This story might seem typical, but it’s still got a lesson—a couple just past their fifties, having celebrated their silver wedding anniversary. Their two children were grown and long independent. Life had been steady, not exactly fireworks and romance, but no shouting matches either. The one oddity was Gregory, the perpetually grumpy husband—his frown made him look far older than his 56 years on paper.
Then, out of the blue, Gregory changed. The catalyst? A new colleague, Emily. She wasn’t exactly fresh out of school, but she was easily twenty years younger. Suddenly, Gregory’s face showed emotions—good ones, at that. Soon, the entire office knew about Gregory and Emily’s little affair.
He even started confiding in coworkers, slipping once that Emily was pushing him to divorce. Eventually, the chatter became reality. Gregory left his wife, rented a flat, and moved in with Emily. Out of some lingering respect for his decades-long marriage, he let his family keep everything, opting to start from scratch.
Time passed, and Emily fancied having kids. Gregory, eager to expand their new family, agreed. When infertility became an issue, they shelled out for a surrogate—only for Emily to decide halfway through that motherhood wasn’t for her after all.
In the end, Gregory found himself alone again, stuck in that rented flat with two tiny children. All that chasing after thrilling new emotions cost him everything—his home, his stable family, his peace. And for what? Emily didn’t even stick around to appreciate the mess she’d left behind.
