Daughter Begs Heartbroken Dad Not To Divorce Wife After Cheating’s Shocking Painful Twist

A 37-year-old dad’s world imploded when his wife confessed a boozy coworker hookup turned blackmail nightmare: secretly filmed, then coerced into more meetups under exposure threats. She quit, spilled everything, and begs family unity plus a lawsuit. He’s already hunting divorce lawyers.

Their 12-year-old daughter’s sobbing “don’t destroy us,” while relatives blast the “one mistake” chorus. Reddit’s screaming run like the tape’s on loop, torching the coercion harder than the cheating. Most back dad’s exit, few push therapy miracles. Trust’s vaporized, sparking brutal wars over forgiveness, fear, and fractured homes.

Dad discovers wife’s coerced encounter turned blackmail, daughter begs him to stay married despite shattered trust.

Imagine discovering your spouse was coerced after infidelity. Filing for divorce would be the first action to come to mind. Yet, is that even possible when a daughter is begging for her father not to do so?

Let’s be crystal clear: cheating happened. Drinks, coworker’s apartment, clothes off. Those were choices made before any blackmail entered the chat.

Many Redditors are laser-focused on that single fact and declare the marriage toast (and honestly, betrayal that deep leaves scars no amount of remorse can fully erase).

Yet the plot thickens fast: the coworker allegedly recorded the encounter without consent and used it to force continued contact. Legal experts and sexual-assault advocates would call that sexual extortion and possibly assault by coercion, not “just an affair.”

The wife’s decision to confess only after the blackmail started is understandable to some and unforgivable to others. Two totally valid viewpoints that can peacefully coexist in the same heartbroken house.

Family therapists often point out that staying together “for the kids” rarely works when trust is this demolished. The American Psychological Association notes that children in high-conflict intact homes actually show higher rates of anxiety and depression than kids whose parents divorced amicably.

Dr. Alexandra Solomon, clinical psychologist and author featured in Psychology Today, puts it bluntly: “Kids need at least one safe, stable parent more than they need two parents pretending everything is fine. When a child begs you to stay, what they’re really begging for is the feeling of safety – something the betrayal already stole.” That quote hits hard here because the daughter isn’t just mourning a potential divorce, she’s watching both parents she loves in agony.

The healthiest path forward usually involves individual therapy for everyone: Dad to process betrayal and anger, Mom to deal with trauma and accountability, and their daughter with a neutral counselor who can help her understand that grown-up decisions aren’t her burden to fix.

Pursuing criminal charges against the coworker is also non-negotiable, as blackmail and coercion are serious crimes in most countries.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Some insist NTA and urge immediate divorce, blaming the wife entirely for destroying the family.

Some say NTA and believe the daughter is being manipulated by her mother.

Some question if the wife was actually assaulted rather than willingly cheating.

Some recommend therapy for OP and especially for the daughter.

Some suggest consequences for the blackmailer and the daughter will eventually understand.

At the end of the day, one person’s “one mistake” is another person’s irreversible breach of trust, and both feelings can be true at the same time. The real question isn’t whether the wife is sorry (she clearly is), it’s whether the husband can ever feel safe and respected in that marriage again.

Would you stay and rebuild for your daughter’s sake, or prioritize your own emotional survival and co-parent like champions apart? Drop your thoughts below, because this one’s a heart-wrencher.