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Driven to cheating

My life changed direction when a sat nav led me to a sordid secret...


Published by: Amy Thompson & Paul Carter
Published on: 4th February 2010

Putting a plate of sausage and mash in the oven to keep warm, frustration pulsed through me.
It was the third time this week my boyfriend Tom, 38, had been called away to work.
I knew I shouldn't complain. The credit crunch had hit us hard, with me working part-time at a supermarket and looking after our one-year-old son James, while Tom worked as a builder.
But with our second baby on the way, he couldn't afford to turn down work.
So, whenever he jumped up to shoot off to a site where there'd been a leak or some emergency, I bit my tongue.
But as the weeks passed, I found myself increasingly annoyed by it.
'Why is it always you they call?' I groaned, as Tom climbed out of bed at 11pm to see to yet another building emergency. 'Can't one of the other lads sort it out? You've got a family to consider.'
'Which is precisely why I'm doing this,' he said, kissing me. 'If I can prove myself to the manager, he might make me a permanent supervisor. Imagine the money! We'll be able to afford to get married, be a proper family...'
Bless him. He must have been shattered but, as he tiptoed past James' bedroom door, he seemed almost excited.
The thought of providing a better future for us was enough to keep him going. He'd even started browsing the internet in his spare time looking for more work!
Stroking my bump, I smiled. I imagined all the things Tom had just talked about - a white wedding with James as a page boy and the new baby there to see our big day, too...
Things might not be perfect right now, but all that would change.
As my tummy grew though, I started to notice something odd.
Every time Tom's phone rang, he'd dash outside to take the call, even if it was pouring!
'Why don't you answer it in here?' I chuckled, watching him shiver as he stepped back inside.
'Can't hear it with the telly on,' he shrugged. 'That was my boss, he wants me to go to a job in Yorkshire, so I'll have to leave now and stay overnight.'
I sagged with disappointment.
'Sorry, love,' he sighed. 'You know I can't afford to turn down opportunities like this.'
I nodded as he kissed me goodbye.
When I didn't get a call from Tom the next day to tell me he'd arrived okay though, I worried.
I tried calling, but his phone went straight to voicemail.
Had he been in an accident?
Hours passed and I thought about calling the police. Then, finally, I got a text.
Everything fine here, really busy. Be home tonight. What a relief!
But a niggling feeling had started to eat away at me. Since I'd found out I was pregnant, Tom hadn't stopped working - yet he didn't bring home any more money than usual.
'The boss is going to pay me a cash bonus when my contract is up,' he'd told me. 'I'll get all the overtime in one lump sum.'
It seemed reasonable, but something still bothered me. If only I could put my finger on it...
When Tom got home, he barely said hello before getting showered.
'Be out in a jiffy,' he smiled, closing the bathroom door.
He'd left his mobile phone in the bedroom so, when it started ringing, I went to answer it for him.
Too late. His voicemail had already kicked in.
Checking his call list though, I frowned. It had all been deleted.
Confused, I checked the rest of his phone. There were no texts, not even the ones I'd sent.
'What's up with your phone?' I asked, as Tom appeared, wrapped in a towel.
His eyes flashed with... was that... Fear? Shock? Guilt...?
Before I could figure it out, his expression changed.
'What do you mean?' he smiled at
me innocently.
'Well, there's nothing on it,' I said, baffled. 'Not even a text message.'
'Really?' he raised an eyebrow. 'That's weird. Maybe it's playing up... So, what's for tea?'
I didn't ask any more, but I couldn't shake the memory of the look on Tom's face when he'd first seen me holding his phone. Did he have something to hide?
I pushed the thought away.
Tom wouldn't lie to me, I told myself firmly. He's working so hard, and here I am getting all paranoid. Must be pregnancy hormones. By now, I was nearly eight months gone. And with Tom working so much, I was bound to feel a little uneasy.
To take my mind off things, I decided to go shopping the next day while he was down the pub.
We needed some furniture for the baby's room, and Mum was looking after James
for me.
My little car could barely fit the food shop in the boot though, let alone furniture.
Better take Tom's work van.
Climbing into the driver's seat, I opened the glove compartment to get the sat nav device, as I was rubbish with directions.
As Tom's recent destinations popped up on screen, I went to type in a new address... then froze.
Hadn't Tom said he'd been in Yorkshire this week? All of his destinations were in Manchester.
Odd. Surely, he'd have used his sat nav to get to his most recent job? And he'd been to Hull the week before... and Cheshire...
Yet none of those addresses were in the sat nav.
Before I could stop it, the niggling feeling I'd been holding back overwhelmed me.
What was going on?
Unable to stop myself, I tapped on his most recent destination in his sat nav.
It was a 25-minute drive away, hardly any distance at all. Off I went, following the directions.
