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I Discovered My Ex-Husband Was Cheating on Me—Because He Suddenly Started Sweeping the Street Every Morning. It Sounds Absurd, But That’s Exactly How It Happened: The Subtle Signs That Revealed His Affair With the New Neighbour Next Door

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I found out my ex-husband was cheating on me because he started sweeping the pavement.

It sounds utterly bizarre, but thats honestly what happened. He was an electrician by trade, working from home, with his little workshop out in the garage. Every day, he was caught up with wires, sockets, screwdrivers, and clients. He was never much for household chores. Not for any reason, really, apart from the fact that he didnt like them. When he had time off, hed collapse in front of the telly, have a pint with the lads, or fiddle with something on the barbecue. He was a content sort of bloke, not one for wild parties, never moody, and hardly the suspicious type.

Our street was nothing grandjust a wide lane lined with giant oaks, the pavement always littered with leaves, dust, and bits of mud. Someone needed to sweep it nearly every day. Usually, Id get it done first thing while making tea and toast. But then, one day, a new neighbour moved in next door. Nothing out of the ordinary, really; the house was always let out, and the tenants changed as often as the weather.

A few months after she arrived, he started saying things like,
Dont worry, Ill do the sweeping today.
At first, I thought how sweet of him. I used that time to do the washing up, clean the bathroom, tidy the house up a bit. I didnt watch him. Why would I?

But then, he started doing it every day.
And always at exactly the same hour. Seven oclock, sharp. Never earlier, never later. I wouldnt have noticed, except hed never been strict with timesexcept with work. One morning, curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked out the window.

There he was, broom in hand, not sweeping at all. He was talking, grinning ear to ear, and there she wasthe neighbour, right in front of him. Coincidence, I thought. But it happened again the next day. And again. Whenever he stepped outside, so did she, as if theyd planned it all along.

I started paying more attention. It wasnt just the mornings. One Saturday he told me he was popping out for a pint with the boys. Fair enough. But the moment he opened the door, something felt off. I glanced out the curtain and saw her leaving at exactly the same time. She called out,
Evening, neighbour! Have a good one.
He replied as if it was nothing, and she added,
What a coincidence, Im off that way too.
And they walked off together, down the sleepy road.

The next weekend, he claimed he was off for footballa rare thing indeed. He left, and not ten minutes later, she followed, phone to her ear, strolling in his direction.

I hadnt any proof. No messages, no pictures. Nothing concrete. Only patterns. Hours. Coincidences that no longer felt like coincidence.

One day, I confronted him. No question, just straight to the point:
I know youre with the neighbour.
He stared at me, shocked, denied it at first, but I pressed on:
Ive seen you. Every day. Dont lie.
He went quiet, eyes down. Then,
Yes. I am. Im in love with her.
I shouted at him to get out. There were no children, nothing to haggle over. The bitterest ironyhe moved right in next door, with her.

They didnt last long, maybe two months. Then, they packed up and disappeared altogether. No one knew what really happened. They left town, and I never heard another thing about them. Folks chattered, relatives whispered, but I wanted none of it. The dream ended, and the leaves still gathered on the pavement.

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I Discovered My Ex-Husband Was Cheating on Me—Because He Suddenly Started Sweeping the Street Every Morning. It Sounds Absurd, But That’s Exactly How It Happened: The Subtle Signs That Revealed His Affair With the New Neighbour Next Door