“Dad Found Happiness Elsewhere, While Mom Fell into Darkness: Was It His Fault?”

Jack’s earliest memories were a mix of confusion and sadness. He remembered the way his mom’s nightgown clung to her bony frame, her once vibrant eyes now dull and lifeless. She spent most of her days lying on the living room couch, staring blankly at the ceiling. Jack didn’t understand why his mom was always so sad, but he knew it had something to do with his dad.

In the early 1990s, mental health wasn’t a topic of conversation in their small Midwestern town. People whispered about Jack’s mom, but no one offered help or support. They just assumed she was lazy or ungrateful. Jack’s dad, on the other hand, seemed to be thriving. He had a new job, a new car, and eventually, a new woman in his life.

Jack’s dad met Linda at work. She was everything his mom wasn’t—outgoing, cheerful, and full of life. Jack didn’t understand why his dad needed someone else when he already had a family. But as the months went by, it became clear that his dad was happier with Linda than he ever was with Jack’s mom.

Jack’s mom noticed the change too. She became even more withdrawn, barely speaking to anyone. Her depression deepened, and she stopped taking care of herself. Jack would come home from school to find her still in her nightgown, the house dark and silent. He tried to help her, but he was just a kid. He didn’t know what to do.

One day, Jack’s dad packed his bags and left. He moved in with Linda, leaving Jack and his mom behind. Jack’s mom didn’t react at first. She just lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling as if nothing had happened. But as the days turned into weeks, her condition worsened. She stopped eating, stopped bathing, and stopped getting out of bed altogether.

Jack did his best to take care of her. He cooked meals she wouldn’t eat, cleaned a house that never stayed clean, and tried to keep up with his schoolwork. But it was too much for a young boy to handle alone. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of responsibilities and emotions he didn’t understand.

One evening, Jack came home to find his mom unconscious on the couch. Panic surged through him as he called 911. The paramedics arrived quickly and rushed her to the hospital. Jack sat in the waiting room, his heart pounding in his chest. He didn’t know if his mom would survive.

The doctors told Jack that his mom had overdosed on her medication. They managed to save her life, but she would need intensive therapy and treatment for her depression. Jack’s dad showed up at the hospital with Linda by his side. He looked concerned but distant, as if he didn’t know how to handle the situation.

Jack couldn’t hold back his anger any longer. “This is your fault!” he shouted at his dad. “You left us! You made her like this!”

His dad tried to explain that he couldn’t stay in an unhappy marriage, that he deserved to be happy too. But Jack couldn’t understand how his dad’s happiness could come at such a high cost.

Jack’s mom spent several months in a mental health facility. She received the treatment she needed, but she was never the same. The spark that once defined her was gone, replaced by a fragile shell of a woman who struggled to find joy in anything.

Jack grew up quickly after that. He took on more responsibilities at home and tried to be there for his mom as much as possible. But the pain of his dad’s betrayal never fully healed. He carried it with him into adulthood, always wondering if things could have been different.

In the end, there were no easy answers. Was it his dad’s fault? Maybe. But life is rarely that simple. People make choices, and those choices have consequences—sometimes devastating ones.