My Wife's New Year Confession of Cheating

Renee Fielding didn't seem to expect that kind of reaction from me. It took her a while before she spoke.

"We don't have to divorce if you don't want to. I only told you all this so you wouldn't go interfering with us later and make a scene. He'd be mortified. He's young, and he's sensitive about that kind of thing."

She'd thought of everything for her young scandal but never once considered what any of this was doing to me.

The night before, I'd sat in the corner for hours, turning it all over in my head. We'd dated for five years and been married for seven. I'd always believed that we were past the rough patch and that we'd made it through to the other side.

But we hadn't.

In that stillness, I replayed all 12 years—from up-and-coming businessman to stay-at-home husband. I had given it all up. My entire world shrank down to Renee and our daughter, Piper Gallagher.

I taught myself to cook various cuisines, always rotating the menu to keep things interesting and nutritious. My year-end shopping history was almost entirely things I'd bought for them.

The most expensive thing I had ever bought for myself was an electric razor I had spent months eyeing before finally taking the plunge.

I thought about it for a long time, not knowing what I'd done wrong.

For the first time in my life, I felt completely lost as I watched the fireworks outside, cold seeping into every inch of me. Then I came across a post online.

It had to be Thomas Pryor. There were several photos, and in the corner of one frame, a familiar watch and coat gave away that Renee and Piper had been there. The caption read, "New year, new beginnings."

I stared at the dinner spread in the photo. There were three burnt steaks.

Everything clicked then. I hadn't done anything wrong. They'd simply grown tired of me.

Even my own daughter had gone along with it, and that was what gutted me the most. Tears pooled in my eyes, no matter how hard I tried to hold them back. I really was a failure.

Renee studied my face and softened her tone. "Let's just keep things the way they are. All I'm asking is that you don't go looking for trouble with him."

I bit my lip until it bled, and I made up my mind. "Let's get divorced."

Renee looked at me for a long moment, then tossed out a single word. "Whatever."

My chest ached as my hand trembled over the paper. I'd grown up in a broken home myself, and the only thing running through my mind was whether Piper would turn out okay. But Renee pulled away from me like I was the enemy, terrified I'd fight her for custody.

"Mom, can we go see Mr. Thomas after this?"

I forced myself to breathe. The burn scar I'd gotten pulling Piper out of danger throbbed with a dull, familiar ache.

I took my time signing my name, every stroke deliberate, and let all of us go.