I Attended My Husband’s Office Party for the First Time, but I Never Expected to See His Other ‘Wife’ There

The laptop pinged during our movie. Oliver had left it open. An email about a New Year’s party caught my eye—mentioning his “wife” as a plus-one. Odd, since his company never allowed guests. He brushed it off, claiming no plus-ones were allowed, but I followed him to the hotel on New Year’s Eve. The manager revealed Oliver had checked in with his “real wife.” I saw him with her, and everything clicked.

The next day, he was in a car accident, insurance lapsed, begging for help. I refused—he’d lied too long. I walked away, done. He called later, desperate, but I blocked him. His affair unraveled his life, while I rediscovered mine, finally free.