Maggie met Blake when they were both working for a large company, married and had two kids. Maggie was unhappy and thinking about leaving her husband when she got pregnant with their second child.

She says it was her fault that she and Blake hooked up "very quickly" after they met. Their affair went on for six months before his wife discovered it.

She says: "We were on and off many times. He wanted to be there for his children, but he wanted me too. Finally he decided to get divorced. Me, I knew I could never stay married no matter what." After 15 years of marriage, Maggie divorced her husband.

She and Blake dated for the next 10 years. She says: "Me because I felt I'd been there, done that, him probably because he knew he had a good thing going on. Sex with no commitment and lots of freedom."

Real estate and timing persuaded them to finally get married. Maggie wanted out of her condo, and both of their youngest children were graduating high school.

She says: "With the kids gone, we could officially begin our life together. We got married five years ago in an exotic location. A month later we move into a brand new house we had built. Everything had finally fallen into place."

Not so fast. Six months later, Blake started having problems in the bedroom. Three months after that, Maggie discovered Blake was having an affair with a divorced co-worker. (They were both still working at the same company.)

She says: "The affair had been going on for a year and a half before we got married. Then it ended. She called him six months after we got married and it started again. That's when his bedroom problems started. It was his guilt.

"I really thought he'd never do this to me. What a fool, right? During those 10 years before we were married, I'd lost my firstborn to leukemia, then had a bout of cancer myself. I mean, who would do something like that to a person who had been through all of that?

"Everyone at work knew what was going on. Everyone but me. I had to live with the embarrassment of having my husband cheat after only six months of marriage.

"I didn't leave him because (1) he chose me over her (everyone likes to be a winner, right?) and (2) I didn't want her to have him. Looking back, I should have let her have him because he's no catch. He's controlling, manipulative, losing his hair. Need I go on? And her? She weighs 225 pounds and is still looking for a man.

"I don't think my husband is capable of love. I think he chose me because I had the better paycheck and he could live in a better house, drive a better car, and have a better retirement. You get the picture. Plus, she had two younger girls that he didn't want anything to do with.

"So now I'm into my second 15 year relationship and I'm hoping I'll have the courage to fulfill my New Year's resolution: Filing for divorce."

Did your relationship start with an affair? Send your tale, along with your questions and problems to [email protected]. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not.