Secret Life with a Perfect Wife: What I learned from the lies that came.

For 17 years, he believed he was building a life with the woman of his dreams. Married for 8 of those years, their relationship appeared loving, stable, and genuine. But what he didn't know was that for the final 7 years of their marriage, she was living a double life. In this episode, we explore the shocking betrayal, the lies that stayed hidden for years, and the devastating truth that changed everything.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Hey besties, welcome back to the bestie bland, the podcast where two best friends talk real life. Healing, hard conversations, and the moments we never expected. I'm Nancy Ann, and I'm really glad you're here with us today. And I'm Jen. If you're new, quick note the show is about listening. We don't judge, we don't sensationalize, and we keep our guests safe. So today's conversation is pretty heavy. Kinda going into the infidelity that you went through, Nancy. Yep. Nancy Ann. Okay, so by calling Nancy. It's the worst. Nimm's Nancy Ann. So we have a special guest today, and we're gonna continue with this 90210 theme. Because we keep everybody's identity private. So we're gonna call him Steve today. So Steve's gonna tell us about his relationship with his wife Seem to B X.

SPEAKER_00 0:42

Soon to be X, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

We're gonna call her Kelly.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Kelly.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

Okay. I've known Steve for 12 months. 12 years. Yeah. Yeah. And I'm uh met Kelly a few times. A few times. All right. Are you ready to dive in? Okay. Alright, so how long have you guys been together, not married?

SPEAKER_00 1:02

17 years. So we're both from the valley. Met at a job everybody works in the valley. Started dating in 2009. We were both young. Took off from there. Uh sweet girl. I mean, most people, you I mean you can attest to it. Most people will say sweetest girl in the world. My mom said I wouldn't have described her as perfect. Sweet down to earth, quickly started dating, and 17 years later, married eight. We got married eight years ago. You were there. Yeah. So it was 2018. And recently, we blew into it, but recently found out she had a completely separate life relationship with a former boss of hers that not a single person in her life, not family, friend, nobody's ever seen anything, heard anything. And I've never suspected, I've never checked her phone. Nothing. Complete she was texting me baby names, potential baby names, three weeks ago.

SPEAKER_02 1:49

And you didn't have she didn't give you any reason to check her phone. So you thought everything was great.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

Yeah. I mean, uh, it was a girl, it is a girl that I'd have said couldn't tell a lie to save her life. Most people tell you that. And it turned out to be the biggest liar and manipulator I've ever met. Like I'll never believe anything again in my life.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

Yeah, major trust issues now.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Yeah, yeah. Well, yeah, m my goal is to not let her ruin two relationships, just ruin one. I am proud of who I've become, especially over the last few years. I can I can leave this knowing that first couple of years in the marriage like ups and downs like anything. But I would say that the last three, four years, especially, I've really learned how to be a husband, how to be a partner, how to care. Um, it was never bad. I never thought divorce. Like she thought differently, but proud of who I've grown and become and kept working on. Because I always put her first. I didn't want to be the typical person who, you know, work first and this and that. Like I I I'll leave work tomorrow if it means I lose her. You know, I work some overtime and stuff, it's usually to pay for our trips. I mean, you've seen Jen every other month we're on a trip. We were just on, we were we were on a yacht in Spain a few months ago with our feet up, drinking kava. I remember thinking like it does not get better than this.

SPEAKER_02 2:58

Well that's the funny thing is your Instagram popped up and you it was something along the lines of new phone, new photo photo drop or something. And I noticed I was like, wait a second, every single picture you've ever posted, there's she's always in it like minus the dog here and there.

SPEAKER_01 3:13

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:14

So I'm going, hmm, click on yours, and I was like, wait, I'm scrolling like no out of all of my friends, no way. There's no way. And then I was like, all right, I'm gonna be really nosy. I don't care if you're mad at me for asking, but I'm asking. Like, did you archive all those pictures?

SPEAKER_00 3:27

No, they're they're gone.

SPEAKER_02 3:28

Well, you took them out completely.

SPEAKER_00 3:29

Like, um, and we would do something every year where every January, I mean, we were the annoying the in hot yoga a few months ago told us, like, you guys are married? I thought you guys are dating. Like, that's how into each other we still were. Wow. I don't know how she did it. I don't. But uh, yeah, so every January we'd make a photo book of all the pictures from the year. I mean, literally because of the work, you know, every other month we're on some sort of trip. I have to have something to look forward to. Yeah, if it's as simple as Palm Springs or whatever, no big deal. But I mean, we've been to Europe four or five times, we've been to Mexico all the time, and I'm always trying to do something because I I always figured, and I'm in a little bit of debt because of it, but I'm paying off to that. But I always figured like I could die tomorrow and I have these memories. For sure. So anyway, the photo books I got home the first thing after I took the six photo books we had and just threw them straight in the trap. It's all okay. Yeah. So I've been rebuilding my my brand on Instagram. I you know, you can remove the figure, but I still have a tan line there. Oh, that's the worst. Yeah. So I'm working on that. But it's been an adjustment. It's been about three weeks now that therapy and so you found out about it this three weeks ago, or that's how long almost three weeks of the day. No. So they've been together. Seven. Yeah. So they've been together seven years. So anyway, together 17 years, married eight. I would say the last four years, we've been what I would call really good. I mean, thoughtful. We do everything. We go to the beach, we walk the dog, we sit on the balcony and drink wine. I leave work early so we could go home and make HelloFresh. Can we get an ad drop for them? Hello Fresh.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

Nice.

SPEAKER_00 4:54

Although now they're probably trying to distance themselves. But don't do HelloFresh, you'll get a divorce. But like I'll leave work early to go home and make dinner with her. Like, I mean it's just who we want. Like, I remember saying like the world could fall apart tomorrow. And as long as we had each other, like nothing else matters.

SPEAKER_02 5:09

I know nobody knows the backside to everything that we do, but having a husband like that, wanting to go home instead of using and staying from overtime and that's being the job as an excuse. That's pretty amazing because the that's how I am. I just want to go home. I don't even want to be there. That's how I am.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

And the only time I I work, uh I work overtime in the summer, I work the Dodger Games. And it makes me like an extra few grand the summer, and that money is specifically for all of our trips. That's it. We haven't saved anything. We don't we we've rent and we were really starting to talk about like, all right, we're gonna really start settling down. We live out by the beach in the south bay and really start getting down to it. But we wanted to go on these trips and do these things because like I could again, I could die tomorrow. We've been to all these places, and I remember I'm jealous. I told her, but I I guess I've been to this club. But I I've uh we've had talks. The interesting thing is over the years, like, listen, if you ever find somebody you're so in love with and you're so enthralled with, leave. Like divorce and leave and whatever, just like fringe talks. And I was like, Yeah, whatever, like blah, blah, blah. And then the other thing I've talked to her about numerous times is like, hey, if I'm ever working these baseball games and you're at home lonely or whatever, let me know. I don't have to work it. I'll come home. I'm doing it for us. Like a lot of what I do, and it's not that I'm so great, it's just it's us. It's not me, it's us. And so, like, you know, I go work these these baseball games and I'm not home and whatever. And it turns out those were her opportunities to meet up with this dude. And but she wrote me a card three weeks ago, like the same time frame. I have texts of her texting me potential baby names. And uh, she wrote me a card thanking me for all the hard work I do and blah, blah, blah, and how much it means, and you know, providing and whatever. And so yeah. So it the story goes a little something like this. So 17 years together, eight years married, our entire lives are intertwined. And that's one thing I'm learning from this is that, and I always knew, like, I have friends, I have a friend group, but like a lot of my life, I'm 37 now, is her. And that's not a knock. That's how I wanted it. I always said, like, things are cool with my friends or my family, whatever, but it was always better with her. But your family comes first. Yeah. And it was all but it was always better, like when I was places or traveling, whatever, whether it was, you know, the football games I go to or whatever, it was always nice just having her there. It always felt comfortable and good. It's it wasn't one of these things where we were on the downside for years. That would have been easier, really. It was one of those things where like we were really, like, I think blossoming. So in the 17 years, like I've never checked her phone. I've never I've had girlfriends where you had to like know, and I never wanted that again, right? So with Kelly, that's her name, right? With Kelly with two East, you had to, like, I never had to check anything. Like, I didn't check her phone, wherever she went, and like really, she didn't go many places. She went to work, she went here. So, like how she found time, I don't know. She'd go to yoga, and then like half the time she went out with her friends or whatever, she'd come home early, like, I missed you. I want to come home. She was she went on a trip like a year ago. Some guy tried to buy her a drink. Her friend told me this, and she said, No, I'm married. So it's not like the girl that like craves male attention that you're like, ah, like she does a dress provocative. I mean, you've seen her like most all American sweet It's like the cheerleader and the football player from high school. Yeah, she was, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:12

She was probably well, and she's talking about baby names. Like, yeah, so you you that's a future of moving on.

