I spend Valentine’s Day with my lover & my husband of 18 years has no clue, I have sex with both of them on the same day
STANDING in the shower, I soap myself all over and wash my hair thoroughly.
I can’t risk any lingering scent of my love making remaining on me.
Then I gulp down a mug of coffee to sober me up.
I’d spent the afternoon at my lover Andy’s* house in bed, drinking champagne.
Later I’ll go home to my husband Jim*, who I’m taking out for a Valentine’s Day dinner in our favourite local Thai restaurant.
It’s shocking – I know – but it’s a day to celebrate love and I can hand on heart say I adore them both.
But for a while I’d fallen out of love with my husband and Andy has been instrumental in helping me resurrect the spark in my marriage.
My affair started nearly three years ago and it’s not only revived my confidence but given me back my sex drive.
For years Jim and I had been in a rut. The turning point was a lovely spring evening in March 2022.
The sort of night when you want to sit outside a pub, have a drink and feel optimistic about summer coming.
Instead I was slumped on the sofa, watching Eastenders and feeling uncomfortable in jeans that were too tight.
Jim was next to me wearing an ancient sweatshirt and scruffy tracksuit bottoms. The coffee table was littered with Chinese takeaway boxes.
The picture was hardly an Instagrammable one of love’s young dream.
Admittedly we weren’t young, I was 46 and Jim, 49, but it summed up the state of our marriage – there was a lack of effort being made by both of us.
We were stuck in a rut and neither of us seemed to have the energy to do anything about it.
I didn’t want my life to be like this.
At size 14, I wasn’t huge but I lost my confidence, which had a knock on effect on our sex life
Amelia, 49
I tried to talk to Jim there and then. Telling him how unhappy I was that I’d let myself go and that we didn’t connect any more.
But he barely looked at me before saying I looked ‘fine’ and that all marriages were like ours. And that was the end of the conversation.
But I knew I had to do something.
I’d gradually been putting on weight since we’d had our daughters, now 15 and 13. I hated it.
While I was a gym goer in my 20s I never seemed to find time to go while juggling children and my part time job in an estate agency.
I cooked healthy family meals, but I ate huge portions and later I’d sit on the sofa snacking on crisps and chocolate.
At size 14, I wasn’t huge but I lost my confidence, which had a knock on effect on our sex life.
Sex drive
We still did it very occasionally but it was a light’s out perfunctory affair.
My sex drive had all but disappeared, I didn’t fancy Jim anymore and didn’t feel attractive myself.
Meanwhile Jim lost his enthusiasm for life, he was knackered too from work as a construction manager and could barely be bothered to go for a pint with his best mate, let alone woo me over dinner.
We were both miserable. But after that spring day I vowed to sort myself out.
I went to Slimming World and started walking everywhere and then took up jogging and gradually I lost weight.
By July I was down to a size 10 and feeling so much better. Jim didn’t even comment, I doubt he noticed.
I felt so rubbish about myself that I wouldn’t have believed anyone could find me attractive
Amelia, 49
But a colleague, Andy, did. We’d always been matey and he kept saying how well I looked.
And then one evening, on a work night out that same month I dropped four sizes, we ended up being the last to leave, chatting turned to flirting and as he said goodbye, he kissed me briefly on the lips.
When I left I felt alive again for the first time in years. I knew it was wrong, but it felt so good that I didn’t really feel guilty.
The following week we went out again, and that time we left together and ended up kissing in an alleyway. From there the affair started.
Andy had recently got divorced when it started so he’s always happy to work around me and I escape when I can, but it’s only once or twice a month that I have the time to go to his house, on the other side of Oxford to mine, and make love.
We see each other all the time at work.
Andy swears he always fancied me and had made overtures before that I’d never noticed.
It’s possible, I felt so rubbish about myself that I wouldn’t have believed anyone could find me attractive.
The sex is great with Andy. It always feels new and exciting and if I’m honest the illicit nature of it makes it more thrilling.
But it isn’t just sex, I love him. We laugh together, he’s incredibly caring and seems interested in everything I say.
