My jealous husband always assumed I was cheating… so I eventually slept with my boss

DEAR DEIDRE: MY jealous husband always assumed I was sleeping with other men. So eventually, I did.

I’m 34, my husband is 43. We met through friends 12 years ago.

It was love at first sight for him. I wasn’t so blown away but he eventually persuaded me to go on a date.

That date lasted a whole weekend. We barely left the bedroom and married a year later.

Within a few months of the wedding, he started questioning where I was going. He put tracking apps on my phone and I caught him checking my car’s mileometer when I’d been away to see my mum.

He also stalked my social media, double-checking my locations and zooming in on people in the background of my photos.

His first wife had cheated on him and he feared history would repeat itself.

I tried to reassure him but it never worked. He’d be secure for a while then something tiny — like the sound of my text notification — would set him off.

When our youngest child was five, I was so tired of my husband breathing down my neck that I went back to work.

My new manager was gorgeous. He was the same age as me, single, and we had lively banter.

I was keen to get ahead and not keen to go home, so I often stayed beyond my hours.

One evening, my husband rang me 15 times to check if I was really at work. Hearing all the calls, my manager came to check I was OK — and we ended up on the sofa in his office.

As his mouth moved over my body, the only thought in my mind was, “My husband thinks I’m doing this, so I might as well.”

I do feel guilty but I can’t confess. So, what should I do? Call both relationships off?

DEIDRE SAYS: There is a third option. You and your husband could work on his jealousy and try to overcome it for good.

Unfortunately, his doubts and untrusting treatment has prompted the very behaviour he was so threatened by.

As you’ve discovered, the more that you try to explain yourself, the more that your husband will believe his worries are justified.

I’m sending you my support pack Dealing With Jealousy as a starting point. Read it together and decide between you what changes you can put in place.

But you’ll need more help. Counselling could work wonders here. It would be good if you can go either alone or together to discuss how his jealous and insecure attitude is driving you away.

My support pack How Counselling Can Help explains how you can find a reputable therapist.

BROKEN BY MY WICKED STEPMUM

DEAR DEIDRE: FOR me, life is like the Cinderella fairytale – without the happy ending.

When I was three, my mother died giving birth to my sister. My father quickly married another woman.

She really was an evil stepmother – we were physically and emotionally abused from the start.

This woman begrudged my father spending money on us, so we wore hand-me-down clothes or shoes that were painfully tight.

Her own son was treated like a prince and got everything he wanted.

I left home as soon as I could and brought my sister to live with me when she left school.

But the abuse didn’t stop. My stepmother guilted me into sending money. At first it was small monthly amounts but she soon started demanding large sums that I could barely afford.

She’d blow that money on flash holidays. I kept up a brave face for my sister’s sake – but last year she died in an accident and I can no longer cope.

My stepmother did nothing towards the funeral. I organised everything.

At the wake, my dad stood up and made an unexpected speech. He said he wanted to thank the woman who had arranged the ceremony. I thought he was finally acknowledging me – but he was talking about my stepmum.

Now I’m 25 and broken. I don’t know if I’ll get over my sister’s death and my horrific childhood. Can you help?

DEIDRE SAYS: You have been through a very tough time and the death of your sister must have made you feel even more isolated. It’s not too late to get support in coming to terms with your grief.

The Compassionate Friends (tcf.org.uk, 0345 123 2304) could help. The charity also has a leaflet specifically about losing a sibling.

It sounds like your stepmother has made you into the “black sheep” of the family. She has focused any negativity and ill-feeling on to you in order to deflect it away from herself.

This allows her to feel blameless and is a way for her to strengthen her hold on others.

To better understand this toxic dynamic, read the book Families And How to Survive Them by Dr Robin Skynner and John Cleese, published by Vermilion.

Surround yourself with people who make you feel good. You can’t choose your family but you can choose who you want in your life.

Don’t be afraid to cut ties. Family is important but your health is your priority.

SEX CLINIC

DEAR DEIDRE: IS it normal to lose your sex drive after having a baby?

I’m 35 and my husband is 37. We’ve been married for five years and had our longed-for baby son four months ago.

But ever since, I have no libido at all. I shudder when my husband comes near me. It’s starting to affect our relationship.

The path to motherhood has been very traumatic for me. I had four miscarriages before my son.

I also lost a baby girl at 35 weeks with my ex which was devastating. I struggled to recover from it, which is one of the reasons that relationship broke down.

I feel I should be happy now I’m finally a mum. My husband is already a kind, helpful father.

But when he tries to get close to me in bed, it’s like I totally shut down. I really can’t stand him touching me.

Before the baby, we had a great sex life.

I’d love us to get back to that. Is it possible?

DEIDRE SAYS: It’s very common for a woman to lose her sex drive after having a baby. Research suggests that only a third of couples resume sex within two months of birth – most couples take three to five months.

It’s even more common when you have experienced loss or trauma in the past.

Even though you’ve now had your baby son, it would still help to talk to someone about your miscarriages, especially the emotional toll they’ve taken.

The Miscarriage Association (miscarriageassociation.org.uk) has a live chat service and a telephone helpline.

There’s no reason why you won’t get back to enjoying a fulfilling sex life with your husband. I’m sending you my support pack called Sex Problems After A Baby.

It goes through all the reasons why you might be experiencing libido loss – from tiredness, to stress, through to hormonal changes – and offers solutions and tips.

The best way to get through this time is to take things very slowly together.

Make sure you keep talking and cuddling to maintain a strong emotional connection.