I thought our marriage was fine. I guess we moved from young love to a more mature and stable relationship. We have help so we can go out together whenever we want, both as a couple and as a family.
My hearing loss has been tough on us. It's frustrating because I can't join many group conversations anymore. I miss it, and I've become more introverted; working alone doesn't help either. Dealing with my hearing loss has made me seem distant at times, which frustrates both my wife and me. She has to repeat things to me, and I can get annoyed more easily. It's frustrating when my strong cognitive abilities are hindered by not being able to hear or participate in group conversations. I've spent weeks or even months feeling like a bystander. I have a shorter temper and less patience in conversation because I often miss things in long discussions. I like to get to the point to hear everything. I'm sure this can make me seem abrupt.
So, why am I here?
I started suspecting something about three months ago, and it has been bothering me since then. I was hasty and anxious, so I didn't wait for more evidence before confronting my wife. This suspicion has grown like a virus, going from a quiet doubt to a loud question: is my wife gaslighting me about her affair? I have this persistent feeling that my wife is attracted to my son's 21-year-old best friend.
It all started around three months before August 2019. We were preparing for a vacation with our three children, and my son was back home from school. It was a trip we had planned a few months earlier. Usually, my wife takes charge of planning our vacation destinations because she loves traveling, and I enjoy seeing her excitement build up in the weeks leading to our trips.
We've always had an active social life, mainly with a specific group of friends, most of whom we both know, and nearly all of them are married. My wife often goes out for dinner with her married friends once or twice a week, either at a restaurant or someone's house. She tends to fill her schedule to the brim and has difficulty turning down invitations.