I gave her a somewhat vague answer, and she was smart enough to sense that. She might have left the room suspecting infidelity on my wife's part, but didn't want to push me too far, perhaps fearing what she might discover. Since she's close to her mom, I figured she'd find out the truth soon enough.
The following day, I had an appointment with my audiologist for a hearing aid that significantly improved my hearing.
My wife remained secluded in her room for a couple of days. We typically eat dinner together, but my children took their food to their rooms, and I didn't see my wife all day. I was the only one at the dining table. My oldest daughter is an excellent cook, so she usually prepares meals for the family when she's back from college. She's a really great kid, and I couldn't be prouder of her.
We used to be a normal, traditional American family: we'd eat dinner together, exchange kisses and "I love you"s, go to church as a family. It felt really strange to see my kids not having dinner together and our family falling apart like this. I had spent years building this family to what it was, and my wife had just torn it apart because of an affair.
As I sat alone at the dining table, I felt anger toward my wife, but I also questioned whether I was doing the right thing. I mean, I wasn't unhappy with the marriage before D-Day, and it's not like I wasn't getting enough closeness from my wife. I've heard stories of wives cheating and denying their husbands closeness during their affairs, but that wasn't the case for me. In my situation, my wife never denied me intimacy or affection throughout our marriage. She treated me incredibly well, and I always felt like I was her top priority, even before our children.