Is it bigamy?

Dear Tita,

My husband Nestor and I have been happily married for 13 years and we have four kids – two boys and two girls.

A couple of months ago, I got the shock of my life when I found out that Nestor had another woman in Canlaon City. She is a school teacher, who is now pregnant with his child. When I confronted him, Nestor admitted everything. He told me he was tempted as I seemed to be more concentrated on our kids and their needs than I was with him. He accused me of not being interested in having sex with him, thus he found someone else.

It was a terrible moment for me as I have loved no other man in my life. He was the first and only one for me. I couldn’t believe he could betray me for someone else. We had a big fight, which ended in Nestor walking out on me.

Recently, a friend of mine whose husband is a lawyer in San Carlos City, informed me that she found out that Nestor had married his paramour. She learned about this as she saw the copy of the marriage certificate. It felt like a knife had been thrust into my heart.

My sister advised me to file a case of bigamy right away. I am tempted to do what she says but I have to admit I still love my husband and I don’t want him to land in jail. My family thinks I’m crazy for loving him up to now. He is still sending financial support to us every month. If he gets imprisoned, the financial support will stop.

Please advise me on what to do. My kids need money for their schooling.

BETRAYED WIFE

Dear Betrayed Wife,

If he really married his paramour while still married to you, it is bigamy. It is a crime.

You have to do something to protect your family, especially your kids. You have to let Nestor know that you found out about his second marriage and that you are planning to file a case of bigamy. You have the documents to prove this. This is serious and he has to face the consequences.

TITA