I had just divorced for 5 months, I brought my new girlfriend home to meet my ex-wife to tease her, but as soon as the door opened, I was the one who had to receive the humiliation…
My name is Ramon, 35 years old, and I had just divorced my wife – Angela – exactly 5 months ago. Our 6-year marriage broke down because of petty conflicts, which accumulated into an irreparable distance. On the day I went to court in Quezon City, I walked away with relief, thinking that I had escaped that “suffocating” life.

Just a few weeks later, I met Kristine – a girl 7 years younger than me, beautiful, skillful. Kristine’s appearance made me feel like I was reborn, like I was back in my youth. And then, in a moment of impulse, I came up with an idea: bring Kristine to meet Angela, to prove that I had a happier “new life”.

That day, the weather in late autumn in Manila was chilly. I dressed neatly and drove Kristine to the old house where Angela was living. Kristine hesitated a bit and asked softly:
– “Are you sure you should do that? I think it’s a bit strange.”

I sneered:
– “What’s strange? I just want to show her that losing you means losing the world.”

The car stopped in front of the gate. My heart was beating fast, not because of nervousness, but because of the overwhelming feeling of elation. I rang the bell. From inside the house, familiar footsteps echoed. The door opened… and at that moment, I stood still…
The person who opened the door was not only Angela. Next to her was a little girl about 4 years old, clinging tightly to her mother’s skirt, her big round eyes looking at me in bewilderment. But what made me feel like someone had punched me in the chest was… behind them, a tall man, dressed simply, with warm eyes, was placing his hand on Angela’s shoulder naturally as if they had been together for a long time.

Angela looked at me, her voice calm, without any confusion:
– “What are you doing here?”

I stammered:
– “This… this is…?”

The man stepped forward, holding out his hand:
– “I am Marco, Angela’s fiancé. This girl is my child, and now she also sees Angela as her mother.”

My face was burning. The two words “fiancé” sounded like a knife cutting into my pride. I tried to force a smile, but all the words I was about to say were choked.

Kristine stood beside me, clearly surprised as well. She gently pulled my hand to signal me to turn around, but I still stood still as if nailed to the floor. I couldn’t believe that – the woman I once thought would be miserable after the divorce – was now so radiant and peaceful.

Angela continued, her voice soft but firm:
– “Ramon, you don’t need to prove anything. We both have a new life. I wish you happiness.”

Having said that, she turned to hold the little girl, smiling warmly at Marco. At that moment, I realized – she had completely stepped out of the past, while I was still stuck in my ego and complacency.

I turned away, my hands clenched, an indescribable feeling welling up in my heart – not jealousy, but emptiness.

On the way home, Kristine was silent, and I could only hear my heart pounding heavily.

That night, I lay awake. Angela’s calm eyes and her smile when she stood next to Marco kept appearing in my mind. I understood one thing – happiness is not to “tease” someone, but to cherish while we still can. And I lost that… forever

That night, I – Ramon – couldn’t sleep. The image of Angela in the arms of that man, with the little girl laughing, was like a knife cutting into my heart. I asked myself: “Why could she move on so easily? Why not me?”

In a fit of jealousy and pride, I came up with the idea of… winning Angela back. I told myself: “She is my ex-wife, I am the one who has the right to be with her. As for that man, he is just the one who came later.”

Attempting to “find her again”

In the following days, I deliberately found excuses to get close to Angela. I sent a message:
– “I miss you. Can we talk privately for a while?”

But Angela only replied briefly:
– “No need, Ramon. It’s over.”

That message was as cold as ice. I was not willing to accept it. I went to her workplace – a small accounting office in Makati. As I stood waiting in front of the gate, hoping to confuse her, an SUV suddenly stopped. The person who got out was Marco.

He walked straight forward, put his arm around Angela’s shoulder, naturally and moderately. They talked and laughed with each other. I held the steering wheel tightly, jealousy flared up.

The truth revealed

That night, I drank and texted Angela:
– “You forgot so quickly? Six years of living together, do you think there’s nothing left?”

This time, Angela called back. Her voice was calm but decisive:
– “Ramon, do you think I left you just because of some small conflicts? Actually, I’ve endured more than that. You were indifferent, heartless, and once you betrayed me. Have you forgotten?”

I was speechless. It’s true that once on a business trip, I had an affair with a female colleague. I thought Angela didn’t know. But it turned out, she knew everything… just silently endured.

Angela continued:
– “You didn’t just lose me. You also lost my last respect. Marco didn’t come later – he came at the right time, when I had lost all faith in you.”

I choked up, unable to say a word.

The final blow

A few weeks later, I heard that Angela and Marco had had a small engagement ceremony in a church in Quezon City. I ventured to go, thinking that Angela would at least waver when she saw me. But when I entered, the sight before me made me freeze again.

Angela was wearing a simple white dress, holding Marco’s hand, and the little girl called her “Mama Angela” naturally and affectionately. In her eyes, there was nothing left of me – only the peace that I had never given her.

The old friend beside me whispered in my ear:
– “You know, Angela once fainted in the hospital due to overwork when she was your wife. Marco was the one who took her to the emergency room and took care of her every day. That was when she realized who was truly worthy.”

I stood there, stunned, my heart falling into the abyss.

The price of being late

On the way back, I realized: I no longer had the right to “win back” Angela. All I was trying to do was expose more that I had lost her a long time ago – from the days when I looked down on her, ignored her, and betrayed her.

Angela did not move on too quickly. It was just that I was too slow to realize her value.

That night, looking at Kristine sitting silently beside me, I suddenly found myself doing to her what I had done to Angela – using her as a tool to prove my ego.

I suddenly understood: the greatest humiliation is not being rejected by others, but seeing clearly that you once had happiness in your hands, but threw it away, and then it was too late for your whole life.