I Attended My Husband’s Office Party for the First Time, but I Never Expected to See His Other ‘Wife’ There

The laptop pinged, interrupting our movie. Oliver had just gone to the bathroom, leaving his laptop open on the coffee table.

I glanced at the screen. The subject line caught my eye:
“Dear Mr. Oliver,
We’re excited to announce the New Year’s party is coming up! Dress code: White Party. You may bring your plus-one (your wife).”

I blinked. Oliver’s company never allowed plus-ones. Yet, there it was. I asked him casually when he returned, “Your office is having a New Year’s party?”

“Oh, yeah,” he said, quickly closing the laptop. “Just the usual stuff.”

“Can I come?” I asked, smiling.

“No, they don’t allow guests,” he replied, avoiding my gaze. “Anyway, I’ll be working that night.”

His response felt off. New Year’s Eve came, and after he left, I followed him to the hotel. The lobby was glittering with white-dressed guests. At the reception, I introduced myself as his wife.

“Nice try,” the manager laughed, then paused. “Oh… Oliver already checked in with his ‘real’ wife.”

I turned to see Oliver across the room with a woman, their body language intimate. The world spun.

The next day, I received a call from the hospital. Oliver had been in a car accident. He was stable but needed surgery—his insurance had lapsed.

When I arrived, the doctor explained the situation, and I saw Oliver lying in bed, weak. He pleaded, “I know you’re upset, but please, just listen.”

But I was done. “You lied to me. You’ve been lying to me,” I snapped. “I’m not signing anything. That’s a problem for your ‘real wife.’”

I walked out, feeling a weight lift. It was over.

A few days later, Oliver called, begging, “I need you.” But his “real wife” never showed. I told him, “You made your choice,” and blocked his number.

Soon, word spread of his affair. His career faltered, and the woman was gone. But I didn’t feel sorry for him—I felt free. I focused on myself, exploring hobbies I’d long neglected. After years of being the dutiful wife, I was finally living for me.