“Don’t think that cheating matters…”
This thought kept running through Alex’s mind as he drove to his parents’ house.
“Where’s she going to go? No one’s interested in a woman with two kids! She even looks older than me, though we’re the same age! Men at my age are in demand! But women, especially ones with baggage, they’re not!”
Alex smiled. Yes, exactly. She might get angry and argue, but she’ll forgive me eventually. What choice does she have?
Everything happened today. Well, it started much earlier, but it all came to a head this morning.
Alex always believed men were naturally polygamous, and there was nothing to be done about it. But you have to keep affairs secret because silly women can’t handle the truth.
Alex started cheating after their second child was born. Their eldest, Lily, was four when Matthew, their son, arrived. It was actually Alex who insisted on the second child. “We need a son, an heir!” he argued. Though what inheritance Matthew would receive, Alex didn’t know. No businesses or savings, just a mortgaged flat and an old car. Maybe that’s what Matthew would inherit.
Alex was disappointed at the ultrasound during the first pregnancy when he found out they’d have a daughter.
“I wanted a boy,” he grumbled. “What am I supposed to do with a girl? All those ribbons and beads aren’t for me.”
“Alex, you can’t predict these things,” said Marina, feeling downcast. She didn’t mind as long as the baby was healthy. “They say when you have a son, you become a father; when you have a daughter, you become a doting dad.”
“What are you on about?” he asked, irritated.
“Just that girls often gravitate towards their fathers, and fathers love their little princesses endlessly. You’ll see.”
Alex never saw it. He loved Lily, his daughter, but found her boring. If only they’d had a boy…
So, when Lily turned two, he started pushing for another child. Even then, he was eyeing other women, but he held himself back, thinking it was because he didn’t have a son and felt uninterested at home. His wife was always tired, not taking care of herself. She didn’t even put on makeup or do her hair…
He thought everything would change with the birth of a boy.
Marina agreed to a second child only when Lily started nursery. And when they found out it was a boy, Alex was overjoyed.
“Finally! I was so scared it’d be another girl. I’d stop feeling like a man.”
Marina just sighed. She couldn’t understand all this.
In reality, their family life wasn’t as great as Marina imagined. When Alex wanted a child, she was thrilled, thinking he wanted a big family and was ready for fatherhood. But those were just words.
With Lily, Alex hardly helped. He claimed he didn’t know how to deal with girls. He did nothing around the house either, saying he worked and earned money, while Marina, being at home, could handle everything. He forgot that she also had a child to care for, as if managing a child was a breeze for any mother.
Marina didn’t even understand why she agreed to a second child. Maybe because Alex was persistent. Women often hope for miracles, and Marina thought that having a son would change things.
But, of course, no miracle occurred. Alex soon realized it wasn’t about the child’s gender; he just wasn’t interested in small kids.
And Marina was even more exhausted with two kids. Alex still didn’t help but kept demanding things. He criticized the house’s cleanliness and Marina’s appearance. He didn’t even want to spend half an hour with the kids so Marina could enjoy a peaceful bath.
Marina increasingly realized Alex wasn’t a good husband or father. But she hesitated about divorce because, overall, things seemed fine. Many lived this way.
She needed a push to take action. Something had to happen to make Marina decide.
And thanks to Alex, who provided that push.
The first time he cheated was before Matthew turned three months old. Having two kids at home wasn’t fun. Alex would come home from work and immediately frown. Lily would cling to him, Marina would want something, and Matthew would cry nonstop, making Alex want to slap him so he’d stay quiet sometimes. Marina said it was just colic and would soon pass, but Alex felt like climbing the walls every evening.
One day, instead of heading home, he went to a pub, wanting to unwind. There, he met a woman and ended up spending half the night with her.
He told Marina he’d run into friends and stayed out late. But Marina was so exhausted that she didn’t even consider he might be lying.
For some time, Alex dated that woman, but eventually, they parted ways. Almost a year passed where he was faithful, but then he grew bored and started straying again.
Since his wife never doubted his honesty, he grew cocky, disregarding the risk of getting caught. And he paid the price.
This morning, Marina was sorting the laundry and emptied out Alex’s pockets to find receipts for a hotel room and a restaurant dinner. Alex hadn’t even bothered to get rid of the evidence.
Naturally, a row ensued. Alex was still asleep when Marina found the evidence, and he couldn’t think of a decent excuse when half-awake. Marina realized everything.
Initially, he tried denying it but then confessed, blaming Marina. He claimed it was her fault for the chaos at home, that she didn’t attract him anymore, and how husbands also needed caring, not just the kids.
Marina kicked him out. Alex retorted that if she kicked him out, she’d have to pay the mortgage herself, and he wouldn’t contribute anything beyond child support.
Now, as he drove to his parents, Alex thought Marina couldn’t manage alone. Who would want her? Whereas he’d surely be in high demand.
At first, he contemplated going to his lover, but she was married too, and said she couldn’t meet. So, Alex headed to his parents’.
Sure, Marina cried for a while. Betrayal hurts, even when expected from Alex.
But when the tears dried, she realized it was a sign. The divorce had been long overdue, and now she had a reason.
To the end, Alex didn’t believe Marina would actually file for divorce. When he got the notification, he immediately called and shouted. He insisted she couldn’t do this, that she’d be alone, unable to handle two kids, and he, out of spite, wouldn’t help.
“I lived like that all along,” Marina calmly replied. “As if you ever helped much before.”
“Now you won’t have money either! How’ll you pay the mortgage? You’ve been living off me for years.”
Marina had thought about it. Fortunately, she had some savings and had a remote work offer from her previous job until Matthew started nursery. She had been unsure due to her active son, but now she realized she had to accept.
The divorce went through quickly. Alex didn’t fight for custody. He thought of making things difficult for Marina but realized he couldn’t manage.
He also considered claiming a share of the flat, as he paid most of the mortgage, but hesitated fearing his friends’ and parents’ disapproval. Alex disliked criticism. Without the kids, he would’ve certainly taken half, but he left everything for Marina, including the mortgage debt.
Alex kept waiting for Marina to realize her mistake, to crawl back, begging for his return. She couldn’t manage the work and kids. Alex stubbornly refused to help, avoiding seeing the kids, pretending it was out of spite for Marina.
But it was just an excuse. He wasn’t interested in seeing the kids. They were little and boring, and he found them exhausting.
Marina didn’t fulfill Alex’s expectations. She never crawled back or begged.
Surprisingly, she managed. Her maintenance payments went towards the kids and food. The money she earned covered the mortgage and other expenses.
When Matthew started nursery at three, Marina returned to work full-time. She began to flourish, dressing up, wearing makeup, and losing weight from being more active.
Alex watched her through social media and grew angry. Why hadn’t she been like this with him? Maybe he wouldn’t have cheated.
Moreover, he found out he wasn’t as sought after as he imagined. Quite some time passed after the divorce, yet he remained single. Even his lover left him after his divorce, fearing he’d make foolish decisions.
Alex saw his ex-wife’s photo with a new man and was outraged. He thought she did it to spite him. After all, who’d want a woman with two kids?
But Marina hadn’t done it to spite him. She’d forgotten about Alex, like a bad dream. She met a wonderful man who treated her kids better than their real father did. Her life was back on track, she endured it all, and even wondered why she hadn’t acted sooner.
A man should be a support, a pillar. If he causes more problems than he solves, life’s better without him.
