The Day I Realised I Had Lived with a Monster
For eleven years, I believed I had a familya wife, two children, a home, a life that looked perfectly ordinary from the outside. We had dinner together, handled daily chores, attended the childrens events. A flawless routine.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Somewhere along the way, my wife and I had stopped being a couple. We werent partners, nor lovers. Not even enemies. Just two strangers sharing a house, bound only by daily responsibilities. We didnt argue, but we didnt talk either. Our conversations became mechanicalbills, groceries, the childrens schedules.
And I grew used to it. Because it was easy.
Until I met her.
A different woman. Warm, alive, full of energy. A woman who looked at me as if I were the only man in the world. I tried to lie to myself, to call it a passing fancy, a fleeting attraction.
But the fire inside me didnt fade.
Soon, she became my refuge, my escape from a life that suffocated me. We hid, stole moments together. And for the first time in years, I felt alive.
But secrets dont stay hidden forever. One evening, after we made love, she looked me in the eye and said,
“I dont want to be hidden forever. Either were truly together, or I walk away now.”
Her words echoed in my mind for days. I knew I couldnt delay the inevitable any longer.
The Conversation That Shattered My Life
That night, after the children were asleep, I walked into the kitchen and sat at the table. My wife was there, scrolling through her phone, barely noticing me.
I cleared my throat. “We need to talk.”
She sighed and looked up, bored.
“I cant live like this anymore,” I said. “I dont love you. I havent for a long time. I want a new life. But Ill always be there for the children.”
I expected shouting, tears, accusations.
What she did was far worse.
She said nothing. Slowly, she stood, walked to the hall cupboard, and pulled out two large suitcases.
Then she dropped them at my feet.
“Take them,” she said, her voice icy.
I blinked, confused. “I dont need that much. A rucksack will do.”
Then she smiled. But it wasnt sad, or angry. It was strange, calculated, full of a satisfaction I didnt understand.
“You said youd take care of the children, didnt you?” she whispered. “Then Ill pack their bags too. From now on, youre the family.”
My breath caught.
“What what are you saying?”
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, studying me as if waiting for me to crumble.
“Im done with this life. Ive been a good wife. Ive sacrificed enough. Now its my turn. Ill find someone else. And without the children, itll be much easier.”
I froze.
“Youre joking,” I said slowly.
She laughed, sharp and short.
“You thought I didnt know? That I hadnt noticed you coming home later, avoiding my eyes? I knew. I always knew. I was just waiting for the right moment.”
She pulled out her phone, typed a quick message, and smiled againbut not at me.
In that moment, I understood.
I thought I was the one making choices. But she had already decided for us both. I was playing chess, but she had moved the queen and left me with no options.
Trapped in a Nightmare I Cant Wake From
And now here I am.
One woman is asking me to choose. Another has already chosen for me.
Do I take my children and knock on my lovers door, hoping she wont turn me away? Or do I stay here, in a house thats no longer mine, with the woman who just showed me her darkest side?
I dont know the right answer.
Maybe there isnt one.
But one thing I know for certain.
For eleven years, I thought I knew my wife.
That night, I realised Id been living with a monster.
In the end, the greatest betrayal wasnt hersit was mine, in believing love could fade without consequence.
