To catch a cheat

SURE enough, many of us rely on undisputed proof of our partners’ indiscretions before calling them out — a lipstick stain on his shirt, another woman’s belongings in his car, or the blend of his signature scent and women’s perfume in his space. But signs of cheating are not always obvious, and as cheaters get more crafty with concealing their tracks, we have to work harder to spot a cheat.

Below, women who were tipped off by subtle signs share how they found out about their partners’ ‘extra-curricular’ activities.

Chanel, 24, beautician:

He called me the girl’s name twice when he was distracted. I pretended not to notice, but I later found out that the woman he was fooling around with really had that name.

Ann-Marie, 44, contractor:

I went to pick him up one day and heard his co-worker saying, “Steve, a never one browning you a smash? And why she choose fi drive her white car today (I have only one car) when the place so muddy?” I caught him trying to get the girl to shut up.

Simone, 33, police officer:

His schedule changed all of a sudden, and for reasons that did not make sense. I later found out he was switching around things to see her.

Trisan, 37, chef:

A couple of things he did were clear giveaways — he started putting his phone face-down all the time, and the tone of his voice could indicate whom he was talking to. For example, he was relaxed and could sit and have a conversation when he was talking to friends and family, but when talking to the woman he would excuse himself, pace around the place, and his voice would get soft.

Sheryl, 47, teacher:

It was like he always wanted to fight. He was also taking more interest in his appearance, and was getting himself nice things. Before, if I didn’t buy him clothes, he would just wear whatever. To make matters worse, he started staying up late even though he would be the one who was usually calling me into bed before all the strange new changes he began making.

Charlene, 33, business development officer:

Every minute he would bring home something new, and it was always expensive. He told me that he got a raise, but not even a 500 per cent pay increase could buy a quarter of the gifts he was carrying home every month. He was also on his phone all the time, and would bus’ out some big laughs that neighbours five houses down the road could hear, but he couldn’t bother to share the jokes with me, ever.

Sheniele, 25, nurse:

He hid his social media apps from me, but thanks to his side chick for wanting to mark her territory. She sent me a friend request on Facebook and when I checked her profile it was her and my man all lovey-dovey.

Asian, 33, customer service rep:

He started to end chats, delete text messages, and changed the passwords to all his social media applications. He also became less interested in sex with me and started putting a hold on a lot of the major commitments that we were working on. It didn’t take long for me to see what was up.