Upon her return from work, a woman was astounded to discover a pair of women’s sunglasses at home. Puzzled, she confronted her husband, who feigned confusion, claiming he thought they were hers. Unconvinced, she challenged her older son’s explanation that they belonged to a friend, especially considering their expensive nature. The lingering question hung in the air: who truly owned the mysterious shades?
A heartbroken woman sees her boyfriend with another lady | Source: Shutterstock
In May 2023, an anonymous female poster took to the “Relationship Advice” subreddit to share her perplexing tale. A few weeks before sharing her story, the original poster, aged 34, found herself in a difficult situation when her husband commented on another woman’s abilities, implying that she could handle situations better than his wife.
She attempted to discuss her feelings with him, but he dismissed her concerns as a passing comment meant to compliment the other woman’s capabilities. He insisted that she shouldn’t take it seriously and that he had only meant to praise the woman’s independence and strength.
An unhappy young woman looking at the window | Source: Shutterstock
The anonymous contributor expressed that it was entirely uncalled for and painful to compare her to the other woman just to compliment her. In response, her husband dismissed her concerns, labeling her as unreasonable and jealous, insisting he didn’t intend any harm. After their exchange, he remained silent on the matter, prompting her to let it go.
It became apparent that her older son had lied to cover up the truth, aware that she would soon discover everything.
A Mind-Boggling Discovery
However, the situation escalated when the woman arrived home from work one day and discovered a pair of women’s Fendi sunglasses on their kitchen island, hidden behind a fruit bowl. “I picked them up and asked my husband who’s they were. He looked confused and was like aren’t they yours? And I said no [sic]…” noted the woman.
String lights reflected in sunglasses set on a wooden table | Source: Getty Images
After she denied ownership, their 11-year-old son, seated at the kitchen table, chimed in, “Oh, those are my friend Alison’s. I took them home on accident.” But the woman’s suspicions were immediately aroused. Given the sunglasses’ high value, she found it unlikely that Alison’s mother would allow her child to bring such an expensive item to school.
Despite her son’s insistence that they were Alison’s and he had mistakenly taken them home on the bus, she refused to accept his explanation. Instead, she decided to personally return the sunglasses to Alison’s mother to ensure their safe return.
Father and son | Source: Getty Images
Upon talking to Alison’s mother, OP verified that the sunglasses did not belong to her daughter or herself and that neither of them owned sunglasses of that kind. When she relayed this information to her son and husband, both of them pretended not to know.
Her son initially claimed they belonged to Alison but later became uncertain about their ownership. Meanwhile, her husband admitted to removing the sunglasses from their son’s backpack while he was getting his lunch items.
A mother with her son | Source: Shutterstock
Later, OP’s nine-year-old younger son arrived home and identified the sunglasses as Noelle’s, the woman her husband occasionally assisted. This was the same woman he had asked her not to be upset about when he compared her to her.
As she anticipated her husband’s return, she felt a mix of confusion and sadness, unsure about what to say. Overwhelmed with emotions, she sought advice on how to approach the conversation and also requested general guidance, expressing her disbelief at finding herself in such a troubling situation.
A Lie That Cost the Woman Her Family
After stumbling upon the expensive sunglasses, discovering her husband and older son’s lies, and having her younger son identify them, the woman shared a final update. Upon her husband’s return, he admitted the sunglasses belonged to Noelle, a woman who had been at their home while she was at work. Strangely, he hadn’t realized they were Noelle’s and assumed they were hers, which explained why he didn’t move them.
A couple arguing | Source: Shutterstock
It became apparent that her older son had lied to cover up the truth, aware that she would soon discover everything. Her younger son, however, was aware of Noelle’s presence during his father’s days off but had been instructed not to disclose it to her under the pretext that she might feel excluded due to her work commitments.
Upon returning the glasses to Noelle, OP was shocked to learn that Noelle had been led to believe that they were no longer in a romantic relationship but merely cohabiting and co-parenting. Confronting her husband, he confessed to developing feelings for Noelle and wanted to assess if these emotions were genuine or merely attraction before risking their marriage.
A depressed young woman holding her wedding ring | Source: Shutterstock
In response, he left their home, and Noelle, upon discovering his deception, distanced herself in anger. The original poster decided to consult a lawyer and opted to communicate with her husband solely through legal channels, feeling there was nothing more to say to him.
