Hi, I am Dan Saunders, 34, divorced and happy! My wife left me four years ago for a newer and younger version of me. That is what she said! Her exact words were — "He is so much like you. He reminds me of you when we were not married. You used to bring me flowers and were romantic to the point that I felt like the most important person in the world. It has been just 6 years and you have shown your true colors. I cannot even remember the last time you took me to dinner. I am sorry but I am not in love with you anymore. I just want out. I do not demand anything from this marriage. He is rich and has told me that he wants me to claim nothing from this marriage." I did not argue or reason with her at all. My Famous last words were - "Let me know when the divorce papers are drawn, I will sign them. I guess you will be moving out today, I will go out for a while so that you have time to pack."

That is how my marriage ended. It is humiliating and disconcerting when a woman chooses her lover her husband and I did feel like a lesser man for some time after the divorce. Then I got back into the dating business and got rave reviews for my performance in bed. They could have been false words spoken by women who looked at me as a potential husband but I did not mind it and my bruised ego got better. However, that, to a very large extent, made me a skeptic and also ended my wish to be married anymore. I know quite well that no matter what I do I am going to die in an old-age-home, children do not have much time for old parents anyway. All I could gain from a marriage is a stable sex life and some companionship. Heck, paying up a collage grad for some quick sex and keeping my partner's age at constant 19 while I grew old was not a bad option. So, that is what I did from then on, I dated a lot of older women (35-40) for companionship and hired fresh collage grads for sex. I had the best of both worlds now, without putting my heart in any danger. I also started taking part in community activities so that I could be around children.

There were questions in my mind right after the divorce. Where did I go wrong? What did he have that made me expendable as a husband? What made her treat me like dirt? I guess they got answered in some convenient manner inside my head or got buried. I just know that I do not ask these questions now. There was an upswing to all this. As soon as she left me I left my job and went into business for my own. I was a Realtor, I was damn good at making people find their dream homes and I did it much better when I did it for myself. Pretty soon serious money started pouring and with my needs being so few, I kept on reinvesting that into business and in these last four years I have made ten times of what I made in the last six.

I had not seen or heard from Diane since the divorce became final. I did, however, see her parents around town quite often. I nodded politely to them when I saw them but never struck up any conversation. Diane was still living in the same town but thankfully her new boy toy did not move around in the same circles as I did.

It was about 3 years after the divorce became final that I heard from Diane for the first time.

"I want to talk" she said, as I picked up the phone. I could recognize her voice but still asked

"Who am I talking to?"

"It's Diane, have you forgotten my voice?"

"Nah, I was not expecting your call, that's all."

"So, when can we talk?" She was sounding lost and distant, the zing in her voice gone.

"Talk, I am listening."

"Not this way, how about I come around to our home and talk."

"Fine, just let me know the address."

"That is not funny, you do know where our home is, I have called our home number and you are home." She was starting to get irritated.

"Oh you mean my house. This has not been a home in the last three years and whatever it is, a house or a home, it is mine and not ours. You have crossed the threshold of this house and this house no longer is ours."

"Okay, can I come to your house and talk." She was not fighting back and it killed half the fun for me.

"Sure. When do you want to stop by?"

"Would half and hour be too soon? I do not want to come between any plans that you have made, but I do want to talk to you as soon as possible."

"Okay, I'm here."

That was the end of the telephone call. She turned up about half an hour later. Still looking as beautiful as ever. She was dressed in a smart jeans and a white T shirt. I always thought this was the sexiest attire for her.

I was seated in the living room and the TV was on full blast. As she walked in she surveyed the room and saw nothing familiar. All the furniture was new and even the 42 inch HDTV was a recent addition. Once she was seated, I asked her, "I am surprised that after all this time there is still an unresolved issue that you need to talk about with me."

"Everything was unresolved, we never did talk about why did we end. All I said was that I was leaving. I am ashamed that I never gave you the closer."

"Oh, if that is all you are worried about, don't be. All that mattered to me was that you were not interested in growing old with me. Once I got it in my thick head that I would be spending the rest of my days without you, I had the resolution. You know me, I am practical, I do not get into why, how and who of matters that I have no control over. Now that your mind is at rest, would you stay for a drink or do you have someplace to go?"

"Is this all there is to it? You are not bitter? You do not want to shout on me or call me names?"

"I did that - three years ago, in the solitude of my room as I burned each photograph of our marriage one-by-one. If I would have known that you wanted to be a party to it, I would have recorded it. At that time, the only thing you were interested in was your happiness. How was I to know you had any interest left in my physical or mental welfare?"