Alexandrea Acevedo has been married for five years, and her husband has cheated on her for four of them. Her discovery of his illicit affair was a rude awakening, as she has always thought very highly of him. Still, she decided to forgive his inadequacies without forgetting to confront him and ensure it never happens again.
Keep reading for the details.
The 26-year-old woman described how her husband, Michael, had been stepping out on her. She caught a glimpse of his lover's text message in December, which gave her the needed confirmation.
"I went through his phone – which I don't normally do – and I found a drafted message with something along the lines of 'Why do you think she's going to find out?"
Alexandrea then decided to grab the bull by the horn by asking her husband to come clean. He initially denied it and claimed the woman was just a friend, but something interesting happened the next morning.
“At first, it was a lot of anger and hurt, a lot of emotions, and I’ve always said that infidelity is a deal breaker for me, and he knew that as well."
The 31-year-old confessed to his infidelity the following morning. His confession got him out of the house, as Alexandrea was completely hurt.
“We were arguing a lot, and I really had to pry the truth out of him, and when he did tell me the truth, I asked him to leave straight away.”
After Michael's confession, Alexandrea discovered the betrayal had been going on for over three years, and she had been married to him for five. Alexandra has always thought highly of Michael, and discovering his infidelity was "heart-wrenching."
The confessional seemed to be what their marriage needed as Michael confessed to spending plenty of time drinking and gambling, and swore he would now embark on a journey of redemption.
The 31-year-old wasn't going to give up on their marriage or opt for a divorce. Michael realized he needed to make things better after feeling like "utter garbage" for his actions.
"It's definitely the biggest regret or mistake I've ever made, and it's something that I'll regret for a very long time — if not forever."
Alexandrea went through a crazy and emotional ride for about eight to nine days after the discovery. She was sad, hurt, angry, and confused, but got hopeful and then confided in her friends and family. She also read a lot of self-help books to help her gain clarity on the whole situation.
The mom of three stopped beating herself up over the situation and began searching for reasons to feel good, even though it was daunting to hear more details about the affair.
The 26-year-old quickly recognized Michael's efforts to make sure things got better, so it began to soften her up.
"I have moments of weakness, moments of thinking that he lied to me for so long and what's keeping him from doing it again? But he doesn't want to give up, and he tells me that if I give him a chance every day, he'll continue to prove himself to me."
Following Michael's intensified efforts, Alexandrea knew she wouldn't leave him all by himself in his darkest moments, as he was a good father and husband regardless of the affair.
Alexandrea and Michael are now mending their marriage one day at a time, with promises from Michael to turn a new leaf.
“I’m sure there were better ways of getting to a better place, but this is where we are now. I’m as grateful as anyone can be for a second chance.”
Michael added that they both want things to get better, and talking through this issue has helped them go the distance in their marriage.
Not everyone is a fan of Alexandrea's decision or Michael's actions, too, and they've made it known in the SWNS comment section.
“I couldn’t do it, he even kisses another woman and he’s gone. The trust is broken." Another user wrote “3 1/2 years????? I would feel like he was a stranger."
“One time is already something but for 3.5 years!?” wrote a seemingly irritated user.
Some think the mom of three made the best decision by forgiving her husband, as they've also experienced the same thing and worked with their partners to find common ground.
“It’s a work in progress every day. I have my moments but he’s very adamant about trying to understand and is focused on helping me,” Alexandrea claimed and revealed she’s seen a side of Michael that she’d never seen before.
