When my husband walked in with another woman and declared that he wanted her to be his second wife, I initially thought it was a joke. But as I realized he was serious, I told him I would agree to it on one condition—something he definitely wasn’t expecting.
I never imagined I would find myself in this predicament, but here I am, ready to recount the events of a week ago.
It all began a couple of months back when Jack, my husband of eight years, started behaving oddly.
We weren’t newlyweds anymore, but I believed our marriage was solid. At least, that’s what I thought.
Jack’s mood changes were subtle at first.
He had always been full of ideas, but suddenly he was talking about “alternative lifestyles” as if he had stumbled upon a new philosophy.
“You know,” he said one evening while scrolling through his phone, “some people are really embracing unconventional ways of living. It makes you reconsider what works and what doesn’t.”
“Like what?” I asked.
“Oh, I don’t know,” he replied vaguely. “Just… ways to make life easier.”
I assumed he was referring to something harmless, like minimalism or an eco-friendly lifestyle.
The thing is, Jack had a history of diving headfirst into trends. There was a time he became obsessed with woodworking, and another when he was convinced he would start a food truck.
Those interests always fizzled out eventually, so I thought this phase would be no different.
Then came the comments.
“Wouldn’t it be nice to have some extra help around here?” he asked one night while I was folding laundry.
“What do you mean?” I replied, glancing at him.
“Oh, nothing,” he shrugged. “You’re always so busy. Don’t you think it’d be great to share the load?”
“You mean a cleaning service?” I joked.
He laughed but didn’t respond. His tone was oddly serious, and for the first time, I felt a sense of unease.
Around this time, I noticed he was spending significantly more time on his phone. He took it everywhere—literally everywhere. The kitchen, the bathroom, even to bed.
He would sit there scrolling and chuckling to himself. When I asked what was so funny, he’d say, “Just some reels on Instagram.”
At first, I brushed it off, but then his strange habit began to bother me. Who spends that much time on their phone, especially all of a sudden?
That’s when I knew I had to confront him.
One night, as he emerged from the bathroom with his phone in hand, I finally asked, “Jack, is everything okay?”
He paused mid-step.
“Of course,” he said with a smile. “I’m just thinking about how to make life better for us, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.”
His words were meant to reassure me, but they had the opposite effect. “Make life better for us” felt like code for something I wasn’t ready to unpack.
A few days later, Jack asked me a question that sent a chill down my spine.
“Do you think I’m honest with you?” he asked casually.
“Honest?” I echoed. “Um, yeah. Why?”
“No reason,” he replied quickly. “I just think honesty is the most important thing in a marriage. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Of course,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “But what’s this about? Where is this coming from?”
“Oh, nothing,” he chuckled. “I just think it’s time we talked about the future. You know, ways to make things better for both of us.”
“Uh, okay,” I said, trying to change the subject. “I need to grab some things from the store today. Want to come along?”
“Sure,” he said.
I hoped he would drop whatever strange topic he was trying to bring up. But in hindsight, that conversation was just the beginning of the storm.
Fast forward to last week. Jack came home from work looking unusually cheerful. I was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables for dinner when the door swung open.
I looked up, expecting his usual halfhearted “Hey, babe.” Instead, he walked in with a young woman following closely behind him.
“Amelia,” he said in a bright tone, “this is Claire.”
I set the knife down, confused.
Who was this woman? Was she a friend? I had never heard her name before.
“Hi, Claire,” I said. “Can I, uh, help you with something?”
Instead of responding, she just stared at Jack, waiting for him to speak.
“What’s going on, Jack?” I asked impatiently.
I sensed something was off.
“Amelia…” he began. “Claire is going to be my second wife.”
Second wife? I thought he was joking.
“Good one, Jack,” I laughed. “You got me. Where’s the hidden camera?”
But his expression remained unchanged. He was dead serious.
“You’re joking,” I said. “This can’t be true, right?”
My gaze shifted from him to Claire, who looked back at me as if I were the unreasonable one.
