Reddit Stories - Bound by MARRIAGE, Tempted by Desire_ The UNYIELDING Pull of FORBIDDEN Passion_

Episode Date: August 13, 2025

#redditstories #askreddit #aita #marriage #desire #forbiddenlove #temptation #unyieldingpullSummary:Exploring the intricate web of emotions tied to forbidden passion amidst the constraints of marriage. When desire tempts boundaries and the unyielding pull of forbidden love becomes irresistible, choices are made that redefine relationships.Tags:redditstories, askreddit, reddit, aita, tifu, marriage, desire, forbiddenlove, temptation, unyieldingpullBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/reddit-stories--6237355/support.

I hope you enjoy this story. Joyfully wedded to my spouse of eight years, yet I cannot rid myself of the strong allure to a recent colleague who recently revealed his emotions for me. I have been in a fulfilling relationship with my marvelous husband since we were 2021. We have an amazing relationship with each other, still make time for dates every week, and really just enjoy each other. He became my best friend pretty instantly from when we started hanging out in high school, and that still hasn't changed today.

I have a girlfriend who I do call my best friend, and outside of my marriage she is, but even that doesn't compare to the friendship I have with my husband. We've had our rough patches, but never anything very severe. There are some things I need to change about myself and things he needs to work on as well. Nothing relationship ending, just things that we need to do to be better people and better partners,

and I doubt this will ever change as it's impossible to just be perfect people. We don't have any children, nor are children in our future. We both work and bring home pretty decent money, although we've both had small patches of unemployment in the past and were supported by the other. There's never been any hostility over the finances, regardless of who is making more or who is supporting whom. Our marriage has survived depression, alcoholism, and a couple of physical medical conditions,

all met with overwhelming support from each other. We are a great team. Our sex life is great and really active. A dry spell for us is going to work week without having sex because one or both of us are just too exhausted, but that is not very common. We get along well with each other's families, and my family has really bonded with my husband. As far as they are concerned, he's just another son slash brother. He's everything I could have ever hoped for in a husband and more, and I really truly love him. Now, I've felt myself attracted to others in the past, and I'm sure he has been through the same,

but it's not anything we've ever discussed with each other. I know that it's normal, and it's never been anything too intense before. If I find myself starting to get feelings for someone who I see a lot, it doesn't take much to shake off. This is the first time I've ever dealt with feelings so intense, and I don't really know what to do next. My co-worker is very attractive, super friendly, and I just don't have a lot of. enjoy being around him. We started working at this company around the same time, roughly eight

months ago. We were in training together for a couple of weeks which was absolute torture. My feelings came on strong and came on quick. I'm sure I've turned red when he flashes me a smile. It would be embarrassing enough if I were single simply because we work together, but I'm married and I feel like that probably looks really poorly on me. We don't work together anymore, but our departments are close and if he walks through my section he'll put his hand my on shoulder and give it a squeeze to get my attention when he's walking by, then flash me that smile. I'll make conversation if we pass each other or are at a work event together, but I do the same with pretty much everyone I've worked with slash currently work with.

We don't have each other on social media, have an exchanged numbers, and don't see each other outside of work. I was invited out to a bar nearby by him and a few others a couple of times, but turned them down. I work in a male-dominated field, and didn't feel right being the only woman out at the bar with a bunch of guys, especially one who I do feel this way about. I avoid his floor at work when possible, and if he's on lunch at the same time I'll say hi as I pass but just grab my stuff and eat on the patio or on another floor. I try to just avoid thinking about him or remind myself of how dumb I'm being, but I can't shake this feeling. I'm not afraid I'm going to be an idiot and let passion take over or any of that nonsense, and I think all of those excuses for one-time mistakes are garbage.

I'm in control of my actions and could never be so cruel to my husband. I just don't know what to do to shake these feelings. The last time I felt such a strong desire for someone was when I met my husband. We were great friends instantly, and hung out slash fooled around for about a year before we made things serious. I was very young when we got together, and none of my relationships prior were very serious. I just never felt so strongly attracted to someone, and didn't think it was even possible to with anyone else. I don't compare my husband to my coworker or vice versa, and that's not what I'm trying to do here either. I've just been able to shake it off any time I've had feelings come on

