Divorce After Affair Discovery

On our seventh wedding anniversary, Justin Matthews brought home the woman he’d been seeing on the side.

The girl fell to her knees with tears in her eyes, not offering any explanation. "Maeve," she pleaded, "you can’t control love. Justin and I genuinely care for each other. Please, let us be together!"

I looked over at Justin. He was cradling April Green tenderly, awkwardly wiping away her tears—something I’d never expected from him, given his usually meticulous demeanor. Without meeting my gaze, he said, "April has been with me without any acknowledgment, and I can't let her down. Don’t worry; April’s not ambitious. It’s just another seat at the table."

With that, Justin took April into the bedroom and shut the door, as if our anniversary was just another day. Forgotten, too, was the woman who had once stayed by his side without acknowledgment, seven years ago.

I stared at the cheerful anniversary sign on the table. It was obvious now—there was nothing left for us.

The spiced honey cake on the dining table had melted. The elaborate dinner prepared by the housekeeper had gone cold long ago. I picked up my phone and snapped a photo of the untouched table, but no filter could make it look warm and inviting. With a wry chuckle, I was about to put the phone down when a notification popped up—April’s social media post.

“From today on, I have a recognized place!” The photo showed her in a car, fingers interlocked with a man. I recognized it immediately—it was Justin’s car. And April was in the passenger seat Justin once promised would only ever be mine.

I couldn’t help but laugh as I liked the post and left a comment. “Congratulations, is being the other woman fun?”

I glanced at the closed bedroom door, curious to see how she would respond. Suddenly, the door opened, and Justin emerged, still wet from a shower, wearing only a towel. Red marks dotted his chest. When he noticed my gaze, he flashed a doting smile. "April was just being playful; don't mind her."

He leaned in, intending to kiss my cheek, but I turned my face away, unfazed. Justin frowned slightly but settled into the seat across from me, his voice sugary yet insincere. "I know I messed up today. I've just ordered you the latest jewelry and bags online; they’ll be here tomorrow. Don’t be mad, okay?"

“April's young and can be a bit thoughtless. Don’t hold it against her. Just delete your comment, please. She's in there crying her eyes out.” I didn’t reply, crossing my arms as I regarded the man I’d loved for a decade.

Ten years of love and seven years of marriage. Suddenly, his face seemed alien to me. Annoyed at my silence, Justin tried to cajole me anyway. "Maeve, stop this nonsense. I know April isn’t easy to accept right now, but once you get to know her, you’ll see she’s genuinely sweet. Now be good and delete the comment."

"What if I don’t?" I replied evenly. Before he could respond, April emerged, tears rolling down her face as she cried. "If you don’t want me here, then I’ll leave!"

She turned to go, but Justin caught her, holding her close. "You’re mine now. Where do you think you’re going?”

“Your first kiss was with me, your first night was with me, and even your first love was with me. You've given me everything precious. How could you live without me?"

April's voice quivered with emotion. “I don’t want to leave, but Maeve doesn’t want me here. I was asking too much. Justin, let me go. I’ll leave and just silently wish you and Maeve happiness from afar. I’m not selfish like her. I don’t need to have you all to myself.”

Justin looked up and met my gaze coolly. "I’m the head of this house, and as long as I want you to stay, no one will make you leave, April!"

“Hush now, you’re pregnant. Crying isn’t good for the baby,” he soothed, gently rubbing April's stomach. His words hit me like a punch to the gut, leaving me stunned and pale.

April's tear-streaked face briefly twisted into a triumphant smirk aimed solely at me, hidden from Justin’s view. He led April back into the bedroom with tender patience. Watching them made my stomach churn.

I stood and dumped the cake and dinner straight into the trash. After washing the dishes, I picked up my phone to find a flood of notifications. Among them was a rare post from Justin, who seldom used social media—a photo of April’s profile. Squint, and you might mistake April for having a slight resemblance to me, leading many to believe he was flaunting his love for me.

Comments flooded in, heart emojis mocking me. On our seventh wedding anniversary, my husband was flaunting his affair. I understood—it was Justin's retaliation for not deleting my comment. He truly pampered April and knew just how to humiliate me.

As I stared at the cascade of red hearts, a wave of helplessness washed over me. When had our love turned into a tactical game? A game of jealousy among three, rather than an intimate bond between two.