Well it didn’t have to change.  It was his choice to make the change.  That change affected so many more people than just him. His selfishness caused devastation.  Was it selfish though?   I thought so for many years.  Now I am not sure.  Now I can see where he was coming from.  Save your self by leaving, or stay and make yourself unhappy and the others plod along none the wiser, but happier than they would have been if you had left.  The effect it had on her?  That fateful day was to cause an emotional decline. Actually it was more of a standstill.  Ceased.  Cut-off.  Gone. For a long, long, time.