“Come on, Vicky, nothing terrible really happened! Men get carried away sometimesits just how they are. Be the bigger person. Are you really going to hand your husband over to some girl? Shell think shes won! Fight for your family!” her mother-in-law pleaded.
On Saturday morning, Vicky dropped her son off at her parents. Shed arranged for Danny to stay with them for a while.
Back home, Victoria pulled cardboard boxes from the balcony and began packing. She started in the nursery, folding clothes, stacking toys and books, sealing each box with tape before labelling it. Soon, the room held only the furniture she didnt plan to take.
Around noon, her phone rang. Mother-in-law.
“Hello, Margaret.”
“Good afternoon, Vicky. William told me everything. I know youre upset, but dont rush into this. Cool off, think it over. Do you really want to break up the family?”
“Im not the one breaking itWilliam is,” Vicky replied.
“Vicky, Im not excusing him! But couldnt you forgive him just this once?”
“Forgive him for what? Your sons been seeing his colleague for six months, lying to me. And you say just this once? No.”
“Please, Vicky, think again. Youre taking Danny away from his father. William adores him!”
“Margaret, William can still see Danny. I wont stop him. But I wont stay married to him. Lets leave it at thatIve got packing to do.”
An hour later, Margaret showed up at the flat, convinced she could talk Victoria out of divorce. The conversation went in circles.
“Vicky, honestly, its not the end of the world! Men slip upit happens. Be wiser. Youre not really going to let some girl steal your husband, are you? Fight for your marriage!”
“Margaret, William isnt some trophy I need to fight over. Should I challenge this Jane to a duel? A boxing match? Whats she got to do with it? If it wasnt her, itd be Ellie or Christine.”
“Listen, Ill tell you a secretWilliams father, Edward, wasnt perfect in his youth either. But I was wiser than you. I kept our family together. Now weve been married thirty-five yearsour coral anniversarys coming up.”
“And what was this wisdom of yours?” Vicky smirked.
“I didnt make scenes. I was sweeter, cooked his favourite meals, took interest in his work. I even changed my hair, lost weight, greeted him with a smile when he came home. Sometimes I *knew* hed just seen that woman, and I wanted to smack him with a frying pan. But I gritted my teeth and smiled. And lookI kept him. Our son grew up with a father, and now our grandson has a grandfather.”
“Youre an extraordinary woman, Margaret. I couldnt do that. Ive got too much self-respect. What youre suggesting is like eating from a bin.”
Margaret stormed out without another word.
Victoria kept packing. She knew this wasnt overWilliam and Margaret would make things difficult. Thats why she hurried to leave.
The next day, her father helped load the boxes into a van. On the way, she stopped at Margarets to return the flat keys.
“You wont believe it,” Vicky told her friend Lucy the next day. “Margaret spent an hour yesterday begging me to ignore Williams little slip and not file for divorce.”
“What did she say?” Lucy asked.
“The usual: Youre robbing Danny of his father, All men cheat, Women have to be the smart ones. Then she shared how *she* won her husband back.”
“And how?”
“I wont even repeat ittrust me, its bonkers. Youd never do it.”
“Have you filed yet?”
“Yes, last Friday.”
“Finally free of that Casanova. It was painful watching that git.”
“What do you mean, *painful*? Did you know about him and Jane?”
“Not for sure, but I had my suspicions,” Lucy admitted.
“Why didnt you tell me? I thought we were friends!”
“Waithear me out. First, I didnt *know*. I just saw what you did and drew different conclusions. Remember the office party? Jane hanging off William? And how she always switched shifts to go on trips with him? You handle the paperworkdidnt you wonder why Jane kept replacing whoever was supposed to go with him? I suspected, but I wasnt sure. I didnt want to ruin things over a hunch.”
“You couldve hinted.”
“And if I was wrong? Youd think I was trying to break you up. Remember Sarah? She told a friend shed seen her husband with another womaneven showed a photo. Huge row, but they made up, and Sarah got blamed for trying to wreck a marriage. She quit the company. So dont be mad. If Id had proof, Id have told you. Now, where are you living?”
“The flats in Margarets name, so Danny and I are at my parents. But well move into Grans old place next weektenants just left. Its only two bedrooms, but its enough. Still sorting Dannys nursery transferMums friends helping. Then divorce, child support. Done.”
“Is William agreeing?”
“Says he doesnt want a divorce, swears hes learned his lesson. I dont care. Once was enough. He begged me not to file for supportsaid hed pay voluntarily.”
“And?”
“No chance. I dont want to see him. Everythings official. He threatened to take Danny: Ive got a better flat, higher salary. I didnt arguejust counted his business trips last year. Eight. Saved that for court. If he tries for custody, Ill ask whos looking after Danny when hes away. Ive got a job, a home. Hell lose.”
William did file for custody, claiming Victoria couldnt provide for Danny. Margaret accused her of hiding the boy: “She took him from nursery! They vanished after a week at her parents! Wheres she keeping him?”
Victoria explained they lived in her two-bedroom flat, Danny attended a local nursery, and Williams travel made him an unfit primary carer.
In the end, neither got their way.
Victoria found a new jobshe was good at her work, so it was easy. Soon after, Lucy brought news: “Jane quit and left town.”
“Why?”
“The office women made her life hell. She stuck it out a month, realised the game was up, and fled to London. So your ex is alone now.”
“Doesnt bother me,” Vicky said.
And she meant it. Some wells are too fouled to drink from.
What would you have done? Was she right? Like, comment, share your thoughts.