SPEAKER_00 8:17

She texts me, like, come home from work. I mean, it wasn't like she like seemingly wanted time to go do whatever. I I started working nights recently, and she was like, get off nights, like I miss you, whatever, blah, blah, blah. So I do it in the night. So about a month ago, month and a half, it was Easter Sunday, so maybe it was two months ago. We go on a trip back east. We went to go see the Dodgers play or whatever, and uh, it was cherry blossom season in DC. So her father passed away a year ago. So we brought her mom on like a couple trips with us, stuff like that. Her parents moved back east about five years ago. We're from the valley. Ten years ago, we moved down. I guess it was back a little bit. So we're from the valley, it's where we met. Ten years ago, she got a job offer down in the South Bay, Redonda Beach. We moved down there to the job. I love it. I uh my job allows me to work kind of anywhere in the city of LA. Hint hint. So I I I head down that way and things work out right. So we get an apartment on the beach and things are great. Like I said, first couple years of marriage, ups and downs. Like I never thought possible divorce. Like I never thought we were anywhere close to that. And I would have worked just getting started. Yeah. And I would have worked in pretty much anything outside of this. And like I think anybody could go to Vegas for a night and make a mistake. But this. So anyway, uh yeah. So we're both we've been living down there 10 years now, we've made friends, whatever. So when she first moved down to this area, there was a boss that she had, and I remember hearing like his name, but he was like a player type, but I never like she had a couple new coworkers who were young co-workers, cute too. And I remember hearing about this dude and never being like, I uh that's how little I worried. I was like, yeah, okay, whatever. It's been 10 years, I haven't heard his name since. And they've both moved on to like different sites since unrelated from what I understand, but who knows. So we're in DC, Easter Sunday, me, her, and her mom go see the cherry blossoms. So we're waiting to get on a boat to go to the cherry blossoms or whatever. Her and her mom goes and use the restaurant. I get a text, a random text from like a random number, and it says possible spam. So I'm already like a little weird. It's and it's worded very interestingly. It says, Your wife, Kelly, and spelled wrong, has been having an affair for seven years. She's been lying and saying you're getting a divorce and haven't been living together. Um I just found out, wanted to let you know. And it was so far, I you know, I didn't like it, but it was so far-fetched. Like I could, okay, maybe she hooked up with somebody, whatever, which I still wouldn't believe. But I couldn't picture a seven years, and then B, the words like, we're getting a divorce and haven't been living together coming out of this girl's mouth.

SPEAKER_02 10:44

So that's what she was telling allegedly this person?

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Yeah. Yeah. So, but it says possible spam, right? So maybe I just didn't want to believe it. But it was, it was so far-fetched, and it was the first thing I've ever heard or seen. It wasn't like Thursday I saw this. Now when I go back, there's some things, but nothing like legit. And so the weird thing is, and I figured this out later, her mom comes out of the restroom and is like, Where's Kelte? And I'm like, I don't know, I thought she was in view. And she goes, Yeah, but she came out first. And I'm not on this dock. It's like a drizzly Easter Sunday. There's no one else out there. And she goes, I call her a couple times, and like the running joke is she's never good about picking up her phone and texting, which now looks like a tactic, right? But before it was like kind of a shtick.

SPEAKER_02 11:23

Like she's never good about picking up and what so she wasn't on her phone t like she wasn't texting all the time, like when the two of you are together. Like that's interesting. No, because I would have been like You would have known, you would have thought that that was strange.

SPEAKER_00 11:36

No, there was nothing she did that I would say was strange. So uh the weird thing is she took me off five my friends a few years ago, and this was like a whole discussion we had. And it with her, with her, it was about like boundaries and whatever. And I'm trying to be a good husband, right? Like I'm trying to grow. Like the me in me is like I work a job, we're like I work late, I'd like to know where you are. Not to check on you, but to calm my nerves and ditch someplace thinking and and still, even though she took me off it, I was never thinking like cheating affair.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

I was just, she was like, listen, like I don't think it's healthy. And I'm like, I could see part of that argument, right? But like marriage is about sacrifice, right? And if I had a partner who worked a job like I do, um, who sees certain things, whatever makes you comfortable, man, if you want to follow me, follow me. And it was like a big point of contention. So she had me off that. But at the same time, my sister-in-law and a few other people still have her on that. They're like, she's never anywhere but you're so anyway. But that was one thing. The other thing was she deleted her Instagram a few years ago. And this is like three, four years ago, or deactivated it, whatever. Three, four years ago. I remember even joking at the time, like, are you running from something? Like, ha ha. Yeah. But she was like, No, like it's terrible. We're on it all the time. It's bad for our mental health. And I'm like, Yeah, well, like 100% true, right? Like, I wish I wasn't on this.

SPEAKER_02 12:49

Did she just not want him to see what you guys were doing?

SPEAKER_00 12:53

If she kept because our instant my Instagram is is 99%. What I've cleansed my Instagram for future ladies, it was like every photo. It was like I'm not like the typical, like, uh, you know, I can get away with it. Like, it's all her. Yeah. It's all me and her. Yeah. Everywhere. So anyway, uh, those are just a couple things. So anyway, her mom goes, Oh, I have her on find my friends. Okay. So pull her up and she's on like the back side. Like the logical place to walk was straight out to the dock. If you couldn't find me, because I had walked took a little bit away. And it was raining and I had an umbrella, I remember that. And she's on like the back side of this building. You know what I remember? It was the Watergate building. That's where we're which is kind of cliche, right? And so she's on like the back side of the building. But you know how like find my friends sometimes is like weird. Yeah, it bounces. So I'm like, yeah. So I go walking and then I find her like around the corner, like a completely illogical place. But I'm like, hey, where were you? Like, because I'm thinking I get this text, right? And this dude hits her up and is like, hey, I'm blowing your shit up. Can I say your shit? Sorry.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

Did you go send Jenny say?

SPEAKER_00 13:52

I'm blowing your shit up, Kelly. And then she's like, Well, I'm gonna go quell it and tries to, but I'm like, ah, it's so unreasonable, right? So she comes around the corner and I'm like, hey, where were you? She's like, I was looking for you. And I'm like, I was out the dock. She's like, Yeah, like I didn't see you. You have a red umbrella. I was looking for a red umbrella, and I saw one over here. Like, that's how quick she was. This is a girl. She's used to it. This is a girl. Well, she grew up with lying and deception, right? But this is a girl that I didn't think could lie about anything. I mean, you would probably say the same thing, Jen.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 14:21

And uh, are you Jen? Yes. Okay. I don't know, dude. I don't know the code name. I'm Steve, right? I'm Steve. So anyway, uh, she's quick on her feet. I'm like, okay, that's reasonable, right? I'm trying not to assign logic from my job to a normal person. So I'm playing with that. And really what was happening was I was getting gas lit, right? A term she liked to use a lot. But anyway, so I go, when we get on the boat, when we get on the boat, I'm gonna pull her aside and talk to her, right? And show her the text. It's far fetched, but I'm gonna show her. So I pull her aside, I show her the text, and like she's like, no, it's like totally plays it off. Not too high, not too low. Like you would expect someone who's not lying to in hindsight, and I I remember telling her this like, if it's me and you show me that text, I'm like, call that number right now. Call that number, put it on speaker, and if it's false, it's false. If it's not, it's not. Like that's how I am. But she's not super confrontational or whatever.

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

So she's like, Yeah, I mean, you could call it, but it's probably spam, whatever. Like, totally nonchalant. So she goes back inside with her mom, like, even tells her mom. She even like tells me, like, can you send me a photo of that number of that call, whatever? Like, so like, like I'm sitting outside, I'm like, I'm bothered, but I'm like, it's fake, like, because I read like that's a sp a typical spam, because you hit up that number, right? And then they go, hey, $20, and here's the and it's oh yeah, it's a bullshit, right? I didn't feel good about it, and I I look naive now, but this is the last person in the world I expected to do it. So you don't want to do it. And I also don't, I guess my therapist was telling me that you weren't gonna believe it until you had actual proof. And that's just how it was. And I said, Well, I interview people who have committed crimes for some jobs that I work, right? And you know, they don't trick me. She goes, Yeah, well, you expect them to lie to you. You don't expect the person you trust the most in the world to lie to you.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

Well, and you don't want to ever believe it. So you're not, your brain isn't thinking that at all. It doesn't go there.

SPEAKER_00 16:04

What do you go with? And so I kind of let it go, but I watch it the rest of the trip. We went to uh Toronto as well. So we we didn't like six more days of the trip. I'm so glad I'm doing this though, because I've told the story so many times, and like for like the first couple weeks, the first couple retells, I'm like, oh, so cathartic and do it. And now I'm like, I'm just gonna point them to the podcast. Like, here's the story.

SPEAKER_02 16:25

We don't want to have to keep on getting it over and over again.

SPEAKER_00 16:27

I'm Steve, by the way, listen to the podcast. So so this is nice. But so anyway, I watch her the rest of the trip, it's like find it completely normal. Like, not bothered eating, drinking. She's not a girl that eats a ton, you know? So she's eating, drinking, like normal stuff. Normal stuff. We go to a baseball game, we're having fun, whatever. So we get back home. I'm kind of forgetting about it. I mentioned it to her a couple of times. Like, do you tell your friends about it? Because I would be like all over, like, yeah, you know, completely. She's like, oh yeah, whatever, like blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_02 16:52

I would have pulled out the truthfinder.

