After 13 years of marriage, everything changed when my husband suddenly announced he was applying for a job across the country and insisted that I and our children move with him. Not long after, he shocked me by demanding a separation, accusing me of being terrible without any clear reason. His sudden bitterness felt like a betrayal after so many years together, especially given the sacrifices I had made for his career before.

As I started piecing things together, I discovered my husband had been texting an old friend—a recently divorced woman—over 500 times a day, helping him with this new job opportunity. Their secret, intense communication made me suspicious and hurt. What made matters worse was his expectation that our entire family, including his mother and our two young children, would uproot their lives based on his plans alone, ignoring the stability we had built for our kids and me.

The situation escalated when he took what was supposed to be a one-day job interview trip that stretched into four days. During that time, I found signs that he was planning to start an affair. When I confronted him, he admitted he had been unhappy for 15 years. Suddenly, my consideration of divorce felt like the only way forward, especially since I wanted to keep the children close to their schools and friends.

Despite his claim that the children needed their father, many online readers sided with me, calling me “NTA” for standing up against his betrayal and unreasonable demands. They encouraged me to protect my family and not sacrifice everything for a man who had already emotionally checked out. It left me wondering: how far should one go to keep a marriage intact when trust is shattered, and the future feels so uncertain?