for someone else. It doesn't matter what I do with this guy, though. If I think about it him, it's hard to get him off my mind regardless of what's going on around me. I have gone weeks without running into him and he won't cross my mind, but then I can catch a glimpse of him when I'm strolling into work and my heart will start racing faster. I have a desire to be around him and be close to him, and I just need it to go away. I feel like I'm in high school all over again, except instead of daydreaming in class I'm trying to get this dude off my mind and get some damn work done. I know that Reddit is big on full disclosure, but this is not something I will be discussing with husband. These feelings aren't coming out of neglect or want in my relationship with him. I don't

feel like I'm missing out on anything by being with him, and there's nothing that he can do that would fix this for me. If he were feeling the same way about someone, I can honestly say I wouldn't want to hear about it. If he felt neglected and like my actions were causing him to desire affection elsewhere, then that would be a different story. I know that this is something that would affect him really bad, and I don't want him to feel uncomfortable for the 40 to 50 hours a week that I'm in the same building with this guy when there's nothing he could do or say that would change what's going on with me, and there's no chance of me crossing a line. I just don't see the purpose in creating an issue in my marriage when there isn't one. Update 1. I, 29F, have been with

husband, 29M, for eight years. I have feelings for a co-worker, 30M, that I can't shake. Before the update, I would like to clear something up that I think I may have worded poorly. My job is not male-dominated in the sense that there's employees and like four women. We're probably closer to 25% to 30% female employees, the rest being male. We all give each other a hard time and play around, and it's not just all the guys here petting on the women. I've only had female co-workers mess with my hair as they're running by, similar to what I do with my sisters. The extent of touch that I've gotten slash given to any of the guys here has been a pat on the back

for a good job in a rough close, handshakes, pat on the shoulder and passing to get their attention while going to make copies. And I've hugged one male coworker who was retiring, and whose wife was there for the retirement party. This isn't a stuffy office setting, but this isn't HR's nightmare either. That being said, I did need to find a way to put distance between coworker and myself given the reaction he got out of me even with something as simple as I contact. So, now on to the update. I am friends with my husband's boss's wife, and gave her a call to help get his time off. His employer is very lenient on time off, and I just set it up so that they were expecting him to call out. We had a romantic extended weekend away, and it gave me a chance to really appreciate him.

Thank you to the Redditors who advised putting more focus on us. I don't think I would have planned the surprise otherwise. Now, back to work. A lot has happened in the last month, and I'm planning on going no contact with co-worker the very second that I can. Shortly after I returned I found out that he had put in for a transfer into my department and had also been added onto my team. No problem, I'm an adult, I can behave like an adult, and the time away to clear my head and reevaluate where I was putting my energy had had a bigger effect than I anticipated.

Well, things got a little weird. He started grabbing me coffee when he'd pick his up because I took on a new project and was showing up earlier slash staying later than normal, but didn't do this for anyone else whose workload had increased. About four of us took on new clients. Our lunches lined up a little more frequently, I got friends slash follow requests on social media, declined, stuff like that. I felt like he would stand a little closer to me than what was comfortable, but at this point still felt like I was reading too much into it. It was confusing and difficult given that this feeling isn't wanted, but I do just feel drawn to him, like there's a connection I desperately want to

break. I always park by the smoking section because I have a filthy habit and like to be close, and he caught me tonight while I was walking out to my car. He stopped me and asked to bum a smoke, and we talked for a couple of minutes. He then said he had something kind of uncomfortable to talk to me about. He told me he had felt really attracted to me since we first met, and that working more closely with me has shown him that he has some real feelings for me. He says he knows that I'm married and will respect any boundaries I set up, but that he hasn't felt this strongly about someone before and he couldn't live with the what-ifs. Apparently he went so far as to end things with his girlfriend, and is now staying with his parents for a couple of weeks while he gets a

new place lined up. He said he could feel something between us and didn't think it was only him. I told him that I am very happily married and that he shouldn't mistake my friendliness with flotation, and that he needs to learn more appropriate boundaries with co-workers. I asked him to give me distance and that if it wasn't work-related there was no reason to discuss it because we are co-workers, not friends, and left. He looked a little defeated and apologized for overstepping. My husband is out of town on a work trip, so I had to come home to an empty house feeling the weirdest mix of emotions I've had since this whole mess started. Like slash you slash and underscore the underscore ether mentioned in my last post, this is most

definitely something wonky going on with our pheromones causing the weird flutter of emotions. The way he came across letting me know he was okay if I cheated on my husband with him painted him in a whole new light. He doesn't seem like this charming guy anymore, just a douchebag who probably hasn't been told no enough times in his life. I have trouble falling asleep by myself and this whole situation has been a mess so sorry for any weird formatting. I'm exhausted and figured I may as well update while everything is fresh. I'm confused. I still think he's really attractive, but I'm not equally repulsed by him as a person overall. Edit well, this certainly blew up way more than expected. I just wanted to thank those of you who responded with advice and kind words.

