My husband, Derek, and I have built a life together, sharing everything from our home to our finances. Recently, Derek’s frequent business trips and hotel receipts made me suspicious.

One weekend, while cleaning his car, I found receipts for a local hotel on dates he claimed to be out of town. “I have to leave urgently,” he’d say, but I started noting his times and destinations, finding more hotel receipts.

Fed up, I followed him one evening to the same hotel from the receipts. There, I saw Derek with another woman, laughing and embracing. Confronting them, Derek was shocked and guilty.

Days of arguments revealed he believed he had something special with this woman. However, she scammed him by convincing him to open a joint account, then withdrew all the money and disappeared. This left him financially ruined and our marriage shattered.

The prenup we had now seemed like a prescient safeguard, protecting what little remained for our children’s future. Derek’s affair ended our marriage and left him in ruins. Despite everything, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him—the man I once loved. Moving forward won’t be easy, but it’s necessary for me and our kids.