I gave my husband permission to sleep with other women while I was sick – then he moved his new girlfriend into our home
A WOMAN who gave her husband permission to sleep with other women was shocked when he fell in love - and moved his new partner into the family home.
Laura Gale, 49, offered her husband, who wishes to remain anonymous, a "hall pass" after medical issues made intimacy painful.
She said he wasn't initially interested, but as their relationship became strained, he grew open to the idea.
In December 2023, he introduced Laura to a woman he had met at a pet shop and, shortly afterward, entered into a sexual relationship with her.
Just three months later, Laura was "gobsmacked" when her husband proposed he wanted a polyamorous setup - after falling in love with the woman.
He suggested staying in a loving relationship with his wife while also having a sexual and romantic partnership with his new woman.
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After agreeing to her husband's proposal, she moved into a mother-in-law suite in their back garden but quickly felt "disregarded" and "pushed out."
The pair are now divorcing despite still living under one roof.
"Our marriage was under a lot of stress, and my medical conditions put a strain on it," said Laura, who is from Georgia.
"I wanted to give him this freedom so he didn't feel obligated to stay because of my health - I just wanted him to be happy in every way possible.
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"He told me she'd be there as a friend for me too, but it didn't work out that way.
"I didn't think in a million years he'd fall in love with her."
Laura was diagnosed with Crohn's disease - a chronic inflammatory bowel condition - in 2014.
She was then diagnosed with endometriosis in early 2015 and underwent a hysterectomy - a surgical procedure to remove the womb.
Despite claiming her husband of 10 years was "incredibly" supportive, Laura says intimacy became "tough," so she offered him a free pass to sleep with other women.
"We were newly married, and my health deteriorated rapidly, but he stood by me," Laura said.
"I had a lot of respect and love for him, so if he needed intimacy, I wanted him to have that but he said 'no'.
"We didn't speak about it again, but as the years went on, I was diagnosed with more health issues, and it was taking its toll on our marriage.
"I didn't want to lose him, so I offered him the free pass again in 2022, and he was interested.
"He agreed to always take care of me, and I would be involved in all ways besides sexually."
Laura claims her husband wanted her to be part of the "selection process" and introduced her to a woman he'd met in December 2023 in a local pet shop.
"Due to my health, I was frightened I'd be abandoned, but after discussing it back and forth, I trusted him," she said.
"After I met her, I invited her over to our house and she was nice, ticked his boxes, and he was eager to go ahead.
"It was set to be just a sexual relationship, so we agreed to create a WhatsApp group as I didn't want them messaging behind my back.
"It was important I knew what was going on and that I was asked if I was okay with it."
The couple welcomed her into their marriage in January 2024, but Laura grew suspicious that it was more than just sex after noticing neither was active in their group chat.
''When they first slept together in our home, I shut myself in the back room," she said.
"It's not something I wanted to hear, and at first, it was hard to digest.
"But my husband seemed happy, and our relationship was still good.
"It wasn't until that February that I caught him texting her in the dark, telling her he loved her, and I was infuriated.
''She didn't act like a friend to me at all, and it clearly wasn't just sex between them, which is what had been agreed.
"That's when he mentioned a setup where he could have us both, and he made it seem wonderful."
Shortly after agreeing to the arrangement, Laura decided to move out of her home and into a small space in their garden to allow her husband's new partner to move in.
"He told me she was going through a tough time, and I felt sorry for her," she said.
"I wasn't comfortable with us both living in the house.
"My husband didn't want me to leave but understood and promised that nothing would change.
"I moved into our mother-in-law's suite in our back garden with no running water."
But after leaving her home, Laura claims things started to turn "sour."
"They started to ignore me, and it was almost as if I wasn't there,'' Laura said.
"I rarely saw them, but I could hear them talking and laughing.
"I thought my husband loved me and wanted the best for me, but his new life was more important."
Laura and her husband are now going through a divorce - leaving her feeling "betrayed."
"It hurts me that I gave my husband this freedom, and he threw it back in my face,'' she said.
"It's like they wanted me out of the way the whole time, and that breaks my heart.
"Although I'm more angry than upset now, I feel naive - I should have seen this coming.
"My whole world has been tipped upside down, but I'm looking forward to getting away from this situation."
"She pushed and pushed me and isolated herself," said her husband after being contacted for a right of reply.
"I did catch feelings after only being with her a couple of times, which is on me.
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"We tried to offer a sister-wives situation, but Laura was upset because she didn't feel a part of it.
"We filed for divorce and are trying to move forward."
