**When Life Begins Anew: Marina’s Story**
“Mum, I’m off to the cinema with Emily today! Keep your phone handy, alright?” called Oliver, planting a quick kiss on Marina’s cheek before disappearing into the bathroom. She could hear him humming under his breath, the sound of running water accompanying his tune. He was happy… free. The way she had never been. “Mum, I’m leaving!” Oliver popped his head back out, grinning, wearing his favourite blue shirt. “Good luck, love!” Marina waved, sinking into the armchair. A soft ping came from her phone—another message. She absently opened it… and froze.
A quiet sob broke the evening silence. Marina lay curled up, arms wrapped around her knees, tears soaking into the pillow.
“Mum, what’s wrong?” Oliver had returned early, concern tightening his features. She hastily wiped her eyes, forcing a smile.
“It’s nothing, darling. Just tired.”
He sat beside her, studying her face. So grown now. Tall, composed, with the same charming smile he’d had as a boy. Only now, it was more often meant for Emily than for her…
Memories crashed over her without warning. Eighteen. James. Marriage. Love so fierce it made her dizzy. The naïve belief that feelings could conquer anything. But… they hadn’t.
“Mum! Where’s my blue shirt?” Oliver’s voice yanked her back.
“In the wardrobe, left side!” she called, shaking her head with a faint smile.
She stood before the mirror. Forty-two. Sadness lingered in her eyes, unnoticed by anyone for years. As if life had been stuck in the past…
She remembered that day too clearly. Tuesday. The corner shop. Bread, milk. And… James. Holding a bag with… baby formula. Nappies. A guilty smile. His eyes told the truth.
“It’s… not what you think,” he muttered.
“What am I supposed to think?! That you’re ‘treating’ that… what’s her name… Jessica?! You’ve got a child together?!”
Then came the fog. Screaming. Divorce. Loneliness. But also freedom.
She learned to live alone. Without James. Without the fights. Her mother-in-law had stayed on her side, offering support. She raised her son, learned to smile again… to forget betrayal.
Sometimes, though, it still washed over her. Like today, watching Oliver embrace Emily. Seeing them build something real—thoughtful, respectful. No foolish promises of “forever.”
Her phone pinged again. A friend request. Paul… That same Paul from school?!
The playground flashed in her mind. She—the prettiest girl in class. Him—waiting at the gates with a handful of daisies. Then came James. And Paul faded into the past.
“Liv, you won’t believe it… Paul from school just messaged!”
“The one who was head over heels for you till graduation?” Her friend laughed. “James was jealous senseless of him!”
“He just sent a friend request.”
“Add him! He’s doing well now—some big company, divorced, I heard…”
The next few weeks felt like a dream. Messages. Flirting. Laughing until dawn. Paul was attentive, easy, with that warm humour… but now, there was a quiet confidence in him—a man who’d lived.
“Oliver,” she said one evening, “I’d like you to meet someone…”
“Paul?” Oliver grinned. “Mum, it’s obvious. You’re glowing. I’m happy for you.”
Tears welled up. But soon, Paul’s replies grew sparse. Curt. Then…
“Marina, sorry. There’s someone else. You chose James back then—it hurt. Now you know how it feels.”
She stared at the screen, numb. A grown man… held onto bitterness for twenty years?
“Right, enough crying!” Liv burst in. “Let’s give this Don Juan a piece of our minds.”
Together, they crafted a reply—sharp, witty, and strangely freeing:
“Dear Paul, Thank you. Truly. I haven’t laughed, flirted, or felt like a woman like this in years. You made me feel twenty again. Hope your new love appreciates your theatrical flair. A platonic kiss, Marina.”
His response was instant—anger, insults. But Marina was already laughing. Really laughing.
A week later, a blonde woman stopped her in the supermarket.
“You! Homewrecker! You ruined things between me and Paul!”
Marina blinked. Then—surprising even herself—she smiled.
“Oh, you’ve got the wrong woman. The real expert is Jessica. Elm Street, number 15. Stole my husband and now Paul? Professional, that one.”
The woman gaped as Marina walked away, nearly giggling. She could just picture Jessica’s face…
The evening sun warmed her skin. Suddenly, she understood—she was happy. Just like that. No men. No drama. No need to prove anything.
Her phone buzzed. Oliver:
“Mum, Emily and I are moving in together. Testing the waters. Then… wedding.”
Marina smiled. This—this was real joy. Watching her son choose wisely.
And her? She would simply live. Without fear. Without the past. Just hope.
Because life doesn’t end with betrayal. It begins with love. For yourself.