SPEAKER_00 16:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:54

Truthfinder.com and looked that number up.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Well, and that's part of the problem too, is like I wanted to call that number, but I've also figured like this is the first sign of anything ever. What kind of husband am I? Right? If she said no, and I'm trying to be a better husband, like I call that number, put on speaker, and some Indian dude, right? You know, hello, you know, or it's a Nigerian, because it was written very like Nigerian prints, right? Like I got money for you. So my that was my biggest fear is that like I call and now she's looking at me like fucking. She knows that you don't trust you. I mean, you don't trust anymore. She's never given me a reason not to. Yeah, like had it been like Thursday, this Saturday, okay, it came on. This is the first sign of anything ever, and I'm just gonna like I had to eat this one, you know? And I I always figured, like, living where we live in like the South Bay, it's a very like small community. And I guess I I never took checked her phone, never checked anything, like A, because I trusted her, but B, I have my buddies a baseball coach there, buddies are cops there, whatever. I always figured, like, if she was ever seen or heard with anybody, which makes it even crazier, like one of them would hit me up and been like, hey man, I would have come to her with that info. She would have cracked, which I thought she would, and that would have been it. Because I would have you come, yeah, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

When we first got together 17 years ago, I made out with a girl at a party that ate me alive for like four years. Where you know, I was 19. Like, yeah. So anyway, I hope she doesn't hear this because it's gonna add to the problem. I'm not okay. So anyway, we get back home and things are normal, like tech like super consistent. Like texting, dinner, like it was never like, oh, where's she, what's she doing? Blah, blah, blah. A couple things pop up now. Like sometimes she'd be cleaning if I'm at work or whatever, and she doesn't pick up her phone for an hour and a half. And she's like, Oh, I was in the other room, I was cleaning, and the apartment would always be super clean. And so it makes sense, but like that was obviously time she'd go be with her little boyfriend or whatever, right? So, anyways, a month goes by, we go on another trip, we go to Napa for a weekend, have a we bring the dog, great weekend. We're making videos, like as normal, I mean, like intimate, like as normal as can be. What was this? Three weeks ago. We were flying out back east to where mom lives. Mom lives alone now, it was her birthday, and I had planned a trip out there to surprise her mom for her mom's birthday. I got us a suite at a minor league baseball game in town. We got her mom's pitch. Like, I planned all this. Meet. So we were gonna fly there on a red eye and then meet her sister. One of her sisters lives out this way. The other one moved back east with mom and dad and started a family out there, beautiful family. And I'm tight with both of them. So we're getting ready to fly out there. It's like a Friday night, our flights at like 11. It's like 8 p.m. We're sitting on the couch, like we always do, eating and watching Bravo. I think we're watching Real House of Rosen, Rhode Island. Which I've got in, I'm in a below deck, Real House of the Rhode Island.

SPEAKER_02 19:30

Like I have a new best friend. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

I'm telling you, like that's how morning we were. We do we do that stuff together, right? So, anyways, we're sitting on where you are, and uh, she's here, and we're sitting on the couch and there's a knock at the door. It's like 8 p.m. She gets up way too quick, right? And cuts across, like, cuts across me. And I'm like, that's weird, right? Like, but whatever. So she goes to the door and opens the door, and there's a dude standing there, probably like 50s, well dressed. And I'm thinking, like, maybe it's a building manager or something. We live down by the beach, you know, apartment, 20, 20 units in the building, whatever. And he goes, Hey, like he knew her. She steps out and closes the door behind her. And I'm like, what? Like the dog, we don't have the dog there, we dropped the dog off at my parents, and I'm like, what? It just felt weird. By the time I make it outside, this dude's already down the stairs walking away without looking back. And I'm like, I turned to her and I'm like, what was that? And she's like, it's still crazy to tell this story. Like, I still feel like I'm gonna wake up. And uh she goes, Oh, nothing, wrong apartment. And I'm like, no, I go, get inside. So we get inside, I go, you need to tell me what's going on right now. I don't know what I hadn't connected it yet. Maybe it was a surprise. I don't know. There's a number of things it could have been, but I hadn't connected it yet. And I'm like, what is going on? He said, wrong part, oops, and walked away. I go, Kelly, there's no way. I go, any of those things by themselves, maybe you got up too quick. He greeted you like he knew you. If it's wrong apartment, it's oh my god, I'm so sorry. And there's some kind of conversation. I go, he was already gone by the time I got out of there. She goes, No, no, no. And so for like an hour I'm grilling. And the thing that sticks out in my head is as I'm talking to her, she's still eating grand Caesar wraps. She's still eating her Caesar wrap. And I remember thinking, like, what kind of psycho could be lying and still eating? Like I didn't eat for a week after this.

SPEAKER_02 21:07

Somebody can't been doing it for a really long time. Correct. It's part of her normal.

SPEAKER_00 21:12

Hundred and I mean 125-pound girl who doesn't eat a whole lot anyway. And she's eating. And I remember thinking, like, there's no way you could be lying and still eating. So I go, listen, I'm gonna go for a walk. When I come back, we're gonna have a talk. So I go for a walk. She's still holding, she's packing. All right, here's the deal. We're we're gonna go on this trip. When we get back, I was coming back Wednesday because I'd work and she's coming back the following Saturday. Go when we come back, we are sitting down and having a talk. Something's up. No, babe, nothing, blah, blah, blah. So we drop LAX from our place, it takes an hour, even though it's like eight miles. It was a nightmare. And I'm not talking to her at all. And she's like touching my lip, babe, like, nothing's going on. I'm like, no. But tell you what, why don't I just drop you off here? I'll pick you up Saturday. No, no, no, nothing's going on. So she lets me fly all the way up, knowing the walls are closing in. Like I don't know how she did it. We get on the flight. I'm not feeling good. I I still don't quite I haven't quite connected it, but I don't feel good about it. We get The plane, we fly back east. She sleeps on the plane. I don't sleep a lake. She sleeps and she's not, and and this comes up later. Where I'm like, she never has been like a good sleeper. And I go, Well, it makes a lot of sense now. Like, you couldn't sleep at night. I couldn't sleep at night if I was you. But she sleeps on a flight. We land, we meet up with her sister, get a rental car, and we drive two hours to her mom's place. On the way, we stop to get coffee, which is something we'd always do, find a cool little coffee shop. And things are like kind of normalizing. Like I'm, you know, our sister's there and whatever. And then we get to mom's house. So we sneak up on mom, surprise. Mom's like, oh my God, like this is so great. Like you guys are here all weekend. Yeah, we're here for like five days. Oh my God. I took days off work, whatever. So Kelly's like, hey, because she's thoughtful, there's like local beer that her mom buys from the show. Oh, I'm gonna go grab me a beer. I'm like, oh, thanks, babe, blah blah blah, blah blah blah. As I'm in the kitchen, I get a text from a separate number that I hadn't blocked because I blocked that first number. Almost exactly the same. It basically said, that was me at your door last night. I tried to tell you a month ago that she's been having an affair for seven years. She's been saying you've been getting a divorce and haven't been living together, which is if you did any research, like we don't hide. We go out to dinner, we go for walks, we sit on the balcony, like anybody that's why this dude's playing innocent, but you knew to some level, right?

SPEAKER_03 23:12

No, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 23:13

So uh I tried to tell you she somehow covered it up. This woman is toxic. And those words, I mean, you can attest, Jen. No one in the history of the world would ever call this girl toxic. I mean, almost the opposite. I mean, the opposite.

SPEAKER_02 23:27

She was really good at hiding it. I mean You know what she reminds me of? K my cousin's wife. Oh yeah. Very she's not doing anything like this, but that's the type of person she likes to be. Like sweet and outgoing, super thoughtful.

SPEAKER_00 23:41

Like, give you the shirt off her back type girl. Like people love her. Great worker, great. So I'm like in shock. And like the this woman is toxic felt like a knife. Like this sweet wife of mine, who most people who I never thought I was worthy enough for, like with how sweet and thoughtful she is. Someone's calling her toxic. So, anyways, I go outside, I shoe her sister away, and I show her, and for like five minutes, Kelly's still lies. She's like, No, I remember I'll remember it forever. She's going, No, it's not true. Almost like she didn't believe it. I'm watching this look of horror on her face. And then finally she comes out and says his name, her old boss. I go, from 10 years ago, like when we first moved down here, like I haven't heard his name forever. She goes, Yeah, I'm so sorry. And I'm like, I can't. I'm not even crying. I'm not even sad. I'm just completely shocked. And I'm like, I go, how could you? I go, we have we do everything together. I mean, we go to yoga, we go get latte. Like when I'm not at work or she's out, like we are hanging out together. It's not one of these relationships where there's like a whole lot of room for anything. Like people make fun of us because we do so much. And like I told you, the the lady at yoga a couple months ago was like, You guys are married? I thought you guys were dating. Like, that's how stupid flirty we are. And she always, you know, is hugging, kissing, whatever. Maybe I didn't do that enough. I don't know. But uh so anyway, she's like, I'm gonna go inside and tell my family. And so she goes inside, tells them I make a few phone calls, whatever. And like everybody I call is like, shut up. Like when I tell people, and Jen, you could test to this, like, if I text you, I get a phone call almost immediately. It's like, shut up. Like, it is so out of character for this person that like people can't believe it. So I go inside and her mom and two sisters look like somebody died. I mean, they're they're like, we're so sorry, we have no idea. Like, they can't believe it. So the the the messed up part is I go walking into the bedroom and she's like curled up in the fetal position crying. And even though she did all this, all I wanted to do was hug her. Comfort.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Because you love her.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

I love her, and like since we got together, like I've been trying to make up for you know, whatever else in her life, been trying to fix things for her and maybe took on more of a paternal role, right? Yeah. So I'm sitting there like she just crumbled my my whole I tell people I woke up Friday morning and had a latte with the love of my life, an espresso machine, had a latte with the love of my life, and things couldn't be better. And by Saturday night, my entire world was crumpled, all gone. Like the the my thesis for my essay or my book one day will be the thing I was most certain of in the world turned out to be the biggest lie I've ever been told. So I just asked her like I I asked her, I go, how how could you? And she's like, I I go, when would you find the time? She was when you worked, you know, Dodger Games or whatever. I go, so when I was out making money, so we can go on trips.

