Our Christmas tradition was simple: year after year, we alternated between my dad's family and my mom's. A fairly civilized in-laws swap, until 2021 turned into a full-blown drama.

That year, tensions with my paternal grandma were through the roof, so we agreed my dad would go see her alone. Of course, he needed to leave earlier for an "urgent errand." An errand that, curiously, included a woman in his car.

We left later, and my mom took a different route that day because she had to run an errand before going to my maternal grandma's. And there he was: my dad, driving calmly with his early "Christmas present" in the passenger seat.

My mom, still managing to keep her cool, made a U-turn and honked the horn. He pulled over, with the awkward smile of someone who's just been caught red-handed.

What followed was my dad trying to convince us it was just a free ride for a "friend" who happened to be going to the same city where his mother lived. Of course, we all believed him... said no one, ever.

The best part was when, instead of showing remorse, he accused us of trying to start a scene. Like, the problem wasn't the infidelity, but our bad timing for discovering it. Priorities of a committed man, I guess.

The woman in question looked at us with a mix of boredom and superiority, as if we were the ones interrupting their nice Christmas date. A real romantic, she was.

My mom, with a level of dignity worthy of a Nobel Prize in patience, decided to leave. So we continued on our way, with the bitter taste of a lie that smelled like cheap perfume and even cheaper excuses.

Turns out they had been having a clandestine relationship since even before that December 24th. She knew he was married with kids, but apparently, she had a taste for domestic Christmas drama. A nice touch, really

And here comes the crown jewel: his great reason for creating that whole circus was that he "didn't want to spend that Christmas Eve alone." Forget the fact that he had a wife and daughters; the man felt lonely. Poor thing.

That's when I understood that male logic sometimes operates in a parallel dimension, where family responsibilities are optional, but carnal whims are law.

But wait for it… The best was yet to come. Because my dad wasn't traveling alone. He had a whole logistical support team: his family.

Because individual betrayal wasn't enough; he needed group support. That night, my dad didn't go to my grandma's house. Surprise! He went to my aunt's house, his sister's.

My dear aunt not only knew about the arrangement but was the official host of the affair. While we were eating turkey, they were toasting to love... or to audacity, who knows.

And like in any good soap opera, it wasn't a two-person secret. My paternal grandma and everyone in her household knew and accepted it.

Discovering that your own flesh and blood prefers keeping up appearances over protecting you is a low blow that not even the best screenwriter could invent. Or maybe they could, but it hurts more when it's real.

Moral of the story: Family gatherings aren't for catching up on your week. They're for finding out which relative signed off on your dad's affair. Take notes.

Obviously, there are more incredible feats from this man. But first, tell me know what do yall think about this. I'm reading you! 🙃