Melissa, who described the affair as "heartbreaking", confessed that his modelling career drove a wedge between them because he was often overseas travelling.
But while they might have hit a rocky patch in their marriage, she had "no indication" Jeremy - with whom she shares her youngest child - would stray.
She recalled: "I had no indication he was looking for another relationship.
"People who are married, you go through your ups and downs, I thought it was a new chapter in our lives, we'd have to get over the hump and it would be fine."
Melissa's voice broke as she recalled Jeremy confessing his infidelity to her this June, in the aftermath of the pictures of Chloe draped all over him during a yacht photoshoot.
The nurse said: "He was just apologetic for how things came out and how hurt I was by it.
"I don't really think there's any denying it based on the photos that were out there..."
Meeks filed for divorce shortly afterwards and has been putting on a very public display of affection with new girlfriend Chloe ever since, canoodling on a string of exotic holidays.
Heartbroken Melissa admitted that she felt resigned to the split and didn't try and fight for her husband because she knew his heart belonged to someone else.
"I really wasn't too sure where I wanted to go in the relationship", she sighed.
"That's my husband of 8/9 years, I love him deeply, I still do. It's very hard when I think about what happened.
"I wish I still had my husband to go home to... but I don't believe there is any hope."
Although Melissa and Jeremy split on bad terms, the pair are doing their best to be civil for the sake of their children.
She declared: "He still sees the kids. They're still very involved with each other. That's still positive for the children."
During the moving interview, Melissa also recalled how Meeks' meteoric rise to fame affected their marriage.
Meeks shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice.
The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'. He served prison time for grand theft and gun possession.
Upon his release in March 2016, however, he became a hot property with offers of modeling work.
He is currently signed to White Cross Management, has walked in the Philipp Plein show and starred in the new eye-wear campaign for Carolina Lemke with Israeli model Bar Refaeli.
Explaining how their family dynamic changed when he was locked up, Melissa - who stood by him throughout his jail sentence - said: "We were leaving day to day lives without him.
"We would go to visit him a lot, it was good for the kids that they weren't completely pulled apart from him.
"It was the plan - to be a family together. But then his mugshot went viral.
"All the exposure that he got, this new career path he was on, he started doing a lot of travelling.
"I wasn't able to go with him, that probably put some distance between us."
Melissa's interview went down well with viewers at home, who branded her a "lovely and forgiving lady".
One viewer shared: "Shocking. The #HotFelon is a jerk. Running off with a better offer from his wife of 8 years once he got famous."
Another posted: "#hotfelon. What a lovely and forgiving lady, honest with her feelings whilst hurting badly. Hope she gets support."
Others were more cynical, with one person sharing, "I get that Melissa Meeks wants to make money from all this shit but she needs some self respect & move on like a grownup #ThisMorning".
Jeremy and Chloe reportedly met during the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Jeremy was modelling for Phillip Plein.
