Grooms Who Felt “Pressured” Into Marriage Are Sharing What Happened Next, And I’m Speechless

11.

“I felt pressured by the fact that if I didn’t lock her down, she wouldn’t want to stick around. It was clear when we started dating that she was going to want kids and, after four years of being together, we got married. It went really well — I had this moment on our honeymoon where I felt muscles in my neck relax for the first time ever. Told my counselor I’m finally truly safe to be emotionally authentic with someone. Had about six months with our newborn that were pure gold, as golden as surviving sleep deprivation can be. My wife was diagnosed with cancer when our son was 10 months old, and she died six days before his first birthday. It’s been just over two years since her death and I am laid off, depressed, in chronic pain, and now alone; so no, I am not happy.”

“The alternate universe me where Soph didn’t get cancer is extremely happy now, I imagine. Though, with my own health developments, if she hadn’t gotten sick, maybe I’d be single anyway. My curse persists; hopefully this is my last lifetime under the shadow.”

—JollyGreenStone