A husband of ten years thought he knew every corner of his wife’s heart. Then doctors told them she had nine months to live, and the ground shifted under both of their feet. He stepped into full-time caregiving with love, fear, and quiet strength. He promised himself he would make every day easier for her.

But nothing prepared him for her final request.

As her illness progressed, she sat him down and asked a painful question. She wanted to sleep with her ex one last time. She called it “a physical thing.” She said their emotional bond was stronger, but her “most physical compatibility” had been with her former partner.

Her husband wrote online that the request “broke something” inside him.
“I don’t remember life without her,” he shared. “I don’t know who I’ll be when she’s gone.”

The internet felt his pain. He admitted he felt pressured to say yes because she was dying. He also admitted another truth—he felt betrayed.
“I’m so hurt she needs this before she dies,” he wrote. “I hate everything about it.”

Commenters didn’t hold back. Many told him her illness did not excuse the emotional wound. Others said a dying wish should never involve breaking someone else’s heart.

And somewhere between grief, love, and shock, he stood alone with a choice no partner should ever face.

In moments like this, life isn’t simple. Love isn’t simple.
And sometimes the hardest truth is this: even at the end, people can still surprise us in ways that cut deep.

What would you do?