I am in love with two men – but I feel as though they’re dependent on each other
Amelia, 49
And he knows I don’t want to leave Jim, not just because of our daughters but because I still love him.
With my newfound confidence of losing weight and feeling appreciated by Andy, I was able to be more communicative with Jim.
Eighteen months ago I persuaded him to start exercising with me and we now go jogging together three evenings a week.
It gave us something in common beyond the girls and we started chatting again and from there our sex life got back on track and it’s been an upward spiral. We have reconnected.
I am in love with two men – but I feel as though they’re dependent on each other.
Four red flags your partner is cheating
Private Investigator Aaron Bond from BondRees revealed four warning signs your partner might be cheating.
They start to take their phone everywhere with them
In close relationships, it’s normal to know each other’s passwords and use each other’s phones, if their phone habits change then they may be hiding something.
Aaron says: “If your partner starts changing their passwords, starts taking their phone everywhere with them, even around the house or they become defensive when you ask to use their phone it could be a sign of them not being faithful.”
“You should also look at how they place their phone down when not in use. If they face the phone with the screen facing down, then they could be hiding something.”
They start telling you less about their day
When partners cheat they can start to avoid you, this could be down to them feeling guilty or because it makes it easier for them to lie to you.
“If you feel like your partner has suddenly begun to avoid you and they don’t want to do things with you any more or they stop telling you about their day then this is another red flag.”
“Partners often avoid their spouses or tell them less about their day because cheating can be tough, remembering all of your lies is impossible and it’s an easy way to get caught out,” says Aaron.
Their libido changes
Your partner’s libido can change for a range of reasons so it may not be a sure sign of cheating but it can be a red flag according to Aaron.
Aaron says: “Cheaters often have less sex at home because they are cheating, but on occasions, they may also have more sex at home, this is because they feel guilty and use this increase in sex to hide their cheating. You may also find that your partner will start to introduce new things into your sex life that weren’t there before.”
They become negative towards you
Cheaters know that cheating is wrong and to them, it will feel good, this can cause tension and anxiety within themselves which they will need to justify.
“To get rid of the tension they feel inside they will try to convince themselves that you are the problem and they will become critical of you out of nowhere. Maybe you haven’t walked the dog that day, put the dishes away or read a book to your children before bedtime. A small problem like this can now feel like a big deal and if you experience this your partner could be cheating,” warns Aaron.
I worry that without Andy, my life with Jim would slip back into a rut.
And without Jim, I might feel pressure to make a go of it with Andy and I worry that would lead to disappointment. I don’t want to give either of them up.
I feel terribly guilty about Jim. But I’ve managed to convince myself that he’ll never find out so it can’t hurt him. I’m incredibly careful with my phone and about when I see Andy.
Only a few very close friends know and one of them is having an affair too – they have all agreed to be my alibi if ever I need one.
This Valentine’s Day Andy and I have booked the day off work
Amelia, 49
And Jim puts all my happiness down to getting back in shape and exercise endorphins – because it’s helped him so much.
Last Valentine’s Day was the first time I’ve slept with both of them on the same day.
Weirdly I didn’t feel guilty. It was amazing with both of them but different too, with Andy it was passionate, with Jim it was so intimate and connected. So I could compartmentalise.
This year Jim has already told me it’s his turn to organise a dinner out, and Andy and I have booked the day off work. So I’ll do the same again.
I know people will be astonished by my duplicity and think I’m a vile and deeply selfish woman who doesn’t deserve a loving husband. I’d have judged me before I did it.
If someone forced me to choose between them it would be Jim every time, I not only love him but we have a whole life together.
But all the time I can get away with it, I’m keeping Andy too…
Best gifts from M&S for Valentine's Day or Galentine's
M&S has gone viral for it's Valentine's Day range...
Lobster Print Pyjamas – £30
Burgundy Heart Ditsy Necklace – £18.50
Limited Edition Amore perfume – £12
Heart printed quilted wash bag – £10
Set of two Valentine’s candles – £6
Set of two heart coupe glasses – £15
Valentine’s Spencer Bear milk chocolate – £5
Dozen Pretty Pastel Pink Roses – £50