Welp gentleman, something happened that probably won't surprise any of you....

Two years ago I married my partner of 5 years. We tied the knot then moved to her home country of Taiwan. I had a successful career as a college lecturer, church music director and freelance musician. I also had an amazing social circle and community network. I gave it all up to start a new life in her home country on the other side of the planet. It was an absolute grind trying to start over but after two years I was making it. Played all the major jazz festivals, played with big name pop artists etc.

One day (two months ago) Coming home from a 4 day tour we got in a tiny trivial argument. I conceded quickly but regardless the next day she told me she needed "time and space" so I was crashing in our rehearsal space. A week later, she and her parents moved all my stuff out of our house and took my key with zero warning. She told me she wants a divorce and there's nothing I can say that will change her mind. Can you imagine my shock? Totally out of nowhere. Kicked out in a foreign country. I had no idea about divorce laws. After two years of grinding it out I feared I was going to get kicked out of the country as my visa is dependent on her? (Thank god no). It was terrifying and heartbreaking all at once.

She had been on the receiving end of pretty severe emotional abuse from her parents (think asian parent stereotype to the extreme) and she had started taking SSRIs and benzos about a week or two before this all started. I believe the drugs changed her personality in a huge way. She's almost unrecognizable. Other folks in our community noticed the same think. She shows zero empathy to me and anyone else. She went from being soft and sensitive to cold and hard almost over night. Not just me but in all her business dealings as well (we work together in the same scene so I was able to hear some stuff). She also went from the epitome of introverted to extremely extroverted

It sucks because I sacrificed so much to build our life together. Gave up so much to move here. I spent years studying Mandarin and studied her culture only for her to say that everything about me is wrong and bad. She complained about me not earning enough money. Well, what could she expect? I left my successful career to come here and not to mention it had just starting to take off here anyways.

Here's the upside. Taiwanese divorce laws seems to be pretty simple and nothing can happen until we both agree. Once I sign off we can go our sperate ways. We don't have any joint assets or children so it will be a clean break. I just need to get a new visa (which will take several months) then I'll be free to explore the single life in Taiwan and/or/eventually move back to the west.