I had been with my partner, Dale, for 7 years. We shared everything, told each everything, we trusted each other no matter what. That all changed on one particular weekend.
Dale and I lived with his parents as we were trying to save for our first house deposit. His parents lived in a huge home and we stayed in one of their five spare bedrooms. Even though the house was huge, we always spent most of our time with his parents as Dale was very close to them both.
From the day I met them, I could tell that Dale’s parents had marital problems. Fights and abuse was a regular occurrence in their house. At first I found it really difficult and awkward being around that. I came from a close family and had never witnessed that type of relationship.
Dale was close with both parents but their constant bickering put a lot of strain on his relationship with them. Dale was always trying to mend the rough patches between them and it started to affect our relationship. I know it was wrong of me to think like that, but Dale and I were trying to start our own life without having to worry about his parents.
One weekend, I decided to go out for lunch with friends. I was having a great time and was really enjoying myself. But then I saw something which made my stomach turn and I knew I must have turned totally white with shock. Over at the other restaurant I could see Dale’s mum intimately touching, kissing and holding hands with another man.
She was sneakily tucked away in the back of the restaurant but I could still recognise her. I was dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe my eyes. My mother-in-law was blatantly cheating on Dale’s father and appeared to be having the time of her life.
I excused myself from lunch and told my friends that I was getting a terrible migraine. I rushed home not sure what to do. Dale’s father was home and looked happy for once and felt so terrible about what I just saw.
Dale came home an hour later and I pretended everything was fine. He asked me how lunch was and, at that moment, was about to disclose what I saw when his mum came home and looked so happy. She even gave Dale’s dad a big welcoming cuddle.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell him. As I looked at his parents, actually smiling at each other for once, and then looked at Dale at how relieved he was to see his family happy, I couldn’t do it. I thought that, perhaps, whatever she was doing was taking the pressure off her relationship. Maybe it was doing them some good, and who was I to stick my nose in their business? I told Dale that lunch was OK — apart from my headache.
The next day, Dale’s mum said she had to go to the shops to run some errands and I couldn’t help but wonder what she was really up to. I felt a pang of guilt and started to rethink my decision to hide the truth. But I knew if I mentioned it now, Dale would be so mad at me for not saying anything sooner — not to mention the fact that his parents were finally getting along.
As selfish as it sounds, Dale and I had finally been getting along well again too — there wasn’t the added pressure of his parents fighting all the time with Dale acting as mediator. It was nice to concentrate on our own relationship for once.
It has been six months since I spotted Dale’s mum at lunch and I can’t say that things have improved for his parents. In fact, they are now discussing separation and possibly selling their home. Soon we’ll need to find a place to rent.
I still haven’t mentioned it to Dale and I do feel very guilty about that. I convinced myself that it was better for all of them to withhold the truth, but in fact I was mainly thinking of myself and my situation. The sad thing is, no one knows the actual reason behind the split for Dale’s mum… and me.
Names have been changed. Picture posed by models.
Your say: Have your say about this true confession below…
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
