Reddit Stories - My spouse REQUESTED that I cover the EXPENSES for his GETAWAY with his...

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Summary: My spouse asked me to cover the expenses for his getaway with his friends, leaving me feeling undervalued and conflicted. I questioned the fairness of this request, wondering if it was reasonable to expect me to finance his leisure while I manage our household finances alone.

I hope you enjoy this story. My spouse requested that I cover the expenses for his getaway with his university buddies, yet I discovered he was spending my funds to act as an equal companion during a romantic trip. Vacation, so I flew there and confronted them at their dinner. Now she's asking me to convince him to take her back. Okay, Reddit I need your help. I have been married to Stephen for the past four years, and for the most part, I believed our marriage was strong and stable.

We hardly ever argue, and since we don't have children yet, life has been relatively uncomplicated. Stephen used to have a full-time job, but last year, his company went through downsizing, and unfortunately, he lost his position. Since then, he has been working as a freelancer, taking on small projects here and there, but his income has significantly decreased compared to what he used to earn. While he has been looking for a stable, full-time job, the process has been slow. In the meantime, I have been the one carrying most of the financial weight in our relationship. As a regional manager at my company, I earn a good salary, and because of that, I have been able to support both of us without any major issues. However, the shift in financial responsibility

has been noticeable. Before, we both contributed to our shared lifestyle, but now, with Stephen's income being cut nearly in half, I have become the primary provider. Two weeks ago, Stephen approached me with a request that caught me off guard. He told me that he and some of his old college friends were planning a trip to Europe, and he wanted to join them. However, since he didn't have enough money to cover his travel expenses, he asked if I could pay for him. He assured me that once he secured a full-time job,

he would reimburse me. I wasn't thrilled about the idea, but I didn't mind him going. I figured that maybe a change of scenery and reconnecting with his friends would be a good thing for him. I hoped that the trip would serve as a wake-up call and push him to take his job search more seriously. Lately, he had been procrastinating a lot, and I had started to notice patterns that concerned me. Whenever I came home from work, would often find him lounging in front of the TV, watching shows, or movies for hours. If not that, he would be snacking endlessly or spending an unhealthy amount of time playing video games.

It wasn't just a way to unwind. It had become a routine, a habit that was starting to worry me. It felt like he had lost his sense of motivation, and despite my gentle nudges to encourage him to apply for jobs, he never seemed to have a sense of urgency about it. I thought maybe this trip would shake things up for him, make him realize that he needed to start putting real effort into his future. Anyways, I gave him whatever money he needed to book his tickets for the vacation with the promise that it would be paid back.

As the days went by and his departure date got closer, Stephen became increasingly excited. He would talk about all the places he wanted to visit, the food he wanted to try, and the memories he was looking forward to making with his old friends. I wanted to be supportive, so I helped him get everything in order for his trip. The night before he left, I was helping him double-check his luggage to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything important. That's when something unusual caught my attention at, sleek, expensive-looking suit neatly packed inside his suitcase. This immediately struck me as odd because Stephen is the kind of person who avoids formal wear at all costs. He's the guy who shows up to date nights and shorts

and a casual t-shirt, no matter how much I try to get him to dress up. Even at weddings, I have to practically beg him to at least tuck in his shirt and wear proper shoes instead of sneakers or sandals. Yet here was this suit one that I had never seen before, looking brand new and clearly something he had purchased recently. I tried not to jump to conclusions, so I casually asked him if he and his friends were planning to attend any formal events during their vacation. He simply shrugged and said, maybe, we could. His response felt vague, but I didn't press further. I nodded, pretending not to think much of it, but deep down, a small seat of doubt had been planted. A couple of nights ago, just two days before his flight, I found myself tossing and turning in bed,

unable to sleep. I kept waking up at odd hours, feeling restless for no apparent reason. At one point, when I turned over, I realized that Stephen was no longer in bed. I grogly glanced around the dark room but didn't see him anywhere. That's when I heard a faint noise coming from our bathroom. At first, I thought maybe he had just gotten up to use the restroom, but then that he was a Then I noticed something strange he was whispering. I could barely make out the words, but it was clear that he was on the phone with someone. My curiosity spiked.

