Woman turns life around after discovering husband’s secret

A Sydney woman has revealed how her husband’s phone unlocked a devastating secret that turned her life upside down.

A Sydney woman has revealed how her husband’s phone unlocked a devastating secret that turned her life upside down.

Nicki Price married in January 2011, at the age of 28, after meeting her partner while working at an outdoor furniture store three years earlier.

Together they built a life with their two children: a son who is now nearly 13 and a daughter who is nine.

However, in 2017, Nicki’s world shifted when she discovered that her other half was gay.

“Things hadn’t been feeling right between us for a while,” Nicki told news.com.au of their 9-year relationship.

“There was a tension there, but I wasn’t quite sure why.”

The discovery followed months of unease, culminating in Nicki finding evidence on his phone that confirmed her fears that he was keeping secrets.

“I found exactly what I thought I would,” she admitted.

They broke up but continued living under the same roof in separate rooms until 2020 to provide stability for their children.

Nicki Price on her wedding day. Picture: Supplied

Despite the pain, their divorce was far from acrimonious.

“It wasn’t fun, but it wasn’t messy,” she said. “I’ve heard horror stories about divorce, and honestly, we were pretty lucky”.

“Don’t get me wrong … there were days when we were definitely not each other’s favourite person, and I felt like I had failed – but it was far from the worst divorce out there”.

Hiding the signs from his wife and himself

In hindsight, she sees signs she missed, but she believes her now ex-husband was also in denial about them.

“I kept ignoring the little flags,” she shared. “Much like many of us do when we realise there are problems, we hope we’re just overreacting because we don’t want it to be real.

“But eventually, I could no longer ignore it.

“I really don’t believe he was trying to deceive me … I just think he was at war with himself and didn’t want to admit who he really is, which makes me sad.

“No one should have to be afraid of being who they are in this world.”

Nicki said that in hindsight, she saw the signs. Picture: Supplied

Post-divorce reinvention

In the years following the divorce, Nicki says she felt lost and lacked confidence, and living with her ex didn’t make it any easier.

She struggled with feelings of fear and inadequacy, concerned about her future financial security and the prospect of working in a job she despised just to get by.

“I was working as a writer and film reviewer, not making much money, and I dabbled in retail jobs on the side,” she explains.

A lifeline came when a friend in Hollywood offered her PR work, which brought some excitement into her life while things were tense at home.

However, the excitement was short-lived, as the pandemic isolated her from friends and family – and she was taken by surprise to learn the father of her children had met and moved in with his new partner.

“I decided that I had to do something to change because I didn’t want to live in fear, jealousy, and unhappiness,” she recalls.

She began taking steps toward self-improvement, both mentally and physically, gradually reclaiming herself.

“I joined a boxing gym and started my fitness journey. I lost 15 kilos and even participated in an actual boxing fight last year, which I lost badly … but I would have never dreamt that I could gather the confidence to do that years ago.”

Nicki with her kids. Picture: Supplied

Therapy also played an important role in her healing process, but it was her work with business coach Erika Cramer that truly transformed her mindset.

“She gave me the tough love I needed,” Nicki said. “She helped me rebuild my confidence and called me out on my victim mentality with a loving push”.

From that point forward, Nicki began to see herself as capable of creating her own future.

In 2022, she decided to start her own business and launched Priceless Media, a PR firm based in Sydney with clients in health, wellness, and sports.

She had a post-divorce glow up and is grateful for everything that led her to where she is now. Picture: Supplied

Today, she thrives as both a business owner and a mum. Her children are her pride and joy, and she feels grateful for the events that occurred, as they led her to re-evaluate her life.

“I don’t hold anything against my ex-husband, and I am happy he gets to be himself now,” she said.

“The kids know their father is gay and adore his new partner. They call him their stepfather.”

To those going through a tough break-up, Nicki said the feeling of hopelessness is completely normal.

“It’s scary not knowing what the future holds or how things are going to work out,” she concluded.

“I used to cry so much during that initial grieving period – you’re letting go of a future you thought you had.

“But at some point, you get sick of yourself, and then the fun starts. Once you get past it and accept things, you have a clean slate to be and do whatever you want. It’s a beautiful thing.”

Originally published as Woman turns life around after discovering husband’s secret