>>> A ONE-NIGHT STAND.
A LONG-RUNNING AFFAIR.
WHAT HAPPENS IF A SPOUSE CHEATS?
CAN A RELATIONSHIP ACTUALLY
SURVIVE AND THRIVE AFTER
INFIDELITY?
TERSHA AND MICHAEL FACED THAT IN
THEIR MARRIAGE JUST TWO YEARS
AGO.
>> WE WERE HAPPY AND WE WERE, IN
MY OPINION, LIVING THE AMERICAN
DREAM OF WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO
BE DOING.
YOU HAVE A FAMILY.
YOU HAVE A HOUSE.
AND YOU HAVE A JOB.
AND GO FROM THERE.
IT'S A BIG THING THAT WHEN YOU
THINK THAT YOU HAVE THAT
CONNECTION WITH YOUR HUSBAND,
YOU HAVE THAT INTIMACY WITH YOUR
HUSBAND, ONLY TO REALIZE, YOU
MISSED SOMETHING, HUGE.
>> Reporter: IN 2015, AFTER
EIGHT YEARS OF MARRIAGE, TERSHA
GOT A MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK THAT
NO ONE WANTS TO RECEIVE.
WHAT I READ WAS, I BLEEPED YOUR
HUSBAND.
I WAS STUNNED.
I REMEMBER SITTING ON MY BED,
STUNNED AND STARING AT MY PHONE.
>> Reporter: SHE CONFRONTED HER
HUSBAND, MICHAEL, AND ASKED HIM
POINT-BLANK IF IT WAS TRUE.
>> I DENIED IT THREE TIMES.
AND TOLD HER I HAD.
AND MINIMIZED IT.
>> Reporter: HE TOLD HER THE
AFFAIR WAS OVER.
BUT THAT WAS ONLY PART OF THE
STORY.
>> TERSHA SAID SOMETHING TO ME
ABOUT KNOWING THE WHOLE TRUTH
AND BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD,
KNOWING WHAT ALL HAD HAPPENED.
AT THAT MOMENT, SOMETHING
SNAPPED IN ME.
AND I TOOK A DEEM BREATH AND
SAID, THIS IS GOING TO BE A LONG
NIGHT.
>> Reporter: THAT NIGHT, MICHAEL
REVEALED A TOTAL OF FOUR AFFAIRS
IN THE COURSE OF THEIR
EIGHT-YEAR MARRIAGE, BEGINNING
ONE YEAR AFTER THEIR FIRST CHILD
WAS BORN.
TERSHA GAVE HIM AN ULTIMATUM.
>> I TOLD HIM THAT NIGHT THAT HE
HAD UNTIL NOON TOMORROW TO TELL
ME ANYTHING ELSE BECAUSE I WAS
NOT GOING TO RELIVE THIS PAIN
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN,
JUST RIP OFF THIS BAND-AID.
>> Reporter: AFTER THE
REVELATION OF THE AFFAIRS, THE
COUPLE BEGAN COUNSELING TO HELP
SAVE THEIR MARRIAGE.
BUT AFTER A FEW MONTHS, THE
BETRAYAL CONSUMED TERSHA.
>> THAT WOUND FESTERS AND
FESTERS.
ABOUT FOUR MONTHS LATER, THAT
SCAB FINALLY POPPED OFF.
AND ALL THE HURT, ALL THE ANGER,
ALL THE HATE, ABSOLUTELY, CAME
POURING OUT.
AND I PRETTY WELL TOLD HIM.
I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT?
THIS ISN'T GOING TO WORK.
I HATE YOU.
>> SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LOOK AT
ME.
SHE WAS SO DISGUSTED.
I WAS SUCH A REMINDER IN HER
HEAD OF THE PAIN AND HURT THAT
SHE HAS THAT I HAD CAUSED.
>> Reporter: THE COUPLE WORRIED
ABOUT WHAT A SEPARATION WOULD DO
TO THEIR CHILDREN.
SO, MICHAEL MOVED INTO THE
BASEMENT, WHERE HE COULD STILL
WITH CLOSE TO THEM.