SPEAKER_02 26:22

For all these trades. So we could go on trips.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

I mean, you've seen my Instagram. We we go everywhere. I mean, to a fault, right? Like paying it off still. But I mean, we go every other month, we're on some kind of trip. And I always figured like it's the price to pay for, you know, I could die tomorrow. So uh I go, Oh, that's nice. She wrote me a card, literally, I was just still at it. Three weeks ago, thanking me for all the work I do and whatever. Probably so her and her boyfriend could spend time together, right? And I go, what did you get out of it? And she said, I guess just a different kind of affection. And I'm not like a super huggy, kissy. I I've worked on it, I've been better. But like I I do our grocery shopping because she'll be at work or whatever, and I have like a random Monday off. So I'll go to Trader Joe's and like every time I go, I'll pick up a bouquet of flowers for her. I'll buy it.

SPEAKER_02 27:01

You showed her attention.

SPEAKER_00 27:03

I try, yeah. I'm more of like a gift giver, I guess, or acts of service.

SPEAKER_02 27:06

I mean, she had to still love you. Like I don't understand.

SPEAKER_00 27:10

Oh, yeah. I don't think that That's what I don't understand. I don't think that is an issue. I think she didn't love herself, obviously. So anyway, uh what else did I ask her?

SPEAKER_02 27:19

Did she say what was happening with that? Like, is she in a relationship with this guy now?

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Or No, so well, I'll get to that. But uh she didn't say a whole lot, and that's one thing that does piss me off. Like, I would have come out with like a whole lot, but she was just crying and I'm so sorry, I'll regret this the rest of my life, and you're so good to me, and blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_02 27:36

So that was her breaking point once you were like grilling her for the five minutes. She finally just was like, I'm sorry. She never really like got dove into like no not a whole lot of me.

SPEAKER_00 27:44

And once I knew, I didn't want to know it, right? Like, what what more do I need? Like, it's either A, gonna be a lie, right? I can't trust a single or B, it's just gonna hurt me more. And so I asked a couple questions, and anyway, I go, all right, I'm gonna leave. I'm flying home out of like the small airport, which is of course like a thousand dollars. Her sister drove me. And she goes, Well, when can I see you again? She was coming home Saturday night. This was the the Saturday before. I go, we'll meet Sunday, but like this isn't like we will never be together again. Like we can never like this isn't you didn't mess up. You had You broke it. You you didn't have a fling. You had a relationship with ups and downs, and who knows what you were telling this guy.

SPEAKER_02 28:20

Was he ever married or any kids?

SPEAKER_00 28:22

Single, I guess, single dude. So the boss of hers when she first started down there, creepy or a little flirty with some of the younger employees. She started with like three, four other younger employees fresh out of college. And I remember hearing, like, oh, you know, he's a little flirty, but never thinking, like, not my wife, you know, like complete comfort. Well yeah, because you and didn't hear his name. Like the work would have happy hours. I was like, that's your thing. Go ahead, go. Like, I I never told her not to go out with friends, not to nothing. Like, I'm not saying that I'm perfect, it's just I trusted her. I was never like, you can't do this, can't do that. Like she went to Nashville with a friend a couple years ago. The friend had told me that some guy tried to buy her a drink at the bar and she said, Oh no, I'm married. Like that's kind of But that would be like a but that would be normal for your race's relationship. And that's what most people thought. Like, I thought, like, yeah, right, good luck with her. You know what I mean? Most people would tell you, Steve, you might be able to break him, but not Kelly, right? No. Sorry, you got a little bit of a few.

SPEAKER_01 29:16

Well, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:16

So anyway, uh, sister drives me home. When the sister's driving me home, she's pissed. I I taught this girl how to drive, the younger sister, how to drive type of this family. The younger sister lives out there now, has a beautiful family, um, has really grown up. And she said, I can't believe it. She goes, I remember going to a baby shower for one of the girls years ago, and one of them hit her up, like, Oh, I noticed the boss has been coming by your office a lot lately. And she goes, and I didn't like Kelly's response to it. She goes, I never thought anything about it, but now it makes sense. Because the other thing that she said was, I messed around and now I lost both of them.

SPEAKER_02 29:49

That's kind of fucked up to say. Why cares about him?

SPEAKER_00 29:52

That and that was my thought. Like, you lost your husband who would die. Like, I would die for this this girl.

SPEAKER_02 29:58

That's gross.

SPEAKER_00 29:59

So that's how in entrenched she was with this dude. So, anyways, I fly home on the I I and I I'll tell you this now. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy. Like, I don't care how much I hate you, how much I dislike you. I was so empty and still under a certain extent. I guess like the way I word it is that I moved through life previously with like a fullness about me and contentment, knowing that like everything would burn down tomorrow and at the end of the day after. And we'd be homeless together. Like, no matter what the day brings, the ups and the downs, like I know that when I come home, she's gonna be there, be consistent, and we're gonna have a drink and watch a Bravo show, whatever bullshit we do. That's all definitely that we love that's gone now in what felt like seconds, really seven years, right? So it felt like seconds, and I had this emptiness about me that I've never felt in my life. And I'm at the airport. So I'm at this airport and I put my back through and I'm walking through and I'm like looking over my shoulder to see where she is, and she's out there. Walk by the airport bar, we'd grab a beer in and laugh, and like we we could be doing the most stupid stuff together, and it was just always the best time. Like after 17 years, it was the best time. I get on the plane because I have to have a layover in Chicago. No Wi-Fi on this plane, of course. The guy in front of me picks up his phone and is like, hey, babe, I'm gonna be home in a couple hours. And I'm sitting there like, you gotta be like, you gotta be cute. That was me. Like I was at. So land in Chicago, and of course, like a two-hour layover, and I'm just sitting there like astonished. I'll never believe anything again. So I get on the plane, it's the longest flood in my life home from Chicago to LA. It's four and a half hours. It felt like 12. I mean, I've been to London. It felt like double that. I'm just sitting there. I would have talked to anybody. Of course, nobody wants to talk, right? So I land, I drive straight to my parents' house in the valley, and they're up. It's like 1:30 in the morning, and they're like shocked. They helped her finance her first car. Like, right, they love her like a daughter. Like, if I mess up in this relationship, like they're keeping her. 100%. They loved this.

SPEAKER_02 31:47

100%. My in-claw said that to me.

SPEAKER_00 31:49

And my mom even said, like, you know, there's a scenario where she leaves and it didn't work out with you and whatever, and I might still talk to her and, you know, hey, best of luck, whatever. But this is crazy. And they felt used because a lot of times she'd come confide in my mom about our relationship, whatever, and my mom would come and try to help build her up. So uh the next morning I wake up at my parents' house and my future roommates, by the way. And the big thing is the next date I go on is my mom could drop us off if your mom can pick us up. You know what I mean? So I I think that's gonna play well for people for girls that are like, okay, that's kind of our listeners are gonna be coming up.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

We've never emailed you guys ever, but I'm really interested in Steve.

SPEAKER_00 32:26

Yeah, Steve said what's up.

SPEAKER_02 32:28

Yeah, I'm gonna have to I'm gonna yeah, I'm gonna have to let's see that. You know, it's funny.

SPEAKER_00 32:31

My therap my therapist today was like uh because I got one of those now. She's cool. And uh she said that uh she's like, yeah, like you know, she specializes in this. And uh she was like, you know, I wish I could run like a matchmaking because I have like, oh, you fit well with this person at this person, you know. I'm like, yeah, when I walked out of the office the other day, there's a blonde sitting there who looked pretty upset. Like, if you just drop my number, we might be able to make this word. Give me a little HR grid.

SPEAKER_02 32:56

You could be messed up together. Oh my goodness.

SPEAKER_00 32:59

So anyway, I go home to the apartment for the first time that's Sunday night. And when I get to the apartment, there's a note at the door and it says, This is the affair apartment. And I'm like, that's interesting. So I've I figured I'm like, there's another note. So I walk down to the garage and on her car, it just says whore. Oh no, affair whore. So a couple of my buddies from work come over and you know, they're talking to me, and he's like, This dude's hurt. This wasn't some like player. This guy is upset. Like she fed him some lies. I yeah. So I text him because I don't want to get in trouble with work or anything. So I don't want to threaten, and I feel a little bit less like a man that I don't want to cause this guy. Like, I have no feelings towards it. I feel like I should want to, I'm gonna find you. And I and I just don't.

