A woman in her mid-thirties who had been married to a man for a decade sought help from Reddit users about a difficult situation she was facing that resulted in the end of her married life, or close to it.
A Reddit user, three years younger than her husband, had been working hard for most of her life. Although married for ten years, excluding the three that they were dating, the couple did not have any children.
The Original Poster (OP) was a full-time night-shift Emergency Room (ER) nurse who was skilled at her job. Meanwhile, her spouse worked as a laborer. However, he was eventually laid off from the job.
An upset nurse. | Source: Getty Images
Wanting to be there for her husband, she gave constant reassurance as he struggled with feelings of inadequacy. She continuously stayed positive that he would eventually find a job until, one day, he did.
He landed a well-paying job that required his time during the day. However, this newfound stability brought its own set of challenges. Their conflicting work schedules meant they hardly saw each other, as their moments of togetherness were reduced to fleeting weekends.
A woman yelling at a man. | Source: Getty Images
As time passed, OP's husband began pressuring her to change her shifts to align with his as they couldn't spend time with each other. However, her job in the ER demanded her presence during the night, given her expertise in handling the chaos of those hours.
"We had several arguments about him changing shifts at his new job, which was available, but he said no because his nights were for him to 'relax and play video games with his buddies," she revealed. " In one of our verbal fights, he said, 'I feel like I'm single and maybe I should just act like I am.'"
A shocked woman looking at a man | Source: Shutterstock
Her husband's words hurt, and OP turned to her sister as a shoulder to cry on. OP's sister was often her go-to person when things became rough. She, too, was married to a wonderful man, Danny, who worked graveyard shifts.
Weeks later, OP's sister called, crying with guilt as she confessed to sharing a drunken moment with the husband while OP was at work. "Please don't hate me," the sister said before revealing that she dropped by their house one evening and drank with the husband.
A couple bonding over coffee. | Source: Shutterstock
They had a great time laughing, playing cards, and drinking. However, the night ended with them locking lips for about five minutes. Shocked and betrayed, OP hung up and confronted her husband, only to be met with feeble excuses and half-hearted apologies.
"At first he said she was lying for 'attention,' but I knew. Then he said that they were both so drunk that he gave her a couple 'pecks,'" she revealed.
A man removing his ring behind him | Source: Getty Images
Unable to bear the weight of his betrayal, she demanded he leave, taking the first steps towards legal separation. She called a divorce lawyer and filed the motion.
Her father encouraged her to forgive her sister and forget what had happened. Fortunately, OP's mom was on her side and was angry at what the sister had done. OP's husband also tried to win her back to no avail.
A worried woman | Source: Shutterstock
In a follow-up share, OP revealed that her sister came by out of boredom, which she shared with OP's husband, given both their spouses worked late shifts. She said they were both bored because her husband and I were both working nights.
"At this point I'm really wondering if it was a full blown affair. I can't even stomach talking to either one of them right now," OP added.
A woman crying. | Source: Shutterstock
In the aftermath of the betrayal, OP began questioning her own role in the dissolution of their marriage. However, many Reddit users reassured her of her decision.
"They did more than just kiss. They're trickle truthing you. They're only admitting little bits at a time. It was only a peck, it was only five minutes, etc. They were both so bored they both thought it was a good idea to make out and probably have sex?" one comment read.
In a similar story, a woman finally conceived a child after facing infertility issues. However, her sister found a way to make the situation all about her own baby.