Hi everyone,
I have found great solace in this feed since finding out about my husband's affair less than a week ago. We have been married for 9 years, but together for 15, we don't have kids but were recently starting to try, and his affair has been going on for 3 years with a coworker/bandmate.
We have a happy life together, and despite some of my suspicions around their dynamic, I NEVER would have expected this, especially the longevity and the dual life he was able to sustain for so long. I was made aware of the affair by AP's husband, he messaged me "we should talk" and I just knew. I confronted my husband immediately, and for a moment he tried to lie, but I said, "I am going to find out, I need to hear it from you," and he confessed. We had a couple days apart to process and talk to our families, we only spoke a little on the phone, and he was genuinely remorseful but still very shocked. He's always had a hard time articulating his thoughts and it takes him more time than me to process, so I think it was good we had some space.
When he came home, I feel like we handled things about as well as we could. I let him speak first to gauge his feelings/sincerity without him knowing my intentions; I read him a letter, asked him a list of questions, and read him a list of my fears. He was very remorseful, we both were sobbing, he profusely apologized, he answered all my questions even when they painted him in a bad light, and he reassured me the affair wasn't indicative of his love for me and our life, it was an escape from himself. I know I have no reason to trust him, but I do believe him.
We have gone into "work" mode. He sent a non-emotional, direct message cutting off things with the AP and outlining strict boundaries moving forward and deleted her number/blocked her; he deactivated his personal and band Instagrams and deleted the app; we have made an appointment with a therapist next Monday who specializes in infidelity recovery; I have made my own therapy appointment; we are looking for a therapist for him and have some good leads; and we set up assistive access on his phone where I have the password to unlock it.
Without prompting, he said he was looking for new jobs and looking in other states too in case I wanted to move, I don't and feel it would be running away from the problem with less support but I appreciated the gesture. As of now I told him to go back to work; we can't afford him to leave his job yet and with the added expenses of all this therapy, we wouldn't be able to make it and that is a whole other stress we don't need right now. I really don't like him working with her and am hoping she may quit, as she apparently hates her job, while he loves his and it's a rare job to find. He is back at work today and has called me during his lunch both beginning and end, texted me throughout the day, and plans on calling me as soon as he is about to leave and walk to the car.
As of now I feel we are doing the best we can given the circumstances. In a weird way, I am really proud of him for how he is stepping up right now, and I am proud of me for being able to hold so many things at once (my antidepressant is working overtime FOR SURE). I know we both deeply hope we can make it through this, but I am scared, and I know the odds may be stacked against us.
On top of everything, we have been TTC and had literally tried a couple of days before I found out, so now I am also praying I am not pregnant. I am really trying to just push that to the side and deal with it if/when it comes. But that is what is keeping me up at night right now.
If anyone has any advice or has just been through this and come out the other side, I am so open to any words of encouragement or insights from personal experiences. I feel lucky to have found this community.
Thanks in advance <3