Everyone knows cheating is wrong – but this knowledge hasn’t stopped one woman from playing the field. Emma*, from London, is celebrating after outsmarting the private investigator her husband hired to sniff out her year-long online affair.
The 41-year-old claims she was so slick with her deception that even an ‘affair detective’ couldn’t catch her in the act. However, she does admit to feeling a twinge of guilt for her actions. She said: “It wasn’t something I planned. Joe* and I had been drifting apart for years. We were more like roommates than husband and wife. When I stumbled across IllicitEncounters, it was out of curiosity at first. But then I met Alex*, and everything changed.”
Emma gushes that her secret lover is all the things her spouse isn’t – he’s daring, impulsive, and gives her undivided attention. “I knew it was wrong, but I couldn’t help myself,” she confessed. “For the first time in years, I felt desired and alive. I wasn’t ready to give that up.”
Her husband’s suspicions were piqued, leading him to employ a private investigator to tail her. She recounted: “He started questioning everything. Why was I working late so often? Why was I suddenly going to the gym every day? He even accused me outright of having an affair, but I denied it. I knew I had to be smarter if I was going to keep my secret.”
In a bid to maintain her secret ways, she came up with a phony work project to justify her late hours, spoke with Alex using a secondary phone, and even had a friend provide an alibi when necessary. She admitted: “I was always one step ahead. I knew Joe was watching me, so I made sure there was nothing for him to find. I had no idea [he hired a private investigator] at first.”
Reflecting on that period, she noticed odd occurrences that should have tipped her off. She said: “But looking back, there were signs – a car that seemed to follow me a few times, a stranger hanging around near my office. I realised what was happening and doubled down on my efforts to stay under the radar.”
Despite the PI’s vigilant surveillance, he couldn’t unearth any solid proof of her infidelity, ultimately informing Joe his suspicions were misplaced. Emma confessed: “Joe actually apologised to me. He said he’d been paranoid and that he trusted me. It was a weird feeling – relief mixed with guilt. I knew I was lying to him, but I also knew I wasn’t ready to end things with Alex. “I love Joe, but our relationship had become so stale. With Alex, I feel like the woman I used to be – confident, sexy, and alive.
“I know it’s selfish, but I’m not ready to give that up. I’m living in the moment. I know it’s not sustainable, but for now, I’m happy. And as long as I’m careful, no one has to get hurt.” Relationship experts suggest Emma’s situation is far from unique, as private investigators see a boom in business from individuals desperate to validate their worst suspicions about their partners.
Jessica Leoni, a sex and relationships expert at IllicitEncounters.com, suggests trust issues are at an all-time high in relationships. She stated: “Social media, dating apps, and websites like ours have made it easier than ever to have an affair, but they’ve also created a culture of suspicion. People are more paranoid than ever, and instead of communicating with their partners, they’re turning to private investigators for answers.” However, she cautions that even the most thorough detective work can’t always uncover the truth.
*Names have been changed.