My name is Anna, and for two years, I believed I had the perfect marriage. I was 32, happily married to Derek, a man I thought was my soulmate. We met through mutual friends, fell in love fast, and before I knew it, we were married. Life felt like a fairytale—until it didn’t.
Lately, things had been different. At first, it was small things—late nights at work, a strange perfume lingering on his clothes, and the way his phone never left his hand. It buzzed constantly, but every time I looked, he swiped the screen away like he was hiding something.
“You’re imagining things,” I told myself. “He’s just busy.”
But the nagging feeling wouldn’t go away. And when he started taking phone calls in another room, whispering in hushed tones, I knew. I had to hear it from him, though. I needed the truth, no matter how painful.
One evening, after dinner, I sat across from him and took a deep breath. “Derek, can we talk?”
He looked up from his phone with a smile. “Of course, babe. What’s up?”
I steadied my voice. “You’ve been acting differently lately. Staying out late. Always on your phone. And I can smell perfume on you, Derek. Just tell me the truth.”
His smile faded. He blinked, then sighed heavily. “Okay, fine. You’re right.”
My stomach clenched. “Right about what?”
“There’s someone else,” he admitted, looking down at his hands.
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Someone else?”
“Her name’s Jessica,” he said quietly. “But listen, it’s not what you think.”
“Not what I think? You’re cheating on me, Derek!”
He ran a hand through his hair. “It’s complicated. I love you, Anna. You’re my best friend. But I love her too. In a different way.”
I clenched my fists under the table, trying to keep my voice steady. “So, what are you saying? You want a divorce?”
“No!” he said quickly. “I don’t want to lose you. I was thinking… maybe we could all live together.”
I stared at him. “Excuse me?”
“I love you as a person, but I love her as a woman. I don’t want to choose. Maybe we could all live together.” His voice was almost pleading, like he thought this was some kind of brilliant solution.
I could barely believe my ears. But then—an idea formed.
“Alright,” I said, forcing a smile. “If this is going to work, I need to meet her.”
He looked shocked. “You do?”
“Yes. Why don’t you invite her over for dinner? Let’s see if this could work.”
Derek beamed, relieved. “Really? You’re amazing, Anna.”
I smiled sweetly, but inside, I was seething.
“Just amazing,” I muttered, already planning my next move.
The next evening, I heard Derek’s car pull up. My stomach twisted, but I adjusted the table settings one last time. I had to play this carefully.
When the door opened, Derek walked in with her beside him.
“Anna, this is Jessica,” he said, stepping aside.
Jessica was younger than I expected, mid-20s maybe, with long blonde hair and a careful smile. She wore a fitted dress that screamed, “I’m trying, but not too hard.” Her eyes flicked over me, sizing me up.
“Hi, Anna,” she said, offering her hand hesitantly.
I took it with a warm smile. “Jessica. Welcome. Please, make yourself at home.”
As we ate, I studied her. She laughed too high-pitched, leaned into Derek just a little too much, and her eyes darted nervously when I asked her questions.
“So, Jessica,” I said lightly, “what do you do for a living?”
“Oh, I work in marketing,” she said quickly, her voice a bit shaky. “It’s, um, fun. Challenging sometimes, but I like it.”
“Challenging? How so?”
She glanced at Derek for help, but he was busy cutting his steak. “Oh, you know… deadlines and clients and all that.”
I smiled. “I’m sure Derek appreciates your hard work.”
Jessica blinked, and Derek cleared his throat. “Of course, I do. Jessica’s incredible at what she does.”
I sipped my wine and let the silence stretch. Then, I casually pulled out my phone and typed a quick message to my dad:
“Hi Dad, could you stop by my place? Derek’s out, and a neighbor said someone was in the house. I’m nervous.”
A moment later, his reply came: “Be there in 10.”
Perfect.
After dinner, I pushed back my chair. “Why don’t we all head upstairs? I’ll take a quick shower before bed.”
Jessica hesitated. “Oh, um, are you sure? I mean—”
“It’s fine,” I said with a smile. “Make yourselves comfortable.”
Derek grinned. “Thanks, babe. You’re the best.”
“Yeah,” I murmured. “The best.”
Ten minutes later, I heard my dad’s deep voice from upstairs.
“Derek, mind telling me what the hell is going on here?”
I rushed out to see my dad, a former Navy officer, standing in the bedroom doorway, arms crossed. His sheer presence made most people think twice about crossing him.
Jessica sat on the bed, looking confused and nervous. “Who are you?” she stammered.
Derek went pale. “Mr. Grant, I—I can explain!”
“Explain?” My dad’s voice was ice-cold. “Explain why you’re in my daughter’s house with another woman?”
Derek stammered. “It’s not what it looks like!”
“Oh, it’s exactly what it looks like,” my dad growled. “You think you can humiliate my daughter in her own home?”
Derek backed toward the window. “I, uh… I should go!”
“Not so fast,” my dad barked. “You don’t walk out of here after this. You crawl.”
Derek yelped and scrambled onto the windowsill. In nothing but his boxers, he jumped. He landed awkwardly on the lawn, stumbled to his feet, and bolted down the street.
Jessica stared at me. “Anna, I didn’t mean for this to happen—”
I held up a hand. “Save it. Pack your things and leave.”
“But—”
“Now.”
Jessica hesitated, but my dad’s glare made her think twice. She grabbed her purse, head low, and hurried out. The front door clicked shut, and the house finally felt peaceful.
The next morning, I packed a bag of Derek’s things and went to the courthouse. Filing for divorce felt like shedding a weight I didn’t know I carried.
As I signed the papers, I thought of the betrayal, the lies, and his ridiculous proposal. And then, I thought about how I handled it.
I played my cards right. I kept my dignity. And I won.
Walking out of that courthouse, I felt lighter, freer.
I knew one thing for sure—I would never settle for less again.
