He Asked Me To Betray My Marriage For Business

Years ago, when I agreed to be with him, it wasn't solely because he was the only man interested in me. There were others circling my life, eager for a chance to share their world with me. Ken was one of them, promising me paradise and vowing to do everything to make me his. However, I found Ken too materialistic; he believed that winning a woman's heart was as simple as taking her to the top of a mountain, showing her the kingdoms of the world, and saying, “All these things will I give you if you will fall down and worship me.”

Jesus resisted such temptations from the devil, and I was determined not to fall for the same. I kept Ken as a friend until he eventually moved on. There were other suitors, but none caught my eye until Percy entered my life. He was a man of few words, but his actions spoke volumes. He had started his own business and was diligently working to establish it. I admired his commitment to both his work and to me. No matter how busy he was, he always made time for us.

One rainy day, in the corner of his hall that he had turned into an office, he said to me, “I proposed to you in January, and now it's May, but you still haven't responded. You spend time with me should I take that as a yes? If you didn't care for me, you wouldn't be here.” I replied, “Oh, I thought I had said yes a long time ago! If I haven't, just wait a bit longer; I will say it soon.”

That was how I agreed to marry the man who would become my husband two years later.

From all appearances, his business took precedence over everything else. He referred to it as his first child and first love, spending countless hours in that corner of the hall, striving to build a successful enterprise. I supported him in every way I could. I worked for a government institution, earning a modest salary, but whenever he needed financial help, I contributed what I could. I ran errands for him, and since the headquarters of his company was in our living room, I often found myself acting as the company’s cleaner.

Building a successful business is never easy, but all it takes is one significant contract to set it on the path to success. He called it the breakthrough contract. He prayed for that contract, and one day, when he least expected it, it came through.

Good things take time, but once they start happening, they often come in waves. After that breakthrough contract, a series of other substantial contracts followed. Around the same time, I became pregnant with our first child twins, a boy and a girl. A year and a half later, I gave birth to another girl.

Juggling my job with childcare became increasingly challenging, but I never complained. I was simply doing my best to create a comfortable home for my three children and their father. Sometimes, my best wasn't enough. I came home late on some days, served dinner late on others, and there were evenings when I was too exhausted to bathe the kids, so they went to bed without a wash.

Percy didn't appreciate that and began to voice his concerns.

He was against hiring a house help, believing that they weren't the right kind of assistance. He said to me, “Quit your job. After all, how much are you earning that it’s worth jeopardizing the family? You’re tired, and I understand that, so just stay home and take care of the kids and the house.” I initially took his words as advice, but then he started insisting that I quit. “I’m making enough to support the family, so just stay home for the sake of our kids and our family.”

I refused. “This isn’t what I signed up for when I accepted your proposal. I’m a career woman with dreams of advancing my career as far as I can. I won’t let family cut my ambitions short. I’m a bird that loves to soar and hunt for a living. I don’t belong in the decorated cage you want to confine me to.” He persisted, and I resisted. I suggested hiring a nanny, but he said no.

He began blaming me for everything that went wrong in the family. If one of our children had a headache, he would say, “You chose not to stay home and care for them; just wait until something worse happens.” Any issue in the house was attributed to my refusal to become a stay-at-home mother.

Eventually, I grew tired of the same argument and decided to change my approach, hoping it would prompt a different response from him. I chose to resign and stay home for the kids. I was scared at first; the future seemed uncertain, but I was ready to take the leap, using my children and family as my safety net.

When my resignation was approved, I showed him the letter. He said, “I trusted you would make the best decision in the end. I know it’s not easy, but I’ll ensure you don’t regret this.”

The hardest part was the first three months of staying home. I was bored to tears, especially when the kids were at school and he was at work. I felt lost. Everything that once brought me joy became dull. One day, I told him, “Give me some money to start something small on the side. I could open a shop for baby items. If I have my own work, I can set my hours to take care of the kids and manage the home.” He replied, “Give me some time to think about it.”

