One Night, I Left My Wife Because I Loved Her More than Life — Story of the Day

I loved my wife dearly but realized that we couldn't live together anymore. It was hard to make any decision. But after all, I decided to leave her. Years later, I received a surprise.

I met Diana several years ago when she moved to my neighborhood after her terrible divorce. Diana had married her ex-husband Jack when she was just 21 years old. She was pregnant at the time and gave birth to Melanie.

Unfortunately, their relationship turned sour, and Jack abandoned them. She moved near me to raise Melanie in a nice neighborhood, and I fell in love at first sight. However, I was 15 years older than her. I didn’t stand a chance.

But we got closer, and I helped take care of Melanie. One day, I plucked up the courage to ask her out, and she said yes after thinking about it for a few minutes. I took her to an amusement park. We seemed more like friends, but I was just happy to be around her.

We dated like that for several months until I got the courage to ask for more. “Diana, will you marry me? You don’t have to say yes right now. Think about it. But I would be the best father to Melanie, and you will never be alone,” I told her.

“Oh, David. I’m not sure. After my first marriage….” she began. “I’m not sure I could do it again.”

“I’m not like your first husband. I’ll cherish you for the rest of my life, and I already love Melanie as if she was my own daughter,” I added. “Please, promise me you’ll give it some thought.”

“I promise, David,” Diana said. I didn’t hear from her for several days afterward and lost all hope. She is going to reject me, I thought. But one day, she invited me over and accepted my proposal.

Our wedding was small. We went to the courthouse and had a celebratory dinner with a few friends at a restaurant. Diana and Melanie moved into my home because it was bigger. But I encouraged her to keep her old house and rent it out for extra income.

After a few years, my health seriously deteriorated. I had kidney surgery, and my back hurt constantly. Eventually, I couldn't work anymore, and Diana had to take care of me. Luckily, I received disability benefits, but this was not what I imagined for our lives. And I saw that she wasn’t pleased either.

I was 46 years old, while Diana was 31. She was still so young to be taking care of her husband. I felt so guilty, but I didn’t want to lose her. Melanie had started calling me, and she helped out too. I thought we could make it work.

But one day, I smelled a man’s perfume on her skin after she got home. I thought she was working late for several weeks to help us out, but it was clear she was meeting someone. “Diana, are you seeing someone else?” I asked her one night.

“David, I…I can’t lie to you anymore. I am seeing someone. It’s not serious, but it’s just…everything’s been so hard,” she admitted.

“I know. I’m sorry too. I promised to give you the world and take care of you, but now…I can’t do that,” I replied.

“It’s not your fault. I should’ve been honest. I just… didn’t know how to tell you,” Diana said, ashamed of herself.

“I pushed you into marriage. I thought you would grow to love me as I love you, but I was a fool,” I started. “I think we need to separate, and you should find happiness. I’ll be a part of Melanie’s life if you allow it. She’s my daughter.”

“David, I wouldn’t dream of separating you two. But thank you. I think I need to be single again. But I don’t want a divorce just yet. I’ll just move back to my house now that the renters are gone,” Diana suggested.

So she and Melanie moved back to their house in the neighborhood. I hired a full-time caretaker for myself and saw Melanie almost every day. Diana moved on with her life. I saw her dating many men, but none of them lasted long.

Years passed, and Melanie got married a few years after graduating college. I walked her down the aisle using a cane. Diana and I never got divorced, but we never got back together either. We were friends and co-parents, even though I always hoped for more.

She sent me a letter a few days after Melanie’s wedding. It read: “Although I didn’t love you as you needed, I truly cared for you in my own way. You were the best father for Melanie, and I know no one in the world will ever love us as you do. I’m so thankful.”

“Thank you for walking her down the aisle. Thank you for being her REAL father, and thank you for being the best husband I ever had. I don’t think I’m cut out for marriage, and I always felt guilty about that. But I hope that you can remain in our lives forever,” I finished reading.

It wasn’t exactly what I wanted, but I finally understood how Diana felt. In the end, I was there for her, and she was there for me.

What can we learn from this story?

• Relationships come in all forms. Not everyone is prepared for marriage or will love you as you want. But if you can accept them, you might have a wonderful life.
• You don’t have to follow the “life script.” Most people think that you have to graduate, get married, and have kids. But there are many ways to live your life. Follow your heart, not what others say.

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If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about a man who rewrote his will and gave everything to his son, but his wife couldn’t forgive him.

This account is inspired by our reader's story but written by a professional writer. All names have been changed to protect identities and ensure privacy. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone's life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.