When I discovered an incriminating book hidden in my husband’s office, I knew it pointed to something sinister! After sharing the information with a dear friend, I was determined to make him pay for what I believed was infidelity. But boy, was I soo wrong!
A horrified and embarrassed woman | Source: Freepik
My husband is a successful businessman. He runs his own company, which has more than fifty employees. Sadly, his dedication to work often keeps him late at the office. That was the case on this particular evening as he prepared for an important conference the following day.
The event was a significant milestone for him, and he had been immersed in preparations for weeks. While Todd was away, I decided to do some deep cleaning around the house. His office on the second floor was my last stop.
A woman cleaning a home office | Source: Pixabay
On that day, as I cleaned, dusted, and organized his home office, I decided to go through his desk drawer junk. I stumbled upon a notebook tucked away in his desk drawer while rummaging. I hadn’t seen it before.
Curious, I opened it and began flipping through the pages. Suddenly, I froze. There, on one page, was something you wouldn’t believe. I’d stumbled on a list of female names! There were fifteen names in total.
An unhappy and frustrated woman looking at something in a notebook | Source: Pexels
Besides eleven was a plus (+) sign, and some even had many pluses next to them, two or three of them. My heart pounded. These names seemed oddly familiar. I called my friend Lisa, who worked at Todd’s company. “Hey Lee, do you recognize these names?” I read the list aloud.
“Yeah, they all work here,” Lisa replied, her voice tinged with concern. My eyes went wide with this revelation. I told her where I’d found them. “I’ve seen that notebook in his office. Why?” Everything clicked into place. Todd had been spending more time away from home, and our relationship had cooled.
An unhappy woman talking on a phone while sitting with a notebook | Source: Pexels
The realization hit me hard and immediately: he was cheating on me with these women. The number of pluses indicated how many times he had been unfaithful with each one. My world crumbled around me.
In a daze, I grabbed my coat and took a taxi to Lisa’s apartment. When I arrived, I broke down in tears. She hugged me, offering wine and a listening ear. We sat on her couch, the wine loosening our tongues and amplifying our emotions.
A woman comforts a crying friend | Source: Pexels
“I can’t believe he did this to me,” I sobbed. “Why? Why would he do this? Lisa, what should I do? This can’t be happening!” Lisa poured another glass of wine and took a deep sip of her wine. “Men can be such jerks,” she muttered as her eyes narrowed while she scanned the list.
“We need to teach him a lesson. We need to do something. This can’t go unpunished.” Fueled by alcohol and heartbreak, our conversation turned vengeful! “Revenge is inevitable!” I shouted, lifting my fisted hand in defiance.
Someone pouring wine | Source: Pixabay
We laughed hysterically as we brainstormed ridiculous ideas. “What if we filled his office with balloons?” I suggested, giggling. “Or put itching powder in his suit!” Lisa added, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
At this point, we were starting to slur as I suggested, “Mayb… maybe we should puncture all his wheels?”
“Why?” Lisa asked. “I don’t knooowww!” I replied, bursting into laughter. Then Lisa’s face lit up with a wicked smile. “Wait, tomorrow is his big conference, right? We could confront him there, in front of everyone!”
I imagined how embarrassed he would be to have his dirty laundry aired out. “I’m in!” I said as we started brainstorming with our fuzzy drunken brains. The following day, I woke up in the morning with a combination of nerves and determination.
It felt like it was a few days later because of the binge drinking, something I hadn’t done in a long time. To be honest, I think I was still somewhat drunk. Despite how miserable I felt, I was still determined to go ahead with the plan Lisa and I had devised.
I arrived at his office and went straight to the conference venue. The hall buzzed with energy as employees and partners from other companies mingled. I spotted Todd on stage right in the middle of the conference, confidently addressing the crowd.
My heart raced as I waited for the right moment. As the hall filled up, I took a deep breath and walked towards the stage. As I approached the stage, my heart raced, and I could barely keep my voice steady.
My hands trembled as I grabbed the microphone from my shocked husband who tried to talk to me. But I gave him a dirty look and brushed him off to the side. When I finally had the microphone in my hand, I felt an unexpected surge of confidence.
“How could you do this to me? To us? You’ve betrayed me, and these women… how could you?” Seeing the commotion, the room fell silent, all eyes on me. “My love, you’ve got this all wrong. Please, let’s take a moment so I can explain.”
Ignoring him, I focused on the podium and all the people gathered there. From the corner of my eye, I saw Lisa’s fearful look. She tried gesturing something to me that I couldn’t understand. I ignored her too and held up the notebook for everyone to see.
I then placed it on the projector and the list of names was visible. “Ladies and gentlemen,” I began, my voice shaking. “I have something important to share.” My husband tried to get me off the stage, but I ducked from his grasp and continued.
“THIS is a list of female employees from my husband’s company. Eleven out of fifteen names have a plus sign beside them,” I began explaining. “They show that he has been unfaithful to me with these women!” The room reacted in gasps and shock, and so did Todd!
“He’s a worthless traitor, and these women,” I pointed to the list, my voice rising with anger, “are nothing but witches!” A stunned silence enveloped the room. Todd, looking pale, approached me cautiously.
He took the microphone gently and began to speak, his voice calm and composed. “Everyone, please calm down, let me explain. This is all a misunderstanding.” He flipped through the pages of the notebook. Revealing another list, this one filled with male names.
“This notebook contains the names of employees who have borrowed money from me,” he explained. “The plus sign means they have repaid their debt, and if there is no sign, it means they haven’t returned it yet.”
Pointing to something on one page he said, “Here, you can see a similar list with male names. I assure you, I DID NOT sleep with them.” Laughter erupted from the audience, as my face burned with shame.
I wanted to disappear, to run away and NEVER face anyone again. Todd continued speaking, but I could hardly hear him over the pounding in my ears. Unable to take the embarrassment I ran out of the venue and went straight home!
Later that night, after almost causing a disastrous conference, my husband and I sat in our living room. The weight of the day’s events pressing down on us. He reached for my hand, his eyes filled with hurt and confusion.
“Why didn’t you talk to me, Tina?” he asked softly. “Why didn’t you trust me?”
Tears streamed down my face as I struggled to find the words. “I was scared, Todd. You’ve been so distant, and I thought… I thought you didn’t love me anymore.” He pulled me into his arms, his embrace warm and comforting.
“I love you, Tina. I’ve been working so hard to build this company for us, for our future,” he lovingly told me. “I’m sorry if I made you feel neglected. But you have to believe me; I would never cheat on you.”
We sat in silence for a while, the events of the day playing over and over in my mind. I realized how my insecurities and assumptions had almost destroyed our marriage. “I’m sorry, my love. I should have trusted you.”
He kissed my forehead. “We’ll get through this, together. But we need to communicate better, be more honest with each other.”
The next few weeks were challenging. We had many long, heartfelt conversations, rebuilding the trust that had been shattered. Todd made an effort to spend more time at home, and I worked on being more understanding of his work commitments.
One evening, as we sat on the porch watching the sunset, I took my husband’s hand in mine. “I’m still ashamed of what happened, but I’m grateful we’re working through it. I love you, Toddles.” He smiled, squeezing my hand gently. “I love you too, Tinsey Winsey.”
“We’re stronger than this, and we’ll come out of it better than before.” Our marriage wasn’t perfect, but it was real, and it was ours. And with every passing day, we grew closer, and more committed to each other and the life we were building together.
The lesson I learned was invaluable: trust your loved ones and communicate openly. It’s the foundation of any strong relationship, and it’s something I would never take for granted again.