After a man installed a hidden camera in his living room, he received a notification on his phone while at work. When he tapped on it, he was shocked to see what was happening in his house behind his back.
A father hugging his daughters | Source: Pexels
The 52-year-old man married for the second time after losing his first wife ten years back. His daughters happily accepted his new wife and treated her like their elder sister. On the other hand, his wife also had two boys from her first marriage. The man got along well with the boys and treated them like his. However, things took a different turn when he saw the footage from the hidden camera.
Other Redditors were shocked after reading whataboutthekids‘ detailed post in the “Relationship Advice” subreddit, which he penned on May 5, 2019. Before jumping to the main story, the man shared a little background for the readers. He recalled bumping into his 38-year-old second wife at various spots in town. They never talked to each other but did make eye contact several times.
A couple dining in an outdoor cafe | Source: Unsplash
One day, the man brought his car to the service center and was sitting in the waiting room when he saw her walking in. That day, they talked to each other in detail and even went for coffee. He asked her if she would like to go out for lunch sometime, and she agreed, so they exchanged numbers. After dating for two years, he decided to marry her.
Three days later, a notification popped up on his phone while at work.
She moved into his house with her sons, and the man’s daughters also accepted their new stepmother, who was more like an elder sister to them. The original poster was also happy because an adult was now at home to supervise his daughters while he was at work.
A newly-wed couple holding hands | Source: Unsplash
OP’s wife wanted to stay home for some time but frequently volunteered at the school lunch. Her stepdaughters had graduated college while her sons were still in school. Since OP was close to his stepsons and his wife’s ex never paid child support or reached out to them, he decided to adopt them.
His wife had told him that her ex never contacted her after abandoning them. But one day, her ex surprisingly reappeared and demanded to meet his children. Since he was legally their father, OP couldn’t stop him from visiting the house. However, he did limit the visits to weekends only.
Close-up of a man’s eye | Source: Unsplash
During that time, OP told his wife to ask her ex to give up his rights so he could adopt the boys. She agreed to talk to him about it. The following month, OP noticed things had started to change around the house. He saw unusual things like missing snacks and beer cans, but his wife brushed it off when he asked about it.
His 14-year-old stepson approached him a few days later and asked if he loved his mother. The little boy mentioned that watching them cuddle made him feel like they were in love.
A couple working in the kitchen | Source: Unsplash
Then, the boy asked the OP if his mother was still in love with his father. OP didn’t know why he would ask such an odd question, but he replied that his mother might still like him. The boy then revealed that he often saw his mother cuddling with his father. He shared that he used to find him at home when he returned from school.
That weekend, OP talked to his wife’s ex when he visited his children. The ex confessed that he only came to spend time with his wife. “He says [they are] technically not divorced [because] he never signed [the] papers, so she is his wife,” recalled OP.
A man taking notes | Source: Unsplash
Shocked, OP asked him if his wife had mentioned anything about child support. He revealed that he had paid her $15,000, and she never asked him to give up his rights. This made OP curious.
He wanted to find out what was happening between them, so he installed a tiny hidden camera in his living room facing the main door. Three days later, a notification popped up on his phone while at work. It alerted him to the live camera footage of his wife opening the main door for her ex.
A person browsing social media and using their phone simultaneously | Source: Unsplash
OP saw them becoming intimate, and then the man sat on the couch while OP’s wife left and reappeared after changing her clothes. He guessed she was leaving for the school lunch.
What he witnessed next was unbelievable. He saw the man grab his wife and plead with her to do something for him. He watched them get cozy again, but it was more intense this time.
The woman left a few minutes later, and her ex slept on the sofa. After a few hours, OP received another notification and saw his wife heading towards the bedroom with her ex.
A sofa placed in the living room | Source: Unsplash
He immediately decided to go home to catch them red-handed. They didn’t notice him enter the house, so he barged into the bedroom. His wife’s ex headed out of the house after he caught them.
Meanwhile, his wife explained that it was a one-time mistake. She apologized, but OP wasn’t ready to listen to anything. He showed her the camera footage, which caught her off-guard and rendered her speechless.
After that, OP asked her to pack her bags and prepare to leave his house. He also called her father, asking him to pick her and the children up. Since his father-in-law didn’t like him, he refused to believe his daughter was a cheater.
A man driving his car | Source: Pexels
So OP cropped the camera footage to the part where his wife was getting intimate with her ex and sent it to his father-in-law. “I told him to view and call me back if I was wrong. Never heard back,” he stated.
What Do Redditors Think?
OP posted his story on Reddit because he was worried about his relationship with his stepsons. He asked other Redditors if they had been in a similar situation and how they maintained their relationship with their stepchildren.
Redditor superherostitch suggested that the children could participate in the divorce by sharing their opinions. “Sounds like the kids are bonded too, so don’t lose hope that you’ll still be a big part of their lives,” the Redditor added.
“I have a feeling that your wife was hiding him for longer than you think,” Redditor mobiak stated. The user advised OP not to give any money to his wife as child support because she might spend it on her ex instead of the kids.
The Redditor also asked OP if his wife was still begging him for forgiveness. OP replied that he didn’t speak to her after that day because he was busy with his daughter’s graduation ceremony. He planned to talk to her after getting in touch with his lawyer.
Most Redditors were shocked to read OP’s story and felt bad for him. They shared their advice, hoping it would help the man decide what to do next.
What are your thoughts on this story? Why do you think OP’s wife kept it a secret that her ex never signed their divorce papers? How would you have handled things if you were in OP’s place? Click here to read another story about a mother of three who suspected her husband of cheating with the nanny and installed hidden cameras to prove it.
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