Chapters (28)
‘My husband and I are having problems,’ I tell him. ‘I have a baby. He is four months old. I work full time. I’m not sure I’m coping with everything as well as I thought I was.’
‘Being a parent is hard. Don’t beat yourself up, OK? We can only do the best we can.’
‘I’m not sure this is me doing my best, do you?’ I look down at my boobs and laugh. He does too.
Thank God this happened with him.
‘Maybe not. But rather than give yourself a hard time for what you did, try and fix the reason you did it.’
‘Your daughter is a lucky girl,’ I say.
‘Yeah, maybe. Maybe not. Here.’ He hands me my trousers and starts straightening the cushions on the couch. I wonder what happened with him and his wife. I know people can’t be judged on one encounter, but right now I feel like if I was married to someone like him, I’d never let him go.
‘Thank you for not making this worse,’ I say, sincerely.
‘Thank you allowing me to fulfil a fantasy I never thought I would.’
‘Really?’
‘Yup, never gone there before. Big box ticked here so please leave feeling charitable.’ He smiles again. ‘Can I get you a car?’
‘No, I’ll be OK. Thank you.’ I kiss him on the cheek and leave.
I’ve done it now. I’ve cheated on my husband. I am that wife.
Lauren Pearce – Instagram post
@OfficialLP
The image is of Lauren’s left hand, a diamond glistening in the light. It is laid over a man’s hand, presumably Gavin’s.
The caption reads:
Days to go. I love this man. Feeling so so lucky. Commitment, together … bring on forever!! I dedicated my life to you, my love. Is it Saturday yet??? #LOVE
@genedder: You deserve happiness, you bring nothing but light.
@happyguuuuuu: You help me get through my day. You bring such joy. Keep being you!
@nailedforeveryours: The DREAM
@yellagain: More pictures of Gavin please!!!! Can’t wait to see your dress
@unitednotabit: Excuse me while I vomit into my shoe.
Beth
‘What happened to you, you look like you’ve been dragged through a bush backwards,’ Michael says to me as I walk into the house. The word ‘backwards’ rebounds in my head. All I hear is ‘anal, anal, anal’. It’s like he knows.
I feel like I just murdered someone and buried their body. This secret will kill me. I cheated. I never thought I would actually do it, but I did. I am that person.
‘Lauren wouldn’t stop talking so I couldn’t pump. Look, I’m leaking everywhere. I have to go and shower,’ I say, calmly.
Michael looks at my soaking chest when I open my jacket and looks suitably horrified by the mess of it.
‘You’re drenched.’