Im forty-one years old and Ive never cheated on my wife. But before I met her, I wasnt exactly a saint. Id never had a serious girlfriend. I was single and lived like a single man. Id go out with one woman, then another, Friday nights were for dates, Saturday for parties. I didnt owe anyone explanations because Id never made any promises.
I worked at an electrical repair shop and earned a decent wage. After work, Id head out with mates to pubs, clubs, birthday dos. Sometimes I’d sleep with a woman and be gone from her life the next daynot because I was cruel, but because I wasnt looking for anything serious. I always said commitment wasnt for me.
Everything changed the day I met my wife. It was at the hospital where she was doing her nursing internship. I was there sorting out an electrical fault. She asked for help with a broken socket, and we got chatting. She asked my name, I asked hers, we had a laugh, and by the end of my shift, she gave me her number. I messaged her that very eveningunlike before, there was no bravado or flirting, just nerves like a teenager.
Our first dates were simple: walks, ice cream in the park, a Cornish pasty after work. Slowly, I stopped paying attention to other women. Not because she demanded it, but because I simply didn’t want to. I knew she wasnt just another girl.
When I asked her to be my girlfriend, I laid it out plain: If were going to start something, lets do it properly. I dont want anything half-hearted. She looked me in the eye and said, I dont share. I replied, Me neither. From that moment, I realised loyalty isnt just about not chasing other womenits about keeping your promise.
We married without any fuss. We lived in a rented room with a borrowed mattress and a little cooker. We both worked all hours. She did night shifts, I worked overtime. We didnt have much energy or time for adventures. We had bills, exhaustion, and shared dreams.
Temptations did crop up though. At work, a colleague messaged me past midnight. She sent accidental photos and told me I deserved better than a tired wife. Once, she waited for me in the car park, suggesting we go to a hotel. I told her no. Got in my car and drove straight home.
At a mates party, a drunk woman sat beside me and started stroking my arm. I got up, found my wife, and we left without saying goodbye. Id rather look rude than cross a line I couldnt undo.
My mates tease me, say I used to be full of life and now Im dull. Theyre rightIm not the same. I used to live for myself. Now, I live with someone.
Recently, my son asked me if Id ever been with other women after marrying his mum. I told him no. He looked surprised and mentioned that most of his friends parents had split up because of cheating. Thats when it hit memy choices dont just affect my marriage, they shape my kids’ lives.
I was a ladies man when I was free and unattached. But the day I decided she was the woman I wanted to grow old with, I realised loyalty isnt a prisonits a choice you make every day. And to this day, I dont regret choosing her.
