I never suspected my husband was keeping secrets from me until he stopped inviting me to dinners with his friends. It wasn’t just the exclusion that stung, it was the nagging feeling that something else was going on.
Out of nowhere, my husband Jack starts going to all these dinners and hangouts without me. He keeps saying, “Babe, it’s just gonna be the guys.” Part of me was like, “Maybe he’s right,” but it still stung, you know?
Then, get this, I’m out shopping and run into one of his buddy’s wives. First thing she says? “You okay, hun? Jack told us about the IVF, and how it’s affecting you.” My mouth hit the floor. I was totally caught off guard, just mumbled something and changed the subject.
I got home and just broke down. Like, what the heck is Jack up to, cutting me out of the picture? I just had to know. So, when he was off to another “boys’ night,” I did something totally out of character for me.
***
Tonight, I was following him to the restaurant, and they weren’t expecting me.
I spotted the group right away. And there she was—the last person I ever thought I’d see again: Sasha. Jack’s ex-girlfriend.
She was sitting so close to him, her hand lingering on his arm in a way that felt a little too familiar. I took a deep breath and walked toward them, my resolve firm.
I could feel Sasha’s gaze on me, her smirk never fading.
“So, Sasha,” I began, keeping my voice steady, “what a surprise running into you here.”
“Oh, didn’t Jack mention it?” she responded, her tone sugary sweet. “Barry and I got married last month. Everyone was there, except, of course, you.”
I turned to Jack, my throat dry. “Is that true, Jack?” I pressed. “You forgot to tell me that your ex is now married to one of your closest friends?”
Jack fidgeted in his seat, avoiding my eyes. “It just happened so fast, Mandy,” he muttered, “We didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.”
“Not make a big deal, or just keep it from me?” I asked, my voice low.
Jack opened his mouth, then shut it again, his eyes scanning the table as if searching for an escape. But he was stuck. After a moment, he sighed and met my gaze, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“I’ve been seeing Sasha. Not… not like that,” he added quickly, as if anticipating the hurt in my eyes. “But we’ve been talking, spending time together.”
“Why?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
“Because she’s been going through a rough time with Barry,” Jack explained. “And… I just felt bad for her. I wanted to be there for her.”
“By lying to me? By shutting me out?”
“I know, I know. It was wrong. I shouldn’t have kept it from you,” he said, pleading. “But I was scared of how you’d react. I didn’t want to hurt you.”
Jack reached for my hand, but I pulled it away. “I need some space,” I said, rising to my feet. “I can’t believe this.”
I turned and walked away, but not before hearing Barry’s confused voice, “A rough time? What does he mean, Sasha?”
***
Jack came home later, his face heavy with guilt. He tried to talk, to explain himself, but I couldn’t bear to listen. I needed to be sure that he had come home, not stayed with his friends… or her.
I asked him what had really happened and told him we couldn’t move forward until things were sorted out between us. He nodded, beginning his story.
“It’s more complicated than I told you last night,” he started, his voice quieter. “I just didn’t want Barry to find out, either.”
Jack’s first secret he revealed to me was about Sasha and Barry. He didn’t want me to get upset, so he kept them apart and never mentioned their relationship.
Everything seemed fine until their wedding day. At the reception, Sasha kissed Barry and snapped a photo when he got drunk and passed out on a chair.
From that moment on, she had been blackmailing him.
Her demands were simple but controlling: he couldn’t bring me to their gatherings, had to spend time with her, act as her confidant, and make her feel like the most important person around.
It was one of the hardest conversations we’d ever had. Jack was overcome with guilt, crying as he begged me for another chance. He promised to do whatever it took—couples therapy, distancing himself from his friends, anything to make it right.
I agreed to the therapy and told him it was best to distance himself from his group for the time being, to focus on our relationship.
Sasha started calling regularly, but Jack would always show me his phone and ignore her calls.
She kept trying to manipulate him with that photo, and when her attempts failed, she sent it to me.
By then, I’d had enough. I sent the photo to Barry, along with a voice message explaining everything.
We still needed time away from them, but it felt better knowing they weren’t bad people—just a little misguided in their actions with Sasha.
A month later, we rejoined our friends. It felt good to laugh with them again and be part of the group. They apologized for not noticing something was wrong.
While everyone was gathered around the fire pit one evening, one of the wives leaned in and whispered, “I’m so glad you two are back. And I’ve got some tea about Sasha.”
After receiving the photo and the message, Barry divorced her and took her for everything she had. He was incredibly wealthy, which, I suspect, was part of why Sasha had married him.
I didn’t want to hear another word about her.
Jack and I are still working on our marriage, but it’s stronger than ever. And perhaps, our IVF journey will soon go from being just an idea to something real.
