When I was seven months pregnant, I found out my husband was cheating. The betrayal felt unbearable, and my first instinct was to file for divorce immediately.
While I was falling apart, my dad came to sit with me. Gently, he said, “Stay with your husband for the sake of the baby. I cheated on your mom when she was pregnant. It’s just male physiology — it doesn’t mean anything.”
I was shocked. Hearing that from him hurt almost as much as my husband’s betrayal. But I was exhausted, overwhelmed, and terrified of the stress harming my baby. So I stayed — not out of forgiveness, but survival.
Months later, I gave birth to a healthy baby boy. At the hospital, my dad held my hand and said, “Now you need to divorce him. We’ll help you.”
Confused, I reminded him of what he’d told me.
He sighed. “I never cheated on your mom. I lied because I didn’t want you dealing with that stress while pregnant. I just wanted you and the baby safe.”
I’m still unsure how to feel. But in his own strange way, that lie may have been the greatest act of protection I’ve ever received.
