About 15 years ago, more or less I was reading some news article about the homeless. This woman was homeless with her children. She had been married to some prominent doctor who decided he wanted his freedom or another woman. I can’t remember all the details, but I do remember it was his choice.

I was baffled. How the hell does a wife of 15 – 20 years of a DOCTOR become homeless?! Surely he wouldn’t do that to the mother of his children. A woman who no doubt had been there for him. His own children. Was she a drug addict? Was he being vengeful because she had an affair? No. But, I couldn’t understand how the hell he got away with it. Until… I did understand it. Because it happened to me.

I had been married to someone who is (still) in law enforcement for almost 30 years. I met him after his rookie year. He pursued me non stop. I wasn’t even looking to date. My dad had just died and I came to town to look after my grandmother.

So we dated and married. We had a daughter. I stayed home to play wife and mother. I homeschooled our daughter because our schools weren’t the best. He worked a lot. I also took care of my grandmother until she died. I helped his family when they needed me to.

After the first few years, I was unhappy and he was oblivious. He worked, went hunting and played video games and watched sports. We rarely had any sort of in-depth conversation and didn’t do much together. But as long as he got sex, dinner and the house cared for, he was happy.

Then something happened to me in 2010. I had had surgery and was supposed to take it easy and recover. No lifting or anything. He took our daughter and went with friends to Key West to vacation. I could barely walk and he went on vacation. I shouldn’t have been surprised really. This behavior was not “a first”. But, the beginning of an end…