SPEAKER_02 33:43

If you think about it, she's the one that said you guys aren't together. So I'll get to that, but when it started, he knew. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 33:50

But at the same time, like you already took this from me or played a part in this. Like now I lose my job. Like, maybe it did me a favor. Pre-kids, I mean, she'd been texting me baby names to the city.

SPEAKER_02 33:58

Oh my gosh, that is. Were you guys starting to try?

SPEAKER_00 34:01

We weren't not trying. We were we're on that path. We had a trip coming up in August that was gonna be like our last kind of big trip. And we were really like, okay, after that, we're gonna start saving money and really start trying. But yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

Right. Blessing little blessings in disguise, I guess. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:14

That and no property together. We're still renting. Like lovely little beach apartment.

SPEAKER_02 34:18

But yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:18

So my buddies come over and my partner looks at the wall and he's like, How come there's only one picture of you guys on the wall? There's used to be more. I'm like, huh, that is true. So it looks like an apartment that could have been easily cleansed. She she's she told me she would only go over to his apartment. He lives like a mile away, and that it was only like when I worked sporting events or whatever. Because I really only work overtime during the summer. Outside of that, I'm pretty much home.

SPEAKER_01 34:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:41

So this 50-year-old man really thought he has this girlfriend you can't hang out with for Thanksgiving, Christmas, for like, come on, bro.

SPEAKER_02 34:48

No, he knew.

SPEAKER_00 34:48

At what point do you not and they couldn't have gone on trips or anything like that? Like you would have known. Maybe. I mean, maybe when she I mentioned to her, well, so I'll get to that. So anyway, more and more and more lies start coming out that her dad had her some money, like five grand a year ago for schooling to become, you know, to move up in her job. And she gave it back. She was on antidepressants for like a year. Did you know that? No. And I would have driven her. Like this, my sister-in-law telling me this, who was really tight with her. She was taking pills? Antidepressants, apparently. Which after dad passed away or whatever, would have been totally understandable. I would have driven her. Like, let's go. Like, if you need help, you need help. So all these things come out. So that night I'm like, I'm going through some shit. And I found a used plan B pill in her drawer. Used plan B. It wasn't for me because I mean I don't want to go into too much detail, but she's been telling me for a while, like, oh, we can, we can, and I just have it. Like she's been off birth control, but I just have it. And that the last argument we had, oh, she told someone else, like, we've been thinking about divorce recently, her sister, I think. Not true. The last argument we had, I got back from like a single trip. Like sometimes I'll go on like single sport trips. Like I'll have Southwest Miles or whatever. She's like, oh, usually she'll go, but she's like, oh, if I've work, like go, like enjoy. I went to the Kings game in Denver up to the playoffs. I'm like, oh, that's so cool. And now I look at that as an opportunity for her. But anyways, I get back from that trip and I'm like, hey, like, we need to start being more serious. She goes, Well, I've been telling you like you can or whatever. And I'm like, no, like I want to like feel it though. She's like, well, I'm not going to make the decision for both of us. And I said, well, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, like, as a woman, like when I feel that like you're actually ready, and maybe it's dumb of me, I don't know. I was, I was whatever. A mirror is like, let's do it. But it never felt, it always felt kind of laissez-faire. So anyway, the week goes by. She had to come back to California for the week. She had a week left of work before she was on like a couple month break. Their office closes down for a while. So she comes home and gets an Airbnb for the week. Mom was supposed to come, but mom's flight got canceled. She's supposed to get home Saturday night. Her flight gets canceled. My first inclination because of what I did was like, oh, I'm gonna go online and fix it. Like, that's just oh no, no. It's not my problem.

SPEAKER_02 36:52

Yeah, you're still in husband mode.

SPEAKER_00 36:53

And so anyway, she gets back Sunday. So I come home Sunday with the dog who we've had eight years. I got her the dog when I first started working. I was working nights, they became best friends, and I finally made the decision like the dog is hers. Like I love this dog, but I was afraid that she might hurt herself or do something anyway, because I still care about her. And I figured like she'll take really good care of the dog and the dog will take care of her, right? So when I come, she's laying in the bed, she looks super skinny. Like she's also like 10 pounds. I've lost seven, but she's lost like at least 10 pounds, and I just hated seeing her like that. And I had something I wanted to say, and I wrote something out. I never wanted the interesting thing is like, unlike her boyfriend who called her names and shit like that. I never wanted to call her a name. I was just like, She's still ever no matter what. Yeah. So, anyways, we sit down and she's crying. You tell she's distraught. She's like, I'm so sorry. Like, I can't believe I did this. It's the worst mistake of my life. I'll never regret it. And I go, you know what? I don't have a lot of questions for you. I go, A, because I don't think I could trust a single thing you say. I go, more lies are they coming out, and you know, who knows? This, this. You went to Palm Springs with friends a couple weeks ago. Very well could have been him carrying. Like, it is what it is. You said he hadn't you said he hadn't been here. He very clearly had. She said, Well, no, only because after DC, he threatened to go to your work and blow it all up. I go, but he's been here to my six way. I go on all these little one-day trips I get to go on, you know, for sports or whatever that you support. I have miles or whatever. I go, now I just look at it as an opportunity for you to hang out with him. And she's like, well, not all the time. Well, yeah, but sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 38:18

Sometimes one time seconds is yeah, too much.

SPEAKER_00 38:21

So I was like, you know what? Like, it is what it is. We'll never be together again. And then I ended up telling her, like, I forgive you. I said, we'll never be together again. I guess I gave it one more, because there's not a lot of people left in her life that are gonna give her pep talks and support her. And I've always been that for her, that sounding board. And I gave her one last pep talk. People are like, Wow, you should have grilled. I go, because I guess in the moment I realized that I gained nothing from her struggling. Right. And me having to worry, like, is she gonna do something or whatever? So I told her, I said, I forgive you. You're not a bad person. I don't think you're a bad person. And my brother, who was really tight with her, especially when we first met, he was very upset. He said, I refuse to believe Kelly isn't the Kelly that we all saw for 17 years that was thoughtful and sweet. They had a baby shower recently and Kelly stayed up till two in the morning making something, crafting something. Yeah, like that's who she was. He goes, You can fool me, you can't fool 200 people over that long time. Because I just think there's a deeper, deeper, darker version of her. It's almost like a mask that she puts on and was able to do all that. And so I told her that. I said, you know, I don't think you're a bad person. I think this ruined your life. I go, you're gonna have to live with that. Like, but only you can fix it. I go, and maybe this in some weird way, this is a way for you to finally live for yourself. I mean, we've been together since we were young, you've always been in the middle of your parents or your sister. She's middle child too, and the sisters, and you've always been kind of like the peacekeeper for everything. And you've been worried about everybody else, and you never really loved yourself or cared for yourself. Maybe this is your chance to do that. I go, I'll tell you this like, you need therapy. I'm in therapy and I think I'm all right, but you need there's something deep and dark beneath you to be able to do that. Like I I told her, I go, when I tell people this story, they can't believe it. It's not like a basic, but this is a gone girl level. Nobody believes it. And to not have a crack or show anything. Her best friends I've talked to, I've talked to people all the way back to high school who were like, nope, never seen a thing. The only thing someone said, one of the coworkers she started with, who's now moved on, was like, No, I've never seen anything. Her husband was on the phone too. We were all really tight. He goes, No, that's not true. When you were pregnant, we saw them jogging together. She goes, That's true. Must have been summer 2019. We saw them jogging together down in Hot Like the Beach. But we figured they're from back east. So, like, we figured you guys are just California weirdos or the run club or whatever. And that was the last we ever saw there. And that to this day is the only thing anybody's ever saw between them. Not a dinner, not enough. My buddy's like, I live around the corner. He coaches baseball in the area. Never seen anything.

SPEAKER_02 40:48

See, now that investigator I mean wants to be like, where did they go?

SPEAKER_00 40:51

Yeah, like there's no is it just from just a disguise? She basically just said, and like Sister Bob has her on fine, my friend. She's like, she's only ever at your apartment. There's times where there's one time I remember now. But this is the thing. It would be like one whisper. She was going to yoga before we went together at like a hot yoga studio. And I was taking the dog for a walk. And she's like, Well, and it was like probably a quarter mile out of the way where I was walking. So I'm like, oh, let's walk by and see mom when she comes out at like 8:30. And the place was like locked and secured and completely dark. And I looked at the schedule and it'd been over for like a half hour at least. That's weird. So I call her, nothing. I get home like a mile away. And she's there. And I'm like, hey, you went to yoga? She's like yeah. I'm like, no, you didn't. Like we were there. And she's like, what, you're following me? I'm like, no, it's just the dog and I were out for a walk and it was just a little bit out of her way. I really wasn't checking on you. I just figured maybe you give us a ride home. I don't know. And she's like, no. She goes, it's in like an office building, which it is. She goes in the last class of the night, they lock the front and you go exit out the back. That's how quick.

SPEAKER_02 41:47

I actually believe that too. Like him even just saying it, I believe what he's saying.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

And how big of a psycho am I, right? And there's a few of these little things. How big of a psycho am I if I go, oh, I'm gonna go check and drop like, come on, dude. Like, that's reasonable, especially from her. And had I heard anything like the next day, I heard, you know, whatever, I would have been all over it. But it was like, okay, that's reasonable. But that's how good she was.

SPEAKER_02 42:07

I wonder if people you know after hearing this will come to you if anybody else has any information. Like starting to think about it and be like, oh wait.

SPEAKER_00 42:16

I've asked you know, I've asked like her, she's got probably three, four really good friends down where we live. And and and the crazy thing is she only ever talks good about you think she'd want to throw some seeds of doubt, only ever speaks good, you know, nothing. Like nothing. Nobody's seen, nobody's seen him at dinner, nothing. And I don't care to know. Like it is what it is.

SPEAKER_02 42:33

So where's she from here? Because I know you're coming back.

SPEAKER_00 42:37

She uh we meet and she goes on our way, and I basically just hug her, and I'm like, this is the first time in your life you're gonna face adversity because everybody's always loved you. I go, so people are gonna talk about you, like the only way through, because at the new place she's working at, she's loved, and that whole place knows me. So there's no like one thing that stands out is one of the guys from where she works. I was like an older gentleman that wanted to watch soccer with us and stuff, he's always texting me. He texted me a couple days after it happened, like, hey, do you want to watch the World Cup? And I was like, you know what? Here you go. Like, this is what happened, blah, blah, blah. And I never heard back from him. So when I met with her, she hadn't told anybody at the new job yet, because she only had like a week left. She got back in town. She goes, I'm planning on telling her tomorrow. I go, well, just so you know, I've told this guy. And she was like, Oh, and you could tell. She was like, Oh shit. Like, okay, like damage control. I'm like, listen, I don't care what you tell anybody. I go, but I will tell you, like, the only way through would be like owning it. Like, yeah, I ruined my life. I know it. I go, because people are getting all sorts of things to say about, you know, you were a little Miss Sunshine, everybody loved you, and now like there's gonna be negative opinions. But you have to own it. I go, if you lie and cover things up, it's just gonna get worse. It's gonna and and you know, I go, and especially with family, like there's people that still think you're lying. The therapy portion, I was like, but when I brought that up to like your family members, everybody was just kind of like, yeah. She goes, I know, like nobody's really told me that that's what I need to do. I go, but you need to do it for like for your first time in your life, you need to do things for yourself. I go, what's your plan? Are you gonna stay out east with your mom? She goes well for the summer. I go, then are you gonna come out? What are you doing? She goes, out here. I know you're not in it. I go, Well, then you need to make that decision. You need to figure things out. Not for you. Not for anybody else, but for you, right? So how dare and she got in the car? This was two, too. And that was it. So throughout the week last week, she was selling off stuff in the apartment. The lucky thing is no property together, no kids. So like the divorce, like we split things up, and I did it all online, and it's already like and she also said, like, I don't want any she has a pension too at her job. So like I don't want yours, you don't want mine, like kid yours. And like so it's been for now, right? But that's been a simple part. It's just like even typing in the words of divorce, I'm like, that's not me, that's somebody else, right? Like, not I I thought the world would crumble before I was here. And I would have worked through almost anything. So uh the end of the week comes around, she's only going there when I'm not there, and then I text your mom. Mom's kind of intermittent to me, she got a new number. I said, Are you gonna try to not that I care, are you gonna try to stay with the students? She's like, No, like complete psycho, like oh yeah. Real interesting that your mature boss is the one saying mean things about you when your immature 37-year-old husband told you he loves you and forgives you, you know. Interesting. I think that hurt so much more, you know.

SPEAKER_02 45:08

Well, there's probably a lot of lies too, and like that that she's telling him.

SPEAKER_00 45:12

Well, and this guy said, so when I texted him back after I when we got the notes, I texted that number. I said, listen, she saw your notes. She doesn't live here anymore. Don't ever come around here again. If you see me in the streets, walk the other way. I wanted to be sure not to threaten, right? Walk the other way. I said, I'm sure your job would love to know about the notes you left, right? Because you were her superior at the time and he's still in that organization. Like it's like in our line of work, even if this person's willing, like because I'm your superior now, Jen. Technically. So if we started dating, right? Even if you were totally into it, if it goes sideways, it's it's me. I'm the suspect, you're the victim. And that's how it is with them. So he he was like, Oh, she's been it's her lies for five years, she's been saying you're getting a divorce. I'm like, Oh, so my head, I was like, So the first two years, you knew. And I blocked him. I don't need anything else from him. But so the first two years, and this is the way I see it, and she kind of she didn't give me a lot of details. There's a lot of apologizing, and I don't need it, whatever. But I said that the first two years we're going through ups and downs of our marriage, and this guy started chipping away. They went on a run together and texting, whatever. Instead of being a mentor, like, hey, you need to talk to your husband or whatever, he saw an opportunity, was able to get there, and then it became, it kind of blossomed, right? And then things with her and I, especially over like the last three, four years, really improved. And she went like, oh shit. Like, so I think she tried to cut it off of him, from what I understand. And then he blew up and blew it all up.

SPEAKER_02 46:34

It kind of sounds like that.

SPEAKER_00 46:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:36

How did she keep track of all of her lies?

SPEAKER_00 46:38

I I don't know how she slept at night. I don't know, because not a single crack. So sad or oh, and I I asked her at the time, I go, When's the last time you saw him? She goes, Oh, like a week ago. I go, so even after DC and you almost got caught, you still went back. She's like, Well, he was threatening to blow it up. I asked a couple people about around the apartment. Have you ever seen a guy? One of the girls is like, yeah, coming and go maybe a couple times, but recently whatever. So I think it's only recent that he's been coming. Because how in seven years did we not go to the grocery store? Like, we don't hide, and she's never like, oh, we can't go there or there. Like, how in seven years something not? If like our balcony faces a main street, we sit out there and listen to music. Like, how was he not driving by at some point? I don't know. There's so many questions. Possibility he did. Yeah, and maybe he's got a hot younger girlfriend and he's suspended reality. I don't know. So anyway, uh, she was getting ready to leave last Saturday and fly back for the summer and then do whatever she needs to do. And I told her mom, I said, tell her not to leave the note or anything. There's nothing that needs to be said. And of course, she leaves three letters one from me, one from my mom and dad, and one from my brother and sister-in-law. And they all just kind of fell short. Like the one to me, and it doesn't matter, but it was much more like, sorry for the way it ended. We had so many good times and you're so good to me, blah, blah, blah. But it almost kind of talked about a relationship like it had been dead for a while. When really, like up to me, up until the day it came out, we were going on trips and I mean, she was texting me bammy names too. So you felt secure in that relationship.

SPEAKER_02 48:02

That's just her making it easier on her to deal with. Yeah. Not that it's her fault, is how she's gonna work.

SPEAKER_00 48:08

Well, and she was like, it was so much more like almost trying to convince herself, like, thank you for forgiving me and saying I'm not a bad person. Because one of the things I said, I said, you can either let this define you and be like the family members you have disdain for, or you can look back five years from now and go, Yeah, I fucked up my life, but I fixed myself or whatever. And she goes, thanks for saying this doesn't define me. I'm like, Whoa, that's not what it is. I said it can define you.

SPEAKER_02 48:28

But people read that. You don't read into these letters so differently. You've got to do the work first.

SPEAKER_00 48:34

Yeah, so her letter, like, just it was just kind of fell short. She got a new number now. I haven't talked to her. And I I have no reason to. Like the good thing is that it's so crazy and far-fetched. Like, my brain can't even get around like we could ever make it work. So, like, that's what that's the easy part for me is that it's like I have no reason to talk to her ever again.

SPEAKER_02 48:52

Yeah, going no contact is the best thing ever. Well, what's the point? Yeah, there's there's what are you gonna say?

SPEAKER_00 48:57

I don't and my mom, she she reached she tried to call my mom and dad like the first day, and they both ignored. And my mom's like, I don't hate her. I don't even think she's about it's just I don't know her. Like, I feel like I don't know this person. I feel like I've been used for years. Like when we first started dating, I'd come home from work or whatever, and she'd be on the couch in pajamas with my mom watching TV shows. And my dad a couple years ago had tickets to the Eagles for his birthday and nobody could make it, the band. And and Kelly went with him to the show. Like, that's kind of who she was and how tight she was with everybody. When we first started dating, my brother would pick her up for work. My brother has tells a story where he walks, Kelly was sleeping over, and my brother uh is jumping into the shower in the morning and Kelly's in there, and he's like, Oh my god. And uh he's like, Hey, go and pee. Don't open the shower door.

SPEAKER_01 49:42

Like, that's how that's how cool that, you know, and he'd pick her up and they'd go to work.

SPEAKER_00 49:46

And his wife now wife, I married them, I got ordained. She's the first person, I mean she feels very like disdained, like very mad. She's like, you know, she was like one of my sisters, basically. And I can't believe she did this. I think a lot hasn't reached out, hasn't, you know, she wrote letters because someone can't bite back. Yeah, and that's the Kelly that everybody knows. It's kind of indecisive, a little bit weaker. You know, I'll write you a letter. But yeah, so she's back east, hopefully working on herself, but it's not my problem anymore.

SPEAKER_02 50:13

You guys already signed the the paperwork.

