'I thought our marriage would be forever. Then my wife found what I'd been hiding on my computer.'

This is Part 1 of Luke's story. You can read Part 2 here.

At 21 years old, Luke* was a journalist by day, and living his passion every Saturday night.

"My greatest hobby was presenting a radio show," Luke said on Mamamia's Everyone Has An Ex podcast.

Every Saturday night, he rocked up to the station and hosted a show from 6pm to 8pm.

One night, he met Lucy*.

"She was the most sophisticated young woman I'd ever really dealt with," Luke said.

At first, their interactions were purely professional. But gradually, something shifted.

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The chemistry was undeniable.

"We just had a vibe. We just clicked," Luke recalled. "She laughed at all my stupid jokes. She was great at creating conversation. She was cheeky and playful, funny, sharp, smart."

For about a year, they remained just friends. Then one night, everything changed with a single gesture.

"I remember she said something cheeky, and she winked at me… I can't remember what she said when she winked, but I just sort of knew there might be something here," he said.

The flirting escalated, and soon they were socialising outside of work. The pivotal moment came during a night out.

"We were having drinks one night and we kissed. I'm pretty sure it was me. I'm pretty sure I leaned in. But I feel like the flirting had been stepping up, and it's then a natural progression," he said.

For Luke, this wasn't just a casual hookup.

"I wasn't the sort of young guy who was into one-night stands or hookups. That was never in my wheelhouse... in my head, the expectation was that it would progress in some way," he said.

And it did.

"The attraction was really lovely… just being around her made me feel good. She was very comforting as well. I could feel relaxed with her. I could be myself."

Within six months, they were living together in a tiny place.

"It was fun… you're living in tight quarters, getting to know life outside having your parents around…" he said.

Over the next four years, their connection only deepened, and Luke and Lucy were "getting closer and closer".

Luke knew where this was heading. He rented a convertible for a romantic weekend away, taking Lucy to the beach where he'd hidden a ring in his pocket. 

"We were just sitting on the park bench looking at the ocean... It was something like, 'I just love having you as my best friend and partner, but I would love even more if you'd be my wife.' And I was on my knee."

Without hesitation, Lucy said yes, and it wasn't long before the couple were married.

"We'd been together for five years, so the world didn't suddenly turn upside down the next day 'cause you're married. Life just goes on," Luke said. "But it's a nice settling feeling of true commitment, where you just know, 'you're my one'."

Lucy had always wanted three children, and Luke was eager to be a father. After getting their house sorted, they started trying for a baby, and it happened quickly. 

"I remember exactly where I was," Luke said on the podcast. "[Lucy] rang me and I sat in a stairwell, and she said, 'I'm pregnant.' And you'll never forget that moment of joy, excitement, exhilaration."

When baby Indigo* arrived, Luke discovered a love he didn't know was possible. 

"The joy of that moment of seeing her come out and holding her and kissing her and touching those little fingers when you're holding that teeny tiny two-minute-old baby, and those eyes. You know everything's changed for the better... there's no greater thing in my life than her."

Lucy was a natural mother, everything Luke had expected and more.

But life has a way of testing even the strongest foundations. Luke's demanding job required them to move interstate, away from Lucy's support network.

The isolation was hard on the new mum, and the stress began to show in their relationship. 

"We were arguing. I guess, in reflection, it had been going for years… it would sort of go in waves," Luke said.

The disagreements became more frequent, the recovery periods shorter. Adding a baby to the family complicated things further.

"As just a man and a woman, in a marriage or relationship, you're really just making decisions for yourselves. But when you put that new member into the mix who you are making decisions on behalf of, you're not going to agree on everything," he said.

But there was something else lurking beneath the surface of their marriage, something that would eventually come to light in the most uncomfortable way possible.

During their time away from home, Lucy had discovered something on Luke's computer that would change everything between them.

"They were images of men naked," said Luke. "This was the early days of the internet, and clearly I didn't realise that she could see what I was looking at. You can't imagine the wash of horror that comes over you when that's brought up. Something you thought was private, boom, there it is."

Luke and Lucy didn't know it at the time, but those pictures, and what they meant for their marriage, were just the beginning.

To be continued…

This is Part 1 of Luke's story. You can read Part 2 here.

Feature Image: Canva (Stock image for illustrative purposes only).

Names have been chanegd to protect identities.*