To His Wife, by anonymous

Dear wife,

I suppose I’m supposed to say that it’s your fault I am sleeping with your husband, because you didn’t take care of his needs or you didn’t do what a good wife should do, or some other nonsense. We both know that’s not really true. Infidelity isn’t the fault of the faithful spouse most of the time, and the truth is, your husband is just not a faithful man.

I’m not in love with him. Not sure I ever was or will be in love with him, but you see, for me, he is safe. Safe because he has you. And you, you’re safe because he has me. I know him and his past, a past he’s tried to hide from you (though I think you know more than you let on) and if it weren’t for me, he’d be out there sleeping with lots of different women. At least I’m clean. You won’t catch anything from him through me. After all, while he is a cheat, you and I both are faithful women.

That part is just justification though. (more…)

A Good Little Wife, by anonymous

Dear you,

When you got off work that night, I expected you to come home, like you always did.

But you didn’t.

Three days later, me frantic with worry and having called all your friends and family, you finally called me. I’ll never forget those words, “I can’t do this anymore.”

Did you take that line from one of the cheesy nighttime soap opera type dramas you used to watch all night long instead of talking to me? Maybe you heard that line on one of the sim-type video games you played all day long instead of being a part of the household, a part of the family. (more…)

Retribution, by Karla Reese

Brian,

When you left, I wanted to be angry. I couldn’t find it in me, but I wanted to be angry. Sometimes, in anger, you find strength and I desperately needed strength. But I couldn’t get angry. The only thing I felt was sadness. Overwhelming sadness.

You left me for someone else. You lied about it, but I knew the truth. I had always known the truth, all along, but knowing and wanting to see or act on the truth are different things. I was miserable, but somehow, I was comfortable in my misery. It was familiar. It was… safe?

As I knew would happen, you left… and that’s when I wanted to be angry. Eventually, a few months later, the anger did hit me, and the more I became angry, the more I learned about the truth of your deception… oh, how many months I played a fool. (more…)

I Will Always Be Grateful, by "Jessica Waverly"

Dear Vivian,

Well, it’s been a while since we have had any contact. I know you thought you would never hear from me again. However, I feel you should know what has been nagging at me the last couple of years.

When I found out my husband had cheated on me, I was devastated. But now, a couple of years later, I realize his affair with you was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to our marriage.

The entire nine months we spent waiting to find out the results of the DNA test were nine months we spent repairing our broken relationship. He tried harder, I tried harder, and we realized our love was more dominant than anything else.

That is something you underestimated about marriage: love. (more…)