Joshua* writes:

My wife and I started dating, got married the next year, had our first child a year later, and then our second child the following year. Around the same time as our second child was born, an ex-girlfriend texted me.

Conversations started as just “Hey, how’s life?” but quickly escalated to sexting as we used to do when we dated. Right before I could tell my wife, she saw the texts and got very upset. I had already ended communications with this girl and just couldn’t strike up the nerve to tell my wife what I had done.

Fast forward a couple months and we had been through about a month of counselling session. Things were getting better between us and then I had to go on a business trip. I had a few friends I had planned on meeting with while there, but there was one in particular my wife was not comfortable with me talking to. So I told her I wouldn’t meet with that friend, but I lied. She later found out and again had to start mending our relationship.

Things have been going pretty well, except now I have a week long business trip coming up and she keeps bringing up the past issues. I know what I’ve done and how I’ve messed up, but she keeps bringing it up. I ask her not to because it still hurts so bad, but she does anyways. What can I do in this next month or so in order to help build her trust again and help her to stop bringing up my past mistakes?

Listen to the podcast episode for Caleb’s answer!

*Name has been changed for confidentiality reasons