A Secret That Haunts Me

I've been married for nearly two decades now and have always prided myself on being a model of decorum and professionalism as an associate professor at a respected university. But there's this dark secret that I can barely bring myself to confess even here, in the shadows of anonymity. It all began about five years ago when a particularly adventurous student and I... well, it started innocently enough with playful banter but quickly escalated into something much more intense behind closed doors. We kept it discreet, of course, knowing the consequences if anyone found out. But the guilt has only grown over time. I'm in my forties now and still carry this shame like a weight around my neck. Is there any way to cleanse myself of this burden? What do you all think about this kind of situation?