0:00
this is a story I'm telling knowing full
0:02
well that many will dislike me for it my
0:05
actions and the consequences of my
0:09
unforgivable reading my own words is
0:11
disgusting because I know the depth of
0:13
what I did i understand too well how
0:16
needlessly tragic the events were my
0:19
hope is simply that by sharing my story
0:22
it might reach anyone in a relationship
0:25
and maybe just maybe it prevents future
0:30
specifically I hope someone who's
0:32
cheating or even thinking about it might
0:36
pause many might think my example of
0:38
what can go wrong when you're unfaithful
0:42
occurrence but people more knowledgeable
0:44
than I am have told me my situation is
0:48
unique i'm willing to take the hate I'll
0:50
receive by sharing this if it prevents
0:52
even one person from breaking a loved
0:54
one's heart i'm a 28-year-old woman and
0:57
I was married to a wonderful man I'll
0:59
call Liam eight months ago he confronted
1:01
me with undeniable proof that I'd been
1:03
emotionally and physically
1:06
unfaithful a few days later he committed
1:10
suicide typing those words out even now
1:13
causes people I don't even know to hate
1:16
me i couldn't believe I had the capacity
1:18
to do something so evil hurting someone
1:21
I'd loved since childhood
1:24
but I did it if you'd asked either me or
1:26
Liam if either of us would ever be
1:28
unfaithful we both would have
1:30
laughed but to my shock I allowed myself
1:33
to lose focus and stray i knew it would
1:36
destroy him if he ever found
1:38
out but I took the heart of the man I
1:41
loved and crushed it so cruy he couldn't
1:44
endure the pain of this life anymore to
1:46
those thinking I don't deserve to be
1:48
breathing I agree i've attempted suicide
1:51
twice i'm convinced there's a reason I'm
1:54
still here for now I've convinced myself
1:57
that the longer I live the more I suffer
2:00
and I don't deserve the mercy of
2:03
self-destruction honestly Liam and I
2:05
grew up together i can remember my early
2:08
youth and I always knew Liam we were in
2:10
the same Sunday school and public school
2:12
classes our families were friends long
2:15
before we came along he always made me
2:18
laugh kids can be mean but Liam never
2:21
was i realized I thought he was cute in
2:24
sixth grade and it became an official
2:27
school liam and I were each other's only
2:30
loves from early high school through
2:32
college we were best friends and
2:34
cherished each other after graduation we
2:37
took a year to get stable jobs near our
2:39
families and decided to get married we
2:42
took vacations together and were
2:44
ravenous for each other
2:46
the only time closeness was off the
2:47
table was during that time of the month
2:49
but we'd make love for
2:51
hours beautiful moments of passion and I
2:54
threw it all away for something to cheap
2:56
and worthless we were planning to have
2:59
children knew their names and were both
3:02
pure he was my first everything and I
3:06
was his part of me wishes I could say I
3:08
had a drunken one night stand but
3:10
no i got involved with a man inferior to
3:15
i didn't even consider the possibility
3:17
that a friendship with another man could
3:18
lead to an attachment forming my husband
3:21
and I had a strong marriage as foolish
3:24
as it sounds now we really
3:26
did my husband was the epitome of
3:29
strength and I was the weak one before
3:32
this I considered myself a strong woman
3:35
it's just that no one ever told me that
3:37
while our relationship was strong no
3:40
relationship is bulletproof
3:42
there's not a day that goes by that I
3:44
don't wish someone had shot me before
3:46
anything I did became
3:48
secretive it's an indisputable fact the
3:51
world would be far better with my
3:53
husband here instead of me i had many
3:55
chances to stop it before anything
3:57
happened and I had no reason to allow
4:01
happen after a brief and heated
4:04
conversation he walked out and I never
4:09
i tried to contact him in every way I
4:11
could think of i tried so many times
4:14
just to let him know I'm truly sorry and
4:16
that I hate what I did my texts to him
4:19
never showed anything but an unread
4:21
status to me so I doubt he read any
4:24
emails or heard any voicemails but
4:26
everyone said I needed to give him space
4:28
and time to think two nights after Liam
4:30
