After 22 years of marriage, I’ve reached a breaking point I never thought I’d face. My spouse and I have always had a tumultuous relationship. We’ve tried therapy five different marriage counselors, to be exact but my spouse found fault with each of them.
Despite all the effort, our home has remained a battleground, and even though we tried to keep our voices down for the sake of our two sons, the arguments always found their way through the vents of our old house.
Today, Christmas, things came to a head. In the middle of yet another explosive fight, my spouse looked me in the eye and said, “I hate you. I’ve hated you for two years.” The words hit me like a blow. For the first time, I stopped fighting. I didn’t yell back or try to defend myself. I simply closed my mouth and said nothing.
We went through the motions of Christmas morning, opening gifts with our sons as if nothing had happened. Once it was over, I went to my room, locked the door, and sat with the weight of those words.
That’s when I made my decision. I reached out to a divorce lawyer.
For years, I’ve held onto the hope that things could change, that we could find a way back to each other. But hearing those words so plainly spoken made something click. It wasn’t just the endless fights or the counselors that didn’t work—it was the realization that I deserve better than living in a home filled with resentment and anger. My kids deserve better, too.
Am I wrong for finally taking those words at face value and saying, “Enough is enough”?