Dear Prudence,
My husband and I have lived next door to a middle-aged couple for about 10 years. We have always been friendly with one another until three weeks ago. Suddenly, they started turning their backs on me when I tried to speak to them and giving me hateful looks. We couldn’t understand why until my husband found a note on his truck one morning accusing me of having a long-standing affair and suggesting that he get a DNA test for our son. It wasn’t signed, but we were sure it came from them. A week ago, things escalated when members of their church came to the door with literature on adultery and offers of marriage counseling. It was all I could do not to slam the door in their face, and I am so beyond furious and frustrated at the neighbors.
I have never cheated on my husband, and I am baffled about where this idea came from, as I can’t think of anything I might have done. After the visit from the church, I stormed over to their house to confront them, but they refused to answer the door. I’ve tried several times since, and they won’t acknowledge or speak to me. At this point, I am at a loss about how to continue to live next door to these people. My husband says that we should return the favor and pretend they don’t exist, but that feels like letting them get away with this terrible behavior. What should we do?
—Not a Cheater