Reddit Stories - I handed my bills wife my PREVIOUS LAPTOP, and when she REQUESTED me...

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Summary: I gave my previous laptop to my wife when she requested it. However, she later expressed dissatisfaction with its performance, leading to a discussion about expectations and communication in our relationship. This situation highlighted the importance of understanding each other's needs and being clear about what is being offered.

I hope you enjoy this story. I handed my Bill's wife my previous laptop, and when she requested me to sign her out, I discovered messages confirming she had been unfaithful. Consequently, I informed my brother about it. Law, but my husband got furious at me for getting involved, then I discovered he was the one she was cheating with. It all started with a very minor incident. We were having what was supposed to be just a casual dinner at our place.

my brother-in-law, brother-in-law, and his wife, my sister-in-law, sister-in-law, had been going through a rough patch lately. They were struggling with money, and you could see how stressed they both were. They had been fighting a lot, and it didn't look like things were getting any better. So when we all sat down to eat, sister-in-law casually mentioned that their only laptop had broken. She was clearly upset, saying they couldn't afford to replace it, and it just seemed like it was one more thing stacking on top of everything else in their life. I felt for them, honestly. I know how tough it is when everything seems to pile up. So, I remembered I had this old laptop sitting around, collecting dust. It wasn't anything special kind of slow, to be honest,

but it worked. I figured it could help them out, even just a little. I offered it to them, and when I saw how happy sister-in-law looked, it made me feel good. She gave me this huge. She gave me this huge smile, and even brother-in-law seemed grateful, though he looked pretty worn out, like he was barely holding it together. After dinner, sister-in-law started setting up the laptop in the guest room. It struck me as a bit strange why not just take it home and set it up there? But she seemed excited and in a rush, so I didn't think much of it. Brother-in-law, though, didn't seem too thrilled. He kept telling her she could do it later and even made a comment about it being rude to set it up right away. I brushed it off, figuring she must have had something important to do.

A few days later, sister-in-law called me, sounding kind of panicked. She said she couldn't remember her email password and thought she had left her account logged in on the laptop. She asked if I could check and log her out. It seemed like an easy enough favor, so I agreed. When I opened up the laptop, I saw she was still logged into her email, so I was about to log her out when something caught my eye. Some of the email subject lines looked off. Words like secret, meet me, and don't tell anyone jumped out at me, and I honestly couldn't help but feel curious. Now, I wasn't trying to invade her privacy, but the whole thing seemed too strange to ignore. So, I clicked on one of the emails, and what I saw was enough to make my stomach drop.

It was an email exchange between sister-in-law and someone who wasn't brother-in-law. The messages were explicit and talked about meeting up and making plans to be together. I sat there, frozen, as I realized what I was looking at she was having an affair. The email address was one of those random ones, with no name or anything attached, just random words, which just made everything feel even more shady. I couldn't believe it. I had always thought of sister-in-law as this loyal, loving wife. Sure, I knew they'd been going through a hard time, but I never ever imagined something like a

this. I just stared at the screen, feeling sick to my stomach, unsure of what to do next. Part of me wanted to close the laptop, pretend I hadn't seen anything, and just move on. But the other part of me well, I knew I couldn't ignore it. Brother-in-law deserved the truth. As much as I hated the idea of tearing apart their marriage, how could I not tell him? He had to know what was really going on, even if it would crush him. But if I stayed silent, he'd continue to live this lie. The next few hours were torture. I went back and forth in my mind, playing out different scenarios.

Maybe I was just misunderstanding things, maybe it wasn't as bad as it looked. But deep down, I knew what I saw. Finally, I made the decision. I couldn't keep this to myself. It didn't feel right. So I called brother-in-law and asked him to come over. I told him it was really important that I needed to talk to him about something serious. When he got to my house, I could tell he was already bracing himself for bad news.

He had that tired, worn out look on his face like he knew something was off. I sat him down, and without wasting any more time, I just told him everything. I showed him the emails, so he could see for himself that I wasn't making anything up. I didn't want him to think I was just trying to stir up drama. I wanted him to know the truth, even if it meant shattering everything. His reaction broke my heart. He just sat there, staring at the screen, completely silent at first. Then he put his head in his hands, and I could see the pain written all over his face.

