Katie had reached her limit being the “inconvenient” wife.
“Kate, can I have a word?” sighed Edward as she rushed between the kitchen, the dining table, and the bar, frantically preparing salads and appetisers for his guests.
“Of course, Edward, what’s the matter?” She turned, wiping her hands on her apron.
“See, there it is again—‘Edward.’ I’ve asked you before, stop twisting the language. It sounds dreadful. And those long vowels… Honestly, it’s painful to hear. You grew up in the countryside—maybe that’s how they talk there—but here, it’s just not done.”
“And I’ve never hidden where I’m from. That’s just how we speak. Some folks drop their aitches, others stretch their vowels—but you lot clip every word as if it’s a business memo. What’s so wrong with ‘Eddie’ compared to ‘Katie’?”
“You don’t get it. I don’t want you joining us tonight. It’s a business gathering—my friends are serious people. No offence, but… you’re not quite on their level.”
Katie froze. A cold weight settled in her chest.
“And what, exactly, makes me ‘not their level’? Wrong nail polish? Too simple to chat about start-ups and ROI? Because your mates’ wives—Lucy, Charlotte, even Emma—aren’t investment bankers either. We sit in the corner giggling at memes and sharing baby photos. What’s the problem?”
“It’s not the same. They’re from… proper backgrounds. And you—” Edward hesitated. “It’s embarrassing, honestly.”
“Embarrassing? Was it embarrassing when I spent weeks dragging you to doctor’s appointments? When we came back from my parents’ with a boot full of homemade jams? But now, when guests arrive, suddenly I’m ‘not presentable’?” She yanked off her apron and headed for the bedroom.
“Katie, wait, don’t overreact—” he began, but the door slammed shut.
He didn’t realise she’d heard every word. Once she heard him leave, she sat on the bed, face in her hands. Anger and hurt tangled in her throat. How many times had she been warned? That a village girl would never be enough for a big-city businessman. But she’d believed—in their love, in his kindness. Until now, he’d given her no reason to doubt.
They’d met at university—Katie a librarian-in-training, Edward studying finance. Quiet, awkward, a bit clumsy, he’d been the one girls laughed at in whispers. But Katie couldn’t bear that—she never saw the point in mockery.
Later, at the library, they kept running into each other. He’d stutter, panic; she’d gently say, *”Breathe, slow down, try again.”* That’s how it started. Dates, long talks, support. He’d flourished with her. Two years later, even the sceptical relatives approved of their wedding.
And now—this?
“So when you were nobody, I mattered, but now that you’re ‘someone,’ I’m dead weight?” she thought bitterly, pulling out a suitcase.
She called her sister, who immediately offered her spare room. Her brother-in-law and nephews were thrilled.
“What will you do?” her sister asked.
“Go back to Mum and Dad. There’s a job opening at the local library. Rent a flat. I’ll sort the rest later—right now, I just need to leave.”
Her phone rang. Edward.
“Where *are* you?! The guests arrive in two hours, and there’s no food, no hostess!”
“Darling, if I’m too common to sit with your *elite* friends, surely your dinner should be cooked by someone more refined. You’re on your own. I’ve left.”
“Kate, have you lost your mind?!”
“No. I’m leaving your life. Divorce papers tomorrow.”
She hung up and wasted no time posting a frank message online—how one evening could turn a loved wife into a “family disgrace.”
His friends’ wives were the first to react, rallying behind her. Then the floodgates opened. Even his mates chimed in: *”Blimey. Didn’t think Edward had that in him.”* Edward messaged furiously: *”You’ve ruined my standing with everyone.”*
Did he really think those words wouldn’t sting? That his friends’ wives, many from humble towns themselves, wouldn’t see his disdain mirrored in his tone?
*”Was this your plan? To wreck my life?”*
*”You wrecked it yourself the moment you decided I wasn’t good enough. You never really knew me, Edward.”*
*”Who’d even want you now?”*
*”Then why did you beg the judge for reconciliation?”*
Silence.
*”It’s just… pathetic. You threw everything away over nothing.”*
*”If you think humiliation is ‘nothing,’ you’re either a fool or a bully. And I don’t do either.”*
Katie marched towards her sister’s house. Dad had already promised help with a flat. The job would come. And love? Love would find her again. The important thing now—knowing that respect matters just as much as affection.
