Dear Mary: I walked in on my mother having sex with a family friend and I’m traumatised. Should I tell my dad?

This Dear Mary dilemma was one of February's most-read features. Photo: Getty

Mary O'Conor

I’m feeling shattered to be honest and don’t know where to turn. I’m the eldest and the only girl in the family. I’m at college and the others are still in school. I always thought my parents got on well, but shortly after the new term at college I came home one day just after lunch as I had forgotten something important.

I let myself in and went straight upstairs to get what I needed. I still feel sick at what happened next. I could hear voices coming from my parents’ bedroom and as the door wasn’t closed I popped my head in to say hello. But it wasn’t my father I saw in the bed with my mother, but a friend of the family with her. They were actually having sex and both looked as shocked as I felt when they saw me. I collected what I needed and ran away down the road as fast as I could.