He never finished thinking about it, and it soon became a source of conflict between us. Our parents had to intervene to help us resolve the issue. Even when his parents understood my perspective, he remained adamant about keeping me at home so he could see me whenever he returned from work.

One afternoon, I ran into Ken. We were both delighted to see each other, and our friendship rekindled as we began talking regularly. He was thriving in life and had entered politics, achieving the success he always desired he was in a position where his material cravings could easily be satisfied. He still had feelings for me and was determined to make me his girlfriend. I had learned to leave the past behind to embrace the future, but given his status, I didn’t want to dismiss him entirely.

Meanwhile, Percy’s business began to struggle. He didn’t confide in me, but it was evident from the choices he made at home. His business relied heavily on securing contracts, and when he went a month or two without one, he started to feel the strain. I waited for him to open up, but he tried to hide it. The household budget began to shrink, and he became easily irritated whenever I brought up expenses. I believed he would turn things around, but each day seemed to worsen. I had been home for three years, and I felt powerless to help.

I mentioned Ken to him, saying, “I have this friend who’s influential; I’ll talk to him and see if he can assist us.”

Ken wanted what he wanted, and I wasn’t prepared to give him that, but my husband kept asking if I had spoken to my influential friend. I kept responding, “Yes, he said to give him some time.” Each day, he inquired about my conversation with Ken, so I finally told him the truth: “Ken pursued me when you were trying to win me over. I chose you, but after all these years, he still wants me. He wants to have something with me before he can help.”

He looked at me in disbelief and asked, “Are you serious? He knows you’re married with three kids?” “Yes, he knows,” I replied. He then asked, “Is he married?” I told him, “No, he’s not.” After that, he didn’t say anything more about Ken.

Then Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the world’s economy. His company was already struggling, but the pandemic delivered the final blow. One morning, before the lockdown, I noticed he was still in bed after 10 a.m. I asked, “Aren’t you going to work today?” He replied, “There’s no work to do. I can’t waste fuel just to sit there and do nothing.”

The day before that morning was the last time he went to work. We were now miserable, searching for any way to make ends meet before the kids’ school resumed.

One morning, while still in bed, he asked me, “That influential friend of yours, are you sure he can help us?” I answered, “He’s in a position to help, and I believe he can, but I don’t trust his intentions.” He said, “We need his help more than ever. All I need is one contract to keep us afloat. Talk to him. Persuade him. If it comes down to it, give him what he wants. We need to survive this.”

I was taken aback and couldn’t find my voice for a moment. I wanted to ensure I heard him correctly, so I asked, “What did you say?” He replied, “You heard me. Don’t pretend. Desperate times call for desperate measures.” I told him, “It’s become too easy for you to throw me under the bus to satisfy your selfish interests. You pushed me to leave my job so you could feel like a man. Now, as we face the toughest times of our lives, you want to burn the ground beneath me to keep yourself warm. I refuse to be pushed around any longer. I will never do that.”

He turned to me with a smile and said, “I was just testing you to see if you would do it. Don’t take it personally.”

Liar!

If I didn’t know him better, I might have believed him. Testing me?

In his worldview, business always comes first, but the idea that he would sacrifice me to fulfill his business needs hurt me deeply. That day, I resolved to look for a job. I hadn’t been active in the corporate world for a while, but I still had my certificates and five years of experience. I would leverage my network to find a job. If desperate measures were necessary, I would use Ken to get what I needed. No, I wouldn’t play by his rules. Ken had once loved me, and there had to be a way to calm the beast within him to achieve my goals. My children needed to go to school when it finally resumed.

As for my husband, I could only pray for a miracle before he made another misguided decision in the name of desperation.

-Alberta

Kindly SHARE this story. Someone on your timeline needs it. Do you have any relationship experiences to share? Email it to editors@etechx.co.ke

Like our Facebook page to stay updated on new posts.