Beware of the characteristics of married women and men who’re more likely to cheat, warns Jessica

(Pixs of models for illustration purpose only

Jessica (pix above) flicks her gaze at Chow Kah, seated beside her. “What’s your wife doing when you’re here?”

Chow Kah leans forward and lifts his mug from the coffee table. “At home watching TV. Maybe surfing the Internet.” He swallows a gulp, puts the mug down and Jessica pours more beer into it.

“You should not neglect your wife. A husband who neglects the physical, emotional and mental needs of his wife stands the risk of being cuckolded. Women’re catching up with men in terms of infidelity.”

I cast a glance at Jessica and nod, sentimental music washing over me from the karaoke machine.

Chow Kah interlaces his fingers and rests his hands on his lap. “I’ve no problems with my other half. We’re happy.”

Hussein, sitting across me, cuts in. “Me too! I’m happily married to all four wives!” He spits a few water-melon seeds to his palm and throws them in the thrash basket at his feet.

I show Hussein a thumb-up and a grin tugs at the corners of his mouth. Sitting beside him, Wati (pix below) scowls and leans back on the sofa.

Jessica bunches her eyebrows. “Is she an outgoing person who likes to try new things?”

“Why you ask?”

“Dr. Tricia Orzeck, a Canadian psychologist, found that women who were more prone to cheat were those who were more extrovert and more open to new experiences. Her research paper titled ‘Big Five Personality Differences Between Cheaters and Non-cheaters' was published in the journal Current Psychology in 2005."

“Holy cow!” Hussein slashes his fingers through his hair. “That means a man should avoid marrying a woman with such traits!”

Wati wags her finger. “A woman is less likely to cheat if she enjoys a happy relationship with her hubby. On the other hand, a man can even have a fling irrespective of his level of satisfaction with his wife. His winkie controls him, not his brain! Women who have affairs are often unhappily married."

“Says who?” I ask.

Wati shifts her gaze to me. “Says Dr. Karin Prins of the University of Groningen.”

Hussein throws a water-melon skin into the thrash basket. “But why would a man go after a married woman?” He tugs a handkerchief from his shirt pocket and wipes his lips.

“What else?” Jessica spreads her hands. “No-strings-attached sex. Such scumbags have balls of steel -- " she forms a claw with her right hand and I cringe in embarrassment " -- pardon my French, have thick skin, are fearless of rejection and know all the tricks of seduction in the book. They also enjoy the thrill of the chase. A successful horizontal tango with a married woman boosts their ego immensely.”

Wati flings a sofa pillow at Chow Kah. “Your wife pretty?”

Chow Kah catches it in mid-air. “Of course!” He passes the pillow to Jessica, fumbles for his mobile phone and presses a few buttons. “Here’s her photo, taken at our condo balcony (pix below).” He shows the image on the screen to Wati.

“Wow! You’ve excellent taste in women!” Wati exclaims.

Jessica throws the pillow back to her. ‘“Does she have a lower or higher education than you?”

“Lower. I’m a graduate, she’s not.”

“Lucky for you.”

“Why?”

Jessica pops the cap of another bottle of Asahi Premium Beer. “One Dr. Forste in America found out that a woman’s level of education also played a part in infidelity. If she was more educated than her husband, she was more likely to cheat.” She pours some beer into her glass of 7-Up. “The study focused on American women, so the results may not apply to Malaysian women.”

“What about the characteristics of men who’re inclined to infidelity?”

Jessica slides Chow Kah a thin gaze. “They’re usually dominant, competitive, self-centred and have high levels of sexual confidence.”

Hussein releases a chuckle. “Sounds like the traits of a top salesman with a big slut-slayer.”

Wati’s lips tip up. “But God is great. A womanizer always gets his just desert.”

“What do you mean?”

“Doctors have found that men who’re unfaithful have a higher risk of heart attack!”

“Why?”

“Too much sex, higher blood pressure due to excitement while smooching with lover and feelings of guilt which induce mental stress.”

/end