I refuse to marry my long-term partner. A divorce taught me marriage is nothing more than a business transaction.

Courtesy of Jeannie Assimos

• Jeannie Assimos married at age 40 but started the divorce process four years later.
• She says she knew the marriage was a mistake, but she fell under societal pressure at the time.
• After a difficult divorce, she now values independence and a non-marital partnership.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jeannie Assimos, a 52-year-old VP at a fintech company.