Ive been married for twenty years and never suspected anything unusual. My husband often travelled for work, and Id grown used to it. Hed reply to my messages late, come home exhausted, and say hed had long meetings. I never checked his phone or asked unnecessary questions. I trusted him.
One day, I was folding clothes in our bedroom. He sat down on the edge of the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes, and said,
I need you to listen, without interrupting.
Immediately, I sensed something was wrong. He told me hed been seeing another woman.
I asked who she was. He hesitated for a moment, then told me her name. She worked near his office. She was younger than him. I asked him if he was in love. He said he wasnt sure, but with her, he felt differentless tired. I asked if he was planning to leave. He said,
Yes. I dont want to pretend anymore.
That night, he slept on the sofa. He was out early the next morning and didnt come home for two days. When he eventually returned, hed already spoken to a solicitor. He told me he wanted a divorce as soon as possible, without drama. He began outlining what hed take and what he wouldnt. I just listened in silence. Within less than a week, I was no longer living there.
The following months were difficult. I had to deal alone with everything we used to share: paperwork, bills, decisions. I started going out morenot out of desire, but because I couldnt stand being home. I accepted invitations just so I wouldn’t spend the evenings alone. At one café, while queuing for coffee, I struck up a conversation with a man. We chatted about ordinary thingsthe weather, the crowds, the slow service.
We kept catching each other’s eye. Eventually, while sitting together at a small table, he told me his agehe was fifteen years younger than me. He didnt joke about it or make strange remarks. He asked my age, and the conversation carried on as if it was nothing. He asked me out again. I said yes.
With him, everything was different. There was no grand talk or sweeping promises. He simply asked how I was, listened, and stayed with me when I spoke about my divorce, without changing the subject. One day, he told me plainly that he liked me, and knew I was coming out of something complicated. I told him I didnt want to repeat past mistakes or become dependent on anyone. He said he didnt want to control me or rescue me.
My ex found out through other people. He phoned me months after wed stopped talking, and asked if it was true I was seeing a younger man. I said, Yes. He asked if I was ashamed. I told him the only shameful thing here was his betrayal. He hung up without saying goodbye.
I divorced because he left me for someone else. Yet, without searching for it, I found myself beside someone who truly loves and values me.
Isnt that a gift from life?
