My husband, Ivan, has always been obsessed with saving. When we got married, he immediately took charge of our finances. “You have to think about the future”, he would say whenever I wanted to buy something for myself.
And I believed him.
For years, we lived frugally, no travel, no expensive dinners, no new things unless absolutely necessary. Even when we wanted something for the kids, he would say: “Be patient, it will all pay off someday”.
But then… a message on his phone shattered everything I thought I knew. Ivan fell asleep earlier than usual, and his phone remained next to me. I never felt the need to check it, but then a message arrived and the screen lit up.
The sender’s name was unfamiliar to me. “Love, the money is gone. Now we can plan ahead. I miss you.”
I paused. Love? The money is gone? I felt my heart pounding in my throat. My hands were shaking as I unlocked my phone (I knew his password, of course, he didn’t know I did).
I started going through the messages. They were all there. Ivan and some woman… for years.
But what broke me the most, the money we were saving… wasn’t going to our family’s future. It was going to her. To her and their child together.
After 15 years of marriage, I discovered that my husband was not only cheating on me… but also financing their entire other lives.
When he woke up and saw me with his phone in my hand, his face completely changed. “Honey… I can explain.” But this time, I wasn’t the one who would keep quiet and wait.