Christina Higgins has recounted eight separate instances in her life where she unknowingly became involved with married men, leading her to identify several tell-tale signs of infidelity that she advises other women to watch for. Higgins, now 71 and single, detailed her experiences in a personal essay, describing the emotional toll and humiliation of repeatedly finding herself in such situations.

Her first entanglement occurred at age 23 with her boss, who was involved with another married woman. Despite his admission, Higgins remained in the relationship for two years due to infatuation. Later, at 26, she met a man named Richard, only to discover he was married when his wife answered the phone.

Another encounter involved an accountant named Adrian, whose wife approached their table at a hotel breakfast, revealing his marital status. This incident prompted Higgins to seek retribution by repeatedly calling Adrian's home number when she suspected his wife would be present.

Higgins describes a fourth instance with a pharmaceutical representative named John, whose infidelity was revealed by a photograph of him with his wife in his wallet. In response, Higgins sent a letter to his wife detailing their relationship. Subsequently, she met Peter, who falsely claimed to be single. Higgins retaliated by disguising her voice and telling his wife that Peter had stood her up.

In her late twenties, Higgins became involved with Trevor, whom she discovered was married after he inadvertently wore his wedding ring. She sent a provocative card to his home on Valentine's Day and later called their landline, falsely claiming to be pregnant with his child, intending for his wife to overhear.

Higgins's seventh encounter took a dangerous turn when confronting the man about his lies resulted in a physical assault that broke several of her ribs. She did not report the incident, fearing she would not be believed.

Her eighth and final experience occurred in her late sixties with a man named Scott. After eight months together, Scott referred to a "partner" in the audience during a fundraising event, revealing he was not divorced as he had claimed. This betrayal, Higgins stated, was more devastating in her sixties than in her twenties, as she felt time was more precious.

In response, Higgins engaged in a more calculated revenge, dyeing her hair darker to resemble his partner's and leaving strands of her hair on his jacket, hoping it would be discovered. She then ended the relationship, stating she wanted someone single. She later learned Scott and his partner had separated.

Reflecting on her experiences, Higgins now advises women to be wary and ask questions early in relationships, paying attention to secrecy. She notes that men who are serious about a relationship will typically introduce their partners to friends and will not hide them away. She observed that her partners often chose secluded venues like pubs and quiet cafes, which she now recognizes as an attempt to avoid being seen by people who knew them.

Higgins also pointed out that statistics from the World Population Review in 2024 indicated that 36% of Britons admitted to cheating on their partner. She expressed anger that despite being the deceived party, the focus is often on the wife's pain, not the turmoil experienced by the "other woman." While acknowledging her vengeful actions may have caused distress to the wives, she feels little regret, viewing her actions as exposing the husbands' deceit.

Now contentedly single, Higgins stated she would rather be alone than risk being lied to again. She noted that at her age, single men often seem to be looking for caregivers or financial support, and she is unwilling to fulfill either role.