“I’m telling you, we need better locks for the cans,” I suggested one morning as Kyle angrily watched me scoop up the scattered garbage. “Maybe some chicken wire around the garden too. My sister Jane says that worked for them.”
“I don’t care what your sister says. What we need is to get rid of them. Permanently.”
I remembered when we first met, how his spontaneity had seemed charming. Now, at forty, that impulsiveness had morphed into an iron-fisted need to control everything, including me.
“Kyle, please. Can’t we try the peaceful way first?”
He jabbed a finger at me. “You always do this, Josie. Always trying to make everything complicated when there’s a simple solution right in front of us.”
“Simple doesn’t always mean right.”
He slammed the broom against the side of the house. “What was that?”
I flinched. “Nothing. I’ll look into better trash cans today.”
That weekend, I found Kyle in the garage, assembling something metallic.
“What’s that?” I asked, though I already knew. Animal traps.
He didn’t look up. “Insurance. These smart traps will catch anything that comes near our trash.”
“Kyle, please. They could hurt them.”
He slammed down his screwdriver. “That’s the point! I’m so sick of you defending these disease-carrying vermin. You act like they’re some kind of pets.”
“They’re not pets, but they don’t deserve to suffer. Maybe if we just—”
“Maybe if we just what, Josie? Let them take over? Build them a guest house while we’re at it? I’ve had it with your bleeding heart routine.”
I felt tears welling up but forced them back. “Why does everything have to be solved with violence? They’re just hungry animals, Kyle.”
He stood up, his face red. “You want to know what I think? I think you care more about these pests than our home. Than me.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it? Every time I try to solve a problem, you fight me. The raccoons, the neighbor’s dog that keeps barking all night, even that group of teens that hangs out by our fence.”
“Those are all living beings, Kyle. Not problems to be ‘solved.’”
“This is my house!” he yelled, making me jump. “I work every day to pay for it, to keep it nice, and I’m not going to let some animals destroy it while my stupid wife takes their side!”
When the raccoons started showing up again this spring, Kyle completely lost it.
That evening, I was folding laundry when he stormed in, waving a piece of paper and grinning like he’d won the lottery.
“You’ll never guess what I found at the hardware store. Industrial-grade pest control. Guaranteed to solve our little problem.”
I took the paper. It was a receipt for animal traps and some kind of poison. My hands started trembling.
“Kyle, you can’t be serious. That stuff could kill them!”
He snatched the receipt back. “That’s the point, Josie. God, sometimes I think you’re being dense on purpose.”
“But what if neighborhood cats get into it? Or someone’s dog? We could get in trouble.”
Kyle’s face darkened. “I’ve made up my mind. The raccoons are gone by the end of the week, one way or another.”
I spent that night tossing and turning, my mind racing. When did the man I married become someone who could so casually talk about killing innocent creatures?
I thought about calling Jane, but I already knew what she’d say. She’d never liked Kyle and always said there was something off about him. Maybe I should have listened.
The breaking point came on a quiet Tuesday night two days later. I was reading in bed when I heard rustling outside. Peering through the window, I saw one of the trash cans had been knocked over again.
I slipped on my robe and grabbed a flashlight. As I approached the mess, something caught my eye. It was a black garbage bag, partially open, with something moving inside.
My hands trembled as I reached for it. “Oh no. No, no, no…”
Inside were three tiny raccoon babies, barely old enough to open their eyes. They were squirming weakly.
“Kyle!” I screamed, cradling the bag close. “Kyle, get out here right now!”
He appeared on the porch, looking annoyed. “What are you yelling about? It’s the middle of the night, you crazy woman!”
“Did you do this?” I held up the bag. “Did you throw away baby animals like they were garbage?”
He shrugged. “They’re pests. I’m handling it.”
“Handling it? They’ll die!”
“That’s the point, Josie. Jesus, why are you so naive? They’re just raccoons!”
“Just raccoons? They’re babies, Kyle! Living, breathing creatures that feel pain and fear. How would you feel if someone threw you away to die?”
