When Dani senses her marriage to Nathan is falling apart, she hopes his new job might be the fresh start they need. But after the move, she uncovers the truth about him.
For nine years, Dani thought she was in a happy marriage.
She and Nathan had married young, right after high school. They only knew each other.
“We’ll grow together, Dani,” he had promised. “We’ll study and build our careers side by side.”
For years, Dani believed him, and it seemed like Nathan was keeping his word.
Two years into our marriage, we had our daughter, Ellie. Now 7 and full of energy, she’s the joy of our lives.
But over the past few years, I’ve watched my marriage fall apart. Nathan started criticizing me, especially my looks.
“You’ve let yourself go, Dani,” he’d say. “Always wearing those baggy clothes. How do you expect to keep the spark alive like that?”
He also accused me of being a bad mother because I worked too much, even though I worked from home. Ellie was always nearby unless she was at school.
“You’re always on that computer,” he’d complain. “Do you even pay attention to Ellie? She seems so lonely when I get home.”
At first, I tried to stand up for myself and share my feelings with Nathan. But over time, I got tired of arguing.
“Do whatever you want,” I said one night as I went to tuck Ellie into bed.
Things changed when Nathan suddenly started being nicer. At first, I thought it was because he got a new job offer in another city.
I didn’t mind the idea of moving. I could work from anywhere, and Ellie was only in first grade.
“It’s a fresh start,” Nathan said as he helped pack up our things.
We moved, hoping for a fresh start and a chance to fix things between us. Nathan had even researched schools for Ellie and made sure she was enrolled before the move.
“I’m really committed to this, honey,” he said one day, handing Ellie a juice box. “This is going to be amazing.”
At first, everything seemed fine. But a few weeks after Ellie started her new school, she began coming home upset and wouldn’t tell me why.
One day, I walked into her room and found her crying.
“Honey, what’s wrong?” I asked, worried.
“I don’t want Miss Allen to be my mom! I want you to be my mom!” Ellie cried.
A chill ran through me. Miss Allen was Ellie’s teacher.
“Why would she become your mom?” I asked, confused.
Ellie looked at me, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head but didn’t answer.
“Please tell me, sweetheart,” I urged gently.
She let out a deep sigh, like the weight of the world was on her little shoulders.
“Yesterday, when Dad picked me up from school, Miss Allen told me to wait by the door while she talked to him. I couldn’t hear everything, but I heard her say she’d be a better mom to me… and Dad laughed when she said it.”
It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me.
The criticisms, the move, the sudden kindness—it all came together in a terrible realization. My husband was having an affair.
That night, after putting Ellie to bed, I handed Nathan a drink. He took it with a smile, completely unaware of the storm inside me.
“So,” I said, keeping my voice calm, “Miss Allen seems great with Ellie.”
“Really?” he replied, his face lighting up. “I figured Ellie liked her…”
“Enough for her to be Ellie’s new mom?” I shot back. “What’s going on, Nathan? And don’t you dare lie to me.”
Nathan’s face went pale, and guilt was written all over him. He confessed, shattering our marriage completely.
He admitted he had been having an affair before we moved, but the woman had wanted more from him. So, he ended it when the new job opportunity came up. However, it didn’t take long—he and Miss Allen had been seeing each other for two weeks before Ellie overheard their conversation.
The next day, I confronted Miss Allen at school when I dropped Ellie off. She denied everything.
I immediately transferred Ellie to another school. She deserved to feel safe and loved, not stuck in the middle of her father’s affairs.
The divorce was unavoidable, and while it hurt, I also felt relieved. Nathan had broken our relationship long ago—it was just time to make it official.
A few months into the divorce, my main focus is Ellie. I make sure she knows she’s loved no matter what. She’s moved on from Miss Allen and really likes her new teacher.
Nathan is welcome to spend time with Ellie whenever he wants because her happiness and well-being are what matter most to both of us.