I didn’t know marriage could end up like this, but my husband, Logan, decided to make a public spectacle of this utter disaster.
Problems came, and our struggles trying to conceive a baby took a bigger toll on our relationship than I realized at first. My mental health went downhill, and I felt like an utter failure.
Anyway, last night, my best friend Lola convinced me to get out of the house to clear my head and have a little fun. My husband had told me he was staying at the gym late, so we went to this cozy, dimly lit jazz club downtown, where the music was beautiful but not loud enough that you couldn’t have a conversation.
Lola had me laughing and in a good mood, when all of a sudden, she went silent. Her eyes bulged while looking somewhere over my shoulder.
“Natasha… I don’t want to alarm you, but… is that Logan?”
A cold dread filled my body. But I knew what I would see as soon as I started to turn. Sitting at a corner table, I saw my husband with a young woman draped over his shoulders.
Nothing like this had ever happened to me, even during my college relationships. So, I’d never thought I’d be the kind of woman to cause a scene. But my body moved out of its own accord.
“Natasha, well, finally,” he said.
“Logan,” I tried to speak, not even knowing what I would say, but he interrupted me.
“Look, Natasha. It’s better that now you know. I don’t have to keep hiding it,” he said carelessly.
“I’m i:n love with someone else. We’re done. It’s over.”
Just like that. No hesitation. No remorse. I wanted to scream, cry, slap him across his smug face, but somehow, I just stood there, numb.
Suddenly, Lola took my arm, muttering something about how Logan would regret this one day, and guided me outside.
The next morning, after barely any sleep, I decided I had to go home and confront him. Maybe he’d come to his senses.
And there he was, standing on the porch with Brenda by his side, smiling like he’d just won the lottery. I got out of my car feeling the numbness take over and walked slowly to them.
Still, I tried to keep my composure. No way was I giving him the satisfaction of seeing me break down. So I just started gathering my things, shoving clothes and random belongings into the trunk of my car. But the humiliation burned deep.
I turned around, and there, stepping out of a sleek black BMW, was Mr. Duncan, Logan’s grandfather. And he looked confused.
Now, if there’s one thing everyone in town knows is that Mr. Duncan can be tough. He built a family fortune from nothing. Therefore, he had big expectations from all his children and grandchildren.
Yet, I was still afraid of what would happen as he took in the scene with my belongings on the lawn, a strange woman on the porch, and Logan nowhere to be seen.
“Logan, babe, come out here!” Brenda called out, worried.
“What the hell is going on here?!” Mr. Duncan’s voice boomed as Logan came outside with his mouth hanging open.
“Grandpa, we had no idea you were coming over today,” he started, swallowing thickly. “This is not the best time. We’re dealing with a private thing. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Logan, I might be old, but I get exactly what’s happening,” Mr. Duncan responded in his thick voice. “I only asked because I didn’t want to believe my eyes.”
“Grandpa,” Logan tried, but he didn’t get another word in.
“It looks like you’ve kicked my favorite granddaughter-in-law out of the house, and you’re shacking up with that tramp. Did I get anything wrong?” Mr. Duncan continued and I didn’t feel bad at his insult to Brenda.
“Grandpa, Natasha, and I… we’re done. She doesn’t belong here anymore.”
Logan’s face went pale. “What… what are you saying?”
Mr. Duncan didn’t even blink. “I’m saying that Natasha will stay, and you will leave. Not only that but as of right now, I’m cutting you off. Consider all my money and support gone. You think you can act like this? Disrespect your wife and make our family look bad for some early midlife crisis and a 20-year-old gold digger? Not on my watch!”
“Grandpa!”
“Leave now!”
***
Once Logan and Brenda were gone, Mr. Duncan ushered me inside and revealed the reason why he came by in the first place. ”
I nodded as tears fell from my eyes.
He was still in the same clothes as that day for some reason and looked terrible.
“I made a mistake. I have nothing left. The rest of my family won’t help me. Can you please call my grandfather? He’ll listen to you,” Logan blurted with no preamble. “I can’t live like this.”
So, I got to say the words every person in my position wants to. “Nope! You made your bed, li:e in it!” It was cliché and cruel, but believe me, it was so satisfying at that moment.
Maybe, I’ll feel bad for him later. But what did he expect? Entitled brat!