He didn't cry, but his voice cracked when he finally thanked me for telling him about the whole thing. On one hand, I knew I'd done the right thing by telling him. But on the other hand, it felt awful knowing I'd just dropped. this bomb on his life. I kept thinking, was there a better way to handle this? The only thing that I knew was that he deserved the truth, even if it was painful. The next few days were an absolute blur. My brother-in-law confronted my sister-in-law about the emails, and things blew up between them. Their marriage was falling apart, and it was messy. Meanwhile, things

at home weren't much better for me. My husband was furious. Not at my sister-in-law. or even at my brother-in-law but at me. He couldn't understand why I'd gotten involved in their business. He kept saying stuff like, you should have stayed out of it, and, if you hadn't stuck your nose where it didn't belong, none of this would have happened. At first, I was stunned. I thought he'd back me up, maybe even agree that I'd done the right thing. After all, it was his own brother that was getting cheated on. But instead, he was so angry, like I'd done something terrible. I tried to explain that I couldn't just keep quiet after what I'd seen, but he didn't want to hear it. Every time we talked about it, it turned into an argument. He'd accuse me of

ruining their marriage, and I'd fire back that I wasn't the one who cheated. As the days went by, things between us just got worse. He started avoiding me altogether, like he couldn't even stand to be in the same room. And when we did talk, it always turned into a fight. I couldn't understand why he was so upset about something that didn't directly involve him or so I thought. The more I thought about it, the more confused I got. Why was he so defensive about mother-in-law's affair? Why was he acting like I was the bad guy when I just told the truth? Then, out of nowhere, this thought hit me, and it made me feel absolutely sick to my stomach. What if my husband was defending her because he was involved too? At first, I immediately tried to push it away.

It sounded ridiculous, right? But the more I thought about it, the more it started to make an uncomfortable kind of sense. My husband and my sister-in-law had always been close like really close. They'd known each other long before I ever came into the picture, and they always had this dynamic that, looking back now, felt a little too comfortable. At the time, I never thought much of it because, well, they were family. I just figured they were tight because of their shared history. But now, all these little moments started creeping back into my mind, and I couldn't help

but question everything. Like, how he'd get so angry whenever I brought up her a fair way angrier than I'd expect. Or how he'd sidestep any real conversation about it, acting like it wasn't worth discussing, and how he seemed so much more worried about how sister-in-law was feeling than about me, his own wife. The dots were connecting, and I didn't like the picture they were forming. I tried to convince myself that I was just being paranoid, but I couldn't shake the feeling. It was bugging me constantly. Then one day, while he was out, I just, broke. I couldn't take the doubt anymore. I know this isn't something I'm proud of, but I decided to check his laptop. I told myself I needed answers no more guessing, no more wondering. I opened his email,

and that's when I saw it. The moment I spotted it, my stomach dropped. There it was the same weird email address sister-in-law had been using to talk to her a fair partner. And it was logged into his account. I kept telling myself, please, let this be a coincidence. Please, let me be wrong. But I wasn't.

Every single letter in that email address matched perfectly. I just froze. I stared at the screen, my heart, pounding so loud I could hear it in my ears. I couldn't believe it. My own husband the person I trusted the most in this world was the one sister-in-law had been having an affair with. Suddenly, everything clicked. His anger, his defensiveness, the way he kept blaming me for ruining their marriage. He wasn't mad because I told brother-in-law the truth. He was mad because I exposed him too. I felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. I couldn't think

think straight. All I could feel was this overwhelming mix of anger, hurt, and betrayal. How could he do this? Not just to me, but to his own brother? I thought about all the times I trusted him, believed in him, defended him, and now I felt like the biggest fool in the world. When he got home, I didn't even wait. I confronted him right away. I showed him the email and demanded answers. At first, he tried to play dumb, denying everything and acting like I was making stuff up. But there was no getting out of this. I had the proof right in front of me. When he realized I wasn't backing down, he switched tactics. He started gaslighting me, saying things like, why are you even going through my stuff? What are you hiding? Or you're probably just looking for

an excuse because you feel guilty about something. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I told him flat out that this wasn't about me, it was about his actions. And then, finally, he admitted it. He confessed to the affair. He said it started a few months ago when Sil confided in him about her marital problems. According to him, they grew close, and one thing led to another. He tried to frame it as some kind of accidental, spur of the moment thing like that made it better.

