Real life: “I found out about my father's affair”

Lindsey hasn't lived at home for a number of years, but she still often visits her parents, especially since the corona crisis. Together with her father, she works from home, but because of that, she has discovered his biggest secret.

“Working from home was quite hell for me at the beginning. I live with four housemates, not everyone works full-time, so the house was always full. My bedroom is just about ten square meters, so that doesn't work very comfortably either. I don't even have a desk there, so I have to work from my bed. That doesn't exactly look professional during Zoom meetings, which I often have.

In the shared living room, it was mainly a chicken coop, so I quickly decided to work at my parents' house a few days a week. They live half an hour away from me, so that was fine. I actually found it quite nice and convenient: I usually have a snack with them and sometimes I even stay overnight. My parents also enjoyed it, as their social life suddenly came to a bit of a standstill.

Especially my mother found it difficult, as she hasn't worked for a number of years. It's of course a luxury problem, as my father earns well enough for her to stop working. But because there wasn't much to do due to corona, she got quite bored at home. So for her, it was only nice when I was there, even though I was also working a lot.

My father has a study where I could also go. Due to his job, he worked more from home, but he still had to go to many meetings and occasionally spent a night away if he had an important meeting that was further away. I didn't mind at all, as I then had his study, including a lovely office chair, all to myself.

I also had that on the day I discovered his biggest secret. My mother never goes into his study – why would she? – so it really is a bit of my father's ‘territory’. I was working at his desk when my pen stopped working during a Zoom meeting where I had to take notes. Old-fashioned, but I still always do that with pen and paper, especially when I'm zooming in the meantime.

I opened some of his drawers and found pens, but also all sorts of notes, receipts, and ribbons. Strange, I thought, why would he keep that here? I actually assumed the notes were from my mother and that the receipts were just lying here so he could give them to his accountant. When I was done with the meeting, I wanted to put the pen back and then I noticed: those notes weren't from my mother. Not from my father either. I didn't recognize the handwriting.

“I loved being with you again”, “I already miss you”, “I love you the most” were texts that were on those post-its. My first thought wasn't even that my father would cheat, as that has simply never crossed my mind. I didn't think my father was that type at all. But those receipts... From hotels, restaurants, all sorts of places he has never been with my mother.

My father is cheating, I now know for sure. But I don't know with whom. There was no name anywhere or anything that could help me find out who this woman is. Since I found that out, I can no longer act normally towards my father, but I also don't dare to confront him. And I definitely don't want to tell my mother, she would be devastated. But keeping it to myself forever, that also doesn't work, does it? The guilt is already eating me up. And the anger too.”

In this unusual time, we asked people for their honest story. To avoid hurting others, the name of Lindsey has been changed.