On a quiet Saturday morning, Emily dropped her son Oliver off at her parents house, arranging for him to stay with them for a while. When she returned home, she fetched cardboard boxes from the balcony and began packingstarting with the nursery. She carefully folded clothes, sorted toys, and sealed each box with tape before labelling them. Soon, only the furniture remainedthings she had no intention of taking with her.
Around noon, her phone rang. It was her mother-in-law, Margaret.
“Good afternoon, Margaret.”
“Hello, Emily. William told me everything. I know youre upset, but dont be hasty. Take some time to cool off and think. Is it really worth tearing the family apart?”
“Im not the one tearing it apartWilliam did,” Emily replied.
“Im not excusing him, but couldnt you forgive him just this once?”
“Just this once? Hes been seeing his colleague for six months. And youre telling me to forgive him? No.”
“Emily, please reconsider. Youre depriving Oliver of his father. William adores him!”
“William can still see OliverI wont stop that. But I wont stay married to him. Now, if youll excuse me, Ive got packing to do.”
An hour later, Margaret showed up unannounced, convinced she could change Emilys mind. The conversation went in circles.
“Honestly, Emily, its not the end of the world! Men slip upit happens. Be the bigger person. Do you really want to lose your husband to some girl? Shell think shes won!”
“William isnt a trophy to fight over. Should I challenge her to a duel? If it wasnt her, itd be someone else.”
Margaret lowered her voice. “Between us, Williams father wasnt perfect in his youth either. But I was wiserI stayed. Now weve been married thirty-five years.”
“And how, exactly, did you manage that?” Emily asked dryly.
“I didnt make scenes. I was kinder, cooked his favourite meals, took care of myselflost weight, changed my hair. Even when I knew where hed been, I smiled. And lookI kept my family intact.”
“Youre remarkable, Margaret. I couldnt do that. For me, itd be like eating from a bin.”
Margaret stormed out without another word.
Emily kept packing, knowing William and Margaret would make things difficult. The next day, her father helped her move. On the way, she stopped by Margarets to return the house keys.
Later, Emily confided in her best friend, Charlotte. “Can you believe it? Margaret spent an hour begging me to forgive Williams little slip and not divorce him.”
“What did she say?” Charlotte asked.
“The usualyoure robbing Oliver of his father, all men stray, women must be wiser. Then she shared how she won her husband back.”
“And?”
“Lets just say it was appalling. Youd never do it.”
“Have you filed yet?”
“Last Friday,” Emily said.
“Good. It was painful watching that rat parade around.”
“You knew he was cheating?” Emilys voice sharpened.
“Not for certain. But remember the office party? How that woman kept hanging around him? Or how she conveniently replaced colleagues on his business trips? I suspected but didnt want to accuse him blindly. What if I was wrong?”
“You couldve hinted.”
“And risk you thinking I was stirring trouble? Remember Sarah Whitmore? She told a friend her husband was cheatingshowed her a photo of him hugging another woman. They reconciled, and Sarah got blamed for trying to break them up. She ended up quitting. I didnt want that.”
Emily sighed. “Fine. But where do you go from here?”
“The flat was in Margarets name, so weve moved in with Mum and Dad. Next week, well fix up Grans old placeits smaller, but enough for Oliver and me. Ill transfer him to a nursery nearby. Then divorce, child supportall official.”
“Is William agreeing?”
“He says he doesnt want to split, that hes learned his lesson. But once was enough. He begged me not to file for support, promised hed pay voluntarily.”
“And?”
“I refused. I dont want to rely on his word. Then he threatened to take OliverIve got a better flat, a higher salary.”
Emily smirked. “I counted his business trips last yeareight. If he fights for custody, Ill ask wholl care for Oliver while hes gone. Besides, Ive got a job and a home. He wont win.”
True to form, William petitioned for custody, claiming Emily couldnt provide for Oliver. Margaret even accused her of hiding the child: “She vanished after a week at her parents! Where is my grandson?”
Emily calmly explained they lived in her two-bedroom flat, with Oliver enrolled in a nearby nursery. She highlighted Williams frequent absences, undermining his case. It failed.
After the divorce, Emily changed jobs to avoid him. Soon, Charlotte brought news: “That woman quit and left town.”
“Oh?”
“The office ladies made sure she knew she wasnt welcome. She lasted a month before bolting to London. So now your ex is alone.”
Emily shrugged. “Doesnt bother me.”
And she meant it. Some wells are too poisoned to drink from twice.
Sometimes walking away isnt defeatits reclaiming your dignity.
