When Anna walked out with just a suitcase and a cold “I can’t do this anymore,” I stood frozen—alone with our four-year-old twins, Max and Lily. In a blink, our family was gone. I’d lost my job after the tech company I worked for folded under shady dealings. One day I had a six-figure salary, the next I was collecting unemployment. Anna, a polished marketing executive,

looked crushed when I told her. But I never thought she’d leave. I took night shifts driving ride-share and delivered groceries by day, all while caring for the kids. My parents helped when they could, but only with time—not money. Max and Lily were my lifeline. Their hugs and “We love you,Daddy” kept me going. A year later, I landed a remote cybersecurity job. The pay wasn’t huge, but it was steady. We moved to a smaller place, and I rebuilt our lives. Then, two years later, I saw Anna at a café—tired, crying. She said she missed me,

wanted to come back. Claimed she’d lost everything. But when I asked about the kids, she said nothing. That silence told me everything. I walked away, laptop in hand, knowing some doors are better left closed.