Kristin, 27, was only an associate at a firm when she met her manager and direct supervisor, Matt, 33. Being six years apart, she would look up to Matt as a leader and mentor who guided her daily tasks.
During one of their big projects, the two had to stay in the office beyond work hours and work interactively to meet deadlines. With the long nights they spent together, Matt and Kristin noticed a strong attraction between them.
Soon after, they began dating in secret. It was a rule that dating within the same department was not allowed, and if it happened, someone had to leave. However, both Kristin and Matt liked their jobs and wanted to spend more time with each other, so they kept it a secret.
They made it a point to discuss only work-related things in the office and have dinner after work nearly every day. However, whenever beside each other, Matt would hold Kristin’s hand under the table or kiss her head when no one was looking.
They both knew it was wrong, but neither one wanted to leave their post. Besides, it would have been a waste if their relationship did not work. Since they were together every day, Kristin and Matt felt like their two-hour-long dates at night were enough to know each other.
Five months passed, and the pair felt that they were more in love than ever. Matt got down on one knee during one weekend and proposed to Kristin with a one-carat diamond ring. He said:
“I know it has been less than a year since we met, but I feel like everything in my life fell into place when you came. I don’t want to waste another day without you.”
After Kristin accepted his proposal, the couple agreed that she would request to change departments within the firm. Within two months, the pair had a small wedding with their closest friends and family in attendance.
Their first few months together went tremendous, and in a year, they welcomed a baby boy, Simon. While on maternity leave, Kristin took care of the household chores, cooking dinner, and soothed her child.
Her husband, on the other hand, just ate and watched football. Kristin never complained as their lives were established with such roles. As time passed, Matt was promoted to a senior manager position, while Kristin was promoted to senior associate.
Despite working in the same company, they did not go home together. Matt would stay beyond work hours while his wife picked Simon up from daycare, cleaned the house, and cooked dinner, all so she could paint at night.
Kristin painted on canvas every night and has so far completed four beautiful pieces. The craft has been a way of relieving stress and expressing her creativity while having her alone time. When Matt came home, it was routine to eat then watch football.
As time passed, Kristin learned that her husband would pass on work to his associates and senior associates and would stay after work to talk to his colleagues or grab a drink with his friends.
Meanwhile, she would work hard, pick her son up from daycare, and do the routine at home. By the time Simon started kindergarten, Kristin was already a manager and doing very well at her job.
At the same time, she grew more and more tired of her husband’s laziness at home, despite her sometimes asking for help. One evening, while having dinner at home, Kristin sarcastically hinted that she was the only one who did anything at home.
Her husband lashed out and began shouting, “You are a good-for-nothing wife if you can’t make me happy!” Upset, Kristin replied, “You are a good-for-nothing father if you can’t even sacrifice to pick your son up from school!”
Matt immediately went to Kristin’s art area and smashed her paintings out of rage. “You call yourself an artist? Why don’t you focus on household chores instead and stop complaining!”
It was then that Kristin knew she had enough. She wanted not only to divorce her husband but make him regret demeaning her. For months, she worked twice as hard for promotion as a senior manager.
When evaluations came, the partners were impressed with Kristin’s performance and offered her a senior manager position. Simultaneously, her husband was doing poorly and had been asked to switch departments.
Kristin asked if she could become the senior manager for her husbands’ department, and the management gladly accepted. After knowing that his wife was taking his position, Matt drove home angrily.
However, the home was empty with no trace of his wife or his son. Instead, there was an envelope on top of the table with his name on it — they were divorce papers. It was then that Matt realized it was too late to apologize. For another #storyoftheday, read about a couple who almost broke up.