confronted me at 3:17 a.m there was a
4:33
loud knock at the front door i turned on
4:35
the lights thinking it might be someone
4:37
drunk wanting to curse me out or worse
4:40
then there was another loud knock and I
4:42
quickly put on a hoodie before going to
4:43
the door when I opened it and saw two
4:46
policemen I knew they could be there for
4:48
many reasons but I instantly understood
4:52
there they told me my husband's body had
4:55
been found due to an apparent suicide
4:59
i dropped to my knees wailing tearing at
5:02
my skin and hair as the police tried to
5:05
down when the EMTs arrived I was sitting
5:08
on the steps rocking back and forth
5:12
apologies i couldn't make it to the
5:14
funeral even if Liam's family had
5:16
allowed my family to attend i was kept
5:20
days the first thing I wanted to do when
5:22
I got out was visit Liam's grave but
5:25
nobody knew where his parents had him
5:29
deeply that night I attempted suicide
5:32
for the first time i've now been
5:33
hospitalized twice for attempted suicide
5:36
i'm not asking for pity in fact I don't
5:40
want it nothing can take away this
5:43
heartache and nothing can numb it part
5:46
of me wishes I had somehow forced him to
5:48
see me just for a moment to tell him how
5:51
sorry I am and that I knew our marriage
5:55
no I didn't get that and I didn't
5:58
deserve it i have to face the fact that
6:01
what I did was so vile that making my
6:03
husband see me might have forced him to
6:07
sooner many people have said my actions
6:09
led him to take his life and I don't
6:11
doubt it until that horrible day we were
6:15
incredibly happy no suicide note
6:18
verified I caused his passing but we had
6:20
been so happy loving nearly every moment
6:24
together to go from that bliss to grief
6:26
quickly ended him I ended him my words
6:30
actions and thoughts betrayed us both
6:33
regret doesn't damage you if it did I
6:36
would have died before my husband ever
6:38
confronted me when CO hit Liam and I
6:41
quarantined together i taught at an
6:44
exclusive private school and our salary
6:46
was assured as long as isolation was
6:49
needed liam worked from home making
6:52
progress on a project despite the
6:54
world's worries we enjoyed our time
6:58
closer i am truly sorry for those who
7:01
lost a loved one to the horrible disease
7:03
but my husband and I grew closer during
7:05
those weeks we joked about others
7:08
struggling with family time we simply
7:10
couldn't get enough of each other
7:13
after the first month we agreed to limit
7:15
arguments to once a day for about a week
7:17
our only argument during quarantine was
7:19
about doing laundry just to put clean
7:22
sheets on the bed again i cheated on
7:25
that man leading him to end his life due
7:28
to my actions i hate myself in many ways
7:31
but knowing I had it all is the most
7:33
difficult pill to swallow my affair with
7:35
Mark the lacrosse coach started
7:37
innocently during Zoom meetings
7:40
no attraction was present when we met
7:42
face to face there was zero attraction
7:44
at least from me but I didn't sense any
7:47
lustful attention from him toward me
7:49
during that introduction i learned he
7:51
was engaged and I told him I was happily
7:54
married no closeness no tension nothing
7:57
hinting it would ever be a possibility
8:00
the school allowed half the staff and
8:02
students to attend in person for a week
8:04
while the other half used Zoom this was
8:06
to help with social distancing and the
8:08
students feelings of isolation while
8:10
eating lunch one day before my next
8:11
class I got an email from Mark asking me
8:14
to edit toasts and jokes for his
8:15
upcoming wedding i was used to editing
8:18
so it was nothing I felt important
8:20
enough to tell Liam and since it
8:21
pertained to Mark's wedding I saw no
8:23
reason to bore my husband with details
8:25
about that day the email included a
8:28
toast to Mark's parents and to the
8:30
bride's parents i took what he said and
8:33
added a few phrases to tug at the
8:34
heartstrings of all who attended the
8:36
jokes aimed at his brother who was the
8:38
best man were really funny but a bit too
8:41
crude for my taste at a wedding i
8:44
mentioned this when I sent back his
8:46
edited speeches he laughed it off saying
8:48
I didn't understand his family's sense
8:50
of humor which included teasing this
8:52
