The worst day of my life was when I discovered my partner Matt* was having an affair.
One day, a beautiful young woman came to my house and asked me if I was Matt’s wife. When I said I was, she told me she was his girlfriend.
I was stunned and asked for more information, and at no point did I think she was lying – she knew things about my husband that only a lover could know.
She came to talk because Matt had broken up, and I think she was trying to get revenge.
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“One day, a beautiful young woman came to my house.” (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
That was the beginning of the hardest months of my life, but Matt reassured me that even though he cheated on me, he wanted to stay married.
He promised to remain faithful to me, and I believe he has been.
I still love him very much, and because I didn’t walk away from him, my friends and family looked at me like I was weak. But the opposite is true.
I think it would have been weak of me to end my marriage. Instead, I fought to keep our love alive, and I don’t regret it.
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“But Matt assured me that even though he cheated on me, he wanted to stay married to me.” (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
As for his girlfriend, I had two conversations with her after she dropped the bombshell news on my doorstep. First, I wanted to ensure she was out of his life for good. I asked her to stay away from him, and she assured me she wanted nothing more to do with him.
The next time I spoke to her was after I saw Matt’s phone and noticed she had called him – he told me he had blocked her number, which was a lie. She told me she had tried to convince him to stay with her, but he was adamant that he wanted to stay married to me.
My family and friends can’t stand Matt and wish I had left him. It’s my life, and I’ve decided to stay. So I’ve told everyone who cares about me to support me and trust that I know what I’m doing with my life.
Do I regret staying with Matt? No, I’m not doing that now. But a year ago, I wasn’t sure I should be wasting the rest of my life with a man who couldn’t be faithful to me. Life is too short.
She decided to forgive her husband and move on with their marriage. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
But the heart knows what it wants; my heart has always wanted Matt. I am lucky that I am still in love with him, and I believe he loves me too. I have to keep trusting him.
I’m not saying it was easy because it was pretty awful, and I’d be lying if I said there weren’t times when I wished I could never see him again, but I’m glad I stayed, and while I’ll never forget what he did, to me, I have forgiven him.
That makes me a strong person.
*Names have been changed
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