Divorce Gave Me a New Life: I Found My True Happiness
A Life That Wasn’t Meant to Be When I was younger, I believed my life was all set: a good job, a strong marriage, a move to the UK, and a new home. My wife and I had moved there on a visa lottery, hoping to build our future.
The initial years were tough, but we knew that starting from scratch was necessary.
My wife took a junior position at a major firm, but her talent was quickly recognized. She was offered a promotion, which immediately eased our financial burden.
I had trained as a linguist, but in a foreign country, I understood finding work in my field would be tough.
I tried to get into teaching, but doors continuously shut on me. Eventually, I found work at a small English café, where I learned to cook eggs and make shepherd’s pie, dreaming not of a career, but merely of getting by.
Life seemed to carry on.
But then one day, my wife announced:
— I’ve filed for divorce.
It was like a verdict.
I didn’t ask why. I knew.
A New Job — A New Start After the divorce, I was on my own.
Work at the café lost its luster, and the pay just covered the rent for my room.
Suddenly, I got called in for an interview in another city.
They needed a teacher.
I went, without much hope, yet I was hired on the spot.
A new chapter began.
My life was modest, salary small, but I felt needed once more.
Later, I rented a tiny place and opened a takeaway food shop.
Old acquaintances taught me much, not knowing how they’d influenced my life.
Business thrived.
Yet my home was silent.
I felt incomplete.
The Cat That Changed Everything I bought a quaint cottage and got a cat.
I worked, made English soups, and didn’t ponder the future.
But something odd happened.
My cat, Misty, got stuck up a tree.
Standing below, I was lost.
Then a man jogged by — tall, athletic, in sportswear.
— Need a hand? — he asked.
Before I could respond, he was climbing.
Just then, the cat came down on its own.
Feeling awkward, I offered him a coffee in thanks, but he declined.
Surely, his wife and kids awaited him at home.
Yet a month later, he returned to my shop.
— Shepherd’s pie? Is it English?
— Yes. Want to try?
He took some, thanked me, and left.
I felt a sense of longing again.
Destiny Settled Things Months later, we chanced upon each other in the street.
Deep in thought, I barely noticed a familiar voice calling:
— You walk by without saying ‘Hello’?
I looked up.
It was him.
We went to a café, and suddenly I said:
— Surely your wife and kids are at home waiting…
He looked puzzled:
— What wife? What kids?
I felt foolish.
A Second Chance at Happiness After that meeting, we saw each other daily.
I’m not sure who suggested living together first.
Before I knew it, I was moving into his place.
Our wedding was modest.
My old friends were there, like family to me.
A few months later, we were three.
No, not just with the cat.
We were expecting a child.
And we adopted a dog.
Now we have a proper household — with a cat, a dog, and a love I hadn’t found in my first marriage.
I’ve learned something vital:
Life doesn’t end when someone leaves.
It only just begins.