email exchange marked several months of
8:55
back and forth communication but
8:57
surprisingly nothing inappropriate
8:59
happened until the very end
9:01
throughout our conversations there was
9:03
never any flirting or escalation we did
9:06
discuss taxes but our talks were purely
9:09
scientific and psychological making even
9:11
the biggest nyomaniac in history drier
9:15
Sahara the discussions about race
9:17
politics religion science and sports
9:21
sometimes got heated i was called
9:23
prudish for my tax opinions but I
9:25
enjoyed the discussions confident there
9:27
was no temptation on either end all of
9:30
this occurred during work hours my
9:33
husband and I had a landline for
9:34
emergencies and once we were home our
9:37
smartphones were turned off mark didn't
9:39
even have my number to text until I
9:41
emailed him with a witty remark late in
9:43
the day he asked for my number to
9:46
counter what I'd sent many co-workers
9:48
had my email so I didn't think much of
9:51
it i genuinely believe Mark had no
9:53
interest in pursuing me as he was
9:55
smitten with his fianceé at the time
9:57
however about a month before their
9:59
wedding Mark discovered his girlfriend
10:01
had been having an affair with her high
10:03
school boyfriend for over a year he was
10:06
shocked and deeply hurt unintentionally
10:09
I became the person he vented to i'm not
10:12
sure when our conversations crossed a
10:14
line but I started feeling genuinely
10:17
sorry for Mark i despised his fianceé
10:20
for what she did and I saw nothing wrong
10:22
with that after a particularly tough
10:24
night for him he looked frazzled at
10:26
school and I could tell he'd been crying
10:29
i gave him a hug and he asked if we
10:31
could talk after school since I had a
10:34
few hours before Liam got home I agreed
10:37
in hindsight I realized what drew me
10:39
into conversations with Mark was a
10:41
different opinion liam and I had
10:43
discussed almost every imaginable topic
10:45
and I usually knew his
10:47
response most of the time I craved
10:49
surprise or verbal conflict it was
10:52
foolish pathetic and weak but that led
10:55
to the affair everything with Liam was
10:58
perfect and we spent every available
11:02
together i mentioned a coworker named
11:04
Mark to Liam but as nothing was
11:06
happening I didn't elaborate and he saw
11:09
no reason to pry when Liam had to go out
11:12
of town for 3 weeks we facetimed daily
11:15
and I missed him intensely
11:17
with sudden spare time I found myself
11:19
texting Mark just to pass the time
11:22
instead of occasional conversations Mark
11:24
and I often had dinner and drinks before
11:27
home oddly enough what led to us
11:30
becoming physical was me spraining my
11:32
ankle and the school nurse being
11:34
unavailable that week i hurt my ankle
11:37
and went to Mark assuming he as a coach
11:40
had numbing spray or an ace bandage
11:43
while he was tending to my ankle I
11:45
noticed he had an apparent
11:47
hardness i was surprised until I
11:49
realized he could see slightly up my
11:52
position for a moment I found it
11:55
stimulating that I was turning him on i
11:58
adjusted myself to see if a slightly
12:00
better view would arouse him more he
12:02
called me out on it and I laughed
12:04
telling him to work out his frustrations
12:06
with his girlfriend suddenly he kissed
12:08
me and I pushed him away he kissed me
12:11
again and this time I didn't
12:14
resist we made out for a few minutes
12:16
before I snapped out of it hurriedly
12:18
left his classroom and sat in my own
12:20
classroom in disbelief of what had just
12:23
happened i didn't intend for it to
12:25
happen and I'm sure Mark didn't either
12:28
unsure whether to call Liam immediately
12:30
or wait until he got home that night I
12:33
spoke to Mark after classes he
12:36
apologized advised me not to bring
12:38
conflict into my marriage and suggested
12:40
we stay friends with Liam out of town
12:43
and focused on work I didn't want to add
12:46
stress after discussing it with Liam
12:49
that night I decided to wait until he
12:51
got home his company faced issues
12:53
causing delays and extending Liam's stay
12:56
by 2 weeks mark was there for me to
12:59
discuss what had happened between us
13:01
i couldn't confide in my female friends
13:03
or family who all loved Liam if I had
13:07
known maybe strangers on a site like
