The Villain: Challenging the Notions of the 'Perfect' Marriage

As I grappled with the decision to end my marriage, I found myself ensnared in a web of conflicting emotions. On the surface, our relationship seemed enviable - stable, loving, and devoid of the typical markers of dysfunction that often precede a breakup. #couplegoals was a popular comment on social media under any post about he and I. There were no betrayals, no addiction battles, no bruises hidden beneath long sleeves. And yet, despite the absence of these glaring red flags, I couldn't shake the pervasive sense of discontent that kept me waking up at 3am consistently, eating at my soul.

In the quiet moments of introspection, I questioned the validity of my feelings. Was it selfish to crave more than what my marriage offered? Was it ungrateful to yearn for a connection that transcended mere coexistence? The societal narrative of marriage as an unbreakable bond, forged in love and sustained by duty, weighed heavily on my shoulders. It whispered insidious doubts into the recesses of my mind, casting me as the antagonist in my own story. My villain era but it wasn’t feeling as sexy as that one influencer made it seem.

But as I peeled back the layers of societal conditioning, I unearthed a truth that resonated deep within my being. Love, I realized, is not synonymous with complacency. It is not a static entity, frozen in time, but rather a dynamic force that ebbs and flows with the tides of life. And while my marriage may have lacked the dramatic upheavals that often signal the end of a relationship, it was not immune to the gradual erosion of affection, the slow decay of intimacy.

In the eyes of the world, my decision to leave may have seemed incomprehensible, devoid of the familiar markers of justification. But for me, it was an act of self-preservation, a reclaiming of agency over my own happiness. I refused to be bound by societal expectations, shackled to a love that no longer nourished my soul.

As I forged ahead on the uncertain path of divorce, I found solace in the knowledge that my struggles were not unique. Women, burdened by the weight of societal norms, often find themselves trapped in marriages that no longer serve them. And yet, despite the absence of overt trauma, their pain is no less valid, their need for liberation no less urgent.

In challenging the notion that only egregious transgressions justify the dissolution of a marriage, I reclaimed my voice, my agency, my right to happiness. And as I embarked on the journey of self-discovery, I embraced the truth that sometimes, the bravest act of all is simply allowing oneself to walk away.