Welcome to the cheating DANGER ZONE

The festive season is a time of cheerful wonder, merriment… and betrayal

- KARA O'NEILL

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, or so the song goes. But while you’re busy decorating the house, wrapping gifts and making a last-minute dash to the shops for stuffing, do you have any idea what your partner is up to? Or perhaps you’ve been tempted by mistletoe mischief yourself?

Yes, it’s not just the mince pies, fizz and turkey that people are overindulging in come Christmas. The period between 3 December and Christmas Eve is the most popular time to have an affair, according to research.

But why is it the ‘danger zone’ for cheating? It’s supposed to be about family, fun and festivity, so what drives someone into the arms of a lover, potentially risking everything they have? Woman investigates...

‘I DESERVE TO FEEL DESIRED AT CHRISTMAS’

Faye*, 37, lives in south-east England and has been married to her husband, Matt*, 40, for 11 years

I first cheated on my husband, Matt, back in 2012. We’d been childhood sweethearts, he was the only man I’d ever had sex with and we were best friends. We’d married in 2009 when I was 21 and, back then, I can honestly say I was the happiest woman in the world.

But after we tied the knot, something changed. For a start, our libidos were completely incompatible. I wanted sex several times a week, while Matt was happy with a fumble every so often, and there was nothing exciting about it either. Bored and unhappy, I confessed our marital problems to a friend. I was shocked when she admitted she’d been cheating on her husband using Illicit Encounters, a website where married people can seek out discreet affairs, usually with others who are also married or in long-term relationships.