But all I could hear was that he'd betrayed me in the worst way possible. Now, I'm sitting here, completely lost. My mind keeps circling back to the same questions. Did I do the right thing by telling brother-in-law? At the time, it felt like the only thing to do. I couldn't keep that secret it wasn't fair to him. He deserved to know the truth. But now?

Now, everything is just a mess. My marriage is falling apart, and I don't know if it's even possible to come back from this. part of me feels like maybe I should have just stayed quiet and let things play out on their own. Maybe I wouldn't be in this position if I had just kept my mouth shut. But another part of me knows that the damage was already done I just uncovered it. So here I am, asking myself, did I ruin everything? Or was it already ruined, and I was just the one who pulled back the curtain? Either way, I have no idea what to do next. I feel broken, betrayed, and completely alone. Update 1, it's been a few days since everything came crashing down, and to be honest, I still

feel like I'm drowning in this mess. I've tried to make sense of it all, but my emotions are everywhere. One minute, I'm furious like, red-hot angry at the betrayal, the lies, and the sheer audacity of it all. The next minute, I'm heartbroken, completely shattered by what's happened to my family. And then, out of nowhere, guilt sneaks in, even though I know deep down none of this is really my fault. It's just, a lot. It's overwhelming, and I feel like I can't catch my breath. My brother-in-law has been staying with a friend since the confrontation with sister-in-law. He's completely shaken up, and I don't blame him. When we talked, he told me he was still in shock and trying to process everything. He said he doesn't know how to move forward,

especially with their kids stuck in the middle of this mess. He admitted he's thinking about divorce, But he hasn't made a final decision yet. He's holding off, trying to figure out what's best for his kids. And honestly, I just feel so awful for him. He's such a good guy, a great dad who has always done his best for his family. He didn't deserve this. Every time I think about what he's going through, my heart just breaks. I can't even imagine the pain he must be feeling, knowing his wife betrayed him like this.

And now I have this massive secret weighing on me, one that could break him even more. How do I even begin to tell him that his wife didn't just cheat that her affair was with his own brother? How do I look him in the eye and say, hey, it's even worse than you think? I know he deserves the truth, but the thought of delivering that kind of blow makes me feel sick. I keep wondering if it's better to let it go, to spare him from even more pain. But then I think, what if someone else tells him?

What if it comes out some other way? And then there's my husband. Things between us have gone from bad to worse. He's constantly calling and texting me, blowing up my phone like it's going to change anything. But instead of apologizing or taking responsibility, he's still acting like this is all my fault, like I'm the one ruining everyone's lives by not just sweeping everything under the rug. A lot of you suggested that I should leave my husband because he's not trustworthy, especially with the way he's been gaslighting and manipulating me.

And honestly, you're right. After the whole argument that I mentioned in my last post, I packed a bag and left. I've been staying with my parents ever since, trying to get some space, some distance, to clear my head and figure out what I'm supposed to do next. But ever since the moment I left him, he has constantly texted me. It's always the same thing. He says he wants to talk, that we can fix this. But every time I even think about going back, I can't shake the air.

image of those emails in my mind. Or the sound of him finally admitting what he did. How do you even begin to fix something like this? Is that even possible? Part of me wants to try. Not for him, but for our kids. They're young, and I don't want to tear their world apart. I keep picturing them growing up with divorced parents, and it breaks my heart. But another part of me knows that even if we stayed together, I'd never be able to look at him the same way again. I'd never be able to trust him. And without trust, what's left? And then there's the guilt.

