We got a letter from a 38-year-old woman who’s going through a tough time. She just found out why her husband was hiding his best friend from her, and now she’s feeling confused and doesn’t know what to do next.
Everything seemed to be going well in the woman’s relationship, and her life was pretty ordinary.
Anna, who is 38 years old, told us her story, which many might relate to if they’re worried about their relationship.
In her letter, Anna talked about her marriage to Dylan, which has lasted over ten years. They first met in 4th grade and started dating when they were 17. Anna poured her heart out, saying, “I love my husband. Dylan is amazing in every way. He’s funny, sweet, smart, and good-looking. He’s made my life wonderful, and I always thought we’d be together forever.”
Talking about their friends, Anna said, “We went to the same schools until college. During that time, we each had our own group of friends. Dylan has always been closer to his friends than I have, and I gradually became part of their group too. Even though I wasn’t invited to many of their get-togethers, it didn’t bother me much.”
She explained further, “I didn’t worry about it because, well, these are his friends, and he doesn’t see them as often as he sees me. It’s not my place to interfere.”
Anna always found Dylan’s best friend a bit mysterious.
Anna told us, “Dylan has been friends with Kevin for a long time, even before he met me. But until recently, I didn’t know much about Kevin. He wasn’t at our wedding, and he didn’t go to the same schools as us. I didn’t even know he was friends with anyone in our group. He hardly ever came to our house, and I’ve only met him three times. Dylan said Kevin traveled a lot because of his job, so I didn’t think much of it.”
Talking about her interactions with Kevin, Anna said, “Things didn’t start well between us. I didn’t see him much, but when I did, it felt strange. Two years ago, Dylan and I went to a BBQ at a friend’s house, and Kevin was there. At first, I didn’t even recognize him. The only time I’d seen him before, he kept his distance, which I now realize was on purpose. But I have to admit, he’s really good-looking, like he could be a model.”
Anna went on, “When I tried to talk to him, he seemed nervous and didn’t want to talk much. Whenever I brought up his odd behavior to our friends, they just ignored it, saying that’s how he is. Some even said I might have offended him. Nobody wanted to talk about Kevin with me. It was like he was a forbidden topic.”
Anna also observed some odd behavior from her husband.
Anna tried talking to Dylan about Kevin’s behavior, but Dylan just said Kevin didn’t like her. Anna was confused because she hadn’t done anything wrong. Dylan told her Kevin was upset because Anna dated another guy during a break they had in college. Anna thought it was strange but didn’t think much of it until recently.
One day, Dylan said he was going fishing with his cousin. Anna decided to have a girls-only party at home. While one friend was looking at social media, Anna saw a strange photo of Dylan and Kevin in a hot tub. When Anna asked her friend about it, the friend got uncomfortable and didn’t want to talk about it. Anna checked Dylan’s private profile and found many pictures of him and Kevin together, doing things without her.
When Anna asked her friend about it, the friend looked guilty. Anna realized that Dylan and Kevin had been secretly dating since college, even when Dylan and Anna were on a break. Their friends knew about it but didn’t tell Anna until she found out herself.
Anna felt lost because she didn’t know what to do. Leaving Dylan was hard because he had been a great partner, but she couldn’t handle competing with Kevin. It was tearing her apart.
Anna mustered the courage to confront Dylan about his affair.
Anna confronted Dylan about his relationship with Kevin. At first, Dylan denied everything, saying Kevin was just a close friend. But Anna didn’t give up. She told Dylan she knew the truth from seeing pictures and hearing it from friends. Eventually, Dylan admitted to having an affair with Kevin, dating him secretly for years.
Even though Anna was hurt, she stayed strong and demanded answers from Dylan. She asked why he kept it a secret and why he betrayed her trust. Dylan showed remorse and regret for what he did, but it didn’t erase the pain he caused.
Now, Anna faces tough decisions about what to do next with their marriage. Confronting Dylan about the affair was incredibly hard, and she’s unsure about the future of their relationship.
