Date: April 27, 2025
Author: Robert Stone

A few months ago, my wife and I got new neighbors. Or so I thought. It turned out to be just a 27-year-old bodybuilder type—handsome, in shape, and living next door with his mom. She’s away for weeks at a time. My wife is 32, and I’m a good bit older than her. This is my second marriage; my first ended a few years ago. We met on a cruise, and I thought we were doing well—at least, that’s how it felt.

But lately, things have shifted. I travel a lot for work, sometimes for days at a time, and I think I’m starting to notice things I didn’t before. I can’t help but feel paranoid. It’s just the way she’s been acting around him. I don’t know what it is, but I can sense that something might be brewing between them. I’ve thought about doing something extreme, like putting hidden cameras in the house, but I know deep down that’s a massive violation of trust. I don’t want to be that person.

I feel pathetic because I can’t perform the way I used to. I feel like I’m failing her in some way. But I also feel guilty for not trusting her. If she’s going to cheat, it will happen whether I’m home or on the road, and it’s not something I can control.

I guess the real issue is not even the neighbor. It’s my own fears and insecurities creeping in, making me question everything I thought I knew about my marriage.