Sometimes, when I’m all alone, I still replay it all in my head, and every time it feels like it is someone else’s life story.
I gave years of my life to a man without being aware of his true self. I thought I knew him inside and out, and why wouldn’t I? We had two children together and life felt perfect, until David got involved in an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
One second, everything was picture perfect, and in the next, David was in a wheelchair, paralyzed and unable to walk.
Being a wife and a mother, all I knew was that I needed to step into survival mode. All of a sudden, I became a caregiver, the one paying the bills, the one keeping the kids’ lives as normal as possible, and the person everyone leaned on.
I quit the career I had worked so hard for and I traded it all for long nights of lifting, bathing, cooking, and trying to be strong for everyone else.
During the day, worked at an insurance office, starting early and staying late because I was the sole breadwinner and money was tight as never before. When I’d get home, I was exhausted, but I couldn’t take any rest because it was then that the real work began—caring for David, making sure the kids felt safe, and holding our family together.
Although I felt emotionally and physically drained, I never thought about leaving. Not once.
I knew that God wanted things to be that way and despite the hardship, I knew one day my sacrifice would pay of.
And then it started to happen. After long eight years of therapy, David’s condition started to improve, slowly but steadily.
It took a lot of time, but he was finally able to stand on his feet and take small steps. At first, he needed assistance, but later, he started walking all by himself.
Looking at him and the progress he made, I thought to myself, “This is it. We finally made it. All my sacrifice was not in vain.” Little did I know, however, that life would have one more cruel twist waiting for me.
A week after what I dubbed a miracle, David handed me some papers. He wanted divorce.
I thought he was joking, because why would he want to leave me after everything I had done for him? But no, he wasn’t kidding, he was dead serious.
When I demanded answers, David said he wanted his “freedom” back. That he had felt “trapped” for years. What’s more, he admitted he was having an affair with another woman even before his accident.
My world collapsed. I couldn’t process his words. But I was too exhausted to fight.
Later on, the entire truth came out. It turned out that some of the money I had worked myself into the ground for had been secretly used into supporting this other woman, this secret life. That was a whole new kind of betrayal. It wasn’t just emotional anymore, it was financial, I felt robbed.
I got custody of the kids and decided to start my life over. I got my old job back, reconnected with friends, and moved places.
As of David, the other woman left him. From what I’ve heard, he is now living alone and regrets his actions. But honestly, I’ve been through so much in order to care about his feelings.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace
