"I Miss You," "You Look Pretty Today," "I'll Come Soon"
Husband Exchanged Sweet Texts with Coworker
"They Say It's a Joke... Considering Divorce"
A story has emerged revealing that a husband who was not on good terms with his wife actually had an 'office wife.'
On the 15th, a post titled "What do you think about your husband's office wife?" was uploaded to an online community. An office spouse, called an office wife for women and an office husband for men, refers to a colleague of the opposite sex with whom one maintains a relationship as close as a spouse in the workplace, though they are not actually married or in a romantic relationship.
The author, A, whose husband is an employee at a large corporation and who is a full-time housewife raising two children, explained, "I was worried because my husband seemed busy with work recently, but he actually looked excited, which seemed suspicious, so I checked his phone." She continued, "I saw sweet messages exchanged from the morning with a mother who also works at the same company, saying things like 'I miss you,' 'I'll come quickly,' and 'You look pretty today.'" She added, "They talked about work as usual, but also about meeting after company dinners. When I saw the messages my husband exchanged with the woman, my hands were trembling," expressing her devastated feelings.
A said, "I wanted to report it to the company, but both of them apologized saying it was 'just a joke.'" She added, "They became closer through work and started talking more often, but they said it was just playful teasing without crossing any boundaries or feelings." She continued, "Since I have two children, I am forced to have a career break, and people around me tell me to endure it. They promised it wouldn't happen again, so I am trying to bear it, but thinking about the conversations my husband had with that woman makes every day hell."
She went on to ask, "Is it normal to have at least one office wife when working at a company?" and said, "I want to let it go easily, but it's not easy. I keep thinking about divorce," seeking opinions.
Netizens who read the story responded with comments such as, "I've never heard or seen anyone say that having an office wife is normal when working," "It's strange for someone to have an office spouse," "It's obvious the husband is cheating, so why pretend not to know?" "If it were me, I would spread the evidence at the company," and "Divorce quickly."
Netizen B, who said they had a similar experience, advised, "If you think divorce is difficult because you have children, the best way is to inform the other woman's husband as well." They added, "Tell your husband to choose whether to report it to the company or to the other woman's husband. Judging by the circumstances, they seem to be cheating already, and even if caught, seeing each other at work will reignite things. If you plan to endure it, you should arrange for a job transfer or something to separate your husband from that woman."
Meanwhile, according to a survey on office spouses conducted by the matchmaking company Gayeon targeting 975 workers in their 20s and 30s, 63% of male respondents and 59% of female respondents answered that they would like to have an office wife or husband. When asked why they would like to have an office spouse, 37% of men and 20% of women said it would bring vitality to a boring daily life. However, when asked if they could understand their partner having an office wife or husband, 74% of men and 85% of women answered that they absolutely could not understand it.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
