My Husband Yelled He Wants A Divorce – After I Signed The Papers, This Happened 

Madeline Williams thought her husband was having an affair.

Granted, her husband, Tom, didn’t have much to offer in that regard. Though Madeline would’ve liked to meet and shake the hand of any woman dumb enough to give Tom the time of day, she still couldn’t deny a twinge of hurt at the thought of him stepping out on her.

Madeline Williams ©ilolab/Shutterstock.com

The signs were all there, and Madeline was a smart woman.

“Working late,” suddenly taking care of himself (where had this guy been, eating healthy and going to the gym?), staring at his phone 24/7 like a teenager …

Madeline was no dummy. She knew what was going on.

Catch Tom ©Phovoir/Shutterstock.com

Or at least, she thought she did. And it didn’t matter whether she was wrong or right; she was going to catch Tom in the act.

What marriages didn’t get a bit stale after ten years? They were long past the three-year itch, or was it a seven-year itch? She and Tom had done well together, making six figures each. They’d been able to afford a house, boat, and vacation condo in sunny South Florida.

They were more like roommates at this point, but who didn’t want a roommate you could get rich with? 

A Bit Stale ©KieferPix/Shutterstock.com

Madeline was offended that her husband was willing to give it all up, just to chase some random woman.   

“He probably doesn’t think you’ll leave,” her best friend, Andrea, told her. Andrea was aghast at the idea of Tom having an affair. She’d been a longtime friend of the couple for ages, and she and her husband, Brandon, were usually the unsteady ones.

Madeline couldn’t help but wonder if Andrea had a bit of schadenfreude watching her go through this with Tom.

I’m Not Her ©Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock.com

“I’m glad I’m not her,” Mary had always thought about Andrea, in some small, guilty part of herself.  

Oh, everyone does it.

When you see another couple having issues, some part of you says, “Glad that’s not us.” You almost feel superior, in a way. We know how to communicate. We can talk things out. I’d never act like that. That was what Madeline Williams had done whenever Andrea would tell her about the latest fight with Brandon.

It Seemed ©Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock.com

Well, the tables had turned, it seemed.   

Suspicion roiled for three months before Madeline made her choice to confront Tom.

And that, she’d later think, was where it all went haywire.

The Decision ©Glenn Kershner/Shutterstock.com

It was an average Thursday in June, not too hot. The Colorado sun had beamed down on their mountain McMansion the entire day, and it was a shame the day was so nice, considering what Madeline had decided to do.

Sitting at their marble dining room table, the windows golden, red, and pink with the sunset outside, Madeline watched Tom as he poked at his salad. She’d made one of his favorite meals, and he was too busy on his phone to care.

He had barely said two words to her, and Madeline watched him over her glass with resentment and ire.

Dramatic sky ©Lioneska/stock.adobe.com

Contempt – wasn’t that the final blow to a marriage, according to every therapist ever?

Madeline sighed, loudly and theatrically. She smoothed down her blouse – a purchase that resulted from a recent bout of designer spending, something she’d done in the hopes of getting Tom’s wayward attention, if even out of anger.

At first, she wasn’t going to say anything. This would just be another day in the logbooks, another chunk of resentment to store away.

Saw It ©wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

But then, Madeline saw it.  

It was barely noticeable, but Madeline, like all wives, had hawk eyes when it came to her husband.

More muscles from working out – fine. A new haircut – fine. Cologne? You bet. But this.

It ©BLACKDAY/Shutterstock.com

Just visible underneath the cuff of his button-down shirt was a dark, mid-size tattoo inching up his upper forearm.

“Seriously?” The word was out of Madeline’s mouth before she could corral it in. “Seriously?” she repeated. That got Tom’s attention. Dark eyes concerned and thick eyebrows furrowed, Tom looked at her.

“Huh?”

I Know, Tom ©wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

God, even his voice was detestable. Madeline sat up straight, put down her glass, and said, “I know, Tom. I know what’s going on.”

To his credit, Tom’s face turned a sickly white.

“You do?” he said. His voice sounded petrified. Mary was a bit taken aback by the note of fear in his tone. But, then again, he was about to lose all of his stuff to her, if she had anything to say about it. He doesn’t think you’ll leave. Oh, buzz off, Andrea.

The Signs ©wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock.com

“I’m not an idiot,” Madeline explained patiently. “I know the signs.” 

“The gym, new cologne, dressing better, haircuts – you’re having an affair. Probably with someone you work with, I’ve heard all you people in tech just go around with each other, not caring at all. Does she even know you’re married? You know what? Don’t answer that.”

Stop. Let him try to explain, if only for a laugh, Madeline told herself.

Relief ©Cyrsiam/Shutterstock.com

To her shock, relief flickered across Tom’s face. Relief? Who would feel relief at a time like this?     

“I’m not having an affair,” Tom said.

Ah, the denial. Of course. Madeline had been a union lawyer for fifteen years and counting; she knew all about denial. Tom was lying. “Okay, great. Let me see your phone, then,” she told her husband, hand outstretched.

Recoil ©sebra/stock.adobe.com

Her husband looked down at his phone. Then, he rubbed at his ridiculous tattoo. He looked up at Madeline, and his expression made her recoil.

He looked like a man at peace with the gallows.

His eyes were serene, and he stared at his wife as though a decision had been made at his core, one that Madeline could never undo. Tom took a deep breath, skin still pallid, and said, “No.”

Even For Him ©Krakenimages.com/Shutterstock.com

Though Madeline had thought he’d say that, his behavior was odd. Even for him.