Colleen thought she knew her husband inside out until she unintentionally eavesdropped on his therapy session. Michael’s shocking revelations exposed his deepest secrets, shattering their 12-year union and leaving Colleen to piece together their fractured family.
Hello everyone, Colleen here. Imagine discovering a life-altering truth about your partner, something that makes you question every part of your relationship. That’s exactly what happened to me. If it weren’t for a single phone call, I would’ve remained in the dark…
My life until recently seemed straight out of a perfect family album. I had been married to Michael for 12 happy years. We have two amazing children, Shawn and Milly. Everything seemed perfect.
We cherished small moments like family game nights and celebrated big ones like Michael’s recent promotion. That night was unforgettable.
Michael surprised us with a dinner out. We laughed, toasted, and I still remember how his eyes sparkled when he shared the news.
But everything changed one afternoon.
It was an ordinary day. I was doing laundry while talking to Michael on the phone. He was about to begin his therapy session.
Lately, Michael had been under a lot of stress from frequent business trips and work pressures. To cope, he started seeing a therapist, Dr. Hanks.
We discussed the usual things—how his day was, how the kids were.
I mentioned I was making his favorite turkey roast for dinner. We said our warm goodbyes as Michael mentioned the therapist had arrived. I left my phone on the table and resumed folding clothes, thinking about the evening ahead.
Then, ten minutes later, I picked up my phone to call a friend about a recipe. I realized Michael hadn’t hung up. I could hear everything from his therapy session.
Initially, I hesitated. It felt wrong to eavesdrop. But then I heard something that made my blood run cold.
Dr. Hanks’ voice came through clearly: “Okay, Mr. Fox, let’s revisit our last conversation. You mentioned that your family isn’t the only family you have.”
“Yes, Dr. Hanks,” Michael responded.
I FROZE.
“Can you elaborate, Michael?” Dr. Hanks asked, sounding as confused as I felt.
Michael’s voice was steady, almost devoid of emotion.
“My wife, Colleen, and our kids, Shawn and Milly, aren’t my only family. I have two other families. One in California and another in New York. I have two children with one woman and a daughter with another.”
My knees gave out. I dropped to the floor, phone still in hand. My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear Michael continue.
“I tell Colleen I’m on business trips, but really, I’m visiting them. I’ve been doing this for years,” he continued.
I couldn’t breathe. Tears streamed down my face, hot and uncontrollable. Was everything we had—a lie?
I stayed there, clutching the phone, wishing to wake up from this nightmare, but I couldn’t. Michael’s words were like knives, each one cutting deeper than the last.
Dr. Hanks’ voice interrupted my haze. “Michael, that’s a lot to bear. How do you manage it?”
Michael sighed. “I don’t know, Doctor. I love all of them, but it’s exhausting. I feel like I’m living three different lives. Sometimes I think about confessing, but I can’t bear to lose any of them.”
I felt like I was going to be sick. How could he claim to love us and lie so profoundly? My mind raced with questions, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t think straight.
All I could do was listen, each word breaking my heart further.
Michael continued, “I know it’s wrong. I know I’m deceiving them all. But I don’t know how to stop. I don’t know how to choose.”
Dr. Hanks spoke gently. “Michael, it’s crucial to address this, not just for your sake but for everyone’s well-being. Secrets like this can be extremely harmful.”
Michael’s response was barely a whisper. “I know, Doctor. I know. But it’s too late.”
I lay on the floor, my world shattered. How could this be happening? How could the man I loved, the father of my children, be leading a double life—no, a TRIPLE life?
The tears kept flowing, my body shaking with sobs. I didn’t know what to do or where to go from here. All I knew was that my life would NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN.
I pressed the phone to my ear, every word piercing my heart. Dr. Hanks asked, “What drove you to cheat on Colleen and maintain two secret families?”
Michael’s voice trembled. “Colleen is my third wife,” Michael revealed, his words landing like a sledgehammer on my heart.
“I’m deeply regretful, Doctor. But it’s too late to come clean. I genuinely love Colleen and our kids. I never intended to cheat on her. Circumstances in the past forced my hand.”
“What are your plans now?” Dr. Hanks asked gently.
Michael sighed heavily. “I’m scared to tell Colleen about my other families. The kids from those families are in high school. I don’t know how to face her. I’m… I’m terrified of losing her.”
“Do you feel guilty, Michael?” Dr. Hanks asked after a pause.
Michael was silent for a long moment, then suddenly burst into tears. “Even if I want to set things right, it’s too late. I have to split my time between my three families for the rest of my life.”
“Do your other families know about each other?” Dr. Hanks asked.
“No,” Michael said bluntly.
I couldn’t listen anymore. My hand trembled as I ended the call. The room spun around me as I collapsed, sobbing uncontrollably.
How could he? How could he betray us like this?
Just then, I heard the kids coming home from school. “Mom, we’re back!” Shawn called out.
I wiped my tears quickly and splashed cold water on my face, trying to reduce the puffiness. I had to pull myself together for them. I walked into the kitchen and started preparing the turkey roast, my mind racing.
A storm brewed inside me, but I decided to stay calm. I needed to give Michael one last chance to confess.
That evening, he came home, acting as if everything was normal. He was sitting with the kids, watching TV, when I called him aside.
“Michael, we need to talk,” I said bluntly.
“What’s up, honey?” he asked, looking puzzled. “Yeah, hold on a moment. Coming!”
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding as Michael sat across from me at the dining table.
“I’ve been wanting to tell you something for years, but I was afraid of losing our family. The guilt has been weighing on me, and I’ve decided to come clean,” I began.
Michael’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“I cheated on you five years ago,” I forced out. “I met this guy in Spain. He was divorced… handsome… and single. It was a mistake, I know. But it’s been tormenting me all these years.”
Michael sprang to his feet, kicking the chair back.
“WHAT??? How could you do this to me, Colleen? I trusted you! And you… you slept with another guy?? YOU DISGUST ME… You’re a PATHETIC woman!”
His face twisted with anger. “You’re disloyal! I’m ASHAMED of you.”
His words cut deep, but I kept my composure. Rising from the chair, my arms crossed, I declared, “Oh, darling, it’s surprising you’d start accusing me over a story I fabricated.”
Michael froze, confusion and shock on his face. “C-cooked up?? What do you mean?”
“It was a fabricated tale to see if you would confess about the two secret families you’ve been hiding from me all these years,” I revealed.
Michael’s blood drained from his face. He started to stammer, “Col-Colleen, I… I can explain—”
I cut him off with a dismissive wave. “Save it, Michael. I heard everything. I trusted you, but you STABBED ME RIGHT IN MY HEART.”
His shoulders slumped as he ran after me, his eyes pleading. “Colleen, please—”
“I’m done, Michael. You’ve destroyed our family.” I turned on my heel, calling out to the kids. “Shawn, Milly, pack your bags. We’re leaving.”
Michael stood there, defeated, as I gathered our things. The kids, sensing the tension, didn’t ask any questions. We left the house, leaving Michael in the ruins of the family he had so easily shattered.
A week later, I sent him the divorce papers.
The proceedings are underway now, and I don’t regret leaving Michael at all. But the extent of his deception haunts me every day. And I’m not sure if I’ll ever move on from the scars he’s inflicted on my heart.
As I tuck Shawn and Milly into bed each night, I wonder how I’ll rebuild our lives. But one thing is certain—I’ll never let anyone betray us like that again.