A special thanks to everyone who didn't read the first post and have been calling me a tease and a slut. It's nice to get a good laugh in. To those who missed my comments addressing it, my husband will be given full details of our encounters when he returns home. I don't want him getting worked up while he's so far away. I won't be telling him about my feelings towards co-worker, because they are irrelevant to the situation that is now progressing. Anyways, mini update. I didn't go into work today, but I did get an email from coworker.

It starts with what seems like a sincere apology to then offering to buy me dinner this weekend to make it up to me. I responded with your advances made me very uncomfortable, and I will say again that I am not interested in setting you outside of work. His second email was another apology while making sure I knew the offer for dinner as friends to make it up to me would still be on the table. I did not respond to the second one, and he has not reached out again today. I am in a bit of a weird place. Growing a bigger dislike towards co-worker, while still having those weird primal feelings. planning a nice dinner in and some Netflix and chill when my husband gets home.

Definitely putting in for a department change when one becomes available. I've spent a little time browsing job postings, but I do love where I work so I don't think that's the best solution. Comments where OP has replied. On telling her husband. I talked to him a bit before bed and let him know the gist of it. I didn't want him getting worked up while he was away, so I just told him a co-worker asked me on a date and we joked about it a little. I'll be going into detail with him once he gets back, though.

And I'm definitely telling my husband about this encounter. He's away for a few days and I don't want him getting worked up over all of this before we can discuss it face to face. He won't know about my crush, just that I've been approached and shut it down. Those are the important details. I've gone out of my way to avoid this co-worker before he moved to my department and it became impossible. I never had any plans of cheating, and I'm not worried about my feelings overcoming me. My original post was just asking for suggestions on how to make it stop, since I want doing a very good job at it on my own. And, exactly this. I know it's something that would upset him. I'm telling him about the encounter with my co-workers since if anything happens again and I need

to go to HR about it. I don't want it to be some big surprise. My husband doesn't need to know about my crush because it's entirely irrelevant. OOP on her thoughts of infidelity. Thanks. I really am, and I'm a lot more sure of myself than I was when I first posted. Maybe it's that I've been cheated on in the past, but I have a no-tolerance policy for that kind of bullshit. Don't cheat and don't help anyone else cheat.

Her thoughts on the sleaze ball wanting an affair. I disagree, but in an attempt to keep my post short I didn't go into quite as much detail as I maybe should have. He made it pretty clear that he was open to having an affair with me, which screamed sleazy in my book. And, we only ever saw each other in passing, so I didn't have much time to give myself away. That being said, regardless of whether he was sincere or not, there is so much wrong with this and so much that doesn't add up. I don't tertiary him, but regardless of what's really going on in his head I can't respect someone who makes a pass at someone and later, especially if they're married.

O-O-O-Pion passed dealing with a sleaze ball. I never flirted with him. We tarn saw each other before he moved into my department, and I'd never be the one to start conversation because of how I felt. I was friendly but didn't go out of my way for anything. The coffee he brought me was declined every morning until it just sat on my desk. Or lunches were only at the same time when I left first. I declined all friend requests online.

and he still doesn't have my number. Aside from maybe blushing a couple of times, which is a physical reaction that can't be controlled, and something I do often over mundane shit anyways so not unusual, I didn't behave in a way that screamed I want you. Just because I feel a certain way doesn't mean I've acted on it.

On dealing with the sleaze ball in the office and staying away. Absolutely. I'm also considering putting in for a transfer as well when a new position becomes open. I love my company and do you. don't want to leave over something as trivial as this, but I also just need to get away. On informing HR or her employers. I called my boss this morning and let them know what happened.