It's eating me alive. I keep asking myself if I should have just stayed quiet, kept my mouth shut, and let things play out on their own. If I hadn't said anything, none of this would have come out. Brother-in-law wouldn't be sleeping on a friend's couch, and my marriage wouldn't be in pieces. Everything would still be intact at least on the surface. But then I remind myself,

this isn't my fault. The truth was already there. I didn't create the mess I just uncovered it. My husband and sister-in-law made their choices. They're the ones who betrayed their families, not me. But even knowing that, I can't shake this heavy feeling that I've destroyed everything by exposing it. I feel like I'm standing at a crossroads, and every path looks impossible. Do I tell brother-in-law the whole truth and risk completely shattering him? Or do I walk away from all of it and try to rebuild my life from scratch? What about my kids? How do I protect them from all this chaos while still doing what's right? I don't know what to do. I feel completely lost. Update 2. It's been a few more days, and after a lot of thinking, I've finally decided to file for

divorce. Staying with my husband just isn't an option anymore. I can't. I can't keep sacrificing my self-esteem and peace of mind for someone who doesn't deserve it. It wasn't an easy decision, and I didn't make it lightly. I talked to a lawyer and spent a lot of time talking to friends and family who've been incredibly supportive. They helped me realize that staying in this marriage would only keep me stuck in a never-ending cycle of pain. My husband has been relentless.

He's begged me to give him another chance, promise to change, and swore he'd do whatever it takes to make things right. But honestly, his actions have spoken louder than his words. He made the choice to betray me, to destroy our trust, and now he's the one who has to face the consequences. I know it's going to hurt both of us in the long run, but staying isn't the answer anymore. Brother-in-law, as expected, has decided to go ahead with the divorce too. He's devastated, heartbroken and just plain exhausted, but he told me that he can't stay in a marriage built on lies. We've had several long conversations over the past week, and it's been so tough to watch him struggle. I know how much this is tearing him apart. At some point, I knew I couldn't

keep this secret from him anymore. I had to tell him the truth. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. When I told him, he just sat there in stunned silence, like he couldn't even process what I was saying. He looked so lost, so hurt. Then the anger hit. He was furious at me for not telling him sooner, at sister-in-law for betraying him, and, of course, at my husband. Honestly, I don't blame him for being angry. What I told him was a lot to take in all at once, and I knew it would hurt him. But after some time, his anger shifted, and he told me he appreciated my honesty, even though it was painful. It was bittersweet because I know our relationship will never be the same after this, but I'm glad I told him the truth. He did,

deserved at least that much. As for me, I've been keeping busy with work and focusing on my kids. They've really been my anchor through all of this. Whenever I feel like I'm drowning in emotions, they remind me of what really matters. Explaining everything to them, though, has been one of the hardest parts. They're still so young, and they don't fully understand what's going on. But I've made it clear that none of this is their fault. They didn't do anything wrong. My parents have also been amazing. They've been so supportive, letting me stay with them and just giving me a safe space to breathe. I don't know what I'd do without them right now. Meanwhile, my husband hasn't given up. He's still trying to win me back. He sent flowers,

written long, emotional letters, and even showed up at my parents' house unannounced, thinking maybe that would change things. But I've refused to see him. I've made it clear that were done. I think he still doesn't believe me. Maybe he thinks he can wear me down, but I'm standing firm. Actions have consequences, and he made his choices. Right now, my focus is on healing, on my own well-being, and on my kids. They're my priority, not trying to fix something that's already broken beyond repair. Some of our mutual friends have tried to step in, saying I should give them another chance for the sake of our family. I know they mean well, but honestly, I don't think they fully understand the depth of his betrayal.

This isn't just about a mistake or a lapse in judgment. This was a deliberate, ongoing affair with someone who was supposed to be family. It's not something I can just forgive and forget. Maybe someday, far down the road, I'll find a way to forgive him for my own peace of mind, not for him. But reconciliation? That's off the table. There's no going back to the way things were, and even if there were, I don't think I'd want that. For now, I'm focusing on rebuilding my life one step at a time.

It's scary and overwhelming, but also a little liberating. I don't know what the future holds, but I know I deserve better than this. Update 3, Hi Everyone, I know it's been a while since I last posted. Life has been, chaotic, to say the least. After everything that happened last week, I just needed to step back and process everything. It felt like my entire world had flipped upside down, and honestly, I couldn't handle it anymore. I'm finally in a place where I can sit down and share what's been going on. Let me break it down for you because, seriously, this whole mess just keeps getting worse.

After my last update, things definitely took a serious nose dive. My soon-to-be ex-husband, instead of facing what he did and taking responsibility, just made everything a thousand times worse. One night, after having way too much to drink, he showed up at my brother-in-law's house uninvited and completely lost it. According to brother-in-law, my ex was yelling so loudly you could hear him down the block, blaming brother-in-law for ruining our marriage. Can you even believe that?

