‘I didn’t want to throw away 26 years of my life’
Harriet*, 50, was married to Mark* for more than 20 years and they have two teenage children.
I’d been married for 22 years when I discovered my husband had had an affair. He’d been a charming, attentive man when I first met him, aged 22. We were married two-anda-half years later, and went on to have two beautiful children. At the beginning, we laughed together and had fun. But our relationship was very up and down over the years, punctuated by arguments.
In later years, we barely had anything to say to each other, let alone any kind of physical relationship. Even so, when I found out about his affair, in 2017, it was still a shock and hurt deeply. I was in the kitchen cooking lunch one day when, without any warning, he told me he thought we should separate, that we both deserved to be happier. I’d thought we were on a relatively even keel at that point, so I was hugely shocked and began to cry as his words sunk in. He was in tears too and I remember him holding me, as we both cried.
I was determined to work on our issues, but two weeks later, he confessed to having had an affair. I was distraught, but I still believed we could get past it. I didn’t want to throw away 26 years of my life for a meaningless affair that had lasted a couple of months. In a way, I thought maybe it would be a catalyst to sorting out our problems.
This story is from the November 2019 edition of Woman & Home.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 2019 edition of Woman & Home.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Welcome to ENGLISH WINE COUNTRY
Ellen Himelfarb discovers palate-tingling wines and warm hospitality among the sunlit slopes and flint villages of Sussex
Naturally STYLISH
Combining mindfulness ideas and natural materials, this country house - built by Lisa and David Wallace – exudes beauty, calm and serenity
Make ANXIETY Your superpower
Embracing worrying thoughts might be more beneficial than suppressing them, says Samantha Wood
I hope the kids have my self-confidence
Author and presenter Richard Madeley reflects on the early days of parenting, and watching his family grow
Love..OR LIES?
Romance fraud is, sadly, on the increase - meet two women affected and find out how to stay safe
WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE A...PROBATION OFFICER
Meet Sarah Port, 40, deputy head of the Probation Delivery Unit in North Essex
Could YOU live on your PENSION?
Surviving on the minimum retirement living standard for a week shocked Faith Archer into increasing her contributions
We're having a FASHION moment
And long may it continue, says Wendy Rigg, charting the rise of midlife fashion
There really is NO PLACE LIKE HOME
But when Yorkshire-woman Sharon Wright fetched up in Surbiton, which would hold that special place in her affections?
Older & bolder
One of our favourite comedians, Helen Lederer, has finally sent imposter syndrome to Room 101