I find the story of high school sweethearts quite endearing. I mean, think about it: these two people know each other so well because they survived puberty together. Sometimes, their bond is so strong that they spend decades loving each other and even grow old together, but sadly, that’s not the case with every such couple.

When it came to Reddit user DontbeaDumbbell, his high school sweetheart-turned-wife that he was with for 23 years suddenly ghosted him and his 3 kids. Obviously confused by this behavior, he vented online, but the events that followed turned completely tragic for the original poster (OP).

More info: Reddit

The concept of high school sweethearts living happily ever after sounds dreamy, but it doesn’t always work out

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The poster’s high school sweetheart-turned-wife of 17 years suddenly came home in tears, packed an overnight bag, and disappeared, leaving her husband and kids confused

Image credits: DontbeaDumbbell

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

The husband found out that she was at her parents’ house and they asked him and the kids to be “patient and understanding” and that they would call and update later

Image credits: DontbeaDumbbell

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

Out of extreme confusion, the man posted the story on Reddit and many folks said there were signs that she was having an affair and he should get a lawyer

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

As the poster didn’t hear anything from his in-laws, he called the cops and later found out that his wife had indeed been having an affair for quite a few years

Image credits: DontbeaDumbbell

Image credits: Nathan Stein / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Her affair partner had passed away from a heart attack and as she was grieving, she ghosted the husband and kids for 3 days and stayed with her parents

Image credits: DontbeaDumbbell

The poster was devastated to find out about the affair, but things took a turn for the worst after his wife returned home to them

Today, we dive into quite a tragic story about the poster and his family and how the events unfolded due to his wife’s infidelity. He tells us that they were high school sweethearts who had been together for 23 years and married for 17 years with 3 daughters. One day, when the wife came home distraught and crying, things went southwards.

Their eldest daughter was at home when the wife came in this condition, packed an overnight bag, and left without giving any information. The husband and kids were naturally confused as they didn’t know anything and couldn’t even understand the situation. When he called his in-laws, they finally told OP that she was with them and they should be “understanding and patient” till they got further information.

When he posted the story on Reddit, quite a few people pointed out that she might be having an affair, while others said that the lack of concrete information was suspicious, whether she was safe or not. Just being kept hanging must’ve been terrible for him and the kids, but when he didn’t hear back from the in-laws, he called the cops to do a wellness check. 

This brought up some issues, but he eventually found out that his wife had been having an affair for quite a few years and she was grieving because her affair partner had a heart attack and passed away. That must’ve really shattered the poster, and what’s worse, his sister-in-law knew about it and had been covering for his wife.

Folks were, of course, furious with the wife’s actions and they expressed their sympathies towards the poster and his daughters. To understand the situation from an expert’s perspective, Bored Panda reached out to psychologist Nishmin Marshall for an interview. She explained that one’s first reaction after finding out about a spouse’s affair is usually shock and saddened surprise as their trust has been broken.

“Mental trauma, pain, feeling betrayed, loss of self-respect and self-esteem are the other emotions that can follow. The spouse is likely to have a lot of unanswered questions as to why this happened, and they might also develop disgust towards the cheating partner,” she added.

Folks also expressed concern towards the daughters as to how it would impact them if they found out about their mother’s affair. While many said that they had a right to know about it as they were mature enough to understand, others expressed that it would just further add to their misery after finding out.

According to Nishmin, “Children, however big or small, go through emotional distress after finding out about a parent’s affair. They are confused and hurt and don’t know whose side they are on or should be. As they are caught between their parents, they might feel resentful, betrayed, lost, and alone.” 

Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)

She also explained that this can affect their academic performance and behavior in school, or they might develop trust issues and feel ashamed of their parents. She mentioned that they might even feel guilty and think that they are the cause of the rift between their parents.

OP later gave an update where he mentioned that his in-laws dropped in to make amends for their daughter before she finally came home. The couple had a fight as he asked her about the affair and she mentioned she wasn’t ready to talk about it. Now, the kids heard everything and things got really cold after this, as nobody spoke to her much in the house and even she kept to herself and visited her sister on the weekends.

Things must’ve been really tense in the household, and folks also expressed their concern about how the family must be struggling through it all. One day, she came completely clean to him and they spoke about the situation. She explained how it had been going on for over four years and she had tried to end it many times but just couldn’t as she was more attracted to what he had to offer.

She confessed that she had fallen for the other guy, but said that she still loved OP and that she would do anything to make things work. “Boredom in a long, stable relationship, trying something new and exciting, showing impulsiveness and lack of self-control are some reasons why a person might cheat even when they are in a happy relationship with their partner,” Nishmin informed us. 

Even the wife admitted she was bored of the routine so she had started the affair, and of course, OP was extremely hurt by listening to everything. He stressed that they were definitely getting a divorce, no matter what she said, and left while she was weeping. 

Tragically, OP later informed us that his wife took her own life and it further broke the family as it definitely must be a shock for them. Nishmin said that if an affair partner passes away, a person can feel tremendous grief, sadness, and numbness. She narrated that they can also experience anger and disbelief that the person is gone forever and they are left alone. 

The wife was already mourning the loss and then the thought of divorce might have been too much for her to handle, which might have led to her decision. Folks were stunned after hearing this and they showered OP with all their empathy and sent their condolences to his daughters as well. 

It was quite a heartbreaking story, wasn’t it? Even our hearts went out to the poster and we wish the family the strength to survive it all. 

Folks were heartbroken to read the poster’s tragic story and they expressed their sympathies to him and his daughters, while also sharing similar experiences of infidelity

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