13:09
Wistlum would have been the best option
13:12
unfortunately I vented to the last
13:14
person I should have one Friday after
13:16
work Mark and I went to a new restaurant
13:18
for dinner we sat at the bar had a few
13:20
drinks and I explained my unease about
13:22
telling my husband mark asked how I
13:25
thought Liam would take the news and I
13:27
suggested he might want to call in sick
13:31
i told Liam he asked if I thought he
13:33
would fight Mark and I said no however I
13:36
knew it would mean the end of Mark and I
13:38
talking mark confessed he might not have
13:41
made it through his breakup without me i
13:43
assured him I was glad to help and
13:45
didn't regret it as the realization that
13:48
our friendship would end sank in we both
13:50
felt a bit depressed we drank too much
13:53
and I ended up at Mark's apartment doing
13:55
more than kissing as soon as it was over
13:59
yes it should have set in earlier but I
14:01
knew my marriage was over liam and I had
14:05
both said "Society allows too many
14:07
second chances for those who don't
14:08
deserve them." While we believe cheaters
14:11
deserve a second chance it could never
14:14
be with the betrayed
14:15
spouse things got complicated when Liam
14:18
returned from Tulsa i was having my
14:21
period so I knew there would be no
14:22
closeness between us thankfully I
14:25
wouldn't have subjected my husband to
14:28
despite wanting to make love to Liam one
14:30
last time I couldn't allow that i wrote
14:34
a long letter confessing what I'd done
14:36
and planned to give it to Liam after a
14:39
confession to this day I don't know how
14:42
Liam discovered what was going on he may
14:45
have been monitoring my online
14:47
conversation with Mark from day one i
14:50
never got to ask him how he found out
14:52
and the realization that he learned
14:54
about my betrayal before I could tell
14:55
him caused me to fall to my knees
14:57
swearing I planned to
14:59
confess liam didn't believe me and I
15:03
either he had a stack of texts between
15:05
Mark and me printed out though I didn't
15:08
deny any of the accusations that honesty
15:11
came far too late he packed a few things
15:13
and left me on a Monday evening
15:16
wednesday night he drove to a shopping
15:18
center parked his car and took his own
15:20
life knowing I had destroyed our
15:23
relationship tortured my soul like never
15:25
before realizing I robbed him of a
15:27
chance to find someone else to be happy
15:29
with broke me the understanding that I
15:32
didn't just end my relationship with
15:34
Liam but every relationship he had or
15:37
would have filled me with more guilt
15:41
express i could discuss everything that
15:43
has occurred since Liam's passing but
15:46
many details might not interest most
15:48
people simply put his family and mine
15:52
hold strong negative feelings towards me
15:55
my family remains disgusted by my
15:57
actions and their disappointment and
15:59
shame persist their love for me endures
16:03
but the sense of disappointment and
16:05
shame will never fade and rightly so the
16:09
outcomes were not what I intended but
16:12
when choices lead to pain and suffering
16:15
we bear the guilt of causing that grief
16:17
i see a therapist twice a week to work
16:20
through things through my therapist I
16:22
met someone genuinely helping me sort
16:24
through my feelings years ago she
16:26
intentionally set a small fire as a joke
16:29
but it quickly spread causing multiple
16:32
deaths we've discussed various aspects
16:34
of her story and mine things can't be
16:37
the way they once were nor should they
16:40
to keep living I need a plan to make the
16:43
remaining part of my life as meaningful
16:44
as possible so that's essentially my
16:47
story if anyone wants to post hate
16:50
messages and call me a wretched person
16:53
ahead if it helps you release your rage
16:57
consider me your verbal punching
16:59
bag for those who have been cheated on
17:02
some of you may have been intentionally
17:04
betrayed but those who had a partner
17:06
just as perplexed about the cheating as
17:08
you were listen to my story it doesn't
17:11
justify anything I did quite the
17:13
opposite but if it helps you understand
17:16
that you bear little responsibility for
17:17
the infidelity so be it to unrepentant
17:20
cheaters I hope you listen to my
17:22
