I had just lost my black lab to lung cancer who had been by my side for 14 years, even before I had met my wife. And then two weeks later I lost my cat who had been right there as well he was 14 also. I am a very softhearted guy especially when it comes to my pets and losing them both so close to each other hit me very hard. So the weeks following their passing I was having a really tough time dealing with it. I was in my 30’s at the time so those two beautiful souls had been with me nearly half my life and to now imagine life without them hurt, A LOT.

I was having a bad day work didn’t go well and when I got home the house was empty and that made it worse. So I kind of had a little breakdown and was crying about it something I usually only do when I lose a loved one or a pet. Most of the time I am very stoic and in control but under those circumstances and rightly so I don’t not hold my emotions back.

During this my wife had came home with the kids so I retreated upstairs into our room when I heard the garage so the kids wouldn’t see step-dad was crying. Both of them being boys they didn’t like it when I broke down since I was supposed to be the “tough” one so I tried to spare them from that.

Well my wife at the time being the gem of a person she was took offense to this or something because as she came into the room she just let me have it. Now I can’t remember everything that was said but shots were fired at my masculinity and how a real man wouldn’t be doing this blah, blah, blah. And that’s when she hit me with it the first time in our relationship she would show me deep down who she really was and that it was time for me to plan an exit strategy.

She looked me dead in the eyes and with no emotion other than extreme content told me to “Get over it, they were just fucking pets……”

I immediately stopped crying as my emotions switched from sadness to a fiery near uncontrollable anger. But as I said before I am very stoic unless I am hurt so I didn’t say a word I just swallowed that anger like a steak dinner and realized this meal would change my life.

Now I knew, without a doubt she would never be there for me when I really needed her. And that if my emotions affected her negatively she would have no qualms about using them to attack me to make her self feel better. She was no more on my side than a stranger I pass on the street and never even speak to.

We divorced shortly after that as I came to learn she had been cheating on me and during the time I was grieving she was apartment shopping. I had to swallow the fact the woman I had been with for 10+ years married for 3 of those cared about me as much as a piece of gum on her shoe. That was about 5 years ago and have been single ever since in fact I am not sure I will ever trust anyone like that again.