While I'm not interested in talking to HR straight away, if this happens again I want a reference point to be able to bring up that way I don't get any sort of why didn't you say anything to anyone when this stayed. Reaction. Now on to the next story. Story 2. One day I found a series of voice on my landline between my wife and our neighbor, so I did this. I, 29M, and my ex-wife, 28F, were married for barely three years before I discovered something that scattered our marriage. My wife and I knew each other from college but only dated three years after graduating. One of the things I loved about my wife was that we were like-minded and believed in a simple yet happy life. We were also Christians, and she was more devoted than I was. I didn't see this as a red flag.

because I came from a devoted Christian home, but I was only a Sunday church gore and nothing more. On the other hand, my wife was a worker in the church, and I think she functioned in about three different departments. This is just to explain how involved she was with church activities. After three years of dating, my wife and I married and started life on our fresh slate. We were so in love with each other, or so I believed, and we had no children. She said something about having kids from age 32, so we could find our feet before we brought babies into the world. I am a very peaceful and quiet person in nature, while my wife was an extrovert. She was the kind of person who literally knew one thing or the other about the neighbors,

the people in the church, or whoever she found herself around. So, this is to say a couple of people did not really like her because they felt she was overdoing it sometimes. As mentioned earlier, I went to church only on Sundays because my job demanded most of my time during the weekday. My wife worked with shifts and always had her way of fixing her shifts in her favor, so it wouldn't clash with her church activities. Throughout our marriage, I admired her dedication, and most times would tease her and say I'd be like her someday. As a couple, we drove to church together on Sundays and had been doing this for almost two years. Our church was small, so everyone knew everyone there, and we were like a big happy family. When we were getting

close to the second year of our marriage, I noticed that my wife and our preacher were getting too close, but I didn't think anything was wrong. My mistake. Most times, if he was in our street, he would drop by our house to either say hello or discuss some things with my wife and each time I asked her about it, she'd either mention something in church or come up with an excuse. In the end, I didn't think about any of the reasons she gave, I only asked, and whatever response I got from her, I wouldn't think about it. Nothing fishy crossed my mind because I trusted my wife so much, and I didn't even nurse the idea that something could be happening between my wife and our preacher. Most times, he'd drop by our house, and I'd ask him to wait for my wife

to come home, and I'd try my best to take care of him until my wife returned. I did this most of the time because I respected our preacher a lot, and I felt it was bad to have a man of God over and not treat him as one. For once, I never wondered why our preacher was always driving along our street like he claimed and would always drop by my house. It felt natural to me, and I honestly believed our house was not the only house he dropped by. For months, I watched my wife and preacher get close until I got shocking news from his wife. That Sunday, my wife and I went to church as usual, and we enjoyed the sermon and every bit of service. After service, while we exchanged pleasantries as usual, our preacher's wife pulled me from the midst of people and said she had something to tell me in private.

When we had our privacy, she told me something that changed the direction of my marriage. She told me my wife was having an affair with her husband, and I thought she was pulling my legs, but it was the truth. According to my preacher's wife, she had been doing some investigations because her husband had been acting differently at home, and after she did some digging. She saw that her husband communicated with my wife the most, and she even found some sensual messages between them. To also be sure of what she found out, she hired someone to follow her husband so she could confirm, and she told me that every Sunday evening, my wife and her husband, the preacher, would go to a cheap apartment downtown and they would spend time there for hours

before they returned home. Even with everything she said, I didn't believe her because I could vouch that my wife went to work on Sunday evenings. I had dropped her at her place of work a few times, and it didn't make any sense to me. All of my doubts were cleared when she showed me that the preacher had been spending donation money. The same donation money has psychologically brainwashed people to donate so he could use it for the Lord's work. After hearing enough, I thanked her and got the address of the downtown apartment she talked about. I also told my wife not to bother about coming home, and I drove off angrily. I was heartbroken when I witnessed it, and my wife kept blowing up my phone the whole night.

She left multiple voicemails saying she could explain everything and we needed to talk. That night, I could not sleep because I thought about all the areas or things I must have failed as a husband for my wife to cheat on me. The next day, she came by the house and met her bags packed on the front porch. I told her we were done and she would hear from my lawyer soon. Then I banged the door in her face. Meanwhile, I posted the recording from the night on our church platform, and everyone was shocked and disappointed. And with the help of our preacher's wife, I posted the financial records too.

This one, in particular, caused many of our church members to stop going to church, and they insisted they would only return after our preacher was replaced with a new preacher eventually. I divorced my wife so she could go and be with her lover, and the preacher's wife did the same thing. The town we lived in was small, so the word spread fast. And she was shunned by our community until she went back to her parents' town. This happened about a year ago, and I still have not gotten over it till now. Women just have their ways of doing the most embarrassing things. I had to stop attending church services so the matter could die down. To date, I feel embarrassed

whenever I bump into a familiar church member. I may fall in love again, but till then, I'll enjoy my single and peaceful state.