Who could he possibly be talking to at this hour? I reached for my phone to check the time 2.17 a.m. A few possibilities ran through my mind. If it was just one of his friends from the trip, why was he whispering? Why would he need to hide the conversation from me? The secrecy of it made my stomach churn. Just as I was about to call out his name and ask what was going on, I hesitated. Instead, I decided to stay quiet and listen.

A few minutes later, he finally ended the call and came out of the bathroom. I quickly shut my eyes and pretended to be asleep. He climbed back into bed, and for a moment, I could feel him shifting around, as if checking to see if I was awake. Then, he picked up his phone again and started scrolling through it, his screencasting a faint glow in the darkness. I lay there with my heart racing, my mind swirling with questions I wasn't sure I wanted the answers to.

My mind wouldn't stop racing. As a wife and as a woman, I couldn't shake off the gut feeling that something was wrong. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that Stephen's behavior had been off for a while now I had just been too busy with work to notice. Looking back, he had been acting strange for weeks, maybe even months. He was always glued to his phone, smiling at the screen while texting someone. Whenever I casually asked who he was talking to, he would brush it off and say, Oh, just a friend.

But something about the way he said it felt off. It wasn't just friendly chatting there was an air of secrecy around it. He had also become overly protective of his phone, always keeping it closed, tilting the screen away from me, or quickly locking it when I walked by it was as if he was deliberately making sure I couldn't see what was on it. The morning after I overheard him whispering in the bathroom, I decided to confront as we sat at the breakfast table, I casually asked, were you on the phone with someone last night? I woke up and heard you talking in the washroom. Without missing a beat, he looked me straight in the eye and denied it. What?

No, you must have been dreaming or something, he said with a slight chuckle as if the idea was ridiculous. You were half asleep. It was the middle of the night you must have misheard. I stared at him, trying to gauge his expression. He was completely unfazed, so confident in his lie that for a split second, I wondered if I really had imagined it. But no, I knew what I heard. I wasn't crazy. He was gaslighting me, making me question my own memory. and that, more than anything, confirmed my suspicions. I had to know the truth. The problem was, his phone had a passcode, and he never let it out of his site.

But what he didn't know or maybe had forgotten was that his MacBook was still logged into his iCloud account. If I could get access to his laptop, I could check his messages and see what he was really up to. That night, I waited patiently for him to fall asleep. It felt like time was moving unbearably slow as I lay busy. beside him, listening to his breathing. After what felt like forever, his breath grew deeper and more even he was finally asleep. Carefully, I slipped out of bed, making sure not to wake him. My heart was pounding as I grabbed his laptop and tiptoed out of the room. Once I reached

the guest bedroom, I quietly shut the door and locked it behind me. I took a deep breath, my hand slightly shaking as I opened the laptop. It was time to find out the truth. I checked as I message in my heart skipped a beat when I saw a contact saved under the name Wifi. For a split second, I thought maybe it was me. Maybe he had saved my number like that. But as soon as I clicked on the conversation and began reading through the messages, reality hit me like a freight train. My hand started shaking, and my breath caught in my throat as I realized the horrifying truth. My husband had been having an affair. The messages told me everything I needed to know. He had been involved with another woman someone in her 30s for the past five months.

The texts between them were disgusting. They flirted shamelessly, exchanged inappropriate pictures, and reminisced about the times they had secretly met behind my back. Every word I read felt like a knife being driven deeper into my heart. I kept scrolling, my stomach twisting with rage and betrayal. Then, as if things couldn't get any worse, I found something that made me feel physically sick. She knew about me. She wasn't some clueless woman who had no idea he was married. No. She was fully aware that he had a wife. And yet, in their conversations, they had the audacity to refer to me as the other woman. Me. The woman who had stood by his side, supported him financially, and had been nothing but loyal to him. I was the other

