Finding out David had cheated on me felt like someone had ripped out my heart and stomped on it. We had been married for ten years. I thought we had a solid marriage, but when I found the messages between him and his coworker, everything made sense. The late nights, the sudden secrecy—it was all because of her.

The night I found the messages, I felt numb. I didn’t confront him right away. I needed time to process it all. The betrayal cut so deep that I could barely function. I spent days locked in our bedroom, replaying our relationship in my head. Had I missed the signs? Was it my fault?

But then the numbness turned into anger. How dare he? How dare he throw away everything we built for someone else? I wasn’t going to let him get away with it. I knew what I had to do.

I contacted my ex. He and I had always had chemistry, even though it didn’t work out between us in the long run. I needed to feel wanted again, to reclaim some of the confidence that David had stripped from me. We met up, and one thing led to another. It wasn’t about falling in love—it was about taking back the power that David had taken from me.

When David found out, he was furious. But I didn’t care. For once, he knew what it felt like to be on the receiving end of betrayal. Maybe our marriage wouldn’t survive this, but at least I had regained control of my life.