I went undercover to trick my cheat lover!
I gave him so many chances, but I nailed that lying cheat via Facebook... Holly Standing, 27, Chertsey
Nuno’s messages to ‘Maria’ kept coming…
Iwas having one of those unexpectedly great nights.
Just an evening of card games and drinks with friends back in December 2017, but I was having such a laugh.
Stepping outside for a ciggie, one of the gang – Nuno Da Costa, 44 – tailed behind me.
We’d met the year before, through friends, found ourselves at the same parties.
Truth be told, he seemed a bit odd, awkward. But we’d never got to know each other. Until that evening…
A few drinks down, we chatted over a smoke.
‘Ever considered dating an older man?’ he smiled.
Is he flirting?!
For the first time, I noticed his piercing blue eyes.
‘I’ll cook you dinner,’ he said. And, just like that, we’d set our first date for a few days later.
Nuno pulled out all the stops, cooking a yummy meal of chicken and roasted veggies. A perfect start to our relationship.
Nuno was newly single, like me. So we decided to go slow.
But over the next week, we spent every day together and I started falling for him sooner than expected.
Not ideal, especially with Nuno glued to his phone. ‘Everything OK?’ I asked. ‘My ex wants her stuff back,’ he said. I’d seen her things
around, appreciated his honesty. Maybe we’re moving too fast? So, that evening, I messaged Nuno: If you still have feelings for her, let’s be friends. Good idea, he replied. My heart sank, but I accepted it. Time to move on.
Still, two weeks later, I smiled when Nuno’s name popped up on my phone. ‘Can we meet?’ he asked. Over dinner, we agreed to try again.
And, just like before, we slotted into a natural rhythm, spending our free time together.
One morning in February 2018, while taking a shower together, Nuno held me close. ‘I’m falling for you,’ he said. I felt giddy.
But, a couple of weeks later, his phone buzzed. He was in the kitchen so I picked it up.
His ex… Pocketing the mobile, I sneaked to the loo.
The texts were in Spanish, but Google Translate revealed my worst fears.
I miss you, beautiful, a text from Nuno said. I felt sick. I grabbed my bag and headed to work, leaving him cooking. A few minutes later, a text. Where are you? Nuno wrote. At work. I saw the messages, I said, blocking his number.
But an hour later, Nuno appeared, emotional.
‘Please, I’ll block her,’ he begged me, distraught.
‘I don’t believe you,’ I said. He took out his phone, blocked the number.
So, I took him back... He deserved another chance. But the seed was planted and now I was on high alert. And when I clocked they were back in touch,
I was devastated. ‘What’s going on?!’ I demanded. ‘She’s after her things,’ he explained.
‘If that’s all, I’ll do it,’ I said. As I packed up her belongings, Nuno didn’t protest.
But I still had a niggle…and also a plan.
I created a fake Facebook account, under the name ‘Maria’. Uploaded fake photos from the Internet. Maybe I’d catch him out. But I couldn’t. It felt wrong – I had to trust him. By July, we were living together. I loved Nuno and thought that it was my jealousy that was the problem.
And, anyway, things were looking up. Nuno couldn’t keep his hands off me.
However, in July
I started getting tummy pains, so I took a pregnancy test at work.
I was shocked when it was positive.
We wanted kids, hadn’t used protection, but with polycystic ovarian syndrome, I’d assumed it’d be tough. I couldn’t wait to tell Nuno. ‘Looks like I’m pregnant!’ I
beamed that evening.
‘I’m so happy for you!’ Nuno said. But I felt deflated. Why ‘you’? Isn’t this about us?
The evening passed quietly, without the happiness I’d imagined.
Over the next few weeks, Nuno became more distant. He seemed uninterested in me and our baby.
Our once-amazing sex life fizzled out. Now he barely even looked at me.
‘Is everything OK?’ I asked, one night in bed.
‘I’m tired,’ he said. Nuno threw himself into work. Gardening by day, and working in a restaurant by night.
Pregnancy wasn’t easy – with added complications,
I had extra appointments.
Nuno simply moaned about spending too much time at the hospital.
Then, one night in October, he didn’t come home. Five days later, still no sign.
Paranoid, I knew who could help…
Maria.
I updated her profile, added Nuno as a friend.
An hour later, Friend request accepted appeared.
Bingo!
And 20 minutes later, up popped Nuno’s first message.
Hi Maria, how are you? his message said.
Hands shaking, I replied. Nuno commented on Maria’s name, asked about her life.
Anxious, I headed for a scan with my sister Rebecca, 20.
I messaged Nuno with an update on the appointment afterwards – but no reply.
So I sent another message – from Maria.
I want to have a shower with you. I’ll take time off, take you out, he replied instantly.
Back at Rebecca’s, I broke down. Nuno’s messages to ‘Maria’ kept coming. Then he asked for her number.
Rebecca’s friend had joined us now and we hatched a plan. She agreed to play Maria.
And, if she used Facebook Messenger, he wouldn’t need a phone number.
Crowding round, we listened on speakerphone.
My tummy was in knots as Nuno picked up.
‘I like your voice,’ he said.
As soon as he hung up, he sent another message.
Can’t wait to meet you, he wrote.
What a complete and utter fool!
I stayed at Rebecca’s. I knew that he and I were over.
Are you in a relationship?
I asked Nuno, from Maria’s social-media account.
I’m single, he said.
Time to come clean… Maria’s not real. I never want to see you again, I wrote. For two weeks, Nuno ignored me completely. Then, suddenly, he reappeared...grovelling.
I’ve been such a fool, please give me another chance, he begged me.
I’ll do it for our baby, I replied.
I tried my best, but it wasn’t enough. Two weeks after my baby girl was born at St Peter’s Hospital in March this year,
I ended things – this time, for good. Looking back, I don’t have regrets. I’ve been blessed with a beautiful little baby. But Nuno blew it. I’ll never trust him again.