woman, the level of disrespect made my blood boil. But the ultimate betrayal? The trip he had told me was just a fun getaway with his guy friends? The one he had insisted was nothing more than a much-needed break with the boys, where they could relax, unwind, and have some quality time together. It was all a lie. That lying, pathetic excuse of a husband had taken my money and used it to book tickets for a romantic European getaway with his affair partner. While I would be at home, and trusting, thinking he was out having drinks and sightseeing with his friends, he would be off in another country, whining and dining her. I can't even begin to describe the rage I felt when I found out. It wasn't just the cheating. It wasn't just the lying. It was the audacity

the sheer, disgusting entitlement to take my money and spend it on her, as if I was nothing more than an afterthought, as if our marriage meant nothing to him. I felt sick, physically ill. had worked hard for my money, paid for our life together, and supported him when he had nothing only for him to turn around and use my hard-earned money to spoil another woman. And to think he had looked me in the eye and lied so easily, acting as if nothing was wrong. It took me a long time to process the depth of his betrayal. Every message I read felt like another slap in the face. This is when I knew one thing, for sure I wasn't going to let him get away with this. I took screenshots of everything, every incriminating message, every photo, every detail,

I made sure I had proof of exactly what kind of man he was. Right now, as I sit here writing this, my husband has no clue that I know everything. He is still walking around our home, acting sweet, kissing me goodbye in the mornings, texting me throughout the day like nothing is wrong. and it takes everything in me not to punch him in his smug, lying face. This pathetic excuse of a man who can't even afford to fund his own life was about to take his mistress on a vacation that I unknowingly paid for. The sheer nerve. I have thought about this over and over again, and no matter how many scenarios play out in my

head, I always come to the same conclusion I need to take epic revenge on my husband. I'm done being the clueless, trusting wife. I refuse to sit here, letting him get away with him. this while he enjoys a luxurious vacation with her a vacation I paid for. No, I want to see the look on his face when he realizes he's been caught. I want to watch his world crumble in real time. So, I've come up with a plan. I checked his email because at this point, privacy is out the window and now I know everything. I know exactly which hotel he's staying at, which flights he booked, even the fancy dinner reservations he made for them. It's all right there, handed to me

like fate wants me to take action. And you know what? I will. I'm going to book a flight and fly to Europe after him. I want to see it with my own eyes. I want to catch them in the act, together. And when I do, I'm going to cause the most epic scene they have ever witnessed in their pathetic little lives. I want this to be a moment he will never forget, a moment that will haunt him for the rest of his miserable days. I want him to ST his pants when he sees me standing there, watching him with the woman he betrayed me for. I want him to feel that cold, sinking dread in his stomach as he realizes just how badly he has effed up everything. This isn't just about confronting him, it's about taking my power back. So, Ida. Update 1, I appreciate all

the comments both from those of you who want me to take the high road and those who, like me, believe in righteous, petty vengeance. And let's be clear, I am choosing violence, metaphorically, of course. I am not the kind of woman who just walks away quietly. I could leave him with dignity, expose him to his family, and cut him out of my life with nothing but a simple goodbye. But no, that's too easy for him. He has used me for years financially, emotionally, and now. Now he thinks he can cheat on me, take another woman on a lavish European getaway using my hard-earned money, and just go on living his life as if nothing happened. Not. A chance.

This man has been living off me like a parasite. My house. My car. My money. I pay the mortgage. I pay the bills. I cover everything because he couldn't find a full-time job. And yet, somehow, this jobless loser managed to find the energy to entertain another woman?

To plan secret meetups, send her flirty messages, and laugh at me behind my back? He had the audacity to call me the other woman while his mistress traveled on my dime? Yeah, no. He's going to suffer. And for everyone asking, yes, I am divorcing him. There is no explanation he can give, no excuse he can make, that will ever undo this level of betrayal. I can see through him now this wasn't just some meaningless fling.

