TLDR; Even in old age, women will be hypergamous, especially when they fear their source of income is not going to be around much longer (death).

So today I went to pick up my car from the repair shop. I had to take a bus to get there. I missed the bus and had to wait for 20 minutes. A very old man slowly approached the bus stop. As he sat down next to me he complained about how cold it was. I am usually not really interested in talking to strangers and hoped I could end the conversation by acknowledging how cold it was. However, this man was persistent and started telling me what happened to him recently.

He told me he fell from a ladder when cutting a tree in his garden. He hit his head pretty bad and was taken to hospital where he spent three days undergoing tests. The doctors said everything was fine, but ever since the accident he had at times felt dizzy. He went to all kinds of doctors and did all kinds of tests. Nothing was found wrong with him.

Then one day, as he was coming home, his wife was carrying a big basket of dirty laundry. He offered to take it to the basement for her. She refused profusely. He said that felt weird because no sensible person would refuse an offer to carry something heavy. He took it to the basement anyways. As he looked out the front door, he saw an elderly man standing in front of it. He put the basket down and opened the front door. He asked the bewildered man what he was doing here. "Are you here to see, Elisabeth?" (his wife). The guy turned around and sped off in his car.

Long story short: During the times he was in hospital getting his situation looked at, his wife (like him in his eighties) had started seeing this man. They went on dates together and took day trips together. He would take her shopping and what not. They would meet at every possibility. They would call eachother with blocked numbers to let eachother know all was "safe". She would take the bus to get the grandkids from school, then would make up a story about the bus breaking down just so she could spend some time with this other guy.

The man complained to me asking me how this was possible even after 52 years of marriage. He told me his wife had not worked a single day in her life. He had paid for all her luxury stuff (jewelry, holidays, fur coats et cetera.). I was going to tell him the truth the way I see it and I would have, but he continued in a proud tone of voice: "I have taken away the bank card that gave her access to my account. This is MY money!", he said.

The bus came. I helped him get up and onto the bus. I wished him all the best and got out at my stop.