My husband left me after eleven years of marriage, and the reason he gave was shockingly straightforward: he claimed Id stopped taking care of myself. According to him, it had been piling up for a while, even though he never once spoke openly about it.
When we first met, I always made sure to look my best. Makeup, carefully chosen outfits, hair done just so. I worked, I went out, I still had time to myself. Then the children came, along with the endless routines and responsibilities. I kept working, but I also managed the house, the meals, the cleaning, the appointmentseverything that keeps a home afloat but so rarely gets noticed.
My days would start before six in the morning and drag on past midnight. More often than not, I walked out the door barefaced, simply because there werent enough hours in the day. I threw on whatever clean clothes I could find. Not because I didnt care, but because I was utterly exhausted. He would come home, eat, slump in front of the telly, and fall asleep. Never once did he ask how I was or if I needed help with anything.
The little jabs began, slowly at first. That I didnt make the effort anymore. That I never wore dresses. That I looked a mess. I thought they were just stray comments, nothing serious. I never imagined theyd become the reason hed walk out. He never said, I feel distant from you, or We need to talk. One day, he simply packed his bags and left.
On the day he walked out, he said it bluntly. That he didnt feel the same for me anymore, that I had changed, that he missed the woman who used to look after herself for his sake. I reminded him about everything I did for our home, our children, for us. He retorted that it wasnt enough, that he wanted to feel proud of the woman he was with.
He packed up quietly. Days later, I learned he was already seeing someone elsea woman with no children, plenty of time for the gym, and the luxury to look flawless every day. Thats when it hit methe problem was never really about the makeup.
Even now, I get up early. I still work, still keep our home running. I take care of myself when I want to, not because someone expects it from me. I didnt stop because there was no love left in meI stopped because I was carrying a whole world on my shoulders. But still, he chose to leave. Maybe I should start going to the gym, but honestly, theres just no time. Well, it seems he simply never wanted me.
