My husband finally admitted that he had lost his job one week earlier because his company had downsized. I stared at him, unable to process what he was saying. He explained that he had been too embarrassed to tell me. Every morning, he pretended to leave for work, but instead returned home to search for employment opportunities online. He had convinced himself that he would find another job before I discovered what had happened. He didn’t want me worrying about our finances or thinking he had failed our family.

Then he explained the incident with the babysitter. Our youngest child really had spilled milk on her clothes. Since the children were sleeping, he had told her to clean herself up while he stayed nearby to watch them. That was why he had been home when I unexpectedly arrived. There had been no secret romance or betrayal. The footage I had interpreted as evidence of an affair was actually showing a husband hiding his unemployment. But although I felt relieved, another emotion was beginning to take over: hurt.