My Husband Left Suddenly—That’s When I Discovered All Our Assets Had Been Transferred to a Young Lady

It is often said that if you take as your husband a man of great intelligence, he will never stray and will always remain true to his wife, well-versed in both love and care. My mother and grandmother used to repeat this wisdom to me time and again. So, when I reached a respectable age, I never truly considered a suitor who harboured questionable interests; I could see no sense in ever beginning such a connectionwhy bother at all?

And then, quite by chance through mutual friends, I met Philip. Philip was a thoughtful young man, a graduate of a renowned technical college, possessed of keen intellect and ambition. I too had completed my studies, though in literature. Despite our differing paths, we always found much to talk about. Our acquaintance blossomed naturally as we spent more time together, and I must say, I was decidedly happy in his company. A year later, when he asked me to become his wife, I gladly accepted.

We made our home in the modest flat my grandmother had bequeathed me. It was a snug little place, perfectly manageable for just the two of us. In time, I discovered I was with child. We welcomed a son, and barely a year after, a daughter followed. Yet, as our family grew, the limits of our single-roomed flat became obvious, and money was growing short.

Philip then decided to venture into business. As for me, I stayed at home, raising our children and doing all I could to support him. We faced more than one occasion when we found ourselves completely out of funds, left with nothing at all. Still, we persevered, holding fast to the hope that, in time, all we dreamt of would be ours. After some years of struggling side by side, our fortunes changed and the business prospered. Our lives improved immeasurably, our children attended the best schools and later the finest universities, and I found time for all manner of hobbies and interests.

Philip, too, enjoyed his own pursuitshe often travelled on excursions with his friends. This never troubled me; he fulfilled his role as provider dutifully and deserved his leisure. Our marriage was underpinned by love and genuine respect, and all seemed well. I never once imagined how swiftly life might turn.

One weekend, my husband fell gravely ill. The ambulance took him away, and within hours he was gone. Just like that, as though he had been spirited away. My children and I were left to grapple not only with an unbearable grief but with a revelation for which none of us were prepared. It emerged that for the past five years, Philip had carried on an affair with a young lady who could easily have been his own daughter. It was with her he took his holidays. Hed left her everythinghis business, the house, the summer cottage, even the motorcar. Everything; and we, his family, were left with nothing. The shock stole all speech from me. How could he have done such a thing? How could he walk this earth, all the while knowing his family might find themselves without even a roof over their heads? I cannot fathom how to go on.