I tried my best to ignore the creeping suspicion that my husband, Joseph, was cheating on me. We had built a life I thought was solid, but his betrayal revealed the cracks I couldn’t see before. Little did he know I was always a step ahead.
I’m Patricia, 35 years old, and until recently, I believed I had a clear understanding of my marriage to Joseph, 40. However, subtle changes in his behavior started gnawing at me. He became secretive with his phone, flipped it face down during dinners, and had a sudden increase in late work nights and “urgent” business trips.
One evening, Joseph returned home unusually disheveled, his shirt unbuttoned, and a faintly sweet, feminine scent clinging to him. The lipstick stain on his collar was my tipping point. That night, as he showered—breaking his usual morning routine—I inspected his clothes. My suspicions were no longer just paranoia.
The final blow came when I found him in our bedroom with a coworker. Although they scrambled to deny any wrongdoing, I knew better. Days later, I saw disappearing messages from a woman named Amber on his phone. I didn’t confront him right away; instead, I reached out to Amber myself, deciding it was time to take control.
I met Amber and revealed my plan: to test Joseph’s loyalty with a fake pregnancy. At first, Amber hesitated, but she eventually agreed, admitting she suspected Joseph wouldn’t stick around for a real commitment.
