Good Women Are Better Cheats

Serena's Story

  Serena cheated on her honeymoon, and she caught her husband cheating with the same person on their anniversary.

My truth is good women are not saints; they cheat too. My name is Serena, and my life as a good woman is messy. My marriage became complicated with unresolved baggage from me and my ex-husband. Before I tell you my story, let's learn a little about a good woman. Who is a good woman?

                The definition varies based on experiences, politics, religion, education, culture, and family. Come up with your own definition, and feel free to use it. The painful truth we need to know is good women are not saints. They experience lust too. Good women are human beings prone to make mistakes, and they are experts in covering evidence. Too often, they do not get caught because they are masters in wrapping top secrets up in their minds. I think most good women take their secrets with them to the grave.

                Good women who cheat never let the cat out of the bag. They never reveal their secrets to anyone, including their twins, best friend, or mother. To make things better, society gives us the benefit of the doubt and puts us on a pedestal. True, women, in general, tend to be more faithful. Men who cheat get caught more often because they are careless. I am a woman, and I can efficiently multitask, and the men I know rarely do two things simultaneously.

I. 

My name is Serena, a good woman, and here is my story. In 2018 I married Jacob. He was thirty-three, and I was thirty-five. We met in a Whole Foods Store in Cambridge, Massachusetts. We both came from different states for a one-year business fellowship. He came from a religious household and did not believe in sex before marriage. His father is a megachurch pastor, and his church doctrine forbids sex outside marriage.

                It was both our first marriage, and we did not have any serious relationship before we met each other. I am a good woman and do not believe in having many sex partners. I dated only one man before I met Jacob. While dating Jacob for about two years, we lived in different cities. After marriage, Jacob moved part of his business close to my city, Boulder, Colorado. He commuted an hour by train, which worked for us.

                My location was where we wanted to raise our kids: functioning schools, libraries, close to airports, Museums, Zoos, and fantastic public parks and walking trails. Also, Albert Einstein's relatives lived three blocks from our home. We went on our honeymoon to South Africa, and we had a blast doing things outside, but the bedroom activity was awful.

                On our fifth day, I went out for early lunch without Jacob, and I met a young man, Sunny, with a boyish look in the cafe. He was attractive and bold. We enjoyed a friendly conversation about soccer, literature, and international politics. Sunny seemed brilliant. Later he told me he was a Chef in our hotel and was off that day. I told him to stop by my room the next day because my husband was going back to the US. My father-in-law had fallen ill and had breast cancer. Yes, men have breast cancer too. It was a life-changing illness.

                Our honeymoon was interrupted, and I supported my husband in going to his dad. I would do the same if my dad fell ill. I was also tired of him after four nights of struggling in the bedroom. Nine more nights? Nope. I hoped he did not come back. Maybe I cannot leave, but I am going back to the house and sleeping in the same bed.

                What is the problem? Is it stress or a new city, not his dad's illness? But, we got the dad's health issue early on the fifth day of our honeymoon. My husband departed for the state, and my new friend, Chef Sunny, joined me in the evening.  

II.                                                                           We talked through midnight, and he wanted to leave, but I invited him to my bed. He was cautioned and stressed, "In my culture, a person who sleeps with someone's wife is a dead man."

                I laughed, and he joined in until we fell on each other to engage in sex. Sunny visited me for two more nights, and I was thrilled that he provided what Jacob could not offer. I told my husband that I was returning to the state. Unfortunately, my father-in-law had stage two breast cancer.

                I spoke with my mom, and she suggested I return to the US as soon as I could. I made up my mind before my mother's advice. I chose not to discuss our bedroom problems with her. It was too early to bring Mom into my marriage. I believe she would be angrier than me.

                I returned to the US, and my husband was deeply sorry for what happened and said we could return to South Africa for our anniversary. I was so happy we would go back and, hopefully, I would meet my lover again. The good news is my father-in-law's health improved beyond our imagination. Thanks to his faith, world-class medical service, and the power of money and influence.

                We continued to struggle in the bedroom, but I hoped things would improve. It was too early to seek advice or have a discussion with him. Nasty sex is a complex and sensitive issue for men and women. Women do not want to lose their breasts or hair. Men prefer to die than to live with an ineffective penis.