He actually had the nerve to say that if brother-in-law hadn't dragged me into their marital issues, none of this would have happened. It's beyond crazy. I wasn't there when it all went down, but brother-in-law called me right to. after, and I was beyond mortified. It felt like a punch in the gut. The guy I thought I knew, the one I married and built a life with, was now acting like a total stranger. He'd completely lost his mind. But brother-in-law, being the calm and collected person that he is, didn't lose his temper. He just looked at my ex and said, you're the one who had an affair

with my wife. Don't even try to blame me or anyone else for your mess. Honestly, hearing that made me feel a little better knowing brother-in-law stood his ground and didn't let my ex twist things. But it also made it even clearer how far gone my ex was. Instead of backing down, my ex just kept going off. What started as a heated argument quickly turned into a physical fight. Brother-in-law told me that my ex lunged at him, and everything got way out of hand really fast. The shouting and shoving spilled out into the yard, and neighbors had to step in to break them up. Things got so crazy that someone actually called the cops. When the police arrived, they gave them both a warning but, thankfully no one pressed charges.

Still, it was one of the most embarrassing things I've ever heard about. The fact that my ex was willing to go this far, to make a scene like that, was just, wild. It felt like I was stuck in some kind of nightmare, watching everything I thought I knew come apart in real time. When I found out about it, I couldn't stop thinking. thinking, how did it get this far? The man I married someone I thought I knew and trusted was now this reckless, out-of-control person I didn't even recognize. Watching him destroy everything was like watching a stranger do it, and it broke me. There was nothing I could do but stand there and watch him spiral. This whole mess has made me reflect on a lot of things. I spent

so much time blaming myself, wondering if I should have stayed quiet, wondering if I was wrong to tell brother-in-law the truth. But the reality is, my ex's actions are his own. He's the one who cheated, who lied, and who couldn't take responsibility for his actions. None of this is my fault, and it's certainly not brother-in-laws. It's all on him. After that crazy incident, my ex sent me one of those ridiculous long messages the next day. You know the type apologies that don't mean anything, followed by a bunch of excuses. He started by saying sorry, but it quickly turned into him blaming everyone else for what had happened. He accused me of abandoning him, like I was the one who'd betrayed him,

and he kept going on about how telling brother-in-law about the affair was the thing that ruined everything. It was infuriating to read. He tried to act like some kind of victim, claiming it was all just a mistake and that I was being too unforgiving. He had absolutely no accountability for what he did, and instead, he was trying to make me feel like I was the problem. I couldn't even get through reading it without feeling my blood boil. By this point, I was done.

I had no energy to argue, no energy to keep going in circles with him. I just replied with something short and firm, we're not good for each other, and this needs to end. I don't want to fight anymore. Let's just move forward separately. And that was it. No big long speech, no more explanations. I've officially started the divorce process, and I made it clear that any communication between

us needs to go through lawyers from here on out. As for brother-in-law, he's been focusing on his kids and trying to rebuild his life. He filed for divorce from sister-in-law, and I've heard she's been staying with her parents. Honestly, I haven't spoken to her at all since everything exploded, and I don't plan to. She made her choices, and now she has to live with the consequences. It's not my problem anymore. Before I finish this update, I just want to address some of the comments asking why I even considered saving my marriage in the first place. I get it, I really do.

It might seem crazy to have even thought about it for a second, but this whole thing has been hard. Every decision I made, I had to think about my kids, my family, and everyone involved. I thought about what would be best for them and for me. But honestly, now that I've gone through everything, I know that this marriage was over long before I made that decision. It's just taken me this long to finally realize it. I just want to say thank you to everyone here who took the time to read my posts, give advice, and offer support. I never imagined sharing this would get so much attention, but the kindness and wisdom so many

of you have shown me have been a lifeline during one of the hardest times in my life. If there's one thing I've learned through all of this, it's that doing the right thing is rarely easy, and it definitely doesn't feel good in the moment. But in the end, the truth matters, and I'm glad I stood by it even though it came at such a high cost. I'm ready to close this chapter of my life and focus on starting fresh. There's a lot of healing ahead, but I'm hopeful about the future. Thank you for being there for me when I needed it most.