‘I’m leaving you,’ Belle’s husband became a stranger overnight

What happens when your husband suddenly becomes someone you don’t recognise? One cold day in 2020, Belle Burden’s partner of 20 years told her he was leaving her. There were was no warning, no chance to talk. 

Before her relationship collapsed, Belle’s life looked enviable. Heiress to a wealthy New York family empire, she had the kids, the job, the holiday house and a committed marriage. But overnight, everything Belle thought she knew about her husband changed, and he became a stranger to her. Despite the pain of separation, Belle came to know herself again and rebuilt her life stronger than before. 

This episode will answer questions like: 

• What does it feel like to be cheated on? 
• Can you tell if your husband is having an affair? 
• Do people suddenly fall out of love? 
• Who is Belle Burden? 
• How can women protect themselves financially in a marriage? 
• What lessons are there to be learnt after going through divorce? 

What to listen to next:

I love you but go away: Women taking marriage sabbaticals

How swapping a husband for a wife made this economist better off

Turia Pitt is a selfish woman

Paying for sex at 70

You can binge more episodes of Ladies, We Need to Talk on the ABC listen app (in Australia) or wherever you get your podcasts.  

What to read next:

Why these women took marriage sabbaticals — and how it went

Building a village means showing up even when it feels hard, says Esther Perel

Why Kate chose to 'stay flat' after breast cancer surgery

Why genital herpes does not mean the end of your sex life

This episode contains references to divorce, separation, affair, cheating, heartbreak, money, settlement, parenting, re-invention, self-discovery, gender, mothering, independent, finance.