I did everything I could for my husband, but no matter what I did, he was never happy. I kept hoping things would get better, but one morning, I woke up and heard my husband’s voice in the hallway—along with a woman’s voice. My heart stopped. “How could he?” I thought, feeling my world shatter. That was the moment I knew I couldn’t stay silent anymore. That was the last straw.
I work as a project manager at a bank. Our latest project has been the hardest one I’ve ever had. Some days, I’d get home late—sometimes even after 9 PM—and often I worked weekends too. The job was demanding, but work was just one part of my busy life. I had a house to take care of, and a husband who wasn’t the man I married.
Aiden used to be kind and caring. But lately, he was the opposite. He never helped around the house. He didn’t cook. He barely went food shopping. I was doing almost everything by myself. I tried to talk to him about it, but it felt like he didn’t listen.
One evening, I came home exhausted at 9 PM. The moment I stepped inside, I heard his voice, sharp and angry: “Where have you been?”
“I told you I had a lot of work today. I said I’d be late,” I answered tiredly.
“No, you didn’t!” he snapped.
“Yes, I did! I told you several times. It’s this project I’m working on…”
He cut me off, annoyed. “Whatever, Claire. I’m hungry. Will you make dinner or not?” He didn’t even look away from the soccer game playing on TV.
I sighed. “There’s not much food left. We need to go shopping.”
He barely glanced at me. “I’ll wait here. You can go.”
So, I grabbed my wallet and went out. On my way to the store, I thought about how much Aiden had changed. The man I loved had turned into someone demanding, cold, and always unhappy. I felt like I had to tiptoe around him, afraid to upset him.
When I got back, Aiden was pacing, impatient. “Why did it take so long? I’m starving!”
I rushed to the kitchen to cook dinner. He ate without saying a word and went straight back to watching TV, leaving a messy kitchen behind.
Couldn’t he even wash his own plate? I thought, too tired to say anything. So, I cleaned up and went straight to bed, feeling more alone than ever.
The next morning, I was barely awake, my head pounding, my throat sore, and my nose stuffed up. I dragged myself out of bed, but the first words I heard from Aiden weren’t kind.
“You’re late… Where’s breakfast?”
I wanted to scream. “Good morning,” was nowhere to be found. I took a hot shower and went to the kitchen, trying to get breakfast ready. But Aiden was already putting on his coat.
“Never mind. You’re too slow. I’m gonna be late,” he said and slammed the door behind him.
I felt sick and weak. I had to call in sick for work. I made myself some tea with honey and lemon and crawled back into bed. As I sat there, I wondered when everything had gone so wrong. When did Aiden stop loving me? When did he start treating me like this?
I tried to remember the last time he helped me—or even said something kind. I couldn’t. Even when things were his fault, he always found a way to blame me. I cried myself to sleep, feeling empty and broken.
Then, that morning changed everything.
I woke up to voices in the hallway. My heart jumped. Is he home? Why? Maybe he forgot something?
I quietly got out of bed and crept to the door. I peeked out and froze. There, standing right outside, was a beautiful brunette woman, smiling.
“Dear,” the woman whispered, “when will we meet again?”
Aiden’s voice was calm but secretive. “On the weekend. I’ll pick a fight with her, and then we can go away for two days. Just the two of us.”
The woman squealed happily and threw herself into his arms. “That’s perfect!”
“Shhh… Be quiet!” Aiden hushed her.
I stood there, stunned. They weren’t even trying to hide it. My mind raced. This wasn’t just betrayal. It was a slap in the face. I couldn’t believe the man I gave everything to could be so cruel.
A fierce anger rose inside me. What was I doing? Why was I letting this happen? This was the man who promised to love me, protect me, and cherish me. Instead, he was lying and cheating behind my back.
That day, I made a decision.
As soon as Aiden left the house later that evening, I felt a rush of strength I hadn’t felt in months. I called a locksmith and had the locks changed. This was my home, and he no longer had a key.
Then, I began gathering all of his things. Clothes, books, shoes, gadgets—I packed them all into suitcases and boxes. I walked through every room, searching for anything that belonged to him.
I wanted to erase him from my life, from my home, from my heart. I didn’t want any reminders. I just wanted to be free.
Hours later, the doorbell rang. Aiden was home. I opened the door without hesitation.
“What’s wrong with the lock? Why don’t my keys work?” he demanded, confused.
I looked at him calmly. “You didn’t even say hello.”
He noticed the boxes stacked by the door. “What’s this? What’s going on, Claire?”
I took a deep breath, feeling stronger than ever. “This is your stuff. You’re leaving, Aiden. I’m done. Take your things and go—go to your mistress, go to hell! I’m filing for divorce.”
He stared at me like I was a stranger. “Who is this woman? Where’s the quiet wife who used to do everything for me?”
“Aiden, I know the truth. You don’t love me. You were just using me. Leave, and don’t ever come back. I won’t forgive you.”
He looked angry, shocked, even scared. “Fine. I’m leaving. But you’ll regret this,” he warned. Then he called a cab, grabbed his bags, and disappeared from my life.
The next day, I filed for divorce. A month later, it was official. Aiden tried to contact me several times, but I refused to answer.
Since that day, I’ve been a new woman. I take care of myself now. I love myself. I don’t let anyone treat me badly or disrespect me. I started going to therapy to heal from the wounds Aiden’s abuse left behind.
What can we learn from my story?
It’s never too late to leave a toxic relationship. It took me a long time to see that I was in an abusive marriage. When I found out about Aiden’s betrayal, I finally found the courage to leave.
Always put yourself first. I used to put my marriage and a man who hurt me above my own happiness. Now, I put myself first. And that changed everything.
