I took my fiancé to visit my parents, and he ran out screaming ‘I can’t believe it!’ in the middle of the night….
I’ve been living with my fiancé for six years now, and we were supposed to get married next month. But during a visit to my parents, something unexpected came to light that shook our relationship to the core.
We went to visit my parents, staying in my childhood room to feel nostalgic before the wedding. My fiancé, Adam, wanted to stay in a hotel, but I decided it would be nice to spend time in my old house one last time before becoming a married woman.
‘I don’t see how staying at your parents‘ house is going to change anything,’ Adam said as we packed for the trip.
‘Because it’s sentimental. It’s my last time under their roof before I officially get married,’ I replied with a smile.
‘If it gets uncomfortable, I’ll check into a hotel,’ he said carelessly.
I didn’t realise how prophetic that phrase would turn out to be.
When we arrived, everyone was thrilled to see us. My mum and aunt had prepared a gourmet dinner and the atmosphere was warm and inviting. The dinner went smoothly and Adam seemed to enjoy the attention of my extended family.
‘This is new to me,’ he said as he helped wash the dishes. ‘I’m not used to being the centre of attention.’
‘That’s good,’ I said, holding out a plate to him. ‘You should feel welcome.’
That evening, as we made ourselves comfortable, I noticed that Adam was tossing and turning. ‘What’s wrong?’ I asked, turning to him.
‘I can’t sleep,’ he muttered. ‘This bed is too soft and I’m not used to sleeping in other people’s beds.’
‘Take a walk in the fresh air,’ I suggested sleepily. ‘Fresh air might help.’
‘Okay,’ he muttered, getting up and leaving the room.
I was just sinking into slumber when I heard Adam’s scream echoing through the house. I jumped to my feet, my heart racing, and I wondered if we were in danger. Before I could even react, Adam burst into the room, his face pale with anger.
‘What happened?’ I asked, my voice shaking.
‘Sasha, your mum – she’s in the foyer, making out with another man!’ shouted Adam, his face contorted with shock and disbelief.
My heart dropped. I hoped this wouldn’t happen during our visit. I had always dreaded the moment when my parents’ unconventional marriage would be made public. I tried to reassure Adam, but he was too furious to listen.
‘Call your dad! Tell him your mum is cheating right here in the house!’ – demanded Adam. demanded Adam.
It seemed logical for him to think that confronting my dad would fix everything. But he didn’t know the whole story.
Before I could explain, Mum walked in, still adjusting her clothes. ‘I can explain,’ she began, but Adam interrupted her.
‘Explain what? You’re cheating on your husband!’
‘It’s not cheating, honey,’ she said calmly. ‘Sasha knows about it, and she can explain it to you. Our marriage is different – very different.’
Adam turned to me, eyes wide. ‘You knew? And you didn’t tell me?’
I reached for him, but he pulled away. ‘I didn’t know how to bring it up,’ I said. ‘It wasn’t something I wanted to hide, but it wasn’t my secret to share.’
‘You should have told me!’ – he snapped back. ‘How can I trust you now? Is this what you wanted to introduce me to? To this lifestyle?’
I was stunned. Adam’s flashback took me back to my own discovery when I was sixteen. I had planned a sleepover with friends at my house and was looking forward to hosting. But that night, I caught my parents with another couple. My mum was holding another man’s hand and my dad was making out with another woman. Then they had no choice but to explain their open marriage to me. It was hard for me to understand, and now Adam was going through the same shock.
‘No, Adam, it’s nothing like that,’ I insisted. ‘I’m committed to you. I don’t want their way of life.’
But Adam didn’t hear me. He was too disturbed by the memories of his own mother’s infidelity that had led to his parents’ divorce. ‘This is too much, Sasha. Everything feels like a red flag.’
He packed his things and left for the hotel, saying he needed time to reconsider our engagement. I spent the night in tears, feeling the weight of my parents’ choices destroying my own relationship.
The next morning, Mum tried to comfort me. ‘Talk to him, honey,’ she said, handing me a cup of coffee.
I went to Adam’s hotel. We hardly spoke at all, the tension between us was palpable. I offered to stay at my grandmother’s house for the rest of the visit, away from my parents, so we could talk.
‘Yeah, that’s fine,’ he said. ‘It’s too cold in this hotel anyway.’
But the real cold was between us. As we were packing, I told him, ‘I never kept secrets from you intentionally. I didn’t know how to broach the subject because I hardly know anything myself.’
Adam sighed, rubbing his temples. ‘I do understand. But it’s too close to home. I need time to figure it out.’
We spent the rest of the week at my grandmother’s house, trying to salvage a family visit. My parents apologised to Adam, but that didn’t change the nature of the problem – it wasn’t about them, it was about the fact that their lifestyle had hit something deep in Adam.
On the way home, we agreed to stay together and see where life would take us. ‘I think we should go to therapy,’ I suggested, holding out my drink to him.
‘Sounds like a good idea,’ he replied. ‘I need to work through my own trauma before I can fully accept your parents.’
Right now, Adam and I are working through everything. We talk more openly – about his fears, about my shame, and about our future. We know it will take time to heal, but we are committed to each other.
What would you do in my situation? If you liked this story, here’s another one.
