I just think you should hear my side. I replied with one sentence. Anything concerning the divorce can go through our attorneys. He didn't respond immediately. I put my phone away and went about my day.
Around lunchtime, Julia approached me in the kitchen. Colin told me he messaged you. I received his message. Why didn't you answer him? Because I don't have anything to discuss with him.
She looked frustrated. He's trying to explain what happened. What happened isn't a mystery, Julia. You left for 5 days, lied about where you were, and returned expecting me to accept your explanation without question. You don't understand the situation between us.
Then explain it. She hesitated. For a moment, the room was quiet enough for me to hear the refrigerator running behind her. We were close before anything happened, she finally said. He listened to me.
He made me feel like I mattered. And you decided that justified lying to your husband. No, I'm telling you how it started. I nodded slowly. How long?
She looked down at the counter. Several months. The answer didn't surprise me, but hearing her say it made the situation harder to dismiss as a single mistake. Did you love him? I don't know.
That's convenient. Jeremy, please. No, you don't get to give me half an answer and expect me to make it easier for you. She pressed her hands against the counter. I was unhappy.
I felt like we were living separate lives. Then you should have told me. I tried. When? She couldn't give me a specific example.
Instead, she returned to the same complaints about my work habits, my questions, and the fact that I wanted to know where our money was going. I let her finish. I would have listened to you, I said. I might not have agreed with everything you wanted, but I would have listened. You never gave me the chance to make that choice because you were already building a life with someone else.
Her eyes filled with tears. I didn't know how to leave. You knew how to arrange an apartment. You knew how to open an account. You knew how to move money and disappear for 5 days.
Don't tell me you couldn't find the words to tell me our marriage was over. She turned away. I felt no satisfaction in watching her cry. Whatever affection remained after 24 years, it wasn't enough to make me forget what she had done. That evening, Colin sent one final message.