I married Daniel when I was 25, and for the first few years, our life together was blissful. We were happy, in love, and always on the same page about everything. But as the years went on, things began to change. Daniel became distant, spending more and more time at work or out with his friends. I felt like I was no longer a priority in his life.

Despite my attempts to talk to him about it, nothing seemed to change. He would always brush off my concerns, telling me I was overreacting or being insecure. I wanted so desperately to feel close to him again, to make him see that he was losing me.

One evening, after another argument about his late nights, I found myself alone and frustrated. That’s when an idea crossed my mind—a reckless, impulsive idea. I decided to make Daniel jealous by sleeping with his best friend, Matt.

Matt had been Daniel’s best friend since high school. He was always around, always supportive of our marriage, and over time, I had noticed the way he looked at me when he thought no one was watching. I knew he had a soft spot for me, and I decided to use that to my advantage.

The next day, I invited Matt over while Daniel was at work, pretending that I needed help with something around the house. I knew Matt would come over in a heartbeat, always willing to lend a hand. As we worked side by side in the kitchen, I could feel the tension building.

“Matt,” I said softly, turning to face him. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course, Jess,” he replied, his blue eyes filled with concern. “What’s on your mind?”

I took a deep breath, pretending to be more vulnerable than I felt. “Do you think Daniel still loves me? He’s been so distant lately, and I don’t know what to do.”

Matt sighed, leaning against the counter. “I think Daniel loves you, Jess. He’s just… I don’t know. Sometimes he gets caught up in his own world. But he cares about you. I know he does.”

I stepped closer, letting my hand rest on his arm. “I wish I could believe that. I just feel so alone.”

Matt’s gaze softened as he looked at me, his hand moving to cover mine. “You’re not alone, Jess. I’m here for you. Always.”

That’s when I made my move. I leaned in and kissed him. At first, Matt seemed shocked, pulling back slightly, but then he kissed me back. It was a brief, heated moment, but it was enough to set things in motion.

We ended up in the bedroom, and though a part of me knew it was wrong, I pushed that thought aside. I was doing this to make Daniel realize what he had, to make him see that I was worth fighting for.

Afterward, Matt looked guilty, clearly conflicted about what had happened. He left shortly after, saying he needed to think about things, leaving me alone with my thoughts and regrets.

I waited anxiously for Daniel to find out, convinced that once he knew, he’d be furious and realize how much he loved me. But days passed, and there was no reaction. It was like nothing had changed.

Finally, I decided to confront him myself. One evening, as we sat down for dinner, I took a deep breath and said, “Daniel, I need to tell you something.”

He looked up from his plate, eyebrows raised. “What is it?”

“I… I slept with Matt,” I confessed, my voice trembling. I expected him to be shocked, to explode with anger or demand to know why.

But instead, Daniel just sighed, rubbing his temples. “I know, Jess.”

I blinked, taken aback. “You know? How?”

“Matt told me,” he replied, his voice tired. “He felt guilty and thought I should know.”

I waited for the anger, the hurt, but all I saw was resignation. “Aren’t you angry? Don’t you care at all?”

Daniel looked at me, his eyes filled with sadness. “I don’t know, Jess. Maybe I should be angry, but I’m just… tired. I’ve known for a while that things weren’t right between us. I just didn’t know how to fix it.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “I just wanted you to notice me, to realize what you were losing. I thought if you saw me with someone else, you’d fight for me.”

He shook his head slowly. “Jess, if you felt like you had to do this to get my attention, then maybe we’ve already lost something important. I do love you, but I don’t know if this is something we can come back from.”

I felt a wave of regret wash over me. My desperate attempt to make him jealous had only pushed him further away. I realized then that I had been trying to manipulate his feelings, to control something that was already slipping through my fingers.

“I’m sorry, Daniel,” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just didn’t know what else to do.”

He nodded, his expression weary. “I know, Jess. But sometimes, things don’t work out the way we want them to. Maybe we need to figure out if this is still what we both want.”

With that, he stood up and walked away, leaving me alone at the table. I sat there, staring at the empty chair across from me, realizing that my misguided attempt to save our marriage had only driven a deeper wedge between us.

As much as it hurt, I knew that Daniel was right. Sometimes, no matter how much you want to hold on, you have to let go.