“You Lost, Roman”: How a Man Ended Up with Nothing After Betraying the Wife Who Gave Him Everything
When Nadine returned from the countryside, where she’d left the kids with Aunt Margaret for the summer holidays, she never expected to find another man in her home. *Him.* Roman. Her husband. With his bags packed. A cold look in his eyes. And a verdict.
—We’re getting a divorce. Lily’s pregnant. I’m leaving her.
The words hit her like a brick to the chest. She didn’t even scream—just tightened her grip on the strap of her handbag. He didn’t give her time to process it. Just demanded the house keys and said:
—The house isn’t yours. Neither the business nor the accounts—none of it. Everything’s under my uncle’s name. You’ve got no rights.
—What about the kids?— she whispered.
—We’ll split them. But if you make trouble, you’ll walk away with nothing.
And just like that, he walked out, as light-footed as if their family had been nothing more than a budget B&B—and Nadine, the woman who’d given him her best years, borne his children, sold her parents’ flat, and poured everything into *his* business, was merely a temporary guest.
There *had* been a time when they were happy. Or so it seemed. He’d been charming, charismatic—the perfect romantic. After her father’s death, Nadine had been alone; her mother hadn’t survived long without him. Roman had stepped in—or pretended to.
—Let’s go, he’d said. Start fresh. I won’t let you down.
She hadn’t hesitated. Said yes. Married him. Had a son, then a daughter. Worked until maternity leave. The business? Registered under his relatives—”for security,” he’d claimed. Then things unraveled.
Roman thrived like a soap opera heartthrob—gym memberships, cafés, “business trips.” Meanwhile, Nadine was left with the school runs, sleepless nights, and that sinking feeling every time he didn’t come home. His mother didn’t help:
—Have you *looked* at yourself lately? What are you next to my son? He deserves better.
After the divorce, Nadine moved in with Aunt Margaret. No money. Just pain. And the kids. But she didn’t give up. With her aunt’s help, she started a small haulage business—two vans, one dispatcher. Two years later? A growing fleet. Nadine rebuilt.
Roman? Crumbled.
Lily left him almost immediately, saddling him with a child and court debts. His uncle bailed on the business. The house went to the bank. He scraped by in a rented flat, taking odd jobs. He had *nothing.*
Then—one day—an interview. He’d applied for a driver’s position. Walked into the office. And there she was.
Nadine. In a sharp trouser suit, confident stride, gaze steady.
—*You?*— He swallowed. —How—how are you here?
—I work here.
—I need a job. Take me. For old times’ sake.
—We don’t hire men who abandon their kids,— she said, calmly. No spite. Just fact. —Deadbeat dads aren’t our style.
—I’ll pay it back—I just—
—No, Roman. You didn’t *just* fall on hard times. You dug the hole yourself. And I built everything—without you.
A tall young man—her son—knocked and leaned in. Same steady eyes, same quiet confidence.
—Mum, ready to go?
—Yes, love.
And Roman just stood there. A stranger. Because that’s all he was now. He’d lost. Lost everything. Even respect had packed its bags. Only the hollow space he’d carved for himself remained.
