Dear Prudence

My marriage will not be the same.

Advice by

Enter your email to receive alerts for this author.

Sign in or create an account to better manage your email preferences.

Unsubscribe from email alerts

Are you sure you want to unsubscribe from email alerts for Jenée Desmond-Harris ?

Nov 03, 2026 6:00 AM

Photo illustration by Slate. Photos by tutti_frutti /Adobe Stock and ViDi Studio /Adobe Stock.

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily.

Dear Prudence is Slate’s advice column. Submit questions here .

Dear Prudence,

When I was in college, I was stupid and had an affair with my married instructor. I wanted to continue it after the semester ended because I was convinced it was true love, and she blew off any attempts to reach her. After the summer break, I found out she had taken a leave of absence to have a baby.…