It's a moment no woman wants to experience: when she finds out that the person she loves hasn't been faithful. While estimates vary on what percentage of married men cheat, there is no doubt that finding out a partner is one of them is a devastating experience. From the disappointment, the pain, and the downright hurt feelings of such a personal rejection, cheating is one of the worst sins that can be committed against another person.
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We found real women's confessions on how they found out that their spouse was cheating. And their testimonies weren't pretty. From suspicious credit card spending, profiles on hook-up sites, and the worst of all, the cat being let out of the bag by the kids (!) — these cheating stories are so bad they'll turn any woman's hair gray. We may not know if there is an exact science as to why men cheat, but there are some real terrible reasons why they get caught. Read on for the real stories about how wives, who have asked to remain anonymous, found out — in some often shocking ways — that their husbands were cheating. We may never look at our partner's car glove box the same!
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Bar Hookup
"My now–ex husband was obsessed with fantasy football, so I was used to him being gone to the sports bar a lot during football season. One day I decided to surprise him by going to watch a game with him (I hate football). When I got there, I discovered a waitress sitting in his lap. Apparently football wasn't the only reason he'd been going there. They'd been hooking up for months."
The Mouths of Babes
"I actually found out, indirectly, from my kids. My husband is a stay-at-home dad and the kids started to mention how they were having lots of playdates with a particular set of kids. Then one day my son said that they went to that house again, but it was supposed to be a secret because he saw Daddy and Hannah's mom hugging.
I confronted my husband and he caved and admitted it."
The Cliché
"Total cliché, but I found out because I walked in on him and his side piece doing it in our bed. Jackass."
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The Money Trail
"I found out because he slipped up and charged a hotel room on his credit card. He was supposed to be out of town, but charged a room for a downtown hotel here. It turns out he had a secret credit card he had been using for all his cheating expenses but accidentally used our joint card this time.
A part of me still wonders if he did it on purpose to get caught."
The Confession
"I didn't catch him — he confessed. He said the guilt had been eating at him for years so he confessed that he had a fling on a business trip six years ago. I wish he hadn't told me. It made him feel better but made my previously happy life worse. It was totally selfish."
Suspicions Confirmed
"I'd been feeling suspicious for a few months. Just lots of little things that weren't adding up and some odd behaviors, like he was going to the gym all the time but wasn't looking even a little bit more in shape. One day his phone rang while we were out and he let it go to voice mail. When he went to the bathroom, I listened to the message and it was a woman saying she couldn't wait to 'f$8& him again.'
We're split up now and I'm pretty sure he is still seeing her. Ugh."
Bad News From Dad
"I think my story is the worst. My ex-husband used to work for my father. My dad was and is the head pastor of our church. My husband was the youth pastor (we met at church when we were kids). I found out my husband had cheated because the woman he was seeing, and had dumped, sent MY FATHER an envelope filled with screen-shots of naked pictures and emails they had exchanged. My poor dad had to be the one to tell me.
Worst day of my life and his too."
Inside the Glove Box
"I found condoms in the glove box of his car when I was putting in our new insurance cards. He had a vasectomy almost 10 years ago, so I guess it was good he was still practicing safe sex … with the prostitute he was seeing?
And to answer the follow-up question, no, we aren't still together."
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The Writing Retreat
"My husband is a writer and he went away for a month to a writers' retreat to try to finish his first novel. When he came back, it was clear something was off.
Not only was the novel, which never sold because it is TERRIBLE, not finished, but he had a case of genital warts. Awesome. Thank you, random hookup."
Profile of a Cheater
"One of my single friends saw his profile on an online dating site. He was looking for 'something discrete.' Apparently he doesn't know what 'discrete' means since his profile picture was VERY clearly him. What an idiot. I kicked his ass to the curb."
