Corbis
(As relayed by Lauren R.D. Fox based on a culmination of experiences)
Last week my husband went to visit his friends in San Francisco. Although we have a three-month-old newborn, I thought he deserved to take the trip since he has been helpful around the house and with our child.
When he returned home from his week-long trip, we sat and chatted about what he and his friends did. As he shifted through the normal and somewhat boring details of his trip, my husband unexpectedly shared that he went to get a full-body massage. For those who are not in the “know,” that type of massage usually ends with “happy endings,” (i.e. female masseuses give men hand jobs).
Although some women would angrily respond to their partners after hearing such news, I wasn’t. In fact, I was fascinated and asked my husband what the experience was like. As he gave me insight on what it was like to receive those special massages, we traded laughs and eventually fell asleep until our son woke us up.
The next day, my husband stayed home with the baby and I went to have brunch with an old friend. While we waited for our food, my friend and I traded motherhood stories until the topic of sex came up. She asked if my husband and I were having sex as often as we would like and I told her the truth: no. But I quickly brushed it off by laughing that my husband takes care of himself or receives “happy endings” while on vacation.
With a horrified look on her face, my friend said that she can’t believe I allow my husband to cheat on me by receiving full body massages from random women. I told her I didn’t give him permission, it was a one-time ordeal and I didn’t count it as cheating. But now I’m questioning my reaction. Did my husband cheat? And did I allow it?
