Lavida

For almost two years, I kept sending the money. Michael never asked for more than I could afford, and I never told him about my marriage. Then Andrew noticed that my savings were shrinking despite my salary increasing. He checked our joint account and found the transfers. When he asked who Michael was, I told him he was someone from my past. Andrew wanted to know why I was financially supporting another man without telling him. I finally explained that Michael was the father of my first child. Andrew went quiet. He asked whether I’d been seeing him. I said no. Then he asked why I had allowed another man to become a permanent financial responsibility in our marriage. I told him Michael had suffered too, and I couldn’t just abandon him.

My husband found out I’ve been secretly sending money to the man who got me pregnant before we met. He thinks I’m having an affair, but the truth is much worse. Before I met Andrew, I had a baby with my ex, Michael. The baby died shortly after birth, and we eventually went our separate ways. Years later, I married Andrew. He knew I’d lost a child, but I never told him who the father was. Michael eventually contacted me. He was struggling financially and said he’d lost his job. I felt guilty because I’d moved on and built a comfortable life while he was still struggling with what happened to our baby. I started sending him $600 every month. I told Andrew the extra money was going toward my mother’s expenses.