A Husband Worth More Than Bitter Resentment: From Loss and Iron-Selling to New Love, Second Chances, and Family Turmoil – My English Tale of Marriage, Heartbreak, and Hope

MY HUSBAND IS WORTH MORE THAN BITTER RESENTMENT

Henry, that was the final straw! Were getting a divorce. No need to drop to your knees like you usually doit wont help! I declare, putting a proper end to our marriage.

Naturally, Henry cant believe it. Hes confident everything will proceed as usual: hell kneel, apologise, buy me another ring, and Ill forgive him. Thats been the routine many times. But this time, Im truly determined to break free. Every finger, down to my little finger, is adorned with rings, yet I feel I have no life. Henrys drinking has become perpetual, deep, and hopeless.

It all began so romantically.

My first husband, Edward, disappeared without a trace. That happened back in the ninetiesa truly grim time to be alive. Edward was never easy to live with; he was always picking fights, quick to take offence. As the saying goes, big bark, no bite. If something didnt suit him, hed kick up a fuss. So Im certain Edward was killed in some brawl or another. There was never any news. I was left alone with two daughters. Lucy was five, Rose just two when it happened.

About five years passed after his mysterious disappearance. I thought I was going mad. Despite his volatile nature, Id loved Edward dearly. Wed been inseparable. Id resolved that my life was over and focused only on raising the girls, utterly writing myself off. However

Things were tough for me in those wild times. I was working at a factory, where my wages weretoasters. I had to sell them just to buy food. So, on weekends, Id go and do just that. One winter, as I stood shivering in the market selling toasters, a man approached me. He looked concerned.

Are you freezing, love? the stranger asked gently.

How on earth did you guess? I still tried to joke, but my teeth were chattering. Yet, something about this man radiated warmth.

Silly question, I suppose. Why dont we warm up in a café? Ill help you carry these unsold toasters.

Well, lets go, then. Otherwise, I really might freeze to death, I said, barely able to speak.

But we never made it to any café. Instead, I took the man towards my flat, asked him to wait at the entrance and keep an eye on the bag of toasters while I fetched my daughters from nursery. I hurried off, my legs numb from the cold, but my heart felt warm for the first time in ages.

Returning with the girls, I spotted Henry (thats what he called himself) waiting, smoking, shifting his weight from foot to foot. I thought, Ill offer him a cup of teaand well see what happens next!

Henry helped carry the bag up to the sixth floor. The lift, of course, was out of order. By the time Id reached the third floor with the girls, Henry was already coming back down.

Wait, my knight in shining armour. Are you leaving? I wont let you go without a cup of hot tea! I grabbed his jacket sleeve with a frozen hand.

Not sure Dont want to be in the way, Henry said, glancing at the children.

Dont be daft! Take the girls hands, Ill nip ahead and put the kettle on, I said cheerfully.

I didnt want to lose sight of this man. It already felt as if he belonged in our family. Over tea, Henry offered me a job as his assistantwith a salary larger than a years worth of toasters at the factory.

Of course, I nodded my acceptance at once. I could have kissed his hands for such an offer

Henry was twice-married and in the middle of divorcing his second wife. From his first marriage, he had a son.

And so, things began to develop

Before long, Henry and I got married. He adopted my girls as his own. Life began to feel almost indulgent. We bought a spacious four-bedroom flat, filled it with nice furniture and the latest gadgets. Then we built a cottage. Every summer, we had holidays by the sea. Life was as sweet as strawberries and cream.

Seven blissful years went by. But it seems that, with all material desires satisfied and happiness in abundance, Henry began to drink more heavily. At first, I brushed it off. It made sensehe worked long hours, needed to unwind. But when Henry started showing up at work drunk, I grew anxious. All my reasoning fell on deaf ears.

Im known for being a bit of a risk-taker. Determined to distract Henry from the drink, I decided to have another baby. I was thirty-nine at the time. When my friends heard about my plan, they werent even surprised.

Go for it, Sally! Maybe well have a baby at forty, too, they laughed.

But I always said, If you get rid of a pregnancy, you might one day regret it bitterly. But if you keep a babyeven if unplannedyoull never regret it.

Henry and I had twins! Now we were raising four daughters. Henry still drank. I put up with it, but longed for the countryside, to live with animals, fresh airgood for the children and, I hoped, to keep Henrys mind too busy for alcohol.

We sold our flat and cottage, bought a house in a large village, and opened a lovely cafe. Henry took up hunting as a hobby. He bought a shotgun and all the gear, and the woods were full of game.

Things were more or less welluntil Henry got massively drunk again. I dont know what possessed him, but he turned absolutely wild! He smashed every plate, broke all the furniture, and then aimed his shotgun at the ceiling and fired!

The children and I dashed to the neighbours to hide. It was terrifying.

In the morning, peace returned. We crept back home. The place was wreckednothing fit for the children to see. All smashed and broken. No table to sit at, nothing to eat from, not even a bed to sleep on. Henry lay passed out on the floor.

I gathered up whatever I could salvage, and the girls and I made our way to my mothers. She lived nearby in the same village.

Oh, Sally, what am I supposed to do with your gaggle of girls? Go back to your husband. Every marriage has its rough patches. Itll all come good, Mum said.

Mum believed that so long as your husband was good-looking, you put up with everything else.

A couple of days later, Henry turned up. Thats when I ended things. For the record, Henry remembered nothing. He didnt believe a word of what I told him. But by then, I didnt care. I cut all ties. Burned all bridges.

I had no idea how wed cope, but I decided Id rather starve than end up dead at the hands of a drunken husband.

The cafe had to be sold for far less than it was worth because I was desperate to leave the village. We settled in a tiny house in the next village.

The older girls took jobs. Thank goodness, before long, both got married.

The twins were in year five at school. All the girls stayed in touch with Henry, who loved them dearly. So I heard the news through them. Through the girls, my ex-husband pleaded with me to come back. They insisted, Mum, dont be stubborn. Dads really sorry! Think about yourselfyoure not twenty-five anymore But I was firm. I wanted a quiet life, free of drama and chaos.

Two years passed.

I began to miss Henry. Loneliness gnawed at me. I had to pawn all the rings Henry had given me. Couldnt buy them back. Such a shame. I started to reminisce and reflect. Our home had been a loving one. In truth, Henry cared for all the girls the same. He always felt sorry for me, always knew how to apologise. Wed been the picture of a happy family. Happiness comes in all shapes, and everyones contentment is their own. What more could I want?

Now, even the older girls only ring, never visit. Theyre busyI get it, youth does that. Soon my twins will fly the nest, and Ill be left alone, singing to myself. Girls are like young birds: as soon as their feathers come in, theyre off.

In short, I persuaded the twins to ask their dad for more details about his life. Maybe there was another woman? The girls grilled Henry on everything. Turns out, he lives and works in another city. He hasnt touched a drop in ages. Hes aloneno one else. Left the girls his address, just in case…

Well, weve been back together for the last five years.

Told youI am a bit of an adventurer!