Late from work again? Lately, the workload had piled up, and hed been coming home later than usual.
Emily tucked the children into bed and headed to the kitchen to brew a cup of tea. Still no sign of James. Recently, hed been swamped with work, always dragging in long after dark.
She felt sorry for himhe was the sole breadwinner, after all. After their wedding, theyd agreed: shed manage the house and raise the kids while he provided. One after another, three little ones arrived, each birth filling him with joy. “Why stop there?” hed say.
But Emily was exhaustedendless nappies, baby food, sleepless nights. She decided it was time to pause.
James finally stumbled in past midnight, oddly cheerful. When she asked why he was so late, he grinned.
“Long day at the office, love. We all needed a bit of fun.”
“My poor darling,” Emily smiled. “Let me fix you dinner.”
“No need. We had burgersruined my appetite. Off to bed.”
With Mothers Day approaching, Emily asked her mum to mind the kids while she popped to the shopping centre. She wanted this year to be specialjust the two of them, a proper romantic dinner. Her mother happily took the children for the evening.
Aside from groceries and gifts, Emily decided to treat herself. Itd been agesshed felt too guilty spending Jamess money on clothes, and there was never time to shop. Her last purchase? A pair of joggershardly suitable for a date night. She wandered into a boutique, picked a few dresses, and stepped into the fitting room.
As she tried on the second dress, a familiar voice drifted from the next cubicle.
“Mmm, cant wait to get you out of that.”
A womans laughter tinkled in reply.
“Patience! Go pick something nice for your wife.”
“Why bother? Shes knee-deep in nappies. As long as the kids are fed and in clean clothes, shes happy. Ill get her a blenderor a bread maker. Shell love that!”
Emily froze. She moved mechanically, barely making a sound, straining to hear every word.
“And when she asks where all your money goes?” the woman giggled. “Bread makers arent *that* expensive.”
“Why should I explain? *I* earn itshe sits at home living the easy life! I give her housekeeping moneythats more than enough.”
The voices faded as they left. Peeking out, Emily saw himher beloved husbandat the till with a blonde, paying for her shopping. After swiping his card, he pulled the woman close and kissed her, right there in the shop.
“You alright in there?” The shop assistants voice snapped Emily back. Shed been staring blankly for too long.
“Fine!” She handed over the dresses. “Ill take them all.”
At home, after her mum left and the kids were napping, Emily weighed her options. Betrayal? Expected. But the way he dismissed herlike she was just the helpthat stung.
Her first instinct was to demand a divorce. But she forced herself to think.
*”Then what? Hell swan off with his mistress, and Ill be left with three kids and no income. Child support? Pennies, probably. How do we survive?”*
By evening, shed made her choice. James came home early that nightclearly, hed gotten his fill elsewhere. She felt nothing for him now. A stranger. The only discomfort? The thought of him expecting intimacy.
But he didnt even try.
The next day, she polished her CV and sent it off. Every morning began with checking her email. Finallyan interview. At Jamess firm, no less. She hesitated but went anyway.
After two hours with the directors, they offered her a rolegood pay, flexible hours. Enough to support herself and the kids.
She floated home. Her mum, spotting her grin, pounced.
“Mum, James is cheating!” Emily blurted, bizarrely cheerful.
Her mother sat her down. “What nonsense! Hes at work all day!”
“Work? More like his girlfriends place!” She spilled the fitting-room story.
“And what will you do?”
“Divorce him! Ive got a job now. Once the kids are in nursery, Ill go full-time.”
Her mum sighed. “I wont stop you. Cheatings one thingbut treating you like staff? Unforgivable. Ill help with the kids.”
“Thanks, Mum.” Emily hugged her tightly.
A week later, James slunk in late again. Emily ignored him. Puzzled, he launched into excuses.
“Late at the office again, love”
“Bed. Now.” She cut him off.
The next morning, over breakfast, James presented her with a gifta gleaming bread maker.
“To make your life easier!” He leaned in for a kiss. She recoiled.
“Ive got a gift for you too.”
Baffled, he followed her to the hallway, where two suitcases waited.
“Were done. No more sneaking around.”
“How did you?”
“Fitting room. You and Blondie picking out her gifts. Keep the bread makershe might want it.”
Cornered, he snarled.
“Jealous? Shes everything youre notgorgeous, passionate, *looks after herself*. Youve let yourself go! Buried in kids, living off *my* money! And you dare police my spending? Its *my* money! Youre just a gold-digging shrew!”
“Not jealous,” Emily said calmly. “Leave.”
The next day, she filed for divorce and child support. Within a week, her mother-in-law hammered on the door.
“Money-grubbing leech! Draining my son dry! Drop the maintenancehe owes you nothing!”
“Hes paying for *his* childrenthe ones *he* wanted,” Emily shot back. “If his girlfriends short on cash, thats *his* problem.”
“Whatll you do without his money? Had kids just to ride his back forever? Well, you wont! Hell cut his salary, and youll get pennies! Youll starve!”
“Unlikely.” Emily pointed at the door. “Outbefore I call the police.”
Cursing, the woman left.
Months passed. Nursery spots opened up one by one. Once the youngest started, Emily went full-time at work.
“Hi.” A familiar voice at her desk. “Can we talk?”
“Busy, James.” She didnt look up.
“Lunch, then?”
She finally met his eyes. He looked ragged. Rumor had it Blondie dumped him the moment she learned half his salary went to child support. But Emily didnt care.
“No, James. Were done.”