“No,” Jack replied. “Listen, Amelia, this is going to sound unconventional, but it’s practical. Claire is a hardworking woman. She can help with cooking, cleaning, and other household tasks. This way, everything runs smoothly. And it’s better than sneaking around and having a mistress, right? At least I’m being honest.”
I stared at him, trying to process his words.
He was attempting to integrate another woman into our lives as if it were no big deal. And he wanted me to appreciate his honesty? Seriously, Jack?
Meanwhile, Claire stood behind him, avoiding my gaze. I could tell she wanted to be anywhere but there.
As I stood there, Jack continued to ramble about how this was the “best solution” for everyone. That’s when a wicked idea struck me.
I folded my arms and waited for him to finish. When he finally stopped talking, I smiled sweetly.
“Alright,” I said. “You can have a second wife. But I have one rule.”
His face lit up. “Of course! Anything! What’s the rule?”
“She can’t approach my second husband,” I announced. “Deal?”
Jack stared at me as if I had just said the most bizarre thing he’d ever heard.
“S-second husband?” he stammered. “Wh-what does that mean?”
“Well, if you’re allowed to have a second spouse, why shouldn’t I? Think about it, Jack. Two incomes. Someone to take me out when you’re busy or don’t feel like it. A man who actually buys me flowers. It’s only fair, right?”
“That’s… that’s not how it works!” he spluttered. “You’re being ridiculous, Amelia!”
“Oh, I’m the ridiculous one?” I shot back, raising an eyebrow. “You walk in here with a stranger and expect me to welcome her with open arms, but the idea of me having the same freedom is absurd? Interesting logic, Jack.”
Claire stood frozen, her gaze darting between us as if she had accidentally walked into the wrong room. If she was nervous before, she now looked like she was seconds away from bolting.
Jack’s face turned red as he tried to justify his idea.
“This is different,” he said. “A man having two wives… it’s acceptable in some cultures. But a woman having two husbands? No one has ever heard of that.”
I snorted. “Oh, so now you’re an expert on culture? Funny, I don’t remember you suddenly adopting any other traditions. Why only THIS SPECIFIC tradition, huh?”
“Amelia, be serious,” he said, his voice rising. “You can’t have a second husband. That’s not how things work!”
“Well, Jack, if you want to live in a ‘traditional’ way, then I guess I’ll embrace some traditions of my own,” I said with a shrug. “But let me be clear. You can’t have a second wife unless I get a second husband. That’s my rule. Take it or leave it.”
He stared at me, wide-eyed. I knew he wanted to scream at me, but even he realized he was the one being unreasonable.
Then, without another word, he turned to Claire. “Go home. We’ll figure this out later.”
Claire didn’t argue. She grabbed her purse and practically ran out the door without even saying goodbye to the man she thought would marry her.
That night, Jack tried everything to convince me I was being unreasonable. “You don’t mean this,” he said, pacing the living room. “You’re just trying to prove a point. Let’s talk about this like adults.”
“We are talking,” I replied coolly. “I’ve made my position clear. If you want Claire, I want another husband. Fair’s fair, Jack.”
By morning, his tune had changed. He entered the kitchen with his gaze lowered.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said sheepishly. “Maybe this whole second-wife thing wasn’t such a great idea.”
“Maybe?” I replied, arching an eyebrow.
“Fine. It was a terrible idea. Let’s just forget this ever happened, okay?”
Forget this ever happened? Nice try, Jack.
“It’s too late to forget everything,” I told him. “Last night, I set up a dating app profile, and I’ve already received dozens of messages from men who seem way more interested in being my second husband than I ever expected.”
“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“I’m done, Jack. It’s over,” I said.
The next day, I packed my bags and moved in with a friend.
Jack kept calling me, but I didn’t respond. He even sent texts, begging for forgiveness.
Soon, I filed for divorce, and from what I’ve heard, even Claire stopped answering Jack’s calls.
Looks like he should have thought twice before proposing such a “practical” solution.