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I never thought, not in a million years, that Mark
would betray our marriage.
He’s my first everything. Mark and I have known
each other since high school. We sat next to
each other for three years, going from hating
each other at first, to falling head over heels.
He was always teasing me. During lunch, he’d
sneak and braid my hair while I was dozing off.
During gym, when I was sitting under a tree, he’d try to scare me. I’d call him a pain in the
butt, and he’d argue, saying I was like one of
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those cats in a pet store, just chill, never
getting mad.
Then…
The troublemaker Mark would also defend me
from guys that tried to get too close. He was there for me, offering comfort and advice when I failed my exams.
I slowly realized, that he wasn’t so bad after all.
Actually, I kind of liked him.
When you’re young, your feelings are real. The
second I realized I had a crush on Mark, those
feelings were intense. Luckily, it wasn’t a one-
way street.
So, the summer after graduation, we started
dating.
We’d hold hands while strolling through the city,
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believing some silly superstition as we kissed at
the top of the Ferris wheel.
During college, we were going to different
schools. But as long as he wasn’t in class, Mark
would drive across the city to see me, even if
we only had thirty minutes together.
We even took a vacation together, and that’s
where I gave him everything. We were tangled
in love and pleasure. I cried, making him swear
that he would never let me down. He kissed me
deeply and promised that he would never betray
me and would always love me.
I was scared, I won’t lie. But, I thought that we
were gonna make it.
Luckily, I was right.
Right after graduation, we met the parents and
both families were happy. Then we planned the
wedding. We had a huge party, becoming a
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family. And two years later, I gave birth to Alex.
The best thing in my life.
After I recovered, Mark had a vasectomy right
away.
From then on, it was just us three and we were
happy.
My friends envied me. They’d tell me, “You and
Mark have such a solid relationship.”
And at the time, I never considered the word
“solid” to be a bad thing.
Until today. I heard what Mark had to say. I
realized that there had been times when he
wasn’t fully satisfied.
He would always say things like:
“Sarah, how come you’re never mad?”
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“Can’t you yell at me? even just a little bit?”
“Sarah, you’re too good.”
“I want to see you lose your cool, even a little
temper is fine.”
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…
Whenever I heard him say that stuff, I’d just
look at him, confused. Fighting was normal for
married couples, but I had no issues with Mark
in my daily life. He was a great guy, always
helpful around the house. He wasn’t one of
those guys who thought household chores were
a woman’s job.
He always remembered every holiday, even
better than I did. He’d always surprise me with
all kinds of stuff, small little gifts. He was there
emotionally for me, he’d never let me be sad.
He was a perfect husband.
11:05
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Because I’m such a laid–back person, and I was happy with my husband. Why would I get angry for no reason?
I didn’t see the disappointment in his eyes.
I tried to ask him about it a few times. Mark would just hug me and kiss my eyes, all gentle, and say.
“Sarah, I’m just afraid that people might take advantage of you since you are so chill.”
And, I just shook my head, telling him, “I don’t
have to be afraid of that when I have you by my side.”
I’m chill but I’m not a pushover either.
I realized it now, Mark wasn’t worried that
people would try to take advantage of me. He wanted something exciting from me, something that he hadn’t been getting for a long time.
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And because he couldn’t get that from me, he
decided to look for it somewhere else.
His childhood promises were still echoing in my ears. I thought it was true love but it has a shelf
life. Seven years later, everything had changed.
My heart was like a fist. It was tight and hurt
like hell.
I looked at Mark in the room. He hasn’t
changed much, but how could his heart change
so fast?
I covered my mouth with my hand, trying not to
cry, and I don’t know how long I stood there. My
phone buzzed and I looked down.
It was a message from my boss.
[This position is something I fought for. You
need to go overseas for three years for training.
After, you can take my spot. I know your priority
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is your family. But is that really everything you want?]
I stared at this message.
If I wasn’t late for that get–together, I wouldn’t have known all this.
I would’ve given up my chance at a promotion
to have a happy family.
But the reality hit me hard.
I ignored the sadness in my chest and glanced again at Mark, still laughing with the guys.
It’s true, I love him. I even thought that I would
be willing to sacrifice my life for him.
But… love or not, there is no excuse for
betrayal.
So, I clicked on the message and replied. “I’ll
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11:05
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accept the training opportunity overseas for
three years.”
