I never expected to get a text from my ex-husband’s new girlfriend. But when Lisa reached out after our daughter’s birthday dinner, her question forced me to rethink my entire marriage.
The dinner had been going smoothly until my daughter handed me a birthday card from Ben. My hands shook holding it—because in thirteen years together, Ben had never once remembered my birthday. Not a single time.
Lisa saw my reaction. Later, her text arrived: “Is Ben’s forgetfulness with dates something that changes?”
I could have lied. I could have given her false hope. Instead, I told her the truth: “That’s between you two.”
When Ben called months later to say they’d broken up—over a forgotten anniversary, of course—I wasn’t surprised. But hearing him dismiss Lisa’s feelings the same way he’d dismissed mine for years? That stung.
At the grocery store, I ran into Lisa. She looked exhausted but relieved. “I just couldn’t keep feeling unimportant,” she admitted.
Walking away, I realized something: Lisa had taught me a lesson I didn’t know I needed. Settling for less doesn’t make you the “cool ex-wife”—it just means you forgot your own worth.