cautionary tale and recognize your
17:25
ability to destroy not just someone else
17:27
but also your relationships and a
17:31
yourself i know I can't preach or judge
17:35
myself i just hope no one finds their
17:37
Liam and loses them or sinks to the
17:40
depths I did most importantly I want
17:43
people in great relationships to cherish
17:45
and never take them for
17:47
granted humans aren't immune to being
17:49
swayed under the wrong conditions when
17:52
we love someone we carry part of their
17:55
us one betrayal makes it impossible for
17:58
that person to hold that piece of you
18:01
again i had my husband's heart in my
18:03
hands and now I deserve never to hold it
18:06
again nor will he ever hold mine this
18:10
life has too much pain without hurting
18:12
the ones we love love is too precious to
18:15
risk on anything update: I cheated
18:18
causing my husband to commit suicide
18:20
days after confronting me this is
18:22
intended as a final response liam likely
18:25
didn't read it and considering he's been
18:27
dead a year I doubt it was him for those
18:30
trying to psychoanalyze me I appreciate
18:32
the effort even if it was for your own
18:34
self-interests professionals haven't
18:36
provided a good theory for why I let
18:40
i feel like there should be some valid
18:41
reason why I did what I did too i just
18:44
can't come up with one and it wouldn't
18:46
be a valid reason if I found
18:48
one for those thinking this is fake I
18:51
can't fathom a reason to post this other
18:53
than to warn and perhaps help it wasn't
18:56
a karma grab i've barely responded so it
18:59
wasn't for attention and it certainly
19:01
wasn't to lift my spirits because I've
19:03
rightfully been slammed for my
19:05
betrayal admitting to something horrible
19:07
is not easy imagining it never happened
19:10
doesn't help me but you all do i do not
19:12
keep in contact with Mark and have not
19:14
heard from him since before Liam
19:17
suicide the only things I know about him
19:20
are secondhand from people I worked with
19:23
i have no interest in being with Mark or
19:25
having him in my life in any way so
19:28
those thinking I planned my vile actions
19:30
to ride off into the sunset with a first
19:32
string lacrosse coach no bless you all
19:37
may you have stellar lives full of
19:39
happiness but most of all
19:42
peace a different betrayal i was married
19:45
to my wife for 4 years and our marriage
19:48
faced challenges due to her struggle
19:49
with drinks even before we tied the knot
19:52
I knew she enjoyed drinking particularly
19:55
at parties she was the kind of person
19:58
who loved to indulge in drinks during
20:00
events we first met at a club where she
20:03
and her friends were celebrating a
20:05
birthday i was instantly attracted to
20:08
her and approached her in the group that
20:10
night we talked and spent the rest of
20:12
the evening at the club after meeting we
20:15
went home together because she asked if
20:17
she could come with me on that first
20:20
night we became faithful despite my wife
20:22
Ellaner thinking I was only interested
20:25
in a one- night stand i felt
20:28
differently i genuinely liked her and
20:31
our closeness deepened my feelings for
20:33
her in the following weeks we started
20:36
dating after spending time together at
20:38
least twice a week for three months at
20:41
the time she had just finished college
20:43
and was working hourly jobs until she
20:45
could land her desired job the descent
20:47
into addiction and loss early on I knew
20:50
she had a drinking issue but I didn't
20:52
expect it to escalate to the point of
20:53
needing rehab after over a year of
20:56
dating we got married officially moved
20:58
in together and unfortunately a year
21:01
later she lost her parents and only
21:05
accident this intensified her emotional
21:07
struggle leading her to cope with the
21:09
pain through excessive drinking i
21:12
thought her extreme drinking might be a
21:14
temporary response to mourning but it
21:16
persisted months after the burial she
21:19
didn't recover from her family's loss
21:22
becoming a shadow of her former self
21:25
despite my efforts to comfort her she
21:27
was in a dark mental state around the
21:30
same time she experienced a breakdown
21:33
adding to her emotional
21:35
turmoil she stopped working and the
21:38
responsibility of caring for both of us