SPEAKER_00 50:15

So they're all online, it gets shipped to me first. I sign it, and then I guess it goes to court and then it goes to her.

SPEAKER_02 50:21

And once she signs it and sends it back, that's your that starts the one month, six or the one day, six months.

SPEAKER_00 50:26

Yeah. Luckily we're short of 10 years, so no alimony, and then we're both like she keeps hers, I keep mine who's out of this.

SPEAKER_02 50:32

Right, except I was married twenty over twenty years. Yeah. But we if it's amicable, it'd be just completely a hundred percent then.

SPEAKER_00 50:38

And that's why I'm trying to keep it amicable. Like she's been very good about that, but also like who knows? Like, she could flip tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 50:45

Well, she's Becky's too, she's not even locally yet, so I'm curious to see what happens when she goes back. Yeah, like the apartment that she's like. Right, does the apartment out July 8th?

SPEAKER_00 50:54

It's paid for. And we're month-to-month locally. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 50:57

Oh well. So she so that you'll she doesn't get it either.

SPEAKER_00 51:00

No, and I don't think she could afford it anyway.

SPEAKER_02 51:02

Where's the dog?

SPEAKER_00 51:03

With her.

SPEAKER_02 51:04

In Becky's?

SPEAKER_00 51:05

Uh yeah. I give her the dog, she took the dog, she flies with the dog, and they're best friends. And and you know what? Like, I love that dog, but I haven't really missed the dog because I know she'll be okay. And with my hours and stuff like that, it would have been tough. So I'm moving back in with my parents in the valley. One of the good things comes out, they're both getting older. I get to spend more time with them. And like I could live there and save a lot of money. A lot of money in care. It'd be a tough year. I'll try to stay busy. But they they they've been great. I mean, they're so supportive, and uh everybody has been. And I think the story's so crazy too. Like, I'll even be telling like some of my subordinates at work, like, they'll be like, hey, what's going on? Like, how are you? I'm like, Do you really want to know?

SPEAKER_01 51:40

Have to see.

SPEAKER_00 51:41

So I'll tell them and like I have like these younger employees like crying, going like, oh my god, so sorry. Like, I've seen the way you've talked about her, or I've known like anybody that knows me that knows her. It's not like oh yeah, my wife, you know, blah, blah, blah.

SPEAKER_02 51:54

Well, and you're not the typical pork husband. You're not that you're the if anybody can have a husband like you, that would like you're not that typical. Well, you're I without going into it, but you know, yeah, you want to be home with her.

SPEAKER_00 52:06

That's kind of a civilized and because I didn't want to be this typical divorce in the life, right? This typical divorce, 37 years old, because he didn't mind his relationships, right? And so I always like I will pick her after Sigma Tha.

SPEAKER_02 52:19

Work's important, but it's not that important. Right. You're a fan of your own.

SPEAKER_00 52:22

I'll walk away tomorrow.

SPEAKER_02 52:23

Same and she's she's out of town, she's on the east coast. So when she comes back to reality, because she's got it easy now, right now. She's just got to work too, right? Exactly for her same job.

SPEAKER_00 52:33

At a different business, different office space. Yes. And all those people that know me, like I'd come home to the apartment and her boss would be a female would be there, and oh my god, you know, blah, blah, blah. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 52:43

So she has a couple, she's got a little time during summer to to chill, but when she comes back, it's gonna be a rude away. You know how girls are. Girls will go through the emotion like right away. We'll hold or we'll hold it. It takes a little bit and then we're gonna be pissed off. Where you guys are going through it right now, dealing with it. So by the time she it's it's gonna swap. It's gonna be a good idea. You're gonna be complete off with how it's just your personality though.

SPEAKER_00 53:06

But I haven't been mad or crazy yet. If you want to start fucking around and playing games, you can see mad and crazy. And we could do that. Like the only reason I'm kind of holding it together is like doing well at work, be closer with my parents, and my brother's having a baby, and they live out this way in Ventura, so I'm gonna be closer to them. So like there's some positives that come out of it, and I think I'll start brick by brick, brick young enough, been decent enough shape, still not as not like you, Jen, but I'm working on it. And uh I've lost some I'm on this divorce diet, 30 Joe's divorce diet, and down seven towns. And I already got a divorce tattoo that I showed you guys. Yeah, love it. Feeling good about that too.

SPEAKER_02 53:42

I feel like everyone should do that. Honestly. Divorce tattoo is the best thing ever.

SPEAKER_00 53:46

As he was doing it, I was just like, I feel like whole again. Like the second that like this all came out, I heard this song. It's a Fallout Boy song. It has a line that says fix being 45, which is like therapist, right? And I remember thinking like that, that's me. That's my next one.

SPEAKER_02 54:01

It was very cathartic for me. Having it physically done, yeah, doing it takes so much time. It was I loved it. It was just like therapy.

SPEAKER_00 54:09

That's where I'm at. So yeah. So uh July 8th, I moved back in. My dad's getting older, you know. He's in his late 70s and getting to hang out with him. And my my mom's been great. My mom is, you know, my rock. She's I love your mom, she's sweet. Hardcore old ER nurse, like very abrasive, and a lot of the qualities I love with her.

SPEAKER_02 54:29

We were so good along with her. Well, I know her, but you would so get along with that. She's she's you're gonna look back at this time and having it with them, and you're gonna you're gonna appreciate that you were able to have this time with your family.

SPEAKER_00 54:39

Yeah, I think I think you're right. Like, because I mean we're just down the road here in like the South Bay, but it's still long enough where it's tough. And now I'm gonna transfer out this way and hang out with my mom and dad and my brother, my the his baby's due in September, so it'll be good. And like I said, take a year, live with them, and they they're like, we want nothing from you. Save every dollar you have. Because we were never gonna be able to afford down in the South Bay. Oh, no, it's not. And so now, like moving back to the valley, like I can put it down on a place and kind of start building my life.

SPEAKER_02 55:07

Yeah. It'll be a different world for you for a little bit. Yeah, different world. Only good things though. I feel like since I've been almost a year out, well, I've been a year out of of our separation. And it took a long time, but I also had the holidays that I had to get through that were really hard for me. But now I'm like a new person. Oh yeah. Like, yeah, I've never been so happy. And you see like the joy like amidst like I have my sparkle back. Like I literally am like the the happiest I've ever been in my life right now.

SPEAKER_00 55:39

Good.

SPEAKER_02 55:39

So you'll see. Day by day. Yeah, it's interesting.

SPEAKER_00 55:41

I'm three weeks deep. And like even like where I am today compared to like a week ago is like But you're probably it you'll probably do.

SPEAKER_02 55:48

There'll be a lot of different dates to do that.

SPEAKER_00 55:50

I don't think you randomly I'll be like driving in my car, and it's it's no longer like cry, but it's just like what the f I still do that though.

SPEAKER_02 55:56

That doesn't leave.

SPEAKER_00 55:57

How and what and why, or like bad or good, like I'd call she's my person. She was my person. So like bad or good, whatever happened my day, like call her. Like I just went to the store right now and like saw saw stuff that she would like.

SPEAKER_02 56:07

I was gonna say the memories or the places, like you'll be driving and you'll be like, oh, that those things are hard.

SPEAKER_00 56:13

Like, and that was and you know, we are there's a great way to work out, and we did the plate together, like just every like lame thing couples do together. Like the Bravo shows, I just started watching those again. I'm a big below deck guy.

SPEAKER_02 56:24

Well, the new season is great too. The med Mediterranean is so good. Save some money. And we're all going on that.

SPEAKER_00 56:31

I have a couple the good thing is I have a couple solo trips planned, which I've always been okay with, like being by myself, like especially when I would work nights, like I can go to the movies by myself, I can go eat by my like I'm comfortable with who I am. It's just like there's this emptiness in places where you're just like shit, man. Like, yeah, like and people like and people are being nice, but they'll go, like, oh, you'll find someone better. It's like I didn't want anyone better.

SPEAKER_02 56:52

You what? I want I have somebody I want to set him up for send it.

SPEAKER_00 56:56

She's cute, but she's really cute. Like, you know, oh, you'll find someone better.

SPEAKER_02 57:01

I'm like, I didn't want to it's not about right now, it's not about that. Right now it's just trying to get through and re relearning who you are without because you haven't.

SPEAKER_00 57:08

She's not her 17 years. Yeah. That and it will be nice, like, and the therapist says you take on a little bit of a caretaker role, you know? And she goes, like, not having she made me make a list of like the she make she asked me to make a list of the like 10 qualities I want the next person or non-negotiables. And one of them was like kind of self-sufficient, like, can do with or without me. Like, obviously, we'd rather be together, but that's actually really amazing.

SPEAKER_02 57:32

Yeah, that's what mine was.

SPEAKER_00 57:35

And I mean, that's what and well, my first three were loyalty, which is funny because like loyalty is like a prereq, right? Like that. But it's never anything I would ever thought about before. I would have been like, you gotta be attractive, you gotta be seven. So I'm like, if you're not loyal, I don't care if you're Sydney Sweeney. I mean, uh, maybe Sydney Sweet. If Sydney Sweeney wants to go to go to Portugal with me, we might get back.

SPEAKER_02 57:56

Michaela, if you're listening. But my buddy told me too.

