“Dear Dr. Kim,
“About six months ago, a new family moved in next door. They are a little younger than us and don’t have kids. The wife works away a lot, while her husband works from home and has been doing up the house.
“From the moment they met, he and my wife seemed to take a shine to each other. It didn’t bother me at first that he made her laugh, or that she was always popping over to take food. But lately, I’ve noticed strong sexual tension between them. He often makes crude jokes, or uses innuendo.
“Normally, my wife would find this rude or inappropriate. She doesn’t – she just laughs even louder. They do this in front of me, so they’re not hiding it.
“I think they’ve been texting each other too, although I haven’t been able to confirm this as my wife keeps her phone close at all times, and I don’t know her password.
“It feels like they’re intimate, or certainly about to become so.
“I’m not sure what to do. I don’t want to confront my wife and upset her if I’m wrong.”
— Unsure, Suburbia
Dear Unsure,
My old Dad always said to listen to your gut: if it says it’s hungry, get something to eat; if it says it needs to pee, go to the toilet; if it says not to walk through Central Park at midnight, stay in your hotel room; and if it says your wife is bonking your new neighbor, she probably is. And in this case, your gut is absolutely correct — and all the evidence you’ve presented proves it.
- he makes her laugh (always an aphrodisiac for women)
- he’s younger than she is (makes her feel attractive)
- she was always popping over to take food (dead giveaway right there)
- she doesn’t find his crude jokes and innuendo inappropriate (behavior change)
- she keeps her phone close at all times (of course she does, because sexting)
She’s fucking him — or very close to doing so. The real question is: what are you going to do next?
I’d suggest having a quiet word with Neighbor Boy’s wife, telling her everything you’ve just told me; let him do the ‘splaining. And when he confesses, which he might very well do, have her confront your wife.
In the meantime, let your phone’s battery run down to zero, and then ask your wife if you can use her phone to make an important call, in the next room. If she refuses, there’s your proof right there.
Oh, and talk to a lawyer soon, so you don’t lose the house and/or kids when the SHTF.
Good luck.
—
By the way: Deirdre has it precisely wrong.