I’ve been married for sixteen years. My husband, Masato, and I have been raising our three kids—Yuuma (7th grade), Rei (5th), and Takuto (2nd). Then one day, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with a serious illness, and I found out my husband has an older brother who’s been shut away in his room for over twenty years.
My mother-in-law grew resentful because I wouldn’t “help” the way she expected. Eventually she even dropped a letter in our mailbox hinting that the whole family should die together. Masato once promised he’d never let our kids or me get pulled into his family’s mess, but he can’t protect us anymore. I’d reached my limit.
Rei has probably realized I’m preparing for a divorce. She must’ve thought that if she kept studying for her entrance exams, I’d stay married “for the kids”… and never walk away. She’d been studying so hard. She’d poured her heart into getting into her dream school. Thinking about how hard she worked made me feel ashamed of myself.
It was already clear I couldn’t stay with my husband any longer. But when parents divorce, it always affects the kids in some way. Rei even said she wanted to give up on her exams. That’s when I finally understood… Choosing divorce is far harder than I ever imagined.