welcome to Lost relation Chronicles 7 months ago I discovered my wife was having an affair with a middle-aged man just like that 8 years of my life were wasted and washed down the drain at the time I was 31 and she was 33 her drill partner as I'll call him was nearly 50 I found out about the affair completely by accident just a matter of being in the right place at the right time I had been away on a business trip and was supposed to return the next day but things wrapped up early so I
decided to drive home and surprise her instead of calling ahead I figured it would be nice to just show up as I was driving I noticed my fuel gauge was low so I pulled off at the next exit to get gas for reference this exit was about 12 mi from my house after filling up the tank I got back on the road but the route to the highway was slow each intersection had either a stop signs or a traffic light and traffic was crawling as I sat at a four-way stop waiting for my turn I
happened to glance at a side street that's when I saw it my wife's car pulling out and heading in the same direction I was going for a second I thought maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me but no that was definitely her car my stomach clenched what the hell is she doing over here we had just spoken a couple of hours earlier and she hadn't mentioned anything about being in this area something felt off I grabbed my phone and called her it rang four times before she finally picked up when she did her voice
sounded breathless rushed like she had just run a marathon hey she said her tone strangely unsteady what are you doing I asked trying to keep my voice calm oh she hesitated for half a second I was just about to call you I frowned yeah where are you I am I just had to run a quick errand she said still sounding a little off why I swallowed the unease rising in my chest our meetings finished up early I told her I'm on my way home she sounded happy to hear that I was coming home and immediately
asked when I'd be getting there giving me impression that she was already at the house I told her I should be there within 15 minutes as we talked I could tell from the background noise that she was driving where are you headed I asked casually there was a slight pause before she answered oh just going to the store something about the hesitation in her voice made my stomach tighten which one the one closest to our house she said quickly that was a lie I could see her car just a few hundred yards ahead of me
merging onto the highway there was no reason for her to be this far from home if she was just going to the nearby store in that moment I knew she was either cheating on me or involved in something illegal if not why would she lie I considered calling her out on the spot but then I decided to play along if she was going to lie I wanted to see just how deep the deception went great I said smoothly I'll meet you there and then we can go out for dinner there was a beat of Silence
before she responded her voice a little too eager that sounds great I smirked she hadn't expected that then in the calmest voice I could muster I added I just passed the rest area that rest area was right behind her for a split second nothing happened then suddenly she slammed on the gas her car surging forward within seconds she had to be going over 90 M an hour tearing down the highway like a bad out of hell I let out of breath gripping the wheel tighter Jesus she knows I'm on to her she was running probably
thinking man I almost got caught by the time I pulled into the store parking lot she was already there standing beside her car she walked over as I parked adjusting her clothes checking her hair and makeup in a compact mirror she was trying to look casual but I could see the tension in her shoulders inside the store she turned to me I need to use the restroom I nodded me too her face twitched slightly but she covered it with a smile I finished up within a few minutes and stepped outside to wait for her 5
minutes passed then 10 then 15 still she hadn't come out when she finally emerged from the restroom I smirked and said I was about ready to send in a search party to look for you she laughed lightly brushing off my comment sorry I had to do a number to I nodded pretending to accept her answer but inside I knew she was lying the whole time she was in there I could hear the sink running she wasn't using the toilet she was cleaning herself up probably scrubbing away the stink and sweat from whatever she had been
doing with that guy she was just with we finished our shopping and decided to grab some prepared food from the store instead of going out for dinner I kept a Comm exterior but my mind was spinning replaying every suspicious detail over and over when we got home and sat down to eat I casually asked so how was your day she didn't even hesitate nothing remarkable she said taking a bite of her food just went to work and came straight home straight home right my grip tightened on my Fork every new lie that came out of
her mouth made my blood boil but I forced myself to stay composed if I confronted her without undeniable proof she'd just Gaslight me twist things around and make me feel like I was crazy that night I lay in bed staring at the ceiling my mind racing I couldn't sleep meanwhile she was out cold breathing evenly like she didn't have a care in the world it amazed me how easily she could do that you'd think she'd be a nervous wreck worried about getting caught but no she was perfectly at ease while I was left tossing and
