“I packed for you, can you be out by Sunday?” Man cheats and files for divorce, blindsiding wife of 20 years

Mary Duncan

*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as told to me by a family member who experienced them firsthand; used with permission.

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In almost all of the cases of infidelity I’ve ever heard about, and it’s so sadly common, I’ve heard an awful lot of stories, it’s most often the cheating man who moves out of the house when his dalliances are exposed.

Regardless of the fact it may be the husband who is working the only job and paying all of the bills, the betrayed wife is often paid off in one way or another. She probably will get to stay in the house with the kids, if there are any, while the husband is banished elsewhere, and she will also most likely receive alimony in the case of a divorce.

Is it fair? Hard to say. I am a single mom who has been an independent woman her whole life and never relied on a man to support me. I can’t deny there is a part of me that thinks there are a few too many entitled women out there who need to get jobs and recognize that people make terrible mistakes, but shouldn’t have to pay for them for the rest of their lives just because their ex is unwilling to work.

My unpopular opinion was essentially shattered when I heard the whole story about what happened to my aunt Lori, one of my mom’s sisters.

Lori was married to my uncle Marcus for over two decades but due to their inability to conceive, they never had any children. Marcus was a surgeon and made excellent money so Lori never had to work during their marriage, she lived a life of leisure. It didn’t bother Lori that Marcus was rarely home, she understood that surgeons work a ton of hours, and when he was around, Marcus spoiled Lori silly. Whenever he had time off he would take Lori on luxurious vacations or cruises and was often gifting her expensive jewelry. Lori was happy, she assumed Marcus was happy and went on assuming this until the day everything came crashing down.

Marcus knew that Lori was taking a trip to see one of her sisters out of state for a few days, which she often did. Lori expected that when she arrived home from her trip on a Friday afternoon that her husband would be busy at the hospital as usual for that day and time, but he was not. When Lori pulled into the driveway, she was surprised to see Marcus sitting on their front porch as if waiting for her.

“What’s going on, honey?” Lori asked Marcus.

“Come inside,” he told her, standing up and taking her hand to lead her into their beautiful house.

“What’s this?” Lori asked, because she immediately saw the collection of bags and suitcases sitting in the foyer.

Marcus apparently let out the longest, most dramatic whooshing sigh and then said to Lori without taking a breath:

“I filed for divorce yesterday and the papers should be served to you shortly. I’ve been having an affair with one of the anesthesia nurses for the last three years, and she’s moving in here next weekend. As you can see, I had your things packed for you. Can you be out by Sunday?”

Lori was stunned, and for a while couldn’t say anything at all, not until Marcus prodded her for an answer.

“So, can you be out?”

“Where am I supposed to go?” Lori asked.

“You have four sisters and your parents live a few miles away, I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Marcus said, with a coldness that Lori did not recognize in her husband.

She didn’t wait until Sunday to leave. Marcus helped Lori pack her bags into her car and she took off to my mom’s house where she stayed for almost two years while she worked on saving money after getting a job.

Lori was put through the wringer in the divorce because Marcus was able to use his expensive lawyers to convince a judge that since Lori had a Master’s degree in Social Work, she would certainly be able to support herself without him and had just chosen not to contribute to their household for twenty years.

I’m happy to say that my aunt Lori remarried when she was fifty years old, and she and her new husband are one of the happiest couples I have ever seen.

How would you have immediately reacted to Marcus’s demands if you were Lori?

Hi, I hope you enjoyed this story! I am a freelance writing single mom trying to create a better life for me and my daughter through words. If you enjoyed this, please consider leaving a small donation: https://ko-fi.com/maryduncan

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# Family# Relationships# Divorce# Lifestyle# Society

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I write about the weird complexities of relationships to make a better life for me and my daughter through words. https://ko-fi.com/maryduncan

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