For two years, Mary had been nothing more than a carer to his mother.
Mary managed to marry an extremely reputable mansomeone nearly every friend envied. Her husband owned his own company, lived in a large, elegant house in Surrey, drove several expensive cars, and maintained a country cottage in the Cotswolds. All this, before he had even turned thirty-two.
Mary, in contrast, had just finished university and spent a year working as a primary school teacher. That summer, they wed. After the wedding, her husband insisted there was no reason for his wife to work for pennies; he asked her to stay home and prepare for having children. Mary didn’t voice any objections.
The first year of marriage felt like something out of a fairytale. They travelled across Europe, collected treasured memories, and brought home lavish purchases. Yet Mary found nowhere to wear her new clothesher friends worked long hours and devoted their weekends to family. Her husband attended social events but never took her along.
Mary grew restless. She couldn’t conceive, and found herself drifting apart from her husband. Day after day, when chores were done, she’d wander through the silent rooms, dwelling on what might become of her. Another year slipped away. Her husband was rarely at home during the day, returning late at night, exhausted and irritable. He remarked that business wasnt as promising as hed hoped.
He began by telling her she needed to spend less, then demanded she keep a record of every purchase and expense. He calculated every account, arguing they could live comfortably on half the amount. Mary fretted, longing to return to work, but she couldnt secure a teaching position.
She decided to enrol in a course, but then her mother-in-law fell ill. For two years, Mary remained by her side. Her husband moved his mother into their home, and Mary took on all the caring responsibilities. Her husband came home even less frequently.
After his mother died, the distance between Mary and her husband grew. He barely spoke to her, sunk into a gloom, avoiding her gaze and spending more and more time at the office, rarely coming home.
Mary couldnt comprehend what had changed until she visited her mother-in-laws old flat, a place she hadn’t set foot in for ages. Through the locked door, she heard the cry of an infant. Mary was stunned; she was certain the flat was empty. She hesitated, then decided to ring the bell.
A young woman answered. Mary soon learned her husband, even before his mothers illness, had started another family, and later moved them into his mothers flat.
For Mary, it was a devastating blow. She knew there was no saving her marriage. She took a train to a distant town to stay with an aunt, carrying nothing but a small handbag. She didnt want any remnant from her marital life to remind her of all the ways it had gone wrong.
