Divorce Because of the Woman Next Door
“Just tell me, why? Out of every woman in the world, why her? Why would you leave me for her, of all people?”
Helen was losing to Rachel in every possible way. It would have been easier if Thomas at least said something like, “Shes more fun, she’s free-spirited, less uptight, not as dull as you.”
“How could it come to this, Helen? How?” wailed her mum, her sister, and all the countless friends when the news of the looming divorce broke.
“We lived,” Helen would nod. “But were not about to anymore.”
“Helen, are you sure you want to walk away from a man like that?” came the advice, over and over again. “He has a good job, he loves the kids, and he doesnt even want to end things with you…”
After the fiftieth time hearing it, Helen blocked every single person who said itfrom social media, from WhatsApp, and right out of her life.
Her coworker, with whom she’d shared easy camaraderie, was now greeted only with a nod and a dry “hello” at the office.
When that woman tried to pick up their old conversations, Helen let her have itlecturing her on her meddling, her unsolicited advice, and her thinly veiled pressure to get back with that cheating husband.
Yes, a cheater! Helen still found the whole thing impossible to grasp.
Theyd had a normal life! Twenty years together, since unitheyd weathered more than their share of storms. Theyd survived money troubles, unemployment, illnessesgrown-up stuff, family stuff.
They had two childrenLucy and Edward. Home was always tidy, dinner never missed, Helen was never “too tired,” or “with a headache.” She looked after herself, never treated Thomas like a cash-machine, found time for him even after the children came along. Shed done it all.
So what more could he possibly want that hed just one day head offlike that.
And with her! If it was some fresh-faced girl, well, thered be something to understand. But his heartor really, the other placetook him to a divorced woman from the next street, complete with a child of her own.
“Just explain to me, what have you found in her?”
Helen laughed through tears the night Thomass affair was unearthed and he was finally forced to face what hed done.
“Just tell me, why her? From meto her. Why?”
Rachel lost to Helen by every measure. Its not even as though Thomas could claim, “Shes lively, open, less strict, a breath of fresh air compared to you…”
He couldn’t point out any personality trait Helen lacked or that Rachel had in spadesa single reason their marriage was less worthy.
He hadnt even been drunk! He couldnt blame a wild Friday night and a bad decision. No, dead sober.
All he could muster was an awkward mumblesomething like, “It just… happened”and a pathetic, endless string of apologies, beggings, and self-effacing promises to come home.
To everyones shock, Thomas hadnt even planned to leave Helen, let alone move in with his new romance.
Hed thought he could play the tomcat, sneak out, do the deed, then creep back home and slip into Helens bed as if nothing happened, as if Rachel never existed.
Perhaps he would have got away with it, had it not been for Rachel falling pregnant and deciding that this time, shed be dragging her babys father down the aisle by any means necessary.
And so she showed up at Helens house, all thunder and confrontation.
At first, Helen didnt believe a single word. Twenty yearsyou know every freckle on your husbands back, you know him inside out…
But Rachel did too, as it turned outbirthmarks and scars no stranger could name. There was no denying it.
Backed into a corner, Thomas had no choice but to confessand grovel.
Astonishingly, some acquaintances took Thomass side, not even their mutual friends, but Helens own workmates, a couple of her friends whod always dismissed Thomas, distant family members
All suddenly insisted Helen should forgive, forget, move on, love Thomas like before, and pretend nothing happened. That was the bit she truly couldnt fathom.
It was one thing when her mother-in-law pleaded to “keep the family together.” She was scared for her hapless son, saw his regret, wanted to help, painting horror scenes of Helens life without a man.
She even tried to urge Lucy and Edward to talk Helen roundtell your mum not to divorce your dad. Disgusting, yes, but at least you could spot the agenda a mile off.
But why should anyone else have a say in their marriage? Was it just the crab-bucket crowd, grimly clinging to what little happiness they had, insisting Helen sink back in the same muck with them?
Or was it something else? Helen didnt knowand was damned if shed stand for it.
She was her fathers daughter, rest his soul. Hed taught her a lesson, one that had carried her through life. Not a thing, reallya maxim he often repeated.
“Daughter, if they call you selfishif they say you should put up with things, share, forgive, just because ‘thats how its done,’ or because some god said so…
Dont buy it. Theyre just trying to take advantage of youmake you solve their problems, or give them what they want.”
Helen had never forgotten that. Shed learnt early that the arguments with shame and guilt always surfaced just at times like this.
And she wasnt about to let anyone use her for their own benefit. Neither were her children, as it turned out, because right after Helen filed for divorce, her mother-in-law rang demanding Lucy and Edward unblock her phone number and speak to her again.
“Ive had enough,” Lucy explained over dinner.
Edward was staying the night at his girlfriends, so Lucy fielded the questioning.
“Every time, its the same thinghow we should make sure the family comes back together, how wonderful it would be if you and Dad lived together again and all that.
Ive told her to stay out of ittwice now. She just wont listenbangs on and on with the same old story.
So I blocked her until she starts acting like an actual grandmother, not a broken record.”
“Thank you. I know this cant be easy on you. I appreciate you not getting drawn in, not singing the same tune as her.”
“Mum, Im not stupid,” Lucy sighed. “I know what Dads done. If you two fell out over where to go on holiday, or what curtains to buy, maybe you could fix it, patch things up.
But you dont forgive cheating. No reasonable person does. And Dad knew that. So what did he expect? And what does Gran want now?”
Helen had no answers. And just a month ago, shed have sworn she could answer any of her daughters questions.
But how could she now? How do you explain why a man who, for twenty bloody years, had been the model husband and father, suddenly did something so outrageousso inexplicable? A midlife crisisdevil on the shoulder and all that?
Apparently, that devil hadn’t just nudged Thomas; hed made himself right at home.
Hed chosen to reveal himselffive years after the divorcein the most spectacular way imaginable.
