My name is Chidinma, I’m 29 years old, married with two children. From the outside, people think I have a perfect family—handsome husband, stable life, beautiful kids. But deep inside, I’m carrying shame that I can’t erase. It all started earlier this year. I met a man online. He wasn’t a stranger in the usual sense—we had mutual friends on social media—but I didn’t know him personally. He was charming, respectful, and he knew how to say the right words at the right time. He started checking on me daily. “Have you eaten?” “How was your night?” “Don’t stress yourself too much.” Simple things, but things my husband had stopped saying long ago. Slowly, I found myself looking forward to his messages. By March, he began sending small gifts. Airtime, data, sometimes money for lunch. I told myself it was harmless. I convinced myself I was just enjoying the attention. But deep down, I knew I was crossing a line.
In April, we met in person. The attraction was instant. I don’t even know how it happened, but within weeks, I was making plans I never thought I would. We decided to meet in a hotel out of town, away from familiar eyes. I lied to my husband that I was visiting a cousin.That day is now burned into my memory forever. I checked into Prestige Hotel, GRA Benin, showered, and when he arrived, everything felt like a dream. We talked, laughed, touched… and just when things were about to get intimate, there was a heavy knock on the door. The man froze. My heart was pounding. He opened the door—standing there was my husband. My whole body went cold. He walked in calmly, but the look in his eyes broke me. He saw me, half-naked, sitting on the bed. And then he said words I’ll never forget: “Now I’ve proven it. You’re not faithful.” He explained that everything was a setup. The man wasn’t a random stranger—he was part of my husband’s plan. My husband had suspected me for months, and he paid this man to tempt me, to test if I would cheat. The man admitted it right there. He dressed up and left… with my husband. Leaving me shaking, humiliated, and destroyed. I didn’t return home. I went to my mother’s place, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. My children are still with my husband. Now I am lost. I feel betrayed, but I also know I betrayed him first. I hate myself for falling so easily, but I can’t believe my husband set a trap like that.I haven’t stopped crying since. I don’t know if I should beg for forgiveness or if my marriage is already over. What should I do? How do I face him? How do I face myself?— Chidinma, 29
