Discovering my husband’s infidelity, I went home, put on makeup, threw a party, and planned for both of us to fall into the trap.
That day, I had just picked up my husband’s phone when his lover texted: “Let’s go on a getaway tonight?” Knowing the opportunity had come, I took action.
My husband and I – Emily and Jason – were first loves, dating for 5 years and then getting married in Seattle. The first three years were peaceful, but the fourth year was stormy. Jason suddenly became attached to his phone, and when he saw me appear while we were talking, he quickly hung up and changed the subject. I began to suspect, secretly followed and discovered that he was flirting with a female partner in the industry.
What surprised me was that she – Chloe – had no idea that Jason was married. He introduced himself as “single, focusing on his career”, and every time we dated, he took off his wedding ring and put it away. To be honest, Chloe was also a victim.
That afternoon, as soon as I saw the “change of pace” message, I immediately booked a table at a rooftop restaurant overlooking Elliott Bay (downtown Seattle), sent my child to my grandparents’ house to help look after him, and whispered to my husband:
“Let’s ‘hide from the child’ and date again tonight. It’s been a long time since we had our own space.”
Jason “took the bait” right away. When the time came, he drove me to the restaurant. Candles, roses, Napa Valley wine – I had prepared everything. Jason’s eyes widened:
“You surprised me…”
I smiled and held my husband’s hand:
“It’s even more surprising. You’ll see.”
He raised his glass and enthusiastically told stories about our college dating days, how he pampered me. If I didn’t know the truth, I might still be delusional. But at that moment, Chloe appeared. She rushed straight to the table, looked at Jason who was hugging my shoulder, and growled:
“What’s going on? Who is she?”
Jason was stunned, his eyes darting between me and her. I leaned over to my husband and gently reminded him:
“Hey, she’s asking who I am. Introduce me.”
Jason stammered:
“This… is my wife.”
Chloe was struck by lightning, slapped Jason, then snatched the glass of wine and threw it straight at his face. Before she could explain, she turned and walked away.
I put down the glass and looked at my husband calmly:
“You can choose: family – or her. I won’t hold on.”
At that moment, Jason…understood: the romantic dinner was the trap I set for both of us to fall into – to reveal the truth, leaving no room for denial. He hastily admitted his mistake, asked for forgiveness, and vowed never to do it again.
I didn’t nod in a hurry. I said clearly:
“Forgiveness isn’t free. Go with me to see a marriage counselor, completely cut off all ties with Chloe, publicly apologize to me – and from now on, all passwords and schedules will be transparent. If not, we’ll stop here.”
Jason agreed right there at the table, called Chloe to end it, texted to block all communication channels, emailed the team to inform them that he would not work outside the scope of the project. That night, he signed the commitment I had prepared: violation – divorce.
I dressed up to throw a “celebration party”? Yes. But not because I caught him, but because I was happy to let everything shine brightly under the lights for once – to either fix it or split it. And that night, Jason chose to fix it. As for me, I chose to set limits – clear, straightforward, American style: love means respect, betrayal means pay the price, if you want to stay, you have to act, not make empty promises.