turning trying to make sense of it all the next evening While She Was preparing dinner I decided to check her phone nothing no suspicious texts no unusual calls I went online and checked our cell phone and credit card bills again nothing out of the ordinary for a brief moment I felt a wave of relief maybe I had been wrong maybe I had let my imagination run wild but then the nagging feeling returned just because I couldn't find anything didn't mean she wasn't cheating it just meant she was good at hiding it by that point I
was getting antsy I needed more proof and I was going to get it I decided to continue investigating Looking Back Now I know I did the right thing but at the time it was agonizing holding everything together and pretending like nothing was wrong a week or so went by and everything was business as usual I played my part smiled when I needed to acted like the the same loving husband I had always been but inside I was a mess watching waiting knowing something was bound to happen again then one afternoon she called me while I
was at work hey babe she said her voice light and Casual just wanted to let you know I have to work a little late tonight it's our monthly close and things are a bit backed up I leaned back in my chair gripping my phone a little tighter oh yeah how late do you think not sure maybe an hour or two I'll text you when I'm heading home I forced myself to sound normal all right sounds good don't work too hard we said our goodbyes and I hung up staring at my phone for a long moment
something about her tone didn't sit right with me sure she had to work late on occasion but I felt it this time my gut was screaming at me this wasn't work this was something else I thought back to where I had seen her the previous week on that street I had no business seeing her in that's where she was going I knew it so that afternoon I left work a little early I drove over there arriving around 4:30 and made a couple of slow passes down the Street nothing I didn't see her car I didn't
want to be too obvious so I pulled out and parked at the McDonald's near the main intersection keeping a close eye on the road sure enough at about 4:45 there she was her car rolling up to the light then making that familiar turn down that street I sat there gripping the steering wheel so tightly my Knuckles turned white I gave it 10 minutes long enough for her to get comfortable then I drove down the street myself and there it was her car parked neatly in the driveway of one of the houses right beside a brand
new Ram pickup truck I stared at the house my heart pounding my hands clenched into fists and for a second I wanted nothing more than to get out of my car March up to that front door and bang on it until someone answered to see the look on her face to see the face of the man she was betraying me with but I didn't something deep inside told me to stop instead I reached for my phone took a few pictures of her car sitting in that driveway and then I left I drove home my mind
racing knowing that my suspicions weren't just suspicions anymore I had my proof when I got home I immediately looked up the address I had just seen her car parked at I needed to know exactly who this guy was a quick search pulled up the homeowner's name and my stomach Twisted when I saw the results he wasn't some random nobody he was the co-owner of a company that did business with her company so she wasn't just sneaking around with some stranger she was mixing it up with a customer digging a little deeper I found more according
to various records he was either 49 or 50 years old and had been living at that address since 2009 a little more searching and I confirmed he was divorced with two College age kids perfect a middle-aged businessman with nothing to lose praying on a married woman who clearly had no problem stepping out on her husband later that evening she came home all smiles carrying bags of takeout from my favorite Chinese place my favorite place like that was supposed to distract me hey babe she said cheerfully walking over to me her eyes full of warmth like
nothing was wrong she leaned in for a kiss but I turned slightly giving her a half-hearted air kiss that wasn't enough for her she grabbed my chin and playfully pouted uh none of that she teased give me a real one I nearly recoiled there was no way in hell I was putting my lips anywhere near hers after where she had just been but I forced myself to comply pressing a quick cold kiss against her lips before pulling away we sat down to eat and I tried my best to act normal while every bite I swallowed
felt like poison my mind was still racing thinking about my next move I have to go out to a customer location tomorrow I said casually between bites I won't be home until the evening she perked up at that her eyes immediately narrowing with interest oh yeah where are you going couple of towns over I said keeping it vague what time are you leaving she asked trying to sound nonchalant early I said probably won't be back until later I could see the gears turning in her head she was gathering details planning her next move she thought
she was slick but I saw right through her she smiled sweetly well don't stop to get anything on your way home I'll have dinner waiting for you the thought of that made my stomach churn dinner after she spent her day with him cooking for me like some devoted wife it was sickening but that dinner wasn't going to happen because I had other plans in store for her of course I had no actual customer visits plan that day the only visit I planned was to her drill partner's house if I found her car parked there again
