When my husband came home with another woman and announced that he wanted her to be his second wife, I thought it was a joke. But when I realised he was serious, I told him that I would agree on one condition. It was a condition he didn’t expect.
I never thought I’d be in this situation, but here I am, and I’m ready to tell you what happened a week ago.
It all started a couple of months ago when Jack, my husband of eight years, started acting strange.
We weren’t newlyweds anymore, but our marriage was stable. Or at least I thought it was.
At first, Jack’s mood changes weren’t noticeable.
He’d always been full of ideas, but suddenly he was talking about ‘alternative lifestyles,’ as if he’d discovered a new lifestyle.
‘You know,’ he said one evening, scrolling through his phone one night, ’some people really embrace unconventional ways of living. It makes you think about what works and what doesn’t.’
‘Like what?’ I asked.
‘Oh, I don’t know,’ he said uncertainly. ‘Just… ways to make life easier.’
I figured he meant something innocuous, like minimalism or one of those eco-friendly lifestyles.
The thing is, Jack was always head over heels for fads. One time he got into woodworking and another time he vowed to open a food truck.
In the end, it always came to naught. I thought this time would be different.
Comments followed.
‘It would be great if we had some extra help,’ he asked one evening as I was folding laundry.
‘What do you mean?’ I replied, glaring at him.
‘Oh, nothing,’ he said with a shrug. ‘You’re always so busy. Don’t you think it would be nice if you had someone to share the load?’
‘You mean cleaning?’ I joked.
He chuckled, but didn’t answer. His tone was oddly serious, and for the first time I felt awkward.
It was around this time that I noticed he started spending a lot more time on his phone. He took it with him everywhere. Literally everywhere. In the kitchen, in the bathroom, even in bed.
He would sit there scrolling through his thoughts on his phone and giggling to himself. When I asked what was so funny, he said, ‘Just some Instagram videos.’
At first I brushed him off. But then something about his strange habit started to bother me. Who spends that much time on their phone? And also so suddenly?
That’s when I realised I had to talk to him.
One evening, as he was coming out of the bathroom with phone in hand, I finally asked: ‘Jack, is everything okay?’.
He stopped half-stepping.
‘Sure,’ he said with a smile. ‘I’m just thinking about how to make our lives better, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.’
His words should have reassured me, but they had the opposite effect. ‘Making life better for us’ sounded like a coda to something I wasn’t ready to unpack.
A few days later, Jack asked me something that sent a shiver down my spine.
‘Do you think I’m being honest with you?’ – he asked nonchalantly.
‘Honest?’ I repeated. ‘Mmm, yes. Why?’
‘No reason,’ he answered quickly. ‘It’s just that I think honesty is the most important thing in a marriage. Do you agree?’
‘Of course,’ I said, narrowing my eyes. ‘But what’s the point of all this? Where is this coming from?’
‘Oh, nothing,’ he grinned. ‘I just think it’s time for us to talk about the future. You know, how to make things better for both of us.’
‘Okay,’ I said, wondering how to change the subject. ‘I need to pick up some stuff from the shop today. Mind coming with me?’
‘Sure,’ he said.
I hoped he’d drop the weird topic he’d tried to bring up that day. But in retrospect, I can say that conversation was just the beginning of the storm.
Let’s move on to last week. Jack came home from work, looking unusually chipper. I was in the kitchen chopping vegetables for dinner when the door swung open.
I looked up, expecting his usual half-serious, ‘Hey, babe.’ Instead, he walked in with a young woman trailing behind him.
‘Amelia,’ he said in a cheerful tone, ’this is Claire.
I put the knife aside and was confused.
Who was this woman? Was this my friend? I’d never heard her name before.
‘Hi, Claire,’ I said. ‘Can I help you with anything?’
Instead of answering, she just stared at Jack, waiting for his response.
‘What’s going on, Jack?’ I asked impatiently.
I knew something was wrong.
‘Amelia…’ he began. ‘Claire will be my second wife.’
Second wife? I thought he was joking.
‘That’s great, Jack,’ I laughed. ‘You’ve got me figured out. Where’s the hidden camera?’
But his expression didn’t change. He was serious. Deadly serious.
‘You’re joking,’ I said. ‘That’s not true, is it?’
My gaze shifted from him to Claire, who was looking at me like I was the one being unreasonable.
‘No,’ Jack replied. ‘Look, Amelia, this is going to sound unconventional, but it’s practical. Claire is a hard-working woman. She can help with cooking, cleaning and other household chores. That way, everything will run smoothly. And that’s better than secretly having a mistress, right? At least I’m honest.’