>> DURING ALL MY THINKING TIME
IN THE BASEMENT, I REFLECTED A
LOT ON WHAT CAUSED THE AFFAIRS.
HOW WAS I FEELING AT THOSE
TIMES?
I WAS FEELING TAKEN FOR GRANLTD
GRANLTD.
I WAS TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF,
UNDERAPPRECIATED.
DIDN'T KNOW IF I WAS LIVING UP
TO THE EXPECTATIONS THAT TERSHA
HAD FOR ME.
>> Reporter: MICHAEL STAYED IN
THE BASEMENT FOR SIX WEEKS, AS
THE COUPLE REMAINED IN
COUNSELING.
IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY HAUL.
JOINING US NOW, TERSHA AND
MICHAEL, ALONG WITH AFFAIR
RECOVERY SPECIALISTS, BRIAN AND
ANN BIRCH.
THIS IS BRAVE OF YOU.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT
STORY.
I'M SURE THAT'S NOT EASY.
LET ME ASK HOW YOU'RE DOING.
>> WE'RE DOING GREAT.
AS FAR AS THE MARRIAGE GOES,
WE'RE BETTER NOW THAN I THINK WE
HAVE EVER BEEN.
>> WHY?
>> BECAUSE WE HAVE GONE THROUGH
THE UGLY.
WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE WORST.
AND TO ACTUALLY HAVE THAT
INTIMACY WHERE WE KNOW
EVERYTHING ABOUT EACH OTHER NOW,
AND STILL TO SAY THAT I CHOOSE
YOU, IS A VERY POWERFUL THING.
>> MICHAEL, HAVE YOU -- I KNOW
YOU FELT UNDERAPPRECIATED.
HAVE YOU ADDRESSED THE ISSUES
THAT YOU THINK MADE YOU CHEAT IN
THE FIRST PLACE?
>> YES.
YES, I HAVE.
AGAIN, A LOT OF THE
SOUL-SEARCHING AND A LOT OF THE
FEELINGS THAT I HAD HAD
EXPRESSING THEM TO TERSHA, AND
TELLING HER WHY I FELT THAT WAY,
WHAT THINGS WERE HAPPENING,
HELPS HER REALIZE WHAT WAS GOING
ON IN MY HEAD.
AND HOW IT CAN BE CHANGED.
AND WHAT I NEED TO FEEL
APPRECIATED.
>> FORGIVE ME FOR ASKING THIS.
I KNOW YOU TOOK SOME OF THE
AFFAIR PARTNERS HOME TO YOUR
MARITAL BED.
>> NO.
IT WAS IN THE HOME.
BUT NOT IN OUR BED.
>> I'M SURE THAT'S BEEN A SOURCE
OF PAIN.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE
QUESTION IS, WHY?
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?
>> IT WAS -- IT WAS A WAY TO
FILL THE NEED AT THE TIME.
THAT WAS IT.
>> YET, YOU MANAGED TO FIND
FORGIVENESS.
HOW?
>> IT'S DEFINITELY A PROCESS.
AND I'VE BEEN THINKING A LOT
ABOUT FORGIVENESS.
AND FORGIVENESS, INITIALLY, IS
ALMOST A SELFISH THING.
YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE TO NOT LET
THIS CONSUME YOURSELF TO THAT
LEVEL.
TO NOT HAVE THAT BITTERNESS
CONSUME YOU.
TO NOT HAVE THAT REVENGE IDEA
CONSUME YOU BECAUSE THAT'S NOT
HEALTHY.
AND THAT'S NOT THE WOMAN I WANT
TO BE.
I'M A FUN PERSON.
I'M A HAPPY PERSON.
I DIDN'T WANT THAT TO CHANGE.
SO, FORGIVING WAS TO KEEP MYSELF
INTACT, TO NOT LOSE MYSELF
THROUGH THIS.
BUT THERE'S ALSO THAT
RECONCILIATION FORGIVENESS.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT COMES AFTER
THE TRUST.
AND HE WORKED HIS BUTT OFF FOR
TWO YEARS TO GET THAT TRUST BACK