                But we had to discuss it and seek help, or we would get a divorce. I was too young to live without sex in the next sixty years. Sure, we could adopt children if we wanted, but going outside the marriage for sex is not what anyone signed up for in marriage. Can a problem in the bedroom break a relationship? It is my responsibility and fault for what happened in my bedroom. In our pre-marriage counseling session, I remember our counselor asking why we chose not to engage in sex before marriage?

                Jacob took the lead on his value, no sex before marriage. He held onto his faith, which was okay by me. Jacob's explanation did not sit well with the counselor, but she moved on.

 

                At that time, I admired a man who stuck to his principles. When I visited his family home, his mother prepared him a guest room while I slept in his old room. During our two years of dating, we slept in different rooms when we visited our parents, and we rarely spent a night in each other's apartment. My parents were shocked but happy that he was a serious young man. Now, I understand why our pre-marriage counselor firmly probed Jacob with intrusive questions about his sex drive without my support. It seemed she knew what I did not know or did not want to know.

                I tried to make sense of our problem. I really did. But, after having intercourse with Sunny, my appetite for sex was in overdrive, and Jacob just stopped trying. He pissed me off.

                What next?

 III.

Four months into our marriage, I met a librarian, Mike, in our local library. He had lost his wife a few years ago, and his only child lived in Japan. Mike told me he lost his wife to breast cancer at forty-one.

                We became friends and had coffee in the library cafe on Saturdays when I was there to write. He was a well-liked man by library patrons and staff. I saw children and seniors often engaging him in a conversation. I liked him too.

                After three years of not dating, he lamented, "I would like to find someone to date and engage in sex again. You know, sex is like food. You cannot starve for more than three days or three years. I honored my wife for three years, and I moved on. As a woman, what do you think? "

                "You are right. I hope you find a woman who meets your needs."

                We laughed.      

                In my third meeting with Mike, I shared my dilemma and asked him what he thought. He smiled and asked if I needed the truth about my husband. I said yes.

                "I think your husband is a closeted gay. He married because his father is a pastor, and he did not want to break his parents' hearts. It happens." I was stunned and wondered what was going on. I kept telling myself it was not true. Somewhat, I dispirited Mike for what he suggested but quickly remembered Jacob's talking points in our pre-marriage counseling sessions.

                Mike interrupted my thought process and suggested that I watch him with other men and hope I see things for myself. "If you ask him directly, he will deny it, and you'll get angry and resentful. If you can, don't confront him, but pay attention to how he interacts with men. You will know when he crosses the line."

Is it true, or is it Mike's imagination? I am confused.

                When my brain finally stopped spinning with all these thoughts, I questioned Mike. "If your suggestion is true, how do you know?"

                He teased, "Relax and think away from what you know. I don't have any evidence that Jacob is gay. But your story about him is familiar. I've been a librarian for two decades and heard many things from married couples who were married gays. They suffered until they took a bold step and left their sham marriage. Relax, and let's date. Your husband can't have sex with you. That is not who he is. He is betraying himself, and it's dangerous. Your life is more important than a fake marriage."

                Both of us sat in silence.

                Mike continued, "It's awful living a life that is not yours. That means Jacob has lived a painful life for almost four decades. And I know it is painful for what he did. Think about that for a moment. Don't hate Jacob. Hate society and religion."

                "Oh my God. What can I say? I need to go and visit my twin sister. See you next week. Thanks."

                "Be careful. Things will work out."

                I was devastated, but I took Mike's advice and did not confront my husband about the gay issue.

                After a month, I started dating Mike. I was pleased with our relationship and Mike often joked, "You're my closeted wife."

                I was relaxed and happy and continued to treat Jacob with care and respect. Jacob did not know I had dated another man for almost six months. I did not share my secret with my twin sister, mom, or best friend for over six months, whom I spoke with almost daily. Good women are better cheats than men because they are experts in keeping secrets.

                Jacob had arranged for us to go to South Africa for our first anniversary. I told him to make it short. He wanted ten days, but we compromised for six.

                We arrived at the same hotel we were at on our honeymoon. It was a beautiful resort, and everything was pleasant and reachable. I remembered Sunny and made up my mind that he was out because I did not want to cheat on Jacob under his nose.

                I was surprised when Sunny came to the cafe again. He recognized me immediately and talked to Jacob as if they knew each other before.

                I remembered what Mike suggested. I kept my eyes and ears open, watched Jacob's every step, and gave him more freedom to move around. We scheduled sightseeing, and I saw Sunny again in the hotel cafe. I asked if he was working. He said he worked primarily at night. We engaged in a conversation, and I moved on.

