Last week, I received a job offer that seemed like a dream come true. A staggering $640,000 a year—almost triple what I was currently making. I rushed home, eager to share the news with Sarah, my wife of ten years.

“Babe, you won’t believe this!” I burst through the door, excitement bubbling over.

Sarah looked up from her laptop, her expression neutral. “What’s going on, Jack?”

“I got offered a new job! It’s overseas, but it pays six-forty a year.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “Six hundred and forty thousand dollars?”

I nodded vigorously. “Yes! We could pay off all our debts, buy that house you’ve been eyeing, travel during my time off…”

But instead of sharing my enthusiasm, Sarah’s face fell. “Overseas? How long would you be gone?”

“Four months at a time, but it’s only for a year or two. Think of what we could do with that money!”

Sarah shook her head. “Jack, that’s a long time to be apart. I don’t like it.”

I was taken aback. “But don’t you see the opportunity here? We could secure our future!”

She walked out of the room, her face troubled. “I need to think about this,” she said.

Over the next week, Sarah’s behavior grew increasingly erratic. She seemed preoccupied, her phone an ever-present barrier between us. One night, I caught her texting someone at 2 a.m. When I asked about it, she dismissed it as “just Emma,” locking her phone away.

Her strange behavior continued with frequent “errands” that stretched for hours. I tried to discuss the job offer with her again, but she would change the subject or become defensive.

I decided to seek advice from my best friend, David. At the bar, I recounted my frustrations. “Sarah’s acting like I’m abandoning her or something.”

David suggested, “Maybe she’s scared. Four months is a long time.”“But it’s not forever!” I countered. “And think of the benefits!”

David’s words made me question whether the financial gain was worth the potential risk to my marriage. That night, I returned home to find Sarah on the couch, scrolling through her phone.

“Can we talk?” I asked, sitting beside her.

Sarah’s eyes welled up with tears. “I don’t want to lose you, Jack.”

I took her hand. “You’re not losing me. It’s just a job.”

She hesitated before speaking. “What if you meet someone else over there? What if you decide you don’t want to come back?”

The question struck me like a blow. “Is that what you’ve been worried about? Sarah, I love you. No job or anyone else will change that.”

She managed a weak smile. “Promise?”“I promise,” I said, embracing her. For a moment, I thought we’d resolved the issue.

However, Sarah’s behavior continued to deteriorate. One day, I came home early and caught her on the phone, speaking in hushed tones. When I asked, she claimed it was a telemarketer, but I knew she was lying.

Frustrated and confused, I confronted her. “Sarah, what’s going on? Why are you acting so strange?”

She looked down, clearly distressed. “I don’t want you to take that job.”

“Why not? Is it the distance? We can work through it.”

“It’s not just that,” she said, her voice barely audible. “If you’re gone for that long, I might need company. Male company.”My heart sank. “Are you saying you’d cheat on me?”

She looked pained. “I’m trying to be honest. I don’t want to, but I don’t know if I can handle being alone for that long.”

Stunned, I realized that this was a deal-breaker. “I understand that our marriage is over.”Sarah’s face crumpled. “What? No, Jack, that’s not what I meant!”

Ignoring her pleas, I walked out, spending the night at David’s. David listened as I grappled with the betrayal. “You need to at least talk to her before making any final decisions,” he advised.

Despite David’s counsel, I felt the damage was irreparable. The trust had been shattered beyond repair. The next day, I met with a lawyer to start the divorce proceedings. As I signed the paperwork, I thought about the future I had envisioned just a week earlier.

When I returned home, Sarah was there, tearfully begging for another chance. “Jack, please, let me explain. I didn’t mean what I said.”

I replied coldly, “If you didn’t mean it, why say it?”

Sarah’s face was ashen. “I was scared. I panicked.”

I made my decision. “Pack your things. You can stay with Emma until we sort this out legally.”As Sarah left, I felt a pang of doubt but resolved to stick to my decision. Sometimes, the hardest choices are the right ones. I contacted my new employer to confirm my acceptance and prepared for the next chapter of my life.