He laughed, a cold sound that made me shiver. “Now you’re comparing me to a raccoon? How dare you, Josie?”
“I’m comparing you to someone with empathy, and you’re coming up short.”
Kyle stepped closer, his voice a chilling growl that made my blood run cold. “You know what your problem is? You’re soft. Always have been. The world isn’t some fairy tale where we all just get along. Sometimes you have to be tough.”
“Tough? There’s nothing tough about hurting something weaker than you. That’s just cruel.”
I looked at him and wondered how I’d never seen the cruelty that had always been there.
The next morning, I called every wildlife rescue in the area until I found one that could help. A kind woman named Marla showed me how to feed the raccoon kits with a tiny bottle.
“You’re doing great,” she assured me, watching as I cradled the smallest one. “They’re lucky you found them when you did.”
As I watched the kit suckle eagerly, tears rolled down my cheeks. “I just don’t understand how someone could be so cruel.”
Marla squeezed my shoulder. “Sometimes the animals we save end up saving us too.”
That evening, I found Kyle’s journal and a detailed plan for dealing with the “raccoon infestation.” It included poison locations, trap placements, and even a schedule. The methodical cruelty of it made me sick.
When Jane arrived, she saw the journal in my hands.
“Still think I’m overreacting?” I asked, showing her the pages.
She shook her head. “Josie, this isn’t about raccoons anymore. Maybe it never was.”
“I know,” I whispered. “I think I’ve always known.”
The divorce papers were served a week later. Kyle didn’t seem surprised, just angry. As always.
“You’re really throwing me out over some pests?” he spat as he packed his things into boxes.
I stood my ground in the doorway of what was now my house alone. “No, Kyle. I’m ending this because of who you’ve become. Who you’ve always been, maybe, and I just didn’t want to see it.”
Days turned into weeks. The raccoon kits grew stronger.
The smallest one was shy and always hid behind his siblings. The middle one was curious about everything. And the biggest was protective, always watching out for the others.
Marla helped me release them back into the wild when they were ready. As we watched them toddle toward the treeline, I saw movement in the bushes. There, watching us, was their mother.
“Look,” Marla whispered. “She came back for them.”
The mother raccoon chittered softly, and her babies ran to her. Before disappearing into the forest, she turned and looked right at me. In that instance, I felt a connection to something larger than myself. Compassion.
“You know,” Marla said, “there’s an opening at the rescue center if you’re interested. We could use someone with your kindness.”
I smiled, feeling lighter than I had in years. “I’d like that.”
“You know, Josie, you can tell a lot about a person by how they treat animals. They’re like a mirror that reflects our true selves.”
Looking back, I realized the raccoons hadn’t just been victims of Kyle’s cruelty. They’d been my wake-up call. Sometimes it takes seeing someone else’s vulnerability to recognize your own.
As the raccoons disappeared into the trees, I took a deep breath and felt ready for a fresh start. I knew I deserved better, and that someday, I’d find the right person who saw the world with the same compassion I did.
11 Women Reveal Why They Never Want To Get Married
11 Women Explain Why They Would Never Want To Get Married
Many young girls imagine marrying their ideal mate in a magical wedding. In addition, women frequently receive a lot of messages from society telling them that living a single life isn’t meaningful or gratifying. Alternatively, consider these 11 incredibly happy ladies who have never married.
1. A 28-year-old Elisa has never been married.
Elisa admits that even though she came dangerously close to marriage, “the idea of being tied down” was a hard idea for her to embrace. “It seems incomprehensible to me to stay with one person forever, even in those circumstances.” She gave an explanation. “But for those who choose to honor it, I completely respect the idea of marriage; for me, it just seems like a title and joke.”
Elise also gives another explanation for her decision to lead this lifestyle. The price of a wedding, she says, “seems so frivolous.”
