Secret Story

Sandy became best mates with the woman her husband was sleeping with

Sandy, 35, Melbourne, Vic*

I’m going to be late tomorrow, honey. Drinks after work.’

‘Again?’ I sighed. My hubby, Rob, was delighted with his new workmates.

‘They’re such a great bunch,’ he said.

I know why he doesn’t see me as the best company, I thought, tucking our kids, Jake, three, and Phoebe, one, into bed.

Juggling work and family, I was frazzled by the end of each day.

The work drinks became more regular. Then Rob stopped taking his lunch.

‘Bron from work says she always packs too much and is happy to share,’ he explained. ‘Saves us a task in the morning.’

After that, Rob talked a lot about Bron. He said she con ded in him.

She and her husband, Seb, had never had children, so they’d travelled a lot. But now things were shaky and Seb wanted to leave.

One Saturday morning, with Jake playing in the garden and Phoebe giggling in her pram, Rob turned to me.

‘Sandy, I think I’m in love with Bron,’ he said.

It felt like the breath was knocked out of me.

But how could I be upset when he was so honest?

And it wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen it coming.

‘What are you going to do about it?’ I said nally.

‘I don’t know,’ he said, quietly. ‘I don’t want to hurt you or the kids.’

I tried not to dwell on it, hoping it’d just blow over.

A week later, there was a staff social event that Rob wanted us to attend. I was nervous, but agreed to go.

Amazingly, when I met Bron, we hit it off.

‘You should come over and visit me,’ she suggested later. ‘I can do what I like now Seb’s moved out. How about Wednesday – after your kids are asleep?’

I must have looked more than a bit surprised.

‘Come on. It’ll be fun!’ she urged.

So, that Wednesday, after the kids were settled, I drove over to Bron’s.

We chatted over a glass of wine and she told me about her travels. It was such fun, we arranged to do it again.

On other evenings, I knew Rob went to visit her.

Then one day, a few weeks later, I found letters between Bron and Rob in his bag – intimate love letters about their evenings together.

Shocked after I read them, I cried and cried, clinging on to little Phoebe.

Then I replaced the letters and never mentioned them.

Although I was angry with Rob, I didn’t blame Bron.

After all, she wasn’t the one married to me!

My evening visits with her became a regular thing.

But so did Rob’s, with growing excuses to me of him doing sports’ training or having work meetings.

Not wanting to spoil our friendship, I didn’t tell Bron I knew about their affair.

Instead, I invited her on family outings and the kids became fond of her too.

Rob and I never talked about what was going on.

We just let our marriage crumble.

Over the next year, Bron and I remained great mates.

But eventually, she found a job in another town and left. I guess that’s when she and Rob broke up.

But I never told her

I knew about them.

Rob tried to rebuild bridges with me, but it was too late and our marriage didn’t survive much longer. The kids and I moved out. Several years on, I still have fond memories of Bron.

In truth, I miss her more than I do my husband! ●

I was angry with Rob, but I didn’t blame Bron