SPEAKER_00 57:59

He's like, listen, man, like, and this is my partner from work, and and we he's an older Cuban dude. He's an absolute psycho. He's my boy. I love him. I hope he listens to this. He was one of the best things that's ever happened to me. But he says some crazy shit sometimes. And Laura's like, this guy's crazy as fuck. Like, and a lot of it comes true. And I'm like seeing it over time. He goes, bro, listen, if like you laid out your portfolio, who you are as a person, and the places you've been, and the traveling, and the things you do for your partner, and whatever. He goes, I guarantee you, 90% of single women in your age would sign up for that, you know? And so I try to think of that. Because I I do have this overwhelming foot feeling of like, you're never gonna find anybody. This is gonna be your life.

SPEAKER_02 58:38

I could I could say it doesn't this has opened him up to finding the perfect person for him. Whoa. Like now you're out of that. You weren't. Like how I started marriage? Yeah. You have been in a better place. You're not gonna be, you're you won't have a problem with that. You have a really, really good personality. I try. He's super cute. Ladies, if you're listening. I'll take that. Oh, yeah. I got a different tattoo. I'm so sorry, but you're I'm this one I'm setting up not your tattoo. Yeah, you gotta wait. He's gotta I like the finer things than mine. Yeah, she's she's had wine lattes and fish of horse too. Oh, yeah. So you guys have like perfect. Perfect kids.

SPEAKER_00 59:13

No. Oh send it. Yeah, send it. There's the she's going to that after the show.

SPEAKER_02 59:18

Yeah. She can play 902 0.

SPEAKER_00 59:21

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 59:21

She's gonna go send it too. She's gonna be on Baywatch. Yeah, the new Baywatch is coming out. Really? We'll talk about a little bit more before we want to get you. Well, I think I like McNeil. I've never met her, but I all the stories that I've heard I actually really like.

SPEAKER_00 59:34

You know what's funny is like uh so there's a counterpart at work who I work with who's attractive, you know.

SPEAKER_02 59:40

Nope, stay away. Yeah, no, no, for sure. For sure. I will put a punch in the case.

SPEAKER_00 59:43

But but she's she's friendly and like she's also going through divorce, so she's just been really nice and helpful with things like that. And we're going to like a cliche this week or whatever, just as like friends. Okay, go ahead. You can have your fun. Friends, but like I've been out of the game so long that my buddies are like, dude, no, she's interested. Like I could tell because actually I'm like, no, no, no. Like the last time I dated, there wasn't Instagram or anything. Like, you just had to be able to talk to people, you know? And like now, like everybody's like grabbing their phone and well, it's funny when Kelly and I would work like proms or whatever, she'd work. You watch the boys are on this side and the girls are on this side, and they're texting each other. And I remember thinking, like, man, in my day. Yeah, but an 19-year-old. You used to have to walk your ass across that dance floor and be able to be like, hey, no, not at all. And they're all still hooking up. No. But the kid did outfolio the day before the vaccine.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:32

Oh my gosh, for real. That is so funny. That is so true. Yeah, I went on dating websites right after, and that was like the funniest thing I've ever done in my life. It was more of a joke. Like it was actually humor too. Yeah. Oh goodness. I've heard them. I deleted all of mine because I was so scared about what we did. We we got some videos. I've heard them. Actually, Larry pretended to be her. Larry and grabbed her phone. Larry starts going in and he's gonna talk. Because you know, well, all of a sudden he's getting videos. Videos. Oh, yes. He got videos, videos, fast timing. He was he just goes, oh that's insane.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:07

We were actually confidence to do that. Like, come on.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:11

But it actually in a time like that. I needed it, I was laughing so hard. It brought me like so much like happiness to just like just laugh without any like freedom. And it's it was it was hysterical. It was. See, there's no you gotta let go, but lose and beautiful. Well, see now you don't have to think about anybody but yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:31

Yeah. Like, and that's all that means I know that's I've had a few questions like, yeah, like who am I without that?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:37

But that's what you have to learn.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:38

Yeah. And I mean that's what your therapy session's for. I'll just be like straight midlife crisis and we play pickleball.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:44

That is like so fun. And there's an indoor pickleball out here now that just opened up that has beer. We got it took them walking distance. Like, I have like I have my puddles in the trunk.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:55

You gotta go. I'm gonna just hang out in my parents' pool.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:57

Isn't it like my parents have a pool?

SPEAKER_00 1:01:59

I'm just gonna my dad just brings me beers.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:01

Is your dad still super tan?

SPEAKER_00 1:02:03

Yeah, dude.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:03

There's a picture that it's I might have it. It's well, there's a newer picture. No, it was it's a picture of you, and I was like, oh my god, that's like your that's your dad.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:12

That you used to go to town. You look just like your dad. He's heard cool. He just sits in the backyard, cleans a pool. But he loves having so if you guys ever want to come over and go on the pool, tell Nikayla. Well, we we literally go in the pool and he's just stoked. He'll go to the store, like, what kind of beers do you want? Like, he's just happy to have it.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:24

Well, see, your mom's gonna like having me back in your life again.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:28

Well, my mom loved hanging out with you. We got married in Mexico.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:31

It was so good. It was a really fun wedding.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:33

That's the fucked up part too. So everybody's like, dude, that was one of the funnest things. It was. It was really it was like 60 people, but it was all like the important people. It cut out like the little shit. Important, I was important. She was. You guys brought the heat. It was so fun. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:45

Yeah, the dancing, the whatever song that there's a song that you sing. Actually, speaking of songs.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:50

Yeah. Was it Manda?

SPEAKER_02 1:02:51

It yes, that was one of them. But the other one that you every time it comes on, I think of nothing else but you is oh my gosh. Rihanna's work, work, work. Oh yeah. Every single time that comes on that was You know what it reminds me of you?

SPEAKER_00 1:03:04

Because it played when we were working together when she was my boss. Oh, how funny. Uh drunk on a plane.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:10

And then the chocolate uh ice cream thing, the ice cream throwing too.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:13

Yeah, uh on uh DeSoto. Yeah, it's probably fountain milkshake like place. Huh. What's the name of it?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:20

It was a pharmacy. It was just some random like ice cream. That's how they used to be back in the day.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:24

Yes, and then so good. They'd loved us.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:27

Yeah, the last the last time that well you bounced from where you were working.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:31

It was right by your sushi spa.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:32

Yeah. Okay. So once he bounced from our school. That was our last day. I have a pic I saw that picture. I saw those pictures.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:39

We had a good run together.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:41

Yeah, I only had three three favorites. I I think that we should have him on again in like six months. To see, we'll even just do an update.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:49

Should the tailor then we're engaged?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:53

A baby on the rail. Simma, simma down.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:59

All right, my parents said you can move in. So my dad said it's cool.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:04

You're gonna be like, Yeah, I'm living with my mom and dad now.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:06

I'm telling you, dude, I I'm telling like the first like look at my Instagram profile. My comment is my mom could drop us off if your mom could pick us up. Yeah, I heard that. I'm absolutely leading with that.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:16

That is hysterical.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:17

That is so my humor isn't for everyone, but I think the one that likes that you'll be fine.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:22

Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:23

If you can't joke, so the funniest thing that happens out of all this, it's so good. So I have two half-brothers and a half sister two half sisters and a half brother. My dad had two previous marriages before my mom both cheated on him. So same boat, dad, same boat. And anyway, I'm super tight with a couple of them. One of them lives out here, but one lives in CDC Ranch, and her husband is a is a doctor, really cool dude. And he was at the wedding. We met him, Chris. And so I go over to their house a couple days after this happens. Kelly used to babysit their kids, and their kids are, you know, 17, 18 now, and they're like shocked. They loved her. And so my sister, my half-sister is like, yeah, you know, you have to get tested, like not all this. Like the like she took your health into account, whatever. I'm like, Oh, yeah, that's probably true. And she goes, What do you think? To her husband, who's a doctor? And he's like, Yeah, I mean, I guess. And she's like, No, but he could pass something along. He goes, He's living with mom and dad. I don't think he's gonna pass anything along anytime. And I was like, This is two days after. I was like, Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:19

See, you can't laugh at that, no, for real.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:22

You're the problem.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:22

Yeah, he hasn't heard my story, so you need to listen to hers. He hasn't heard the pudding story. Yeah, yes. There's a pudding story. All right. Well, all right. This has been enjoyable. I mean, not that. Yeah, no, thank you. Yeah, I'm glad I provided you some. We're at the end of today's conversation, and we want to say clearly we appreciate you. Thank you for trusting us with something so personal and painful. To our guests, we're grateful you showed up as you are, and to anyone listening, if you're walking through something similar, we see you, you're not behind, you're not failing, you're just in process. There's no single correct way to feel after infidelity or heavy divorce. Some days are heavy, some days you surprise yourself, and through it all, your healing belongs to you. So if you're taking this episode in and it brings up a lot, pause when you need to, drink some water, breathe, and give yourself credit for making it through a hard moment. If this episode sparked something you needed to hear, please share it with someone you love. And if you'd like to connect with the show, leave a review, send us a message, or follow along for the next episode. From Bestie Blend, thank you for listening. Healing happens on your timeline, and you deserve support while you go through it.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:34

Comment.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:35

We'll catch you next time. Bye Bestie. Bye, Besti.