A 36-year-old woman recently wrote to us, shocked by what’s happening in her family. She’s upset because her husband played a hurtful prank that made her doubt their marriage.

The trouble started when her husband played a tricky joke.

Taylor, the woman who wrote to us, began her letter by saying, “My husband played a prank on me, and now our marriage is falling apart. We’re not young and playful — I’m 36, he’s 38, and I can’t believe this is happening. I even suggested therapy, but he refused to talk about it.”

Taylor went on to tell us what happened: “A month ago, my husband left his iPad on the counter while I was doing dishes and went to the gym. Later, after the whole drama unfolded, I realized why he was so insistent that morning, leaving the iPad where I couldn’t miss it. Now I understand why.”

She revealed, “As I was loading the dishwasher, he got a message and a photo of a woman in her underwear. It was from someone named Ashley. I was shocked. We’ve been married for over six years and have two kids together. I checked more and found their messages going on for two weeks. He was obviously cheating on me with this Ashley.”

Taylor was furious, but she didn’t react the way her husband expected.

Describing her initial reaction, she said, “I felt an intense pain I can’t describe. I ran to the bathroom, crying and feeling sick. When he got back from the gym and asked what was wrong, I just handed him his iPad and said Ashley messaged him, then I left for a walk. I asked him to stay with the kids, and he agreed.”

Taylor took a long walk, about four hours. She said, “I was crying like never before. When I got home, I told him I knew about his affair and asked how we should handle it. He asked me, ‘Handle what?'”

Taylor kept calm and said, “I told him our marriage couldn’t continue. I wanted to keep things stable for the kids, so I suggested he could stay with his parents while we sort out the divorce.”

But then things took an unexpected turn.

She said, “He asked if that was really all I had to say and if I was joking. I didn’t understand what he wanted. I was so exhausted I couldn’t talk more about it.”

Then, Taylor’s husband surprised her even more. She said, “He started shouting, accusing me of being cold and uncaring. He said my reaction wasn’t what he expected. He shoved the iPad at me and told me to call ‘Ashley’. I hesitated, but he insisted. When I called, it turned out ‘Ashley’ was his best friend, and he thought it was all a funny prank.”

Taylor said, “It took me a moment to understand, and then I started crying again. He was furious that I didn’t react the way he wanted. I still don’t know what he expected from me.”

Now their family life is falling apart.

Taylor shared, “Since then, he’s been distant and unkind to me. I tried to apologize and explain how hurt I was, but he won’t listen. He wants a divorce because he says he can’t trust me anymore. He thinks my reaction was weird. This whole situation feels crazy to me, but if he wants a divorce, that’s what he’ll get.”

Advice from Now I’ve Seen Everything

We thank Taylor for sharing her story with us.

At Now I’ve Seen Everything, we understand that everyone makes mistakes. We sympathize with Taylor and all the emotions she’s going through. But we believe it’s important not to rush into divorce. Maybe taking some time to calm down and talking openly with her husband could help.

Going to therapy together might also be a good idea. A therapist could help them understand each other’s feelings and work through their problems. With patience and effort from both sides, we hope Taylor’s marriage can still be saved.