21:40
fell on me on days when she wasn't
21:43
drinking she displayed aggression and
21:45
anger over trivial matters another
21:47
betrayal i walked in on my wife
21:49
Elellanar making out with a neighbor
21:52
David and I was really
21:54
angry she was drunk but he seemed sober
21:58
i kept the neighbor away and informed
22:00
his wife yet I couldn't take any action
22:02
against my wife thinking she wasn't in
22:04
the right state of mind i was wrong
22:07
because a few days later I caught her
22:09
talking to the same neighbor when she
22:11
saw me she immediately walked away
22:14
meanwhile her drinking problem worsened
22:17
if I gave her money she'd spend it all
22:20
on drinks reaching a point where she
22:21
couldn't go a day without drinking i got
22:24
frustrated and tired tired of putting up
22:27
with her handling bills alone and still
22:29
caring for her it became overwhelming so
22:32
I decided to get her help when there was
22:34
no other option i informed her I was
22:37
taking her to rehab and after several
22:39
months of persuasion she finally went
22:42
seeing a significant
22:43
improvement i was relieved to be getting
22:46
my wife back the ultimate deception as a
22:48
concerned husband I finally found peace
22:51
as she broke free from her bad habits
22:52
and started rebuilding her life however
22:56
my relief didn't last one day while
22:59
enjoying content on Wistaloom my wife
23:02
Eleanor announced she was marrying the
23:04
love of her life i didn't take it
23:07
seriously at first and just laughed it
23:09
off but when she mentioned her rehab
23:11
coach Alex I became attentive according
23:15
to her Alex was the one for her and they
23:17
were in love planning to get married she
23:20
praised him for treating her well
23:22
talking nicely and more i was shocked
23:25
and knew she was going crazy the Alex
23:28
she talked about was already a married
23:30
man with two kids making no
23:32
sense i was sure she didn't come up with
23:35
the marriage idea on her own so I
23:37
confronted Alex on her next meeting day
23:40
when I shared everything my wife said
23:44
delusional somehow my wife had overheard
23:47
his responses she had been eavesdropping
23:49
on our conversation upon hearing him she
23:52
left her hiding spot tears streaming
23:54
from her eyes she sobbed like a baby and
23:57
simultaneously showed me a video of her
24:00
and Alex both with nothing on in bed and
24:04
bathroom alex had recorded it during
24:06
their last hotel encounter and sent it
24:09
she claimed Alex vowed to divorce his
24:12
wife so they could marry when she
24:14
presented the video Alex angered bered
24:17
her calling her foolish for thinking
24:18
he'd leave his wife for an unstable
24:21
woman his words shattered her heart i'd
24:24
never seen my wife cry like that since
24:26
losing her family it became clear she
24:29
truly loved Alex even planning to
24:31
divorce me for him which deeply saddened
24:34
me i was furious with Alex for
24:36
exploiting my wife his
24:39
client to give him a taste of his own
24:41
medicine I pressed charges using the
24:44
video as evidence in court sharing this
24:47
is easy because the hurt and heartbreak
24:50
almost shattered me despite the
24:52
challenges my wife Elellanar presented I
24:55
still loved her and tried to help her
24:56
return to normal unfortunately she
25:00
cheated on me in return planning to
25:02
divorce me for her rehab coach
25:04
i felt pity for her when she discovered
25:06
Alex's deceit and nearly fell into
25:09
depression out of compassion I admitted
25:12
her to a mental hospital and after her
25:15
admission I initiated a
25:17
divorce although it seemed she wasn't in
25:20
her right state of mind she was
25:22
clear-headed enough to consider
25:23
divorcing me honestly our relationship
25:27
was a significant waste of time
25:29
resources and emotions but I'll view it
25:34
here's a piece of free advice some women
25:37
aren't worth the sacrifices most men
25:39
make even if you give them the universe
25:42
they might still find an excuse to cheat
25:45
regarding Alex I won the court case and
25:48
he received a jail term for exploiting
25:49
his mentally unstable client the
25:52
government also shut down his business
25:55
i often miss my wife but I won't let her
25:58
problems excuse breaking our marital
26:00
vows and cheating on