Self
Divorce settlement
When Bianca Barton’s* husband walked out, it broke her heart. The road to healing was tough but, five years later, she is happier than ever
Bianca Barton
My son and I were out walking on New Year’s Eve when a couple crossed the road in front of us, hand in hand. It was my ex-husband of 25 years with the woman he had left me for five years ago. It was the first time I had seen them together.
Thirty years ago, this man and I would have been celebrating the new year as newlyweds. It was clear that he had moved on. Watching them, I might have been devastated – but, in that moment, I realised that I was finally over him.
Point of no return
Six months before, a friend had told me that the man who had once been the love of my life was engaged. It sent me into a tailspin. I believed I had healed, but I felt rejected all over again. My friend was shocked at my reaction. ‘It’s been four years,’ she said, ‘don’t let him ruin any more of your life!’
Over the following six months, I had CBT with a therapist, the latest stage in a determined battle to recover and move out of the dark place I often found myself. That New Year’s meeting showed that it had been worth it. When I look back on that day now, I am brimming with pride at how content I am with the new life that I have created for myself. I would not swap it for anything.