My spouse recently discovered that I had an affair with my friend’s wife

Half a decade back, following my separation, I encountered a lady at a music event. She was slightly younger than myself, but we got along well and she joined me and my buddies at a pub after the performance concluded. That evening was enjoyable, and we exchanged contact information. At that point, I wasn’t active on any social platforms except for FB, which I used only to stay informed about my children’s schooling and activities. Consequently, we never became friends online, and our communication was limited to texting.

Initially, the messages were casual, occasionally containing a hint of flirtation but never indicating any desire for a s*xual relationship. We discovered that she lived a mere 20 minutes from my place, although we never met or saw each other again. After a fortnight of texting, we found out we would both attend the same music event in a

different city. The occasion was a weekend getaway for me and my friends, as well as for her and her group.

Before the concert, her friends and mine gathered at a meeting spot. We visited a few bars together, with her group being younger than mine, and I being the only single individual among my friends. We observed that none of the women wore wedding bands, so we @ssumed they were all unmarried. They were younger than us, and there didn’t seem to be much interest beyond friendship. I was content with this, as I wasn’t seeking a relationship at the time. After visiting a couple of bars, we attended the concert. Her group had tickets for the standing area, while mine had seated tickets. I believed the night would end there.

After the performance, my friends and I went to a bar and then to our hotel rooms. Shortly after arriving at my room, the woman texted me, inviting me to join her for a few more drinks at a nearby location. I agreed, expecting to meet her and her friends, but she was alone. We barely finished our drinks before we headed back to my hotel, and the night was incredible.

Once we returned home, she began visiting my house during daytime hours. With my flexible job, I worked from home most days, while her job required traveling around the region, allowing her time to visit. She would arrive after my children left for school and depart before they returned. Sometimes, she would spend almost the entire school day at my house, even on days when I didn’t have custody of the kids. Our encounters were strictly limited to weekdays and never occurred at night or on weekends.

We had a casual, friends-with-benefits relationship, which suited me perfectly. I was heavily involved with my children, even coaching two of their teams, so our arrangement didn’t interfere with my parenting or social life. I had no desire for a relationship, especially with someone younger who might want children, as I was done with having kids. I was honest with her about my feelings, and she was accepting, claiming she wasn’t seeking a relationship either.

This arrangement continued for almost a year, until I met the woman who is now my wife. I ended the casual relationship, and she was amicable about it. We never texted each other again. A year after meeting my wife, we got married.

Two years ago, I ran into the woman again at a local gathering. My wife and I were introduced to her and her spouse by one of my friends, as they had recently purchased the house adjacent to his. Our reunion wasn’t awkward; we simply exchanged smiles and greeted each other. I informed my wife about our past relationship that night. My wife is very understanding, and we both accept that we’ve had previous relationships. It wasn’t an issue.

Her husband turned out to be a great guy, and he began spending time with my group of male friends, eventually becoming a friend of mine as well. This year, he joined one of my fantasy football leagues. As a result, he sent me a friend request on FB. After I accepted his request, he proceeded to send one to my wife. When my wife checked his profile, she inquired about the duration of my friends-with-benefits relationship with his wife. I informed her that it had been five years ago. My wife then showed me a recent post on his profile stating that he and his wife had been married for eight years.