Couple Plan To End Marriage After 11 Years, Then Something Amazing Happens

Joy Harrington’s 11-year marriage and young family was shaken to its core when she found out about her husband’s infidelity and porn addiction.

But, she told Newsweek, she decided she needed to give it her all to save the relationship before she let it go. What followed was an inspiring journey of resilience and partnership that has gone viral on Instagram.

“One minute you’re ending your marriage of 11 years… And then… 3 years later you are living in the marriage you always prayed for,” Harrington captioned one reel about rebuilding her relationship, which has over 95,600 likes.

When Harrington found out about her husband’s betrayal, she first thought of her children.

“I knew they would ask me one day about everything, and I needed to be able to look them in the eyes and say that I tried everything I could to save it,” she told Newsweek. “So, I gave him 30 days to give me a reason to not file [for divorce]. I also included a list of things I needed to see from him, including finding a counselor who specialized in pornography addiction.”

Rather than shy away from the tasks, Harrington’s husband did the work. The couple began by attending counseling sessions together, which allowed Harrington to understand her husband’s struggles with the addiction and its impact on their marriage.

Over time, she said, her focus shifted from seeing him through the lens of betrayal to appreciating the man he had become through his efforts to change.

“Personal growth was the only way forward. When there’s an addiction at play, it requires you to look at yourself—as the addict or the codependent—because there’s emotional immaturity there along with wounding,” she said.

Rebuilding Trust

Harrington’s transformative journey of forgiveness was not instantaneous; it took years of personal reflection and intentional effort to rebuild trust and rekindle love.

Her approach was diligent—Harrington took things one step at a time, making decisions gradually and with intention. Her advice to others facing similar challenges? Pause and focus on the next step, seek professional help and commit to the process of change.

“You don’t have to decide anything right now,” she said. “Just decide your first next step. Are they willing to do the work to repair this? Can you find a counselor who will walk you through this together? If they are willing to do whatever it takes, give them 30 days to show you that they will.”

Social Media Reacts

Some Instagram users shared similar stories. “13 years and our marriage almost ended, 2 years later and a lot of work, we have a biblical marriage and praying for a little one to add to it,” one wrote.

Another said, “‘For better or worse till death do us part’ love that part, also love ‘in sickness and in health’… wedding vows aren’t taken seriously anymore.”

Others were less convinced. “Infidelity is a deal breaker. I don’t understand how people can just ‘work through’ that. Trust is gone,” one user replied.

A second said, “Wow, the price that you are paying is so high compared to him. hope he learned his lesson.”

Regardless, through their arduous journey, Harrington said she and her husband not only rebuilt their marriage but also crafted the relationship they had always dreamed of—a testament to focusing on personal growth.

“It can be better than you imagine,” Harrington added. “You can have an incredible marriage after infidelity. When you drop the stigma and see it as a part of your story but not your identity, everything changes.”