I was done no more waiting no more doubts I would call her out right then and there then move out without telling her where I was going unfortunately or maybe fortunately things played out exactly as I expected I drove over in the afternoon and sure enough there it was her car parked in the same damn spot just like the day before my stomach clenched but there was no shock this time just confirmation I didn't hesitate I drove straight home made a hotel reservation and started packing my clothes every fold of fabric every zipper closing my
suitcase felt like sealing the door shut on this marriage I wasn't even sad just done once I had everything in order I grabbed my phone and called her to my surprise she picked up immediately her voice bright and cheerful like she was so happy to hear from me hey babe she chirped what's up I clenched my jaw what are you doing oh just sitting in a conference room working on a spreadsheet she said casually like she wasn't lying straight to my face yeah you were spreading something but it sure as hell wasn't numbers on a
spreadsheet you're lying I said flatly a pause what I know where you are I know who you're with and I know exactly what you're doing I said my voice calm but ice cold you're either screwing him right now or just finish screwing him just like you did yesterday just like you did last week silence she didn't even try to deny it not a single no I swear it's not like that nothing I'm done with you I continued and I won't be home when you get there still no response just silence on the other end I
let that sink in for a second then called her a few Choice words words I had held back for too damn long and hung up I sat back exhaled and waited 20 minutes passed then my phone started buzzing calls texts over and over she was in full panic mode now and I knew exactly why it took her 20 minutes to start because the second I hung up she turned around wide-eyed and told her Affair partner oh my God my husband knows about us and for the past 20 minutes she's been scrambling thinking panicking spinning excuses
trying to figure out how to save herself now she's ready to talk during the next 24 hours my phone never stopped buzzing she must have left me 50 voicemails and sent over a 100 text messages I should have blocked her but a part of me wanted to see just how desperate she'd get at first her messages were full of denial it's not what it looks like I can explain as if there was any explanation that could justify this as if I hadn't seen her car parked in that driveway twice when I didn't respond she shifted
tactics the denial faded replaced by crying I'm so sorry Frank please just talk to me then came the full-blown hysteria hours and hours of texts and voicemails of her sobbing begging for forgiveness isn't that how it always goes they don't care when they're sneaking around but the second they're caught they turn into a damn disaster that night after checking into the hotel I stopped by the bar to take the edge off I hadn't eaten much so the alcohol hit me fast numbing the rage just enough when I got back to my room I did what
I needed to do I called our parents and laid it all out I was feeling loose from the drinks so I didn't hold anything back I told them everything every disgusting detail my mom gasped Frank no she wouldn she did I cut in my voice flat she's been screwing some guy in his 50s a customer of her company I caught her silence then my dad always the steady one cleared his throat son are you sure I let out a bitter laugh Dad I saw her car at his house twice she lied straight to my face
while she was in his house when I confronted her she didn't even deny it what else do you need my mom's voice broke I thought you to were happy I stared at the hotel ceiling feeling nothing yeah so did I they were horrified shocked just like me they had believed we had a perfect marriage but that was just an illusion wasn't it over the next few months I stayed in hotels while working through the divorce I avoided all contact with her no calls no messages no one except my parents knew where I was I didn't
trust anyone else not to tell her everyone was on my side except for her closest friends of course but even my friends my family they all kept saying the same thing you should at least meet with her let her explain give her a chance to apologize to you in person from the messages she'd been leaving me and the reports I was getting from mutual friends I knew she wasn't handling things well it wasn't surprising she had gone from sneaking around behind my back to full-blown panic the moment she realized I wasn't coming back but instead
of letting her deal with the consequences of her own actions her friends decided to make it my problem at first it was just pressure pleading texts long-winded voicemails from people I barely knew all all saying the same thing just talk to her Frank she's not doing well at least let her explain then her older sister jumped in and that's when things got nasty one evening my phone rang and I answered without thinking big mistake Frank what the hell is wrong with you her sister's voice was sharp angry shek falling apart and you don't even care
I closed my eyes already exhausted this isn't my problem shek not eating she's not sleeping God Frank she loved you she made a mistake and you're just throwing everything away like it meant nothing I clenched my jaw it did mean something that's why I'm not tolerating this she threw it away the second she climbed into bed with someone else her sister scoffed so you just going to ignore her what if something happens to her what if she she hesitated then spat out the words if she does something drastic that's on you that was it that
