Things were good for 19 years with Karen Dineen and Terry Lovell. Karen was happy with her builder husband until she found out his big secret… And her world came crashing down. She didn’t immediately confront her husband but rather waited to gather more evidence. But, her suspicions that something was wrong only escalated.
This led to a shocking discovery that would inspire a plan of revenge. This is the story of how Karen Dineen discovered her husband’s infidelity and got her revenge in the best way possible. Now, four years later, she opens up about the sordid affair. It made headlines thanks to her cunning plan of revenge involving a handwritten note and her wedding dress.
Meeting Mr. Right
Karen Dineen couldn’t believe her luck when she met Terry Lovell, a builder. The pair started a whirlwind romance that would see them married in what can only be described as a fairytale wedding straight out of a children’s book.
On their wedding day, things looked so promising for the happy pair. The couple was happy, devoting themselves to their lives together and to creating a perfect family.
Starting A Family
Karen and Terry had two children together, and life was idyllic for this family in Essex, England. Terry worked as a builder while Karen focused on raising their kids and running the household.
The family was everything to Karen. She did all the things a loving wife would do for her husband and children. Things couldn’t be more perfect. Everyone thought the couple was the perfect example of a happy marriage.
Fast Forward 19 Years
It was shortly after the couple’s 19th (yes, you read that right) wedding anniversary that Karen started to notice a change in Terry’s behavior.
Being with someone for so long only makes you more aware of the smaller changes. This is exactly what led Karen to believe that something wasn’t right.
After 19 happy years, or what she thought were happy years, something evil was brewing. Karen knew she needed to get to the bottom of it.
Signs of Trouble
Having been with Terry for 19 years, she knew his daily routine as only a loving wife would. It was a series of very small changes that first set off alarm bells that something was up.
But, trying not to get too worked up, she waited to see what else would crop up. Staying silent, she watched to see what other signs she could spot of the trouble that lay ahead.
Sign #1 of Many
The very first thing Karen noticed was that Terry would come home from work, change into something fancier, and then go back to work.
This isn’t that unusual under normal circumstances. But, with Terry being a builder by trade, this sudden change was odd and came as a surprise to Karen.
Trouble in the Relationship
Karen’s “female intuition” kicked in. In an interview, she said she knew immediately that something was going on outside the marriage that shouldn’t have been.
“He started coming home, having a shower and getting smarted up, and saying he was going to look at a job. I wondered what was going on because after living with someone for so long, any little changes you notice.”
Intuition
Deciding to go with her gut feeling, Karen grew more and more suspicious as time went on. But still, she didn’t say anything, rather adopting a watch-and-wait attitude.
“Something in me said, keep your eyes and ears open and mouth shut.”
“So, after that, I knew something was going on,” she explained. A woman’s intuition is never wrong.
Boy, was Karen right to be concerned about her husband’s changes in behavior, habits, and demeanor.
It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas
Christmas soon rolled in. When Terry presented his wife with a £700 diamond ring, it only made her even more suspicious that her husband was living a lie.
As she said in a later interview, the gift had guilt written all over it.
But, there was more. It was only after Karen found a receipt for two bottles of “Black Opium” perfume that she found the sign she was so desperately looking for.
The Scent of a Woman
We have to give it to Terry: he gave his wife and his mysterious mistress the same perfume so that if he came home smelling of “Black Opium,”
Karen would think it hers, and it would not raise suspicion.
But poor Terry didn’t think like a woman. He believed that his secret was still safe and buried. As Karen said, “
What he was thinking was, he will buy both of us Opium, so when he comes in smelling of it, it’s my perfume.”
Looking for Proof
Still, despite her growing suspicions, Karen said nothing and decided to wait for more signs and evidence of his wrongdoings.
She began snooping for clues regarding her husband’s possible extracurricular activities.
She felt she needed more proof before she could confront him, and the evidence had to be good! For two whole months, Karen watched her husband closely, waiting for some more concrete proof to come to light.
Terry Drops a Bomb
In February, he dropped a bomb that would ultimately lead to her setting her plans in motion. “Around Valentines Day, I remember him saying something like, ‘I don’t know what I want to do with the rest of my life.’”
So I said, ‘I thought I was part of it?’ and he said, ‘You are, but I don’t know what I want to do, just give me time.’”
This was obviously a painful shock for her to receive, as she had taken her wedding vows to heart and had planned for a future together.
Karen Makes a Hard Decision
This was all Karen needed to hear to make some necessary changes at home. She started taking care of herself and her own needs.
She wasn’t just going to sit and wait around for Terry when he made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t sure of their future together.
She needed to guard her heart and prepare herself for the storm that she knew was coming. This turned out to be a wise decision when she learned what was coming.
Friends and Enemies
Karen is not a difficult woman and takes loyalty very seriously. “I make a brilliant friend but a terrible enemy.
And he was making such an enemy of me.” Her feelings towards her husband of 19 years quickly changed.
Karen started clearing his things out of the home they shared, sorting and selling his belongings. She desperately wanted to remove him from her life before he had the chance to do it to her. Fair is fair.
The Family Home
Though things between the couple were anything but happy, they decided to still live together in the family home, keeping things as normal as they possibly could for the sake of their children.
But Karen knew that this awkward arrangement was only temporary as she plotted the next part of her plan, which was to find out his password and access his phone.
This could only happen if they still lived under the same roof. So, Karen bided her time as best she could and waited for the perfect opportunity.
