Sitting on the sofa one evening, I was surprised when my husband Rob came over for a cuddle.
Although we’d only been married two years, lately he’d been pretty cold and we hadn’t been intimate for months. But tonight things had changed and we soon ended up in bed.
Snuggling together afterwards, he murmured, ‘I love you, Tina.’
Stuttering, Rob tried to brush it off, but I couldn’t let it go. As he finally confessed to having an affair, my whole world came crashing down.
‘She mean’s nothing to me,’ he promised.
‘It’s only been going on a month,’ he tried again.
Sick to my stomach, I told him to leave immediately. He bombarded me with messages but I ignored them all. I couldn’t believe the man who had stood up in front of our friends and family and promised to love me forever had betrayed me.
A couple of weeks later, my best friend Gabby popped over with a bottle of bubbly to cheer me up.
‘Grab your dancing shoes,’ she said, after a while. ‘I need to get you out of the house.’
Letting her dress me in a sexy LBD, I felt a little bit like my old self. And with the help of some strong cocktails, I found myself numbing the thought of Rob touching that other woman.
Then I locked eyes with a hunky guy on the dance floor. Tall, with gorgeous green eyes and blond hair, I couldn’t help checking him out and it wasn’t long before he came towards me.
He asked if he could get me a drink and we made our way to the bar, where we flirted and chatted for hours.
Enjoying the attention, I invited him back to my place. I’d never acted like this before, but I couldn’t help it.
If Rob can, why can’t I? I thought.
The next morning, I woke up to a thumping headache. My fling made his excuses and left. With shame, I realised I didn’t even know his name. As I sat in bed, I sobbed over how much I missed Rob.
Who was I trying to fool thinking a one-night stand would heal my broken heart?
Two weeks later I finally agreed to meet Rob to chat. He begged for me back and I was still completely in love, so I decided to give him a second chance.
Things got better, and a month into our reunion, we were both delighted to discover I was pregnant. But at my first doctor’s appointment, I was stunned to learn I was a lot further along.
Working out the dates, I realised there was no chance Rob could be the father – it was my mystery man. I had no way of tracking him down and couldn’t bear to ruin my relationship.
The baby arrived a week late, so I kept my secret.
I do feel bad, but when I see how good Rob is as a dad, I know I made the right decision.