My name is Wang Xiuying and I am 62 years old this year. Marriage, for many people, is the most important thing in life. But for me, marriage is a painful memory. My husband, Liu Wei, and I used to love each other like that, but now, we are on the verge of breaking up.
When we got married, I was in my early twenties, and Liu Wei was five years older than me. He was a brilliant businessman with a successful career and a handsome appearance, making him the Prince Charming in my mind. After we got married, we lived happily ever after he cheated on him.
That year, I was forty years old, and my children had grown up. I found out about his infidelity and I felt like the whole world was falling apart. I asked him why he did such a thing, but he just didn't move. I wanted to divorce, but he firmly disagreed, saying that he would correct it. I thought about our relationship for so many years, so I chose to forgive him.
However, instead of correcting himself, he continued to cheat. After I learned about his cheating, our relationship became more and more stiff. There was no longer the same intimacy between us as before, and there was not even much conversation. I felt like I was living in a loveless marriage, and every day was miserable.
One day, seven years later, I made up my mind to leave him. I found him and told him I was leaving him. He cried, said he regretted it, said he didn't want to lose me. But I no longer have the same feelings as before, and I told him that we have no future.
I smiled as I walked out of the house. I laughed because I was finally free. I laughed because I knew that I could live just fine even by myself. I laughed because I knew that I would find happiness that was truly mine.