Letter from the Other Woman to the Wife

Dear Wife,

Congratulations! You won! In fact, you won when you and your husband got married. However, I must tell you that I have been having an affair with your husband for the past three years. During those three years, I tried to pretend there was no guilt on my part because I told myself I would never fall in love with a married man. He claimed that he felt certain what we were doing could be justified because he was not being satisfied at home.

When we first met, there was a very strong attraction. The newness of the affair was exciting for both of us. We spent many precious hours together, just the two of us. We shared no candlelight dinner at famous restaurants, no vacations in romantic places, no fancy shopping sprees, or even a leisurely walk in the park.

• We were very discreet.
• We stayed behind closed doors.
• We made certain that no one knew about us.
• We left no evidence because we covered our tracks.
• We are very careful not to leave any bread crumbs behind.

Your husband is a wonderful man, and I hope you can forgive him. I am proud of him, and you should be proud of him as well. He never said anything bad about you or the five wonderful children you are raising together. I have never met you, but I am sure you are a special person. In fact, under other circumstances, I know we could have been best friends.

I know your husband did not belong to me. He often whispered your name when we made love. I pretended not to notice, and I never mentioned it to him.

Last Christmas Eve, I was the one who called your house at 2:00 a.m. I only wanted to hear his voice, but it was you who answered the telephone. I am truly sorry for waking you up or interrupting your intimate time. When I hung up without saying a word, I wondered if he had whispered my name in your ear.

How It Started

It all started because we both wanted it. We didn't set out to hurt you, but the more your husband and I spent time together, the more I was drawn to him emotionally. And I pushed it to the back of my mind that he was married.

He never lied to me about being married. I went into this with my eyes wide open. I knew he would never leave you for me. To be honest with you, I never wanted him to leave you and marry me because I feared that one day I would find myself in your place and someone else would be the other woman writing to me.

I am writing to you because I have begun to feel guilty. I know I have to end this relationship because it is affecting me much more than I thought it would. I want to feel whole again, and I cannot do so while I know I am the other woman in your marriage. It is hard letting your husband go, but I must do so. It is very hard to end the affair because we have not only lovers but also very good friends. I knew this had been a dead-end relationship, but I continued it anyway.

Confession Time

Since this is confession time, I admit I was responsible for your husband's unexpected business trips out of town at least once a month for the last three years. I am the cause of him "working late" several times during the week. Every time we were together was sheer pleasure, but I always felt let down when he had to leave. There was always a shadow hanging over our plans. That shadow, my dear, was you.

Last night, your husband and I had a long talk. I was filled with mixed emotions. I was both disappointed and, at the same time, highly impressed when he announced that he would be devoted to you and his family from now on.

I love him, but I must let him go. I am glad he had the courage to finally admit that there could never be any future with us. He loves you. Be proud of him because if I had a choice, I would rather be the woman he is finally going home to instead of "the other woman."

Sincerely,

The Other Woman

P.S. Don't ever let him go because if you do, I might still be waiting for him.

Response to the Other Woman