Mark and I have been married for 10 years, with two kids, a mortgage, and what I thought was a solid life. Sure, Mark never helped around the house — I handled work, the kids, cooking, cleaning, everything. But I told myself, “It’s fine. We’re a team.”

Except Mark was playing for another team.

Last week, I came home after a long grocery trip. Arms full of bags, I heard voices on the porch — Mark and Emma, our neighbor’s 25-year-old daughter. They were laughing, and my name came up. Something told me to hide and listen.

“I can’t believe she hasn’t figured it out,” Emma giggled.
Mark laughed. “She’s so busy with the kids and the house. She doesn’t even look like a woman anymore. You’re so much better, my princess.”

Then they kissed.

I stood there, frozen, gripping the grocery bags. Angry, humiliated — but calm. I didn’t confront them. Instead, I went inside through the back door and started planning.

The next morning, I smiled, kissed Mark goodbye, and headed straight to Emma’s house. I knocked, and when she answered, I said sweetly, “Emma, I need your help. Could you come over tomorrow? I want your advice on redecorating the living room. I heard you studied design.”

She smiled, totally clueless. “Sure! What time?”

She had NO IDEA what was coming.

“Seven,” I said, smiling back. “Thanks so much, Emma. You’re a lifesaver.”

Emma showed up the next evening. She greeted me with her usual cheerful demeanor.

“I wanted to show you a few things.”, I said casually.

I pointed out key areas of domestic responsibility.

“Here’s the dishwasher. You’ll need to load it every night because Mark doesn’t bother, of course. The kids’ laundry goes here, but please, be sure to separate the loads, since they’re sensitive to different detergents.”

She just stared at me.

“Oh, and here’s the schedule for their after-school activities. You’ll need to pick them up on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but Wednesdays are free for errands. I’ve written down the plumber, electrician, and pediatrician’s numbers. Just in case.”

Emma’s face grew pale.

“And this,” I said, leading her into the kitchen.

“This is where you’ll prep all the meals. And let me tell you, other than the breakfasts, and different school and work lunches, there are snacks and desserts and it’s all just a lot. Mark likes his steak medium-rare, by the way. The kids will only eat steak if it’s cooked all the way through. The deader the better.”

She gasped.

“Don’t expect Mark to say thank you, manners are not his thing. The kids are picky eaters, I’m sorry to say, but you’ll figure it out.”

“Uh, Lexie. I’m not sure… I don’t think… I didn’t offer to babysit them.”

Just then, Mark walked in.

“Lex, what’s going on?” he asked, his voice tight.

“Oh,” I said brightly. “I probably should have included you in this, too. But I’m just showing Emma how to run the house. Since you think I’ve let myself go, I figured that it’s time for me to prioritize myself. And also, maybe it’s time for me to find someone who sees me as his princess. Emma, you’ll be taking over everything I do. Good luck!”

There was a knock on the door.

I opened it to reveal Emma’s parents. The same couple who often babysat my kids if I was in a bind.

“Oh! It smells delicious! I told Annie that you were going to make your roast chicken, Lexie,” Emma’s father said, joyfully.

“Thanks for coming, Anne and Howard. And thank you for raising such a helpful daughter,” I said. “She and Mark have grown so close that I thought it was time to make her part of the family.”

“Wait, what?” Anne asked.

“I’m leaving and Emma’s going to take care of everything now! You must be so proud of your little girl.”

Emma’s mom looked confused. Meanwhile, her dad livid.

“Emma. Tell me that this isn’t true. Tell me that this isn’t what I think it is.”

“It’s not what it looks like!” Emma stammered.

“Lexie, this isn’t fair! Emma came to me! She came onto me!”, Mark said.

“Oh, did she?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “So, you’re saying that you’re not responsible for sneaking around with a 25-year-old while insulting your wife?”

Howard cut him off.

“Mark, this is on you. Emma, this is equally on you. Let’s leave. Now.”

Emma shot me a venomous glare before storming out.

Mark turned to me.

“Lexie, please, babe,” he said. “Let’s talk about this. We’ve been together for so long… you owe me a conversation, at least.”

“Oh, sweetie,” I said. “We’ll talk, don’t you worry. My lawyer will call you tomorrow. But for now, I think you should pack your bags and leave.”

“Where will I go?” he asked pathetically. “My family lives in a different state.”

“I don’t really care, Mark,” I said, taking the chicken out of the oven. “Go to a motel. Go to a friend. Join the circus.”

“And the kids? Where are the kids?”

“They’re with my sister. And they’ll stay there until you sort your nonsense out. You can tell them the truth after the lawyers work out a settlement. I’m not going down without a fight, Mark.”

A week later, I heard through the grapevine that Emma had dumped Mark. Two weeks later, Mark came back.

“I’ve been so miserable without you,” Mark said, practically begging. “Please, let me come back. Please, Lexie. We can fix this. I miss my kids. I miss our family.”

“I don’t care, Mark!” I blurted out. “I truly don’t care. Now, if you don’t have anything productive to do here, then leave. The kids are at a playdate, and I’m only fetching them in a few hours.”

Then, I closed the door, leaving him speechless.

It’s been months since that night, and I’ve never been happier. I’ve rediscovered pieces of myself I thought were long gone. I’ve started taking up salsa dancing, and with that, my confidence, joy and freedom came flooding in.