I used to live with my ex-husband, Mutsuki, and our two elementary school kids. Back then, he only covered the rent while I handled every other expense. One day, he demanded that we pay 200,000 yen a month from our household budget to put his father in a care facility. When I refused, he said, “Well then, we have no choice. Let’s get a divorce.” I found the whole thing so ridiculous that I just replied, “Okay, sounds good.” Our divorce went through without a hitch. My mother was completely shocked by the sudden turn of events.
My parents were incredibly shocked by the sudden divorce, but they supported my decision and warmly stood by me. I didn’t face any financial difficulties at all, and our new life after the divorce got off to a peaceful start. Although the kids were a bit confused by the sudden change in their environment at first, they surprisingly adapted to it right away. They are still free to contact my ex-husband and seem to keep in touch with him through their phones. So when my ex-husband reached out six months later saying he wanted to talk, I was positive he was going to ask for a reduction in child support. I never in a million years expected him to ask to get back together…