He is emotionally invested in this woman, and that? That's something I will never forgive. I will be talking to a divorce lawyer either today or tomorrow to make sure I come out of this with everything I deserve. But before that, I want to see her. I need to see the woman who has the nerve to date my pathetic, freeloading husband while mocking me in their messages. I need to look her in the eye, to let her know that she is nothing more than a side piece to a man who wouldn't even have money to buy dinner if it weren't for me. I want to make sure both of them feel the weight of their actions. So, to everyone telling me to let it go sorry, but I am not built that way. I want to have

my revenge. Update 2. It's been a week since my last update. So I flew down to Europe just like I planned. The moment my plane landed, I was laser-focused I wasn't there for sightseeing. I wasn't there to enjoy the scenery. I was there to confront my ex and is a fair partner. I checked into the hotel one day later than my ex, making sure to stay under the radar. I wanted to catch them red-handed. And let me tell you, fate was on my side. As I was casually sitting in the hotel lobby, sipping on a drink and pretending to be minding my own business,

there they were. My ex and his affair partner. They were walking out together, all dressed up. My ex was wearing the suit the same damn suit that had made me suspicious in the first place. And his little mistress? She was laughing, holding on to his arm, looking like she didn't have a care in the world.

I didn't make my move just yet. Patience, I told myself. Instead, I quickly hailed a taxi and followed them. They arrived at a fancy restaurant the kind of place where couples go for romantic candlelight dinners. I watched them from a distance as they got seated, talking and laughing like a happy little couple. Disgusting.

I waited ten minutes. Let them get comfortable. Let them think they were safe. And then, I walked in. The moment my ex saw me, his entire face drained of color. His eyes went wide with panic, and before I could even reach their table, he dropped her hand like it was on fire and jumped up. What are you doing here?

He stammered, looking like a deer caught in headlights. I didn't say a word at first. I just walked up to him and slapped him. And let me tell you, that slap. It was the most satisfying thing I have ever done. The entire restaurant gasped. People turned to watch. Some even whispered.

But I wasn't done yet. I grabbed a glass of water from the table and threw it straight at the woman's face. She gasped in shock, her makeup running as she frantically wiped her face. She looked like a mess. And the cherry on top. I took out my phone and started recording. Both of them panicked. My ex tried to cover his face, pleading with me to stop, saying, please, I can explain.

His affair partner turned away, trying to shield herself, but nope. I was not going to let them get away that easily. I made sure to record everything. The shock on my ex's face. The embarrassment on hers. The sheer humiliation as people around them started whispering. It was priceless. And as I stood there, watching my ex stumble over his words, apologizing, begging me to stop recording,

I just smiled. Because for the first time in this entire mess, I was the one in control. I sent the recorded video to his entire family right there in the middle of the restaurant. No hesitation. With one click, I made sure that everyone his parents, siblings, extended family knew exactly what kind of man he was. I then reached into my bag, pulled out the divorce papers, and slapped them down right in front of him. Stephen looked completely shocked. He blinked at the papers like he didn't understand what they were. Like an idiot. W., what is this? He stammered,

his voice barely above a whisper. I looked him dead in the eye and said, I'm doing what you didn't have the balls to do. I'm leaving your pathetic little A. For the first time, he had nothing to say. No excuses, no pathetic justifications. He just sat there, speechless, while his affair partner, drenched in water, looked away in embarrassment. I then turned around and walked out of the restaurant, had held high, as every eye in the room followed me. Some people whispered, some looked amused, and a few even nodded in approval. The very next day, I boarded my flight back home, knowing that my work in Europe was done. Ever since then, Stephen's family have seen the video and all hell has broken loose. His parents are absolutely furious at him.

His mother called me, mortified, apologizing over and over again, saying she had no idea her son was capable of something like this. My parents are just as angry, telling me I deserve far better than Stephen ever could give me. My father has told me point blank, if I ever see that man again, he's going to regret it. Currently as I am writing this, I am packing up Stephen's stuff and will dump them in our front yard. I am done with that man for good. What a clown. Update 3. Stephen came back home two days after I did, looking completely clueless like he actually thought he could just walk back in and continue life as if nothing had happened. The moment he pulled up and saw his boxes piled up in the front yard, he stormed up to the door,

pounding on it like a madman, demanding to be let inside. What the hell is this? Why are my things outside? Let me in, he yelled, as if he was the victim here. I stood in the doorway, arms crossed, completely unfazed. I informed him that instead of shouting at me, he should be thanking me for packing up his things and letting him have them instead of burning them down after what he had done to me. Stephen continued to yell how I couldn't do this to him, how I couldn't just kick him out. This is my home too, he yelled back. I let out a dry laugh. No, Stephen. This is my house. I pay the mortgage. I cover the bills. You? You're just a guest who massively overstayed his welcome. I watched as his anger turned to desperation. I continued to

