Leaving My Wife to Find the Best Version of Myself

When my wife, Karen Sheldrick, was three months pregnant, we discovered that the child had congenital issues and was at risk of premature birth. I discussed the procedures for protecting the pregnancy with her, but she was indifferent. While talking on the phone with her childhood friend, she impatiently said to me, "I have plans to go shopping. You talk to the doctor yourself."

Five minutes later, a friend suddenly sent me a screenshot of Karen’s social media post. In the picture, she and her childhood friend were holding hands and they were wearing matching rings.

[I spent a long time choosing this gift for a silly little one.]

As I looked at my own empty social media feed, I finally realized that she had blocked me. This time, I didn’t question her, didn’t ask for explanations and didn’t confront her. I finally understood that when some people stop loving you, nothing matters to them anymore.

——

I listened to the doctor’s words alone in the hospital. The doctor asked, “Why did the child’s mother leave early? She really should be hospitalized for treatment now.”

I replied, “She’s busy.”

“Tsk. Another career woman. What could be more important than her child? The baby might not even survive,” the doctor muttered.

I had no response. Karen had always disliked me interfering in her personal life, so to avoid her disliking me, I gave her as much freedom as possible. In our three years of marriage, I lived cautiously, not daring to bother her at all.

But looking back now, I found it laughable. Was there anything about our relationship that resembled a marriage?

After completing all the tests, it was already 6 p.m., right during rush hour. Karen had taken the car and it was difficult to get a taxi from the hospital. So I could only sit on a bench and wait.

I waited and waited, but no cars were available. With one last shred of hope, I called Karen. The phone connected quickly, but before I could say anything, she immediately started accusing me, “It’s after 6 p.m.! Why aren’t you home yet? I’m pregnant and you’re still not back to cook for me?”

I calmly replied, “I’m at the hospital. I just finished discussing your prenatal checkup with the doctor.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Clearly, she was having fun with her childhood friend and had completely forgotten the doctor’s advice.

I felt a bit tired. Just then, an empty cab approached and I was about to hang up when I heard Karen say, “I’ll come pick you up now. Don’t go anywhere.”

Before I could refuse, she hung up the phone. I had no choice but to continue waiting.

But an hour passed, then two, and she still hadn’t shown up. I checked my phone and came across a post on her childhood friend, Leon Wright,’s social media.

[Holy shit! Found a giant cockroach at home! Luckily, my big sis, Karen, came in time and cleaned it up! Ahh, she’s super awesome!!]

The accompanying picture showed Leon hugging Karen, who was wearing an apron while cooking. My eyes were drawn to a clear lipstick mark on his cheek.

Leon always said he treated Karen like a buddy, yet he acted intimately without restraint and Karen treated him specially as well.

Once, when I was seriously ill with a fever, I asked Karen to make me a bowl of porridge but she complained, saying men shouldn’t step into the kitchen. Yet now, she was willing to cook for her so-called childhood friend?

In the comments, some of her friends joked about how close they were, saying that Karen was a good wife who took care of people. Leon smugly replied, "Of course, look who trained her."

Quietly, I deleted Leon from my friends list.

By then, the sky had completely darkened and I was still sitting alone by the roadside. At 8 p.m., I walked half an hour by myself to the bus stop. I hadn’t eaten or drunk anything all day, nor had I sat down to rest. Every step I took caused sharp pain in my lower back and I felt lightheaded from low blood sugar. A passerby noticed how pale I looked and quickly gave up their seat for me, asking if I needed to see a doctor. I shook my head and they handed me a bottle of water.

By the time I got home, it was already 10,30 p.m. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw Karen sitting on the couch, looking annoyed.

“You finally come back,” she said.

I felt exhausted and set my bag down casually. “Next time, if you’re busy, you don’t have to say you’re coming to pick me up.”

She was at a loss for words for a moment, then finally said, “Something urgent came up. Can’t you just get a taxi yourself? Stop being so dramatic.”

I asked, “Was catching a cockroach and cooking for someone else the urgent matter?”

Karen froze for a second, then let out a mocking laugh. “Jordan, will you ever get over your jealousy?”

“I’ve known Leon since we were kids. I treat him like a little brother. What’s wrong with helping him out a bit? I’m pregnant, already in a bad mood. Can’t you just cut me some slack?”

Yes, she’s pregnant and the child had congenital issues, at risk of miscarriage at any moment. But even so, she could cook for Leon, killed cockroaches and completely ignored the doctor’s warnings.

In the past, I would have argued with her. But now, I just didn’t care anymore.

I nodded coldly. “I won’t get jealous anymore.”

Soon after that, I turned and went back to the bedroom, leaving her standing there, stunned.