Leah,
I also was married for 27 years before I found the courage to let go of my marriage. It took three years to finalize the divorce and within months my GX remarried a woman. It was a strange time and I think it is because one of the things I value as individual human being is the truth. Truth in the words we speak, the actions we take and thoughts that describe our very soul. It is a difficult realization when we are confronted with irrefutable evidence that not all human beings share one of our core values: honesty.
Most of us come here completely traumatized, feeling that society has no interest in hearing our story due to forced political correctness. Victims of trauma cannot heal until they can tell their story.
Clarity comes with time. All through the divorce my GX continued to reveal the layers of his personality he kept hidden under his sociopathic charm. The fact that he would remarry a woman just months after the divorce was final shows just how absent his moral values are. I am so thankful that such a corrupt, empty, self-serving individual is gone from my life. I am so grateful that what he is was revealed to me in irrefutable ways. I may have loved the man he pretended to be but, the man he really is, is completely unacceptable to me. I can pity the number two wife; she is most likely a co-dependent woman with self-esteem issues that make her the perfect pawn in his sick game. I was her once, now I am strong, courageous and willing to stand in my own power and take full responsibility for my life, my happiness, my health and my wealth!
It is interesting how much clarity straight spouses have regarding closeted homosexuals. We see the personality disorder similarities (narcissist/sociopath, compulsiveness, anxiety, depression, etc.). It is too bad society seeks to "normalize" their condition. I also find it interesting how most of them begin their "reveal" with the "just curious" to "I'm bi" to "I'm gay" type of journey. One of things I have had to do for my own recovery is to stand in my personal truth. It takes incredible courage; I had to learn it and so does someone who is hiding their sexuality behind someone else's pain.
Never feel silenced because you are a straight spouse in an insane world! Speak your truth; by casting light on a dark path, you help others who must travel the same road.
Great writing Leah!