‘HE SPENT CHRISTMAS WITH ANOTHER WOMAN’

Before marrying her husband, children’s nursery owner Sharon Birch, 56, was unceremoniously dumped on Christmas Day.

I was introduced to Chris* by my friend’s sister who worked with him. He was recently divorced and I was single, and we were together about eight months.

He was due to come to my house for Christmas – I’d decorated my house so much more than I usually did and bought lovely tasty goodies.

I bought a turkey, champagne for a Buck’s Fizz breakfast when he arrived – the whole works. I’d bought him a watch and had spent a bit more than I should have, but thought he was worth it.

That morning I was so excited – but he didn’t turn up! I started to get anxious, and I couldn’t get hold of him. I called my friend, and she called her sister who was still a good friend of his. She rang me back to tell me he wasn’t coming, and instead he’d gone to another woman’s house for Christmas – someone he worked with and had been seeing for about the same length of time he’d been seeing me.

I was devastated. I really thought we had a great connection and this was going to turn into something more.

I ended up giving the turkey away to someone who’d put a call out on Radio Essex and spent the day on the settee crying self-pitying tears with a bottle of gin.

He knew how invested I was in our day together, having planned it and been so excited about it, and all along he had other plans with someone else. My friends were supportive and looked after me that New Year.

I never spoke to Chris again, and our paths never crossed. I still think it was a rotten thing to do. New Year was a turning point and I vowed to pick myself up, be stronger physically and emotionally, and never let myself be vulnerable in a relationship again.

‘I was so excited, but he didn’t turn up!’