the affair 2024.

Out of the blue, after 25 wonderful years married to the sweetest girl
in the world, my wife walked up to me and asked me, "have you ever
cheated?"

I was speechless. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind. How could
she have known? Did someone tell her? Who told her? How long had she
known?

I’m sure she noticed the sudden change in my demeanor. I felt like I’d
been run over by a truck. Immediately, I was overcome with guilt and
was so ashamed. Should I lie to her? Should I tell her the truth? I
could have confessed long ago, but i did not want to hurt her.

My bottom lip began to quiver and tremble as I tried to speak.

She began crying…….. She turned my face to hers, looking me in the
eye, and between sobs, she asked once again, "have you ever cheated?"

She was tearing me apart……..I thought my heart would surely
break…….She knew…….She had to……..

The memories that I had suppressed for so long came flooding back into
my mind. I remembered every little sordid detail. Oh, the horror of
it all. I don’t know why I did it. I surely didn’t think anyone would
find out………It started in the 1st grade and I cheated all through
school. I had cheated for 12 years, but why would someone tell my
wife? I could not lie to her, the mother of my children, the daughter
of my father-in-law………I pulled her to me, trying to break the
news gently. I finally looked her in the eye and said calmly but
firmly, "yes honey, I cheated!…..I did it!……For 12 years I
cheated!"

She tried to pull away, then finally broke free. She ran from the room,
crying hysterically, as she ordered me from our home. "You will never
see the children again!" she screamed at me……..

I could not believe that my cheating had hurt her this much. They were
just spelling tests and maybe a couple of history tests, for crying out
loud……… I tried to hug her, to explain why I had cheated…….

She slapped me repeatedly, calling me unprintable names…….I guess I
deserved it…….. I covered my head, trying to ward off any serious,
damaging blows. It was beginning to make me mad. ………I screamed
at her, "haven’t you ever cheated? Well have you?"

My wife turned to me and smugly, defiantly replied, "well I wasn’t going
to tell you, but since I know what a total loser you are now, I guess
it doesn’t matter anymore. Yes, I have cheated……. With Fred,
Danny, Bill, Bobby, John and Tommy! I don’t even know who the fathered
of our children, but this I do know. It sure wasn’t you!"