12October2025
Dear Diary,
I thought I knew my world inside out. I shared joys and sorrows with the person I believed was my soulmate, planning a future together and trusting that, come what may, she would always stand by my side. Then fate put me to the test, and I realised that the woman I held as my kindred spirit was, in fact, someone entirely different.
Love, family and a home that wasnt truly ours
When I met Emily, I was convinced she was the one. She was warm, caring and full of energy. With her I felt happy and complete. Our romance escalated quicklywithin a year we were married.
After the wedding we faced a crucial choice: where would we live? Renting a flat in Manchester was expensive, and buying our own house felt like a distant dream. We searched for the best option until my mother, Mary, offered what seemed a godsend.
She owned a cottage in the Cotswolds that had been passed down from her parents. Mary said we could move in rentfree, which would let us save for the future. It was a perfect opportunity. Emily and I were thrilled. Mary even handed over her savings so we could refurbish the place and make it our own, asking for nothing in returnjust our happiness.
For a while everything fell into place.
Until the day our world collapsed.
The betrayal of my father and my mothers tragedy
My parents had been married for nearly forty years. Since childhood I looked up to my father as the model of a responsible, loyal man. I was sure he would never abandon his family.
Then the day came.
My father sat opposite my mother and, without a hint of emotion, told her he was leaving. Plain and simple.
He had found someone younger, prettier, full of life.
I will never forget my mothers expression. Her hands trembled, her mouth tried to speak, but her voice caught in her throat. The man she had loved all her life had just tossed decades of shared history into the rubbish bin.
She couldnt bear it.
A few weeks later she suffered a stroke.
I can still picture that nightthe phone ringing in the dead of night, the doctors frantic voice, the ambulance wailing through the streets. Then the hospital, white walls, and my mother lying helpless on the bed, eyes pleading for help.
I knew I had no choice.
I had to bring her home.
I wont live with your mother!
That evening I returned home convinced Emily would understand. After all, Mary had given us everythingshelter, her savings, her love. How could we now turn away from her?
Emilys response shocked me.
I wont live with your mother! she snapped, arms crossed.
I stared at her, stunned.
Emily she has nowhere to go. Shes ill. She needs us.
Find her a care home then! I never signed up for a life with an old, ailing woman.
Her words landed like a punch in the gut.
I searched her eyes for any hint of compassion, any flicker of doubt, but there was none.
Emily, she isnt a stranger. Shes my mother, the very reason we have this cottage. Do you really want to leave her alone?
She didnt blink.
I married you, not her. If you bring her here, Im out.
It wasnt a request. It was an ultimatum.
The decision that changed everything
For three nights I lay awake, weighing every option, seeking a compromise. The truth was plain: Emily had already decided. If she could so easily turn her back on my mother, what would she do if I ever needed her?
So I made my choice.
The day before Marys discharge, I packed Emilys belongings and left them by the front door. When she returned home and saw the bags, she sneered.
Seriously? You choose your mother over your own wife?
I met her gaze and said calmly, I choose the person who has never abandoned me.
She looked surprised, perhaps expecting me to beg, to plead for her to stay. I did not.
That night Emily slammed the door and left our cottage. The next morning I fetched Mary and brought her back home.
Who cheats once, cheats again
The first months were toughdoctor visits, rehabilitation, long sleepless nights filled with fear for the future. Yet, I never once regretted my decision. I learned a hard truth: anyone who can turn away from you once can do it again.
My father deserted my mother.
My wife wanted me to desert hers.
Now I live with my mother. She is slowly regaining strength; each day I see more life in her eyes. I am confident I made the right call.
Family isnt just the person you share a bed with.
Family is the one who will never walk away, no matter how hard things get.
What do you think? Did I do the right thing, or should I have fought for my marriage even if it meant leaving my mother alone?
JamesNow, as I watch the sunrise over the cottage garden, I know that loyalty to those who never left me will always guide my choices.