calmly inform him that I had already changed the lock so his key was useless now. And if you try to force your way in, I will not hesitate to call the police and have you arrested for trespassing, I informed him. That shut him up real quick. This is when he probably started realizing for the first time just how badly he had screwed up. You're seriously kicking me out? He asked, his voice quieter now like he couldn't believe this was happening. You kicked yourself out the moment you decided to cheat on me, Stephen. You don't get to betray me and then expect to come home like nothing happened. Actions have consequences, and this? This is yours. For the first time, I saw a panic in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but I was done listening.

Your things are right there. Take them and leave. You and I, we're over. Even after that, Stephen kept crying and begging, insisting that he had broken things off with his affair partner after the stun I pulled. He pleaded for another chance, promising that this time he would be a better husband. I laughed in his face and told him he could try being a better husband because I was done with him. I don't take back cheaters. I made it clear that if he ever wanted to speak to me again, he could do so through my lawyers. Eventually, he had no option but to leave with his things. Update 4. Stevens Affair Partner reached out to me. It has been a week since my last date, and honestly, I never thought I would hear from that woman again especially after the way

I completely humiliated her the last time we spoke. But, to my surprise, she did. Her name is Whitney, and she got involved with my husband after he subscribed to her only fans. Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach. In her message, she had the audacity to say that this wasn't just some casual affair for her. According to her, Stevens swept her off her feet, and she truly believed they had a real future together. Can you believe that? She actually thought my husband my husband was her person. But that wasn't even the worst part. She went on to tell me that Stephen had confided in her about our marriage, saying that he was never truly happy with me, that he never felt like a man around me because he couldn't financially contribute. And, apparently, Whitney made him feel

better about himself in a way that I never did. Reading her words, I almost wanted to throw up. The sheer nerve of her reaching out to me, of all people, to share this. As if I needed to know that my husband had been pouring his heart out to her, making her feel like she was the victim in all of this. As if she expected me to sympathize with her, to somehow understand why she thought she and Stephen were meant to be. The reason she even reached out to me in the first place was absolutely ridiculous. She wanted me to talk to my ex and convince him to take her back.

Can you believe that? She actually thought I would go out of my way to help her after everything that happened. She went on about how Stephen had blocked her on everything, every social media platform, every messaging app, and now she was at her wits end. She claimed she had no other choice but to contact me, hoping that I could do this one last thing for her. As if we were ever on the same team. As if I owed her anything.

I don't even understand what was going through her head when she decided to send that message. Why on earth would I, of all people, help her fix things with the man who cheated on me with her? It's honestly embarrassing. She must have been really desperate to think I'd ever be willing to step in and play mediator for their pathetic mess of a relationship. I didn't even bother replying to her. I mean this was none of my business. I just blocked her. As far as I'm concerned, she can go to hell. Update 5. It's been four months since my last update, and I can honestly say I'm in such a better place right now. Looking back, I barely recognize the version of myself that was caught up in all that drama. It feels like a lifetime ago.

The divorce has been finalized, and with that, I am completely done with Stephen, no lingering ties, no unfinished business. Just peace. And honestly, it feels amazing. I've moved on from him in every way possible. No more anger, no more resentment, just a sense of relief that I'm free to live my life without his nonsense dragging me down. My friends have been incredibly supportive throughout this whole journey, constantly reminding me that I deserve better. Some of them have even been encouraging me to start dating again, saying it's time for me to put myself out there. But right now, I don't feel the need to rush into anything. Instead, I'm choosing to focus on me and my happiness, my goals, my future. One of the biggest decisions I've made is to go back to visit

Europe later this year. The last time I was there, my experience was overshadowed by everything that happened, and I refused to let those memories to find my time there. So, I've decided to travel solo just me, myself, and an open itinerary. No drama, no baggage, just the chance to explore, rediscover myself, and create new, better memories on my own terms. For the first of the first time in a long time, I feel truly at peace with where I am in life. And honestly, it feels so good.