A Pain Shared: How the New Wife Lost to the One Before Her
Emily and her two children moved into their new house on the outskirts of London. They had barely unpacked the boxes when ten-year-old Oliver approached his mother with an unexpected request:
“Mum, can we get a dog?”
“And a cat!” added eight-year-old Sophie, frowning. “A Maine Coon!”
For the first time in weeks, Emily smiled—warmly, genuinely, unreservedly.
“Why not? Let’s do it!”
No one could stop them now. No more “I’m allergic” or “I don’t want fur on the sofa.” Her ex-husband, William, no longer lived with them. This time, they could live for themselves.
Twenty minutes later, they were in the car, heading to a friend’s house where a litter of Labrador puppies had just been born. A lively black puppy chose Oliver—bounding over and refusing to leave his side. They named him Max.
Next, they visited a cattery, where Sophie fell in love with a grey Maine Coon someone had backed out of adopting that morning. She named him Duke. By evening, they had emptied their wallets at pet shops, buying everything they needed. They returned home with no money left but full hearts.
The night was a blur of joy—children cuddling their new furry friends, Emily arranging beds and reading online advice. The house felt alive again.
Then the gate buzzer sounded.
Emily sighed. On the intercom screen stood William—and beside him, Charlotte.
Meanwhile, across the street, a hurried housewarming was underway. Charlotte—young, striking, and self-assured—paced the living room nervously.
“Why this house? Right under your ex-wife’s nose?” William sighed.
“Because my children live here,” he said calmly. “I want to be near them.”
Charlotte scowled but then remembered her friend’s words: “Show her who’s in charge now. Let her envy your glamour.” It became her mission.
“Fine. At least she’ll see what she’s lost,” she smirked. “I’ll look better at her age than she does now.”
When the moving truck pulled up next door, Emily froze at the window. He’d brought Charlotte here—to the place she had built her life. Now he’d watch their children grow up from across the fence. Something hot and bitter rose inside her, but she kept her composure.
“Mum, can we really get a dog?” Oliver said seriously. “Dad never liked them.”
“He doesn’t live with us anymore,” Emily replied with a quiet smile. “So we can.”
That evening, Emily’s home hummed with happy chaos while next door, an artificial elegance reigned. Caterers set the table for William’s guests, soft music playing in the background. Charlotte preened for his family, determined to make the night her triumph. But then the guests began… leaving.
“Darling, the children miss Oliver and Sophie—we’ll just pop next door,” said a family friend, already ushering his wife out.
Then William’s business partner excused himself. Then his sister, Hannah.
“Lovely party, but we’d rather sit with Emily,” she said sweetly.
When William’s parents arrived, it all unraveled. After polite greetings, they left too—heading straight to Emily’s. “She kept our old room,” his mother explained. “We want to congratulate our daughter-in-law.”
Charlotte trembled with rage.
“Are you going to say anything?” she snapped at William.
“What can I say? This house is ours on paper. But my family is over there.”
An hour later, they joined Emily’s gathering. A barbecue sizzled in the garden, children laughed, Duke stole shoes, and Max raced around. Emily greeted them calmly.
“Glasses are in the kitchen. Join us if you like.”
William relaxed instantly, surrounded by friends, children, his sister, and parents—the life he truly belonged to. Charlotte sat stiffly in a corner, out of place. And in that moment, she knew—this wasn’t her victory.
She had lost to the woman she’d tried to outshine.
When she slipped away, no one noticed—not even William.
“He didn’t even remember I existed,” she whispered, staring from her window at the laughter and guitar strums across the fence.
And in that second, Charlotte finally understood:
In another’s story, you’ll always be a stranger.