Girl Sees Husband Out Dining With Older Woman When He’s Supposedly Away on Business – Story of the Day

A young wife is upset when she sees her husband having dinner with an attractive older woman after he told her he would be away on business.

I knew I should never have trusted Jack! No matter how much he protested he loved me, he was a cheat and a liar like every other man I'd ever known.

The proof of it was right in front of me. I was looking at him having dinner with another woman, leaning forward to touch her hand, laughing at her jokes...

I met Jack when I was twenty-three and he was thirty-five. My mother told me the age gap would be a problem, but I didn't agree. I was tired of selfish boys who didn't know what they wanted.

Jack was a man. He'd lived, made mistakes, and he knew what he wanted. ME! So when he proposed two years after we met, I accepted. I was sure we'd be happy forever.

He was happy. Me, not so much. My therapist said my insecurity was at the root of my unhappiness, my constant demands for reassurance. I wanted Jack to show me he loved me all the time, I needed it.

Once trust is gone, love withers away.

So I got upset when he didn't call me five times a day just to tell me he loved me, I had a jealous fit every time he paid attention to any woman, even his mother, or my own sister.

The truth is, I had a jealous fit every time Jack paid attention to anyone, man or woman, in my presence. He was mine, wasn't he? He loved me, didn't he?

So why did he need other people? Other friends? Wasn't I enough for him? We had a lot of civilized discussions about what Jack called my 'possessiveness.'

I called it...I didn't know what to call it, but it led to screaming fights. These fights were very one-sided -- it was me screaming and Jack listening patiently, with a pitying look in his eyes. That made me even angrier.

My mother took me aside after witnessing one of these arguments and said, "May, you are going to lose this man. You are going to drive him away from you, and he loves you."

I was furious with her, but I started to wonder if she might be right. Was Jack seeking comfort in the arms of another woman? At some level, I knew how silly my idea was, but I became obsessed with the thought.

One Saturday afternoon, Jack left his phone on the chair while he went for a swim in the pool. I picked it up and tapped in his code. I'd watched him doing it often enough.

I accessed his messages. The last one was from his assistant: 'Suite at the Waldorf booked from 12th as per your instructions, reservations for dinner at Romantic Skyline confirmed for 8:00 p.m..'

The 12th? But Jack told me he was flying to Los Angeles that day on business! Why did he need a suite at the Waldorf and a reservation at our favorite restaurant?

He was cheating! I was sure of it now, and I was determined to catch him red-handed. I don't know how I managed to act my usual loving self over the next three days.

Then it was the twelfth and that morning he kissed me goodbye. "I'll call you as soon as I get to Los Angeles, honey," he said tenderly. The liar!

That afternoon I went to the hairdresser. I wanted to look my best. At 8:00, I was outside Romantic Skyline in my sexiest dress and high heels.

I walked up to the hostess with a confident smile. "Hello," I said. "The Jack Learner party?"

She smiled, looked down at the reservation book, then frowned. "Your name please?"

I tossed my hair. "I'm Mrs. Jack Learner."

"I'm sorry," she said. "Mr. Learner booked a dinner for two and his party is complete."

"That's my husband," I screeched, losing control of myself. "I want to see who his cheap bit is!" I ducked around her and managed to reach the entrance of the dining room before the security guard grabbed me.

Jack was there at OUR table, and opposite him, with her back to me, was a platinum blond in a slinky silver dress. Jack was laughing, holding her hand! Worse of all, I could see the love in his eyes.

That was when the guard dragged me back to the entrance. I didn't go quietly, and before long, the hostess called the police. I was taken in handcuffs to the local precinct, and put in a holding cell "until I calmed down."

It was a quiet night, I suppose. There were only two other women in the cell. One of them was old and ragged and fast asleep, the other was barely dressed and prowled from side to side, scratching at her arms and muttering to herself.

"Liar!" she was saying under her breath. "Cheating liar! I'll get him, I will! Running around on me..." To my horror, I felt a strange kinship with this crazed woman and her psychotic jealousy.

I HAD to know... So when they let me out at 8:00 am the next morning, I took a cab to the Waldorf. I staggered in, in my creased dress and high heels, but I guess the hotel had seen guests do worse.

I walked into the breakfast room and there was Jack with the dirty creature! "Jack!" I screamed. "You liar!"

Jack started and looked up. A peculiar expression crossed his face. Not guilt, but annoyance. I felt my heart contract. He didn't care enough to feel guilty because he no longer loved me!

"What are you doing here, May?" he asked coldly. I know I looked terrible, with my matted hair and the makeup streaking my cheeks, but I stood my ground.

"You're a liar, Jack!" I accused. "And a cheat! Who is that female?"

The woman sitting opposite Jack got up and turned around. She wasn't a platinum blond. Her hair was shimmering silver. She was in her sixties, at least, but very attractive.

She was still a beautiful woman, with sparkling blue eyes and a sensual mouth despite the fine lines of experience marking her face. "I'm Claudia," she said calmly.

"I'm Jack's aunt, his mother's younger sister. I live in Paris, and I came to New York to visit my nephew."

I felt a flush of embarrassment color my cheeks. "I'm so sorry..." I gasped.

"Why don't you join us, my dear?" she said graciously. "You look as if you need a cup of coffee." I sat down with them and looked over at Jack, but he avoided my eyes.

"I'm sorry, Jack," I whispered while Claudia ordered coffee for me. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd spoil my reunion with my aunt like you spoil every occasion that doesn't revolve around you!" he snapped. "Grow up, May, or I'm gone!"

That night, we had a true discussion, with no screaming on my part. Jack told me he loved me. He didn't want or need another woman, but he did need other people in his life.

It wasn't easy for me, but I had to admit I was irrational. "I'm afraid to lose you," I whispered.

"I love you, May, I truly love you," Jack said quietly. "The only way you will lose me is if you push me away."

I took the hint. That's not to say my old insecurities didn't surface, but little by little I learned to control myself. To my surprise, without my constant demands, Jack became as attentive and loving as I could have wished...

What can we learn from this story?

• Trust is the basis of any marriage. Once trust is gone, love withers away. May was an insecure woman who resented her husband paying attention to anyone else and saw rivals everywhere.
• We all need space, no matter how much we love our partner. May had to learn to give Jack space and trust in his love for her own sanity and happiness.

Share this story with your friends. It might brighten their day and inspire them.

If you enjoyed this story, you might like this one about an older woman who meets her best friend who had betrayed her forty years before and realized that she couldn't blame her.

This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life. If you would like to share your story, please send it to info@amomama.com.