I love my bloke but I leave him at home to go out and have sex with other women while he takes care of our daughter, 5

CHECKING herself out in the mirror, Karla Houston makes the final touches to her ensemble before heading out on a hot date.

Before she steps out of the door, she gives her daughter a hug before planting a kiss on her husband’s lips.

Although Steven is completely monogamous, wife Karla Houston dates other people Credit: SWNS Karla dates other women, and Steven is in full support Credit: SWNS

But married mum, 34, isn’t cheating on her husband Steven, 41, in fact he knows full well she is off to have sex with someone else.

But while his wife might stray, Steve stays faithful and insists opening up their marriage has actually strengthened their relationship.

After four years of , Karla told Steven that she was attracted to women.

To her surprise, the behavioural analyst from , , was met with total support.

Karla has introduced her daughter to girlfriends in the past Credit: SWNS Steven has no desire to date outside of the marriage or join in on Karla’s relationships Credit: SWNS

Karla said: “His response was ‘I already knew’, he immediately said he would support me if I wanted to explore or date women separately from our relationship, it was actually his idea.”

Since childhood, Karla had always known she had an attraction to women, but coming from a strict religious background, she felt unable to explore that side of herself.

“Before I’d felt like I couldn’t say anything, because I’m married, so I thought there was nothing I could really do with these feelings,” she said.

“But after I had my daughter, I felt like if I’m going to raise someone else, I should be the most authentic version of myself.”

Taking her husband’s advice, Karla took her time before entering the .

“I sat with it for about three or four months, then I started joining groups that were bi affirming, queer affirming, poly affirming,” she explained.

“Then I started joining dating sites, and I was always open about what dynamic I was coming in with.”

Initially, Karla began meeting women casually, but as she explored her sexuality, her desires evolved.

“Originally, it was just casual, and I was exploring things, and confirming my sexuality,” Karla said.

“Then I grew a desire to have more of a romantic relationship with a woman.”

Over time, Karla fell deeply in love with her past girlfriends.

She now dates both married and single women, and her longest relationship with a woman lasted for a year before the couple split amicably due to distance.

“How often I see them depends on whether I’m dating someone who is single, or someone who is married or in a relationship,” Karla explained.

At first, managing her time between her partners, her husband, and their five-year-old daughter was a juggling act, but she eventually found a working rhythm.

“For example, with my ex, I spent four days at home and three days with her, and every single day I was with my daughter, and she would come with me,” Karla said, noting that her daughter stays with her when she lives at her girlfriends’ houses.

Steven, a community social worker, remains completely monogamous and has no desire to date outside of the marriage or join in on Karla’s relationships.

However, Karla notes that she would fully support him if he ever changed his mind.

While the dynamic works for them, it hasn’t been without its challenges.

“The first year was hard because I didn’t understand how to navigate non-monogamy,” Karla admitted.

“There was a lot of hard conversations about how we would make this work, without taking away from our marriage.”

Steven still experiences occasional jealousy, and Karla has also had to navigate jealousy from female partners who wanted more from her. However, open communication has kept the marriage secure.

“We’ve never had a situation where I’ve had to stop talking to a woman, or it’s threatened our relationship,” Karla said.

“He understands that dating women is something that balances me, and that doesn’t take away from our marriage.”

When it comes to the day-to-day rules of their arrangement, the couple keeps things flexible but respectful.

“I’m very open about it but he doesn’t ask me questions about the women personally, or anything sexual,” Karla said.

“There aren’t really any boundaries, as long as I’m safe and he’s getting the time that he desires as well, the rules we have are pretty open.”

Steven has met some of Karla’s casual flings in the past, but he has yet to meet any of her serious girlfriends.

Karla stresses that this isn’t intentional or due to a lack of willingness, but simply down to the logistics of work and busy schedules.

For Steven, the decision to support his wife was rooted in a desire for total transparency.

“When she first told me she was bisexual, I actually felt relieved,” Steven said.

“It meant she was finally able to be fully honest with me, with herself, and with our relationship. That level of openness matters to me more than anything.

“I understand her needs, and because we communicate openly and honestly, there’s never been a sense of secrecy or betrayal between us. I trust her completely.

“I’m secure in who I am as her husband and confident in the love, respect, and care she has for our marriage and our family.”

The couple, who originally met in 2016 on the dating website and married a year later in 2017, believe the lifestyle choice has ultimately saved them from drifting apart.

“I feel like since I started dating women, it’s strengthened our relationship because there’s now nothing that’s too difficult to talk about,” Karla said.

“I’m now able to live fully as who I am, and I’m with someone who is able to mirror what it means to truly be an ally of love, unconditionally.”

While Karla is currently single but actively looking for a female romantic partner, she still has to contend with judgment from her extended family.

Because she comes from a strict Christian background, most of her family openly say that her lifestyle is “wrong” and refuse to agree with the relationship dynamic.

Karla is also still waiting to find out what Steven’s family thinks of the arrangement.

However, she refuses to let outside opinions dictate her happiness.

“I don’t let it bother me, I understand not everyone is going to be supportive of how I live my life,” she said.