Doing laundry was a mundane task I had grown accustomed to, but on this particular evening, it would lead to a discovery that would change my life forever. As I sorted through the clothes, a letter slipped out of my husband’s pocket and fell to the floor.
At first, I thought it was a sweet note from my husband, David, but as I read the words, my heart sank. The letter was addressed to someone else, congratulating her on their seven-year anniversary. The problem was that David and I had been married for eighteen years.
I felt like I had been punched in the gut. My mind racing, I thought back to all the times David had been late, the nights he had spent at hotels for work, and the excuses he had made. I had always trusted him, but now I wondered if I had been blind to the truth.
The next day, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of unease. I decided to confront David, but not in the way he expected. I hired a nanny to watch our daughters and put on a red dress that David had bought me years ago. Then, I headed to the fancy restaurant where David was supposed to meet his mistress.
As I sat at a nearby table, I watched as David entered the restaurant, a smile on his face. He was clearly excited to see the other woman. But when he saw me standing there, his face turned pale.
The woman he was with looked confused, and I couldn’t blame her. David had told her that we were separated, but it was clear that she had no idea about our daughters or our life together.
I didn’t stick around to hear David’s excuses. Instead, I left the restaurant and told him that he would have to explain everything to our daughters. I was done.
The letter had shattered our marriage, but as I looked back, I realized that I was relieved. I had been living a lie, and it was time for me to start a new chapter in my life.
