**The Day I Realised I Lived with a Monster**
For eleven years, I thought I had a familya wife, two children, a house, a life that, from the outside, seemed perfectly normal. We had dinners together, handled daily chores, attended the kids events. A flawless routine.
But deep down, I knew something was wrong.
Somewhere along the way, my wife and I stopped being a couple. We werent partners, werent lovers. Not even enemies. Just two strangers sharing the same house, bound only by daily responsibilities. We didnt argue, but we didnt talk either. Our conversations had become mechanicalbills, groceries, the childrens schedules.
And I grew used to it. Because it was comfortable.
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 fling.
But the fire inside me didnt die.
Soon, she became my refuge, my escape from a life that suffocated me. We hid, stealing 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 wont be a secret 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.
That night, after the children were asleep, I walked into the kitchen. 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. Havent for a long time. I want a new life. But Ill always be there for the kids.”*
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. Not sadly, not angrily. A strange, calculated smile, full of a satisfaction I didnt understand.
*”You said youd take care of the kids, didnt you?”* she whispered. *”Then Ill pack their things too. From now on, youre the family.”*
My breath caught.
*”What are you saying?”*
She leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching 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 quietly.
She laughedshort, sharp.
*”Did you think I didnt know? That I hadnt noticed you coming home late? That you stopped looking at me? 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.
Id thought I was the one making decisions. But she had already decided for both of us. Id been playing chess, but she had moved the queen and left me with no options.
Now Im here.
One woman is demanding I choose. Another has already made the choice for me.
Do I take my children and knock on my lovers door, praying 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.
Tonight, I realised Id been living with a monster.
