One of our readers, Sean, who is 36 years old, sent us a heartfelt letter. He told us his story, where his cheating caused a big problem with an unexpected result. Sean was very surprised when he told his wife about his affair with a client. He thought she would react in a certain way, but she reacted differently than he expected. Now, Sean feels hopeless about how things have turned out and wants advice from our readers on what to do next with his family.
Sean had a short-term affair and confessed about his infidelity to his wife.
Sean, who is 36 years old, recently wrote to our editorial team about his complicated family situation. He expected to be judged by many people but still hopes to receive opinions and advice from those who care about his problem.
He started his letter by saying, “My wife Rosa and I have been happily married for 15 years. We’ve faced many challenges together and always found solutions as a team. Our relationship has been built on trust and understanding. We’ve never lied or cheated on each other. However, recently, everything has changed drastically, and our family is falling apart.”
Sean admitted, “I did something terrible and disgusting—I cheated on my wife with one of my clients. I don’t understand why I did it; it felt like I was on autopilot. Soon after, the guilt became unbearable, and I ended the affair immediately. I stopped working with her and passed her contract to a colleague. I also confessed everything to my wife and started individual therapy.”
Sean expected a very emotional reaction from his wife and was partly prepared for it.
Sean admitted, “At first, my wife was really upset and depressed. She was furious, and I was really worried about her mental state. I expected a big drama, but I had never seen her so upset before. I begged her not to divorce me. I suggested counseling, therapy, even allowing her to see other men, but she wasn’t interested. She just asked me to leave her alone and give her time to deal with her pain on her own. She insisted that I move out and wait for her to decide our future together.”
Sean didn’t argue with his wife’s decision. He wrote, “I packed my things and went to stay with my parents. I called her every day, and she sounded broken and frustrated. I could hear the hurt in her voice, and I understood why. She didn’t want my help and only asked for more space, which I respected.”
One day, the behavior of Sean’s wife totally changed.
Sean wrote, “Three weeks after I told her about my affair, my wife started acting strangely. She called me and asked me to move back into our house, which I gladly did. She said she wanted to try to fix our relationship and immediately began being the best wife imaginable.”
He continued, “She cooked my favorite meals, left me loving notes, and even bought new clothes to look more attractive to me. Her reactions seemed half-hearted at best. She smiled and thanked me, saying she loved me more than anything. We barely talked about what happened, and I didn’t bring it up either. I was surprised by her change but thought she was being strong and reasonable, deciding not to let a brief affair ruin our marriage.”
Sean added, “I didn’t find her behavior suspicious, but one thing puzzled me. She started seeing a gynecologist frequently, almost every week, shortly after I confessed to cheating. She never explained why.
Sean was worried about his wife’s health and he confronted her about her frequent appointments with a doctor.
Sean wrote, “I worried about serious health issues my wife might have had, keeping me awake at night. She had reproductive system problems, which we thought was why we couldn’t have children.”
He continued, “When I finally asked her about her health and frequent visits to the gynecologist, she smiled and told me she didn’t have any health problems. She revealed she was consulting about a pregnancy. I was shocked but happy at the thought of us having a baby.”
Sean recounted, “Then she dropped a bombshell. She confessed the baby wasn’t mine. She admitted to having an affair, just like I did. She said she got pregnant from him. It felt like my whole world turned upside down.”
He added, “She believed everything that happened was fair, saying we both got what we deserved. She suggested we stay together and I could adopt the baby. She explained she wasn’t in contact with the biological father anymore and he wouldn’t have wanted to know about the pregnancy.”
Sean is devastated and conflicted. He wrote, “I have a feeling the baby is mine and my wife was trying to hurt me like I hurt her with my confession. But what if she’s telling the truth and the baby isn’t mine? I don’t know what to do. I’m torn.”
