I thought my marriage was solid until a glance at my wife’s payment statement revealed a strange pattern: expenses on baby items, pediatricians, and kindergarten, none of which made sense since we didn’t have kids. Confused and concerned, I followed her, only to uncover she was leading a double life.

As a 33-year-old lawyer specializing in infidelity cases, I had seen it all—or so I thought. My job was to help clients navigate the messy aftermath of betrayal, but I never imagined that I would find myself on the other side of the desk, unraveling the threads of my own marriage.

One evening, as I drove home through the bustling city, the sun setting behind me, I couldn’t shake the growing unease in my gut. My career had taught me the value of trust in a marriage, a principle I cherished, especially now that I was newly married to Natalie, the woman I deeply loved.