Soon, I was pulling up outside a tidy brick house in a quiet street.
Blood pounded in my ears as I walked up to the front door.
I'd expected to show up at a building site, with scaffolding propping up half the house and a cement mixer on the driveway.
There was none of that.
Reluctantly, I knocked on
the door.
When a young woman in her dressing gown answered, my stomach lurched.
Tall, with dark blonde hair and brown eyes, she smiled politely.
'Can I help you?' she asked.
'Erm...' I started, my mouth dry. Pulling out my phone, I flicked through to a photo of Tom.
'Do you know this man?' I asked, holding it up for her to see.
'Yes,' she nodded slowly. 'But why do you want to know?'
'H-has he done building work for you?' I continued, heart racing.
'Building work?' she laughed, looking at me like I'd lost the plot. Seeing tears welling in my eyes, her face turned serious though.
'Look, I met him on a dating website,' she explained. 'We've been out a couple of times. Why do you ask?'
Dating website?!
Humiliation, anger and sadness surged through me.
'He's my boyfriend,' I told her. 'And I'm pregnant with our second baby.'
Her eyes instantly fell to my swollen stomach and widened with shock.
'Oh my... I had no idea...He told me he was single!' she spluttered, stunned. 'I'm so sorry.'
I shook my head, wiping away tears. I knew she was telling the truth. Tom had managed to lie to me all this time, and we'd been together three years!
'You weren't to know,' I said.
'Did you sleep with him?'
She blushed, unable to meet my eye as she nodded.
'Just once,' she admitted quietly.
Turning, I walked back to the van, tears streaming down my face.
I'd handled the whole thing so calmly, not raised my voice once. I think it was the shock of it all.
My mind reeled with questions though. How long had it been going on? Was she the only one? How could he do this to me?
Desperate for answers, I tapped on the next destination stored in Tom's sat nav.
Once again, it took me to a small house. And once again, I was met by a woman. Older than the last, shorter, with dark hair.
Clearly doesn't have a type then, I thought bitterly.
I was crushed, but not surprised when she also admitted sleeping with Tom.
'How did you meet him?' I asked.
'On an internet website,'
she replied.
'Go on many dates?' I said, anger welling up inside me.
'No,' she shook her head sheepishly. 'We met on a different kind of website. It's just for people who want to meet up and have sex.'
I felt sick. It was one thing to cheat because you actually had feelings for someone else, but me and Tom had always had a good sex life - hadn't I been enough for him?
I couldn't face any more. It was time to confront the lying scumbag.
I was seething when I drove back in the van.
Back home, I didn't hold back when Tom walked in.
'I know everything,' I said, telling him about the women I'd spoken to that afternoon.
His face turned pale, but he couldn't deny it.
'There was no extra work, was there?' I fumed. 'No big bonus or white wedding at the end of it?'
He shook his head.
'Why?' I sobbed. 'Why would you do this?'
'It started when you were pregnant with James,' he admitted. 'I couldn't help it, though. I... I just don't find pregnant women sexually attractive.
'I thought if I got it elsewhere, everything could just go back to normal once you'd had the baby.'
My jaw fell open.
Was he for real?
There'd only been four months between me having our son James and falling pregnant again.
'How many women have you slept with?' I gasped.
Tom fidgeted.
'About 100,' he said finally, looking sheepish.
What - 100 women were fooled by this sat nav Casanova?!
'But they meant nothing... It was just sex... I love you so much!'
he spluttered.
'Funny way of showing it!' I spat, furious. 'And did you use protection with all those
other women?'
'Sometimes,' he admitted, staring at the floor.
My hands clenched into fists. I wanted to hit him again and again.
Instead, I stood up and walked to the bedroom.
Then I packed his bag and dumped it at his feet.
'You can see the kids,' I said calmly. 'But we're over.'
'Please, Lisa,' Tom begged.
I was having none of it. How could I forgive what he'd done?
As soon as he left, I crumpled to the floor in tears.
My dreams of our future together had been shattered. And for what? A string of women he hardly knew.
I tried to stay focused on getting things ready for the new baby.
I stuck to my promise of letting Tom see James, though - he is his dad after all.
He's always been a good father, even if he was a rubbish boyfriend. I can't let my feelings get in the way of my son's happiness.
Whenever he visits, he's full of apologies and sincerity, but I try to avoid being around. I don't want James picking up on my hostility, because I won't be taking Tom back.
I gave birth to a beautiful son Jack and I let Tom see him, too.
I think they deserve a father, even if he didn't think I deserved a loving, faithful relationship.
No, if Tom thinks I'll ever give him another chance, he can forget it! I won't be going down that road ever again.

? Tom Keogh, 38, says: 'I admit sleeping with other women during Lisa's pregnancies, but I couldn't help it. There's something about pregnant women I find really unattractive.
'It was never my intention to upset Lisa. I love her and our little lads, and I want to be there for the new baby.'
Lisa Hunt, 29, Manchester