In an attempt to make ends meet, Steven works two jobs — by day, he is an electrician, and by night, he drives a cab. One day, while picking up an extra shift, a surprising passenger slides into his cab, unraveling everything he thought he knew about his family.
I caught my wife in a lie, and at that moment, everything changed.
Since the beginning, I've been hustling hard to support my family. My wife, Janny, and I have been married for six years, and we have two exceptional children — Taylor and Janine. But when our second child, Janine, was born, we felt the strain of our finances.
Suddenly, there were just too many expenses thrown at us. So, to make ends meet, I picked up a part-time gig driving a cab — mainly working nights.
A few months ago, my wife told me she wanted to visit her mother in the next state.
Siblings sitting together | Source: Pexels
"My Mom hasn't been too well, Steven," she said. "I think I just need to go there and spend some time with her."
I agreed. Janny had always been close with her mother, and since we moved states when we got married, I knew she missed being around her.
"Do you want to come?" she asked. But she knew I would decline because Janny's mother did not forgive me for making us move.
My parents live about ten minutes away, so they could spend time with Taylor and Janine while I took an extra shift.
Promising the kids burgers for dinner, I dropped them off at my parent's house.
Burgers and fries | Source: Pexels
A few hours into my shift, I'm parked outside a coffee shop, drinking a coffee to keep me awake.
My phone pinged, indicating that a ride had been requested. I accepted and drove to the location — to a hotel a few blocks away from me.
I indicated I had arrived on the site and unlocked the door, waiting for my passenger. Moments later, a man opened the door, and a woman slid in. At first, I didn't look back because we had been trained not to until the doors were closed — it was just something about allowing our passengers to settle themselves first.
But then I heard a familiar voice.
"The kids should be having the time of their lives with Steven," the voice said, content.
My heart sank. I turned around and saw my wife sitting in the backseat, the man's hand resting on her knee.
Man opening a car door | Source: Pexels
"Janny?" I exclaimed.
"Oh, my goodness," she stammered. "Steven, honey, I can explain."
I dropped off Janny's guest at the restaurant indicated on the site.
"Aren't you getting out?" I asked her, unsure of what to say or do at that moment.
"We need to talk," she replied from the back seat.
We drove around town, talking about the truth of our marriage. Janny revealed that she felt like she had spent too much time alone and that financial support wasn't the only support she needed.
"I go from being around bratty teenagers at school the entire day to having to cook and clean and care for our children," she said coldly.
"I go between two jobs, Janny," I said, halting at a stop sign. "You cannot fault me for making more money to sustain our family."
"I'm not faulting you," she said. "I just needed more. And Max gave that to me. I'm sorry."
Woman writing on a whiteboard | Source: Pexels
I drove in silence. I wanted to reason with my thoughts and understand where Janny was coming from. But it was the fact that she had betrayed our vows.
Instead of being honest with me about her feelings, she chose to find comfort elsewhere.
I couldn't look past that. I couldn't forgive that.
So, I initiated the divorce proceeding, leaving everything I had to Janny and our children. The house, the savings —all of it, relinquished in a desperate attempt to shield our kids from the fallout of a legal battle.
Neither of them deserved to have their lives shaken up by the turn of events. I moved in with my parents, promising myself that I needed to be out and back on my feet as soon as possible.
My focus remained on my children, ensuring they had the best upbringing possible — although Janny and I were no longer married, we wanted our children to know that their parents equally loved them.
I still feel betrayed by Janny because we were both exhausted from our jobs — in an attempt to make ends meet. But I didn't think that working so hard for my family would ultimately destroy my family, too.
I still have my taxi gig by night, and those long hours of solitude helped me find a sense of peace with the situation. I just hope that it's the same for Janny.
Person holding a pen over legal documents | Source: Pexels
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