                Jacob trailed behind, and I observed him smiling, comfortable, and confident in his presence. I was not shocked but angry that Jacob would marry me when he knew he was gay. I held my peace since I could not prove anything. I remembered Mike's suggestion, "Don't confront him without evidence."

                Is it just a feeling or reality?

 IV.

My mind was disturbed as I saw Jacob's body language in the presence of Sunny. Do I want to know the truth or continue to believe the lie?

                I kept my eyes and ears open and watched Jacob's every move, but I gave him more freedom to go out. I told him from the fourth night of our trip that I'd be writing in the hotel room from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. I called Mike to hire a private investigator to follow Jacob in South Africa while I was watching too. I didn't want to miss any opportunity. We scheduled sightseeing and visited many fine places. On our third day, I saw Sunny again in the hotel cafe.

                Jacob interacted with him again and appeared relieved. I observed the same body language; he was beaming with smiles, comfortable and confident in the presence of Sunny. On our fourth day, I saw a young woman, Amika, at the hotel's reception smiling at me. I went to talk to her, and she was so excited to talk to me. She asked about the US, and she mentioned she planned to relocate there.

                I gave her my business card. And she warned me to watch my husband with Sunny. I asked, "Why?"

                She whispered, "He destroyed others' marriages."

                I asked, "How?"

                "Okay, tonight, I will text you. When you receive my text, come to the cafe."

                My mind was on overdrive, but I said nothing else. I felt tired throughout the day and chose not to engage with Jacob. My heart was heavy, and I prayed my gut feeling was not a fact. Why me? Their body language raised my blood pressure. Oh my God, trust yourself and let others trust themselves. I have to get to the bottom of my marriage problem fast. Although I saw many interactions between Jacob and Sunny, I questioned my observation and wondered, "Was Sunny his lover before we got married. Can it be true?"

                At 8:30 p.m., as usual, Jacob left the room. Okay, with me, because I used my alone time to think, sort out my ideas, and write. At about 9:40 p.m., I got a text from Amika. I put on my shorts and walked down to the cafe. I met Amika at the cafe counter, and she pointed her index finger to the left corner of the cafe. I turned my head, and my eyes fixed on two men kissing and one without a shirt.

                "You're full of secrets, aren't you?"

   V.

"Don't cheat if you're unhappy, leave." - Unknown.

It was my husband, Jacob. I almost threw up! I walked to them and used my iPhone to take a picture of a shirtless Jacob. When he saw me, he jumped up and looked away. Both men appeared shocked, and Jacob seemed embarrassed and speechless. I said to him, "Our marriage is over."

                I was too furious and too confused to scream. It was not too painful because I was cheating too, but I was angry I caught him being gay. Being deceitful and vicious.

                After two years of dating, he decided to marry me. He wasted my time, energy, and money to be in a sham marriage. Who does that? I returned to my hotel room and called the airline to change my flight. I called and told Mike what I saw, and Mike was empathic and wished me a safe trip back home.

                Jacob came to the room and apologized, saying, "I thought I could pray away my life when I married, but it got worse. I was wrong, and I'll pay you everything back."

                "You cannot pay for the three years I spent with you. You cannot pay back my emotional need and the stress you caused me over the last year. Go fuck yourself!" He moved his things from our room to another room. I was in pain, and Mike kept me company on the phone until early morning. Wonders will never cease. Humans are fallible. Trust yourself and let others trust themselves.

                In the morning, while waiting for a taxi, Sunny ran toward me and said, "I kept my word. I'll not disclose our secret to Jacob. In Africa, we keep our secret. I'm sorry, and I wish you well, Serena."

                I arrived in the US, and the private investigator's photos were worse than what I saw. It seemed they knew each other before I met Sunny. I filed for divorce, and Jacob moved to South Africa. It has been two years since I divorced Jacob. I'm still dating Mike, and we are happy.

                Good women are better cheats than men. I cheated on Jacob twice, and he didn't know, but I caught him because he was careless. Making out in an open place, he knew many people knew us as a couple, was inhumane. As of today, I haven't disclosed my affair with Sunny to my mom, my best friend, my twin sister, or Mike. A good woman is an expert in keeping secrets.

 

 BY 2022.

 

Disclaimer:

 This is a work of fiction. All the characters, events, and locations in this story are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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