This story is about a husband who thought he had survived the hardest years of marriage, only to discover that a simple bottle of cologne was masking a betrayal he never saw coming.
I had been married for two years, and my wife bought me a new brand of cologne for our second anniversary. I normally use Calvin Klein. This was Hugo Boss, a “different fragrance” she found “more adult.” I appreciated the gift, and didn’t think too much about it, and started using it.
We survived COVID as a couple
We started dating back in 2017 and when I proposed in 2021, we planned to marry in ‘22. Our actual wedding got delayed until 2024. But having survived the MCOs, the financial stresses, and being home together for two years, I believed that we could survive anything.
She worked in sales and marketing and once the pandemic ended, she travelled for work a lot. I was a remote graphic designer since the pandemic hit. We both worked at the same company, meaning same ecosystem, same life. Or so I thought.
“I’m flying to KL for a conference.”
After COVID, my wife travelled from our home in Penang for work a lot. KL, sometimes Johor or Singapore. Conferences. Tradeshows. Client meetings and contract reviews. She usually left the company laptop at home and took the iPad with her because it was lighter and one less bag.
So when she told me that Tuesday morning she was travelling to cover someone who “kena Covid,” I didn’t think much of it as she packed, hopped into her Grab to Penang International for her short flight to KL
“Ask your wife.”
The routine didn’t change for me, until I had a few questions about some content. Normally my wife could answer, but since she was “travelling,” I called a colleague to ask. She answered my questions then casually asked, why I didn’t just ask my wife, cos “she should be home.” I blinked, told her she was in KL. My colleague paused, “Eh? She’s on leave until Friday-leh.”
Silence. My brain froze. I was… confused.. And suspicious. I texted and asked how the conference was going. She replied like nothing was wrong. Busy. Good networking and marketing opportunities. She was doing interviews and chasing down leads. All very professional and convincing.
First Time I Ever Snooped
I opened her laptop and logged in. Her details were easy to access courtesy of the sticknote with her username and password. Her work email was clean. Then I tried her socials on a whim: Facebook: Clean. Tumblr: Nothing. Then I tried Instagram. I didn’t know that she had one.
I found all the evidence I would need. Six months of DMs, lewd messages, suggestive selfies, rendezvous plans and of course, this weeks’ holiday. My marriage as far as I was concerned was over.
Then I found the message that really broke me: “I bought my husband the same cologne you use so that I can smell you in my house.”
Divorce in 72 hours.
Wednesday morning, I moved fast with screenshots of everything. Then I went to my parents house and showed them enough proof. They just said: Come home. Our house was a rental, so I contacted my landlord, broke the lease and paid the penalty. I didn’t care.
Thursday was spent with lawyers and the divorce papers were drawn up and ready to be delivered. That afternoon, I removed her from every shared account and service: Netflix, iTunes, Spotify, even YouTube Premium. If she was on it, and I was paying for it, she was deleted from it.
By Friday evening, I had moved out, taken my personal effects, desktop computer, and a few pieces of furniture. By friday afternoon, I was back and living with my parents.
Delivering the Papers
I was waiting in the back seat of a Grab car, parked across the street. She came home, and I hit confirm on the lalamove order, and sat back to wait.
Five messages from her, three missed calls and 35 minutes later, lalamove showed up at the front door with an envelope addressed to her. She signed for it. It contained the divorce papers. Printed copies of her Instagram DMs. Confirmation that the lease was broken.
Her scream was audible from across the street. The sound of freedom. Sweetest thing I’d heard in a long time.
I never spoke to her again.
The divorce? All done through lawyers. I saw her in court. But I never spoke to her again. Clean and surgical. No children. No alimony, no drama. The Divorce was finalized earlier this year.
People ask me if I’m bitter. I’m not. I’m hurt. I’m tired. I trusted her completely and learned how easily trust can be abused.
Write in. Tell your story. Get paid.
Share your story on our Facebook page and you may become a contributor for In Real Life Malaysia.
Read also:
“My Uncle Cried When a Young M’sian Returned His RM3,800 Wallet,” Shares Niece of Elderly S’porean
“My Uncle Cried When a Young M’sian Returned His RM3,800 Wallet,” Shares Niece of Elderly S’porean
More from Marriage
‘I discovered my wife was selling feet pics’ shares 33 year old M’sian Muslim Man
This is a story of how a man discovered that his wife was selling pictures of her feet to earn …
“My Husband Cheated On Me After I Financially Supported Him,” Shares 36 YO M’sian Wife
This is a story of how a woman financially supported her husband as he tried to find work, only to …
“I’m a 24 YO divorcee and I blame my parents,” shares M’sian Scholarship Student
This is a story of how a Malaysian woman was forced to get married young, and despite her protests of …
