‘I was so lonely’

Lesley Chester, 40, lives with her husband, Darren, 31, in Lincoln. She has three children, amy, 20, Ellis, 16, and Dylan, one.

After 10 years of marriage, my husband and I were growing apart. We rowed over the most trivial things, and I felt like he’d rather spend time with anyone but me. As a busy mum-of-two, working full time, I felt I was all on my own.

So, with my confidence at an all-time low, in July 2010, when my colleague Liam* started chatting to me on my lunch break, it was like an antidote. He was interested in hearing about my day, how the children were doing. He’d even leave little notes on my desk.

I never intended to have an affair. But soon Liam was all I could think about. Two months later, I texted him, asking to meet. It was so exciting – and the sex was amazing. With Liam, I never felt lonely, he was always on the end of a phone. But that didn’t stop me feeling guilty– I was ashamed by what I’d done.

Liam and I grabbed time whenever we could. I thought I was being clever – deleting my phone history regularly, telling my husband I was meeting a friend. But in December 2010, when he asked me for the truth, I knew there was no point in lying.

He was upset but we knew our relationship was over. After my marriage ended, so did my affair – I needed a fresh start. I moved out with the children and Liam got a new job. I’m still in contact with my ex-husband, but now I’m in a happy relationship and we had our son Dylan in August 2015. Having an affair taught me to talk through my problems – before someone gets hurt.