'My lover is pregnant and my wife can't conceive - my life has fallen apart'

A philandering husband has reached out for advice after discovering a work colleague he slept with is pregnant - while his own wife can't conceive.

The 34-year-old man has been with his 33-year-old wife for 12 years, married for eight. He said that they have always wanted to start a family, and while they have endured numerous fertility treatments, including IVF, nothing has worked.

It has taken an emotional toll on both of them, and, according to the man, his wife eventually lost interest in sex once the hope of having a baby faded.

Enter the other woman. The husband works as a retail manager and is in charge of a predominately female workforce. According to him, the last man in his position was known for promising promotions and bonuses in return for sex - and he has followed suit.

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"I didn't intend to be unfaithful, but the temptation was huge — and I've now got a reputation like the previous guy after sleeping with around 17 of my colleagues," he confessed in a letter to the Sun's Dear Deidre. "It's a part of my life I don't feel proud of, but my wife has no idea. It's my secret."

However, one of the women he has slept with has now told him she is pregnant with his baby.

"My life has fallen apart. I can't bear to think how my wife would feel should she find out — but this might be my only opportunity to be a father," he said.

In response, the agony aunt addressed both his infidelity - and his "predatory and opportunistic behaviour at work".

"Fertility struggles can be distressing, together with the deep disappointment that comes with failed treatments, but it doesn't excuse your behaviour… The legal and practical reality is that this woman's feelings about this pregnancy will determine what happens next.

"Before speaking to her, seriously consider what your life will be like if she has your child. It would be very unrealistic to imagine a happy family fantasy. You can't be sure this is your baby, and common sense dictates you'll need to get a DNA test once it's born."

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It comes after a heartbroken mum shared her devastation after discovering that her husband had been having an affair with her best friend - despite her being six months pregnant with their third child.

The woman explained she has recently been struggling to juggle her pregnancy with the sad news that her dad had colon cancer and had been given a prognosis of "months not years" by his doctor. And although the news has been tough for her to handle, she said her husband and her best friend had been by her side throughout it all.

However, the mum recently stumbled across a text message on her husband's phone when she was turning off his alarm which made her blood run cold - her best friend had asked him when he was going to tell his wife about them.

In a post on Reddit, the woman said: "As I went to turn off his alarms I saw a text from my friend on his screen that said 'I'm assuming since there hasn't been an angry pregnant lady on my doorstep, you haven't told her about us yet?

"Time froze at that moment. I took his phone and walked away and just read their conversations. For four months this man has been f***ing my best friend. For four months these people have been lying to my face."

The woman insisted she didn't see any "warning signs", and was devastated that she's going to lose her "family and support system in one blow" after making the decision to cut off her friend and end her relationship with her husband.