and raised two kids, told me he wants a divorce. He openly admitted that he’s been involved with his 28-year-old colleague for two years, who is now expecting his child.
Since then, I haven’t stopped crying, plagued by the question: how could I have been so blind to his betrayal? I trusted Thomas when he said he was working late due to new projects and frequent business trips across the country. I waited for him, keeping our home in order, preparing his favorite meals, and ironing shirts for the week ahead. I never suspected that all this care wasn’t just meant for me and the children.
I was concerned that Thomas was spending less time with the children, drifting away from family traditions. His contribution to the household budget decreased, and domestic issues were left unresolved. I justified it with his busyness and fatigue. When he told me he couldn’t join us on holiday this year, I accepted it and went with the kids to visit my parents at their cottage. Upon returning home, I noticed changes in Thomas: he became withdrawn, avoided intimacy, and once, I caught a whiff of unfamiliar perfume on his clothes and saw lipstick marks on his shirt collar.
When I demanded an explanation, he confessed to the affair and announced his intention to leave. My attempts to remind him about the children and the years we spent together did nothing to change his mind. We consulted a lawyer to arrange the divorce. I didn’t want to let him go, couldn’t imagine life without him, but I knew it was pointless to hold on.
Now, I am alone, with a broken heart and fear of the future. I understand there is a long road to healing, but I hope to find the strength to live on for myself and our children.
