We were married for eight years and had two kids. One day I came home and received a call.
– “Is this Tara?” a woman’s voice said.
– “Yes, this is Tara. How can I help you?”
– “I’m the other woman in Jack’s life. I’ve been sleeping with your husband for ten months.”
I froze and dropped the phone
I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach, and I knew this was true. For a couple of years, I would feel strange when he was away on business trips or went to see his parents. Even a game night with his friends gave me the same discomfort.
Deep down inside I always sensed it, but couldn’t admit it to myself. On the surface, everything seemed fine. He was a devoted father, helped me around the house, and had a nice-paying job. I had no reason to be unsatisfied.
But there was always that voice echoing in my head, telling me he wasn’t an honest person.
I got a text from her. She tried to explain she was not aware he was married at first. He lied to her as he lied to me. She seemed like a nice person but I didn’t have the nerves to chat with her and torture myself with more details of their affair.
I thought, “Well he was quite a smart ass” and cleverly led his life. I was a “trophy wife”, the one to be married with and have a seemingly normal life on the outside. On the inside, he had a double life. I was not enough for him.
He created a web of lies and had good control over it. I would have never found out if she didn’t call me.
I heard him coming inside. I stood there trying to be calm and told him I got a call from Rachel.
I said I never felt so betrayed and let down
He was shocked and wouldn’t say a word. Walked past me and went to our bedroom. I followed him repeating “Why Jack? Why did you do this to me? I’ll never be able to ever trust you again!”
Then he started crying, I had never seen him cry before, so I was a bit surprised and staggered to my feet. After fifteen minutes he admitted everything, kneeled, and begged me to forgive him.
He kept mentioning how our divorce would affect our kids’ lives and said he deserved to be punished for being so weak. According to his story, she ruthlessly seduced him and he couldn’t resist it.
Of course, I didn’t believe a word he said!
For the next couple of days, I was in a big dilemma about what to do. Part of me wanted to end our marriage and the other part wanted to stay for the sake of our kids. Who was I fooling, I still loved him and wanted to give him another chance.
But I couldn’t continue being married to him, without making him brutally suffer first.
I presented him with my brilliant idea for punishment
I said I would only stay with him if he got a huge tattoo all over his chest. The tattoo would contain my picture and my name under it.
But that wasn’t all!
He needed to show the tattoo in public whenever I asked him. One of my demands was that he stay shirtless while mowing the lawn on weekends so our neighbors would notice it.
If they ask why he did that, he would explain he had to prove he loves me more than anything and he couldn’t think of a better way.
This was just to make fun of him and embarrass him, I wanted to make sure every woman he ever tried to go to bed with, would see the tattoo and feel at least uncomfortable. I mean would you hook up with a guy while another woman is staring at you from his chest? With her signature on him!
I forgot to mention he despised tattoos and thought people who had them were a bit unrefined. It wasn’t fitting his public image at all, he acted as a serious, successful businessman.
He struggled to surrender to my requirements, but in the end, he had no choice. I won.
Every night before I fall asleep, I look at my lovely portrait and give myself a big kiss.