was the line I took a deep breath let me be very clear her choices are not my responsibility she made this mess not me and if you or anyone else tries to guilt me into taking her back you can forget my number then I hung up and blocked her the next day I found out she and her friends had been running their mouths to everyone about how cold and heartless I was and then came the real gut punch her parents turned on me too that one stum we had always been close her dad and I
would grab beers together her mom would tell me I was like the son they never had I thought they loved me like family but apparently when it came down to it blood was thicker than an 8-year marriage her mom called me her voice tight with disappointment frankk you just talk to her no I said simply she sighed you were like a son to us and now you're just giving up I let out a bitter laugh giving up shek the one who cheated remember she made a mistake her mom insisted people work through these things all
the time well I'm not one of those people that was the last conversation I had with them they made their choice and I made mine thankfully my own family and close friends stood by me through it all they were the ones who reminded me that I wasn't crazy that I did the right thing no matter how much her side tried to Guilt Trip me I stayed no contact and let my attorney handle everything my wife fought the divorce hard offering me anything I wanted to stay married but I was done when she finally realized that
there was nothing she could say or do to change my mind she gave in and signed the papers after that things moved quickly last month the divorce was finalized clean break no lingering ties I won't pretend I was some tough guy through the whole thing 8 years is a long time to spend with someone there were plenty of sleepless nights night moments when the weight of it all nearly broke me but I pushed through and now I'm free that should have been the end of it but she still thinks there's a chance we'll get back
together one day she keeps saying we're meant to be together that fate will reunite us just like it brought us together in the first place I can tell you with 100% certainty that will never happen she still texts me three to four times a week updating me on her life telling me how much she misses me and apologizing over and over again I probably should have blocked her by now but honestly ly I kind of enjoy hearing about how miserable she is maybe that makes me Petty but after everything she put me through I think
I'm entitled to a little shot and Freud as for her drill partner well I can't say too much about that right now let's just say my attorney and his attorney are working on something and I'll leave it at that you can fill in the blanks now get this she told me that he meant nothing to her that she cut all contact with him but you know what I don't care it doesn't matter if he was just a meaningless fling or the love of her life the fact is she betrayed me and there's no coming back
from that 7 months later her drill partner handed me $200,000 to drop the case well I took the money no sense dragging things out when I had already won in every way that mattered I was now free of a cheating wife and better still I got paid for it some people might call it hush money but I call it compensation for my Wasted Years a few weeks ago I got a call from an unknown number I don't usually answer those but something told me to pick up Frank it's Linda her mother's voice came through shaky
and uncertain I almost hung up right then but I waited I knew why she was calling she collapsed at home they found her on the floor she she wasn't eating wasn't sleeping the doctors say it's severe depression they put her in a rehab facility I didn't say anything what was I supposed to say that I felt sorry for her that I come running back to save her from the mess she made Linda sniffled on the other end Frank please if you just talk to her no my voice was firm cold shek not my problem anymore
she's sick Frank she needs help she I cut her off she needed to think about that before she spread her legs for another man I owe her nothing silence then in a small defeated voice she whispered she still loves you I let out a bitter laugh she loved me so much she screwed another man in the middle of the day no Linda she loved the life I gave her the stability the Comfort but me if she really loved me she wouldn't have destroyed everything we built Frank don't call me again and I hung up I
knew then that as long as I stayed in this city they'd always keep coming after me with that money I bought a small Farmland out in the countryside a place far from the noise and the memories I got myself a few animals chickens goats even a couple of horses I traded in the stress of corporate life for the Peace of Wide Open Fields and early morning sunrises I left my job for good no more meetings no more deadlines no more dealing with people I didn't want to deal with out here it's just me the land
and the Animals I wake up with the sun work with my hands and breathe in the fresh air for the first time in a long time I feel good not just emotionally but physically and mentally dear listeners please share your thoughts in the comments section below and don't forget to like share and subscribe