I’ve been married to Tom for four years. Tom works in an office, has a good position, and earns a great salary. We have a nice house, two cars, and a dog named Max.
On the outside, our life looks perfect. But today, things took a turn. It was my day off, so I decided to make breakfast for Tom. As I was flipping pancakes, Tom walked into the kitchen, already looking stressed.
“Morning, Tom. Breakfast is almost ready,” I said, trying to sound cheerful.“Morning,” he mumbled, barely looking at me. We sat down to eat, and that’s when it started. Something trivial, really. He didn’t like that I’d used the last of the blueberries.“You know I like blueberries, Lisa,” Tom said a bit too harshly.
“Well, you could have told me we were out,” I replied, trying to keep my cool. The argument escalated quickly, as they often did lately. Tom finished his breakfast in silence, grabbed his briefcase, and headed for the door. “I’ll see you later,” he said without a hint of affection. “Yeah, later,” I replied, feeling upset and frustrated. After Tom left, I sat at the table, staring at the half-eaten pancakes. I felt a mix of anger and sadness.
Our arguments were becoming more frequent, and it was wearing me down. Not wanting to waste my day feeling miserable, I called my best friend, May. “Hey, May. Want to hit the pool today? I need a distraction,” I said, trying to sound upbeat. “Sure thing, Lisa! Let’s meet at my place in an hour,” she replied with her usual enthusiasm. I got ready and drove to May’s. The sun was shining, and I hoped a day at the pool would lift my spirits. The pool was busy with families and groups of friends enjoying the sunny day.
May and I found a spot near the water and settled in. We ordered some pizza and started chatting about everything and nothing.“This is just what I needed,” I said, finally starting to relax. “Me too. Nothing like a pool day to shake off the blues,” May replied, her smile infectious. We were laughing about an old high school memory when I saw him. About 20 meters away, there was Tom, lounging on a sunbed. But he wasn’t alone. A young blonde woman was with him, her hand resting on his. “May, look at that,” I said, my voice shaking as I pointed them out. “Oh my God, Lisa. Is that…?” May’s voice trailed off. “Yep. That’s Tom. And who’s that blonde?” I asked, my anger boiling over. Tom looked so relaxed, so comfortable, his hand on hers like they didn’t have a care in the world. I felt a mix of betrayal and rage. “I can’t believe this. I need to do something,” I said, standing up. “Wait, Lisa. Think this through,” May cautioned, grabbing my arm. But I was beyond thinking. As I watched the scene unfold, my first instinct was to march over and confront Tom. My heart pounded in my chest, and my hands shook with anger. Just as I took a step forward, a young, stocky guy beat me to it. He looked about 22 and moved with a sense of purpose.“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” the young guy yelled, grabbing Tom by the collar and pinning him to the sunbed. The blonde shrieked and jumped back. Tom’s face turned pale. “I-I can explain!” he stammered. “Explain what? That you’re messing around with my girlfriend?” the guy spat, his grip tightening. Tom’s eyes widened with fear. “Please, let’s not make a scene. I’ll pay you. How much do you want?” he pleaded, his voice trembling. The young man looked disgusted. “You think you can buy your way out of this?” He raised his fist, ready to strike. I stood there, a mix of anger and amusement bubbling up inside me. I pulled out my phone and started filming. This was too good to miss. Tom’s voice was a whimper. “Please, don’t hit me. I’m sorry!” The young man’s expression shifted from anger to pity. He let go of Tom with a shove. “You’re not worth it.” Tom slumped back on the sunbed, looking pathetic. I stopped filming and walked over, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction.“Lisa, it’s not what it looks like,” Tom began, his voice shaky. “Oh, really? So you weren’t just getting cozy with another woman?” I snapped, holding up my phone. “I’ve got it all on video.” His face fell. “Lisa, please. Let’s talk about this.” “There’s nothing to talk about. We’re done. I’m divorcing you,” I said, my voice cold and firm. However, the story did not end there. The drive home was silent. Tom kept glancing at me, but I refused to look at him. My mind was made up. There was no going back. I stared out the window, trying to process everything that had happened. The betrayal, the confrontation, the public humiliation—all of it felt surreal. At home, Tom finally broke the silence. “Lisa, I’m sorry. I promise it will never happen again,” he said, his voice pleading, almost desperate. His eyes were red, and he looked as if he might cry. I crossed my arms, standing my ground. “I don’t care. You betrayed me, Tom. You’ve destroyed any trust we had left.” “Please, Lisa. We can work this out,” he insisted, stepping closer, but I stepped back. The space between us felt like a chasm that could never be bridged. “No, Tom. I’m done. There’s no chance of forgiveness,” I replied, my resolve unwavering. The hurt and anger bubbled up inside me, making my voice shake. Tom’s desperation quickly turned to anger. “Really? This is all your fault!” he shouted, his face contorting with rage. “You became so serious and distant. You pushed me to this!” I stared at him, incredulous. “You’re blaming me for your infidelity? Unbelievable.” “Yes! You’re not the same person I married. You drove me away!” he accused, his voice rising. “You made me feel unwanted, Lisa. What did you expect?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The man who had once promised to love and cherish me was now standing here, blaming me for his own betrayal. That was the final straw. I pulled out my phone and opened the video. With a few taps, I sent it to his boss. “Well, let’s see how your boss feels about his daughter being in this video,” I said, hitting send. Tom’s eyes widened in horror. “Lisa, no! You can’t do that!” he shouted, reaching for my phone, but it was too late. The damage was done.The fallout was immediate. By the next day, Tom was fired. His boss was furious about the scandal involving his daughter. Tom came home looking defeated and broken. He tried to plead with me again, but I was resolute. Tom’s life fell apart, but I felt a strange sense of liberation. I filed for divorce, ready to move on and rebuild my life. For the first time in a long time, I felt strong and independent. I realized I had been carrying the weight of our troubled marriage alone for far too long. Tom’s betrayal had broken our marriage, but it also set me free. Now, I could start anew without the weight of his lies and deceit. I looked forward to rediscovering myself, to finding happiness on my own terms. The future was uncertain, but for the first time in a long while, I felt hopeful.