2. Beth Margaret, Who Was Also Single
As Beth puts it, “marriage is just a facade,” adding that there is no real substance to the union—it’s just about maintaining appearances. According to her, relationship expectations frequently convey the idea that “your romantic relationship is your most important one, and without it, you’re incomplete.”
3. A 59-year-old Kelly adores being on her own
“I’ve been traveling full-time for the past nine years. I take care of people’s pets while they are on vacation by housesitting (I even published a book on it!). I do this for free in someone else’s house. I’ve lived in residences in Kuala Lumpur, Hanoi, Osaka, Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Gibraltar, and all throughout Africa. She divulges. It’s a fantastic lifestyle, but it would be really challenging if I were married. I’ve never been married and I don’t intend to stop traveling the world alone right now.
4. Hazel Is Dedicated to Her Partner
“My girlfriend and I don’t want to be married, even if we can (finally!) get married. We both think that we don’t need a piece of paper to tell us that we’re devoted to one another. Hazel divulges. Furthermore, we would rather to use the money we would have spent on a celebration for anything else!
5. Christine Takes Her Money Into Account
“I would have to inherit my partner’s debt if we were to get married. Thank you not at all. We should keep our finances entirely apart, please.
6. Contentment Is a Delusion
“I find married individuals to be miserable, which is why I don’t want to be married. Though some are better at hiding it than others, practically every married couple I’ve ever met appears unhappy. As stated by mattcleary85.
7. No Agreements
“I don’t want to get married because in the most significant relationships in my life, there is never a need for a certification or contract to guarantee the continuation of the relationship, or to prove to the other person my feelings and my willingness to support them at all times—these are just understood.” Welsh_Milly shares.
8. It’s Still Possible to Feel Alone
A lot of people say they don’t feel comfortable expressing their wants, boundaries, or problems in their relationship. Many feel alone or unheard as a result. Consequently, it may be harder to deal with those emotions if you are depressed. “I’ve had anxiety and depression for a long time, and the last thing I want for myself is to be with someone, even if I don’t have strong feelings for them, simply to feel less alone or deserving. To feel less alone, I would prefer to be alone than to get married. Celeste Monet Dubois says.
9. Nina has never tied the knot
Nina describes herself as “Christian and of Nigerian descent,” two very patriarchal identities. She continued, “This is to the point of overshadowing whatever other amazing feats she may have achieved beforehand or even go on to do afterwards,” as a result of witnessing many of her female role models “forfeit their dreams” in addition to other freedoms.
Therefore, to paraphrase Jessica Knoll, the best-selling author of The Luckiest Girl Alive, “My fairy tale ending has always involved a pantsuit, not a wedding dress. I say this because I was a little girl.” To be successful means to perform well enough to gain freedom and, eventually, independence. She ends.
10. Angela Has Also Never Got Married
“I have no desire to get married. Since I was an only child growing up, I have never truly felt the need or want for a spouse. says Angela. “I’ve experienced tragedies that Adele could never sing about and relationships that rival your favorite romance book, but at the end of the day, I’m always happiest when I’m alone myself. Although I know many nomad couples, I am a digital nomad as well, and I genuinely believe that having a partner would just complicate things.
11. Steer clear of heartache
Heartbreak and disappointment result from the unfortunate fact that many marriages end in divorce. Evie explains why she doesn’t want to be married: “I don’t want to go through that or put anyone else through it. When I was a child, I saw marriages that I thought would last forever break and ruin.”
Joyfully Single
There are several typical reasons why women have never married, despite society’s constant messages that they should aim to be devoted and caring partners, have children, and be subservient, working extra hours to please those around them. The most popular ones are frivolous spending, savoring independence, and choosing nontraditional lifestyles like polyamory. On the other hand, Psychology Today points out that even though more individuals are opting out of marriage, they are not alone in their decision. Rather, “cohabitation has emerged as a popular substitute.” It follows that it is not surprising that 42% of American adults in 2017 acknowledged to not living with a partner or spouse, a 3% increase from 2007. This trend also appears to be continuing.
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