What Not To Do If You’re Cheated On

What not to do if you’re cheated on — The Rookie Mistakes. Very few people navigate this crap gracefully. Accept that you’re going to wobble and fail sometimes. It’s okay. The goal here, upon finding out that you’ve been cheated on, is to take back your power, maintain your dignity, and not do anything homicidal.

1. Do not confront your cheater until you’ve gathered evidence.

Most cheaters will lie and gaslight you unless you catch them dead to rights, and even then they usually only cop to what they think you already know. If you confront them before you have the evidence, there’s a good chance they’ll take the affair more underground. Put all your evidence in a safe place (preferably a lawyer’s office in a fault divorce state). Never reveal your sources.

2. Never accept responsibility for their cheating.

She didn’t cheat on you because of your penchant for wearing dark socks and sandals in public. He didn’t find fuckbuddies on Craigslist because of your post-baby muffin top. Nor did he cheat because you’re a bipolar, alcoholic shrew who emasculates him with your rages (although you sound pretty lousy as partners go). People cheat because they feel ENTITLED to.

Cheaters are 100% responsible for their decision to cheat. If they were unhappy, they could’ve gotten counseling, filed for divorce, taken up scrapbooking… really most anything other than cheating. They cheat because they value the good feelings they get from ego kibbles and affair sex more than their commitment to you and your health and well-being. People cheat because they’re selfish escapists.  Many of them are quite happy to blameshift their crappy decisions on to you. Don’t let that happen. Be very clear on what is yours to own (i.e., dark socks/sandals offenses) and what is NOT yours to own (i.e., fucking people you aren’t married to.)

3. Don’t give them any time to “decide.”

Have you heard the expression — don’t make anyone a priority who only makes you an option? You are not an option. You are their spouse. This is not a contest. They made a commitment to YOU. They don’t get to  renegotiate the terms. Stalling for time, acting all vague about how they intend to make this right, talking a good game and never coming through on the particulars — these are all ploys to keep them in the affair. You CANNOT “nice” someone out of an affair. Oh, I’ll just make my needs smaller and smaller, or I’ll be so wonderful I’ll win them back! are tactics doomed to failure. All you do with appeasement is give the cheater the green light to abuse you further. The cheater needs to decide right then and there — or you put their crap in Hefty bags and throw it on the lawn for the raccoons.

4. Do not beg for your marriage.

Do not cry or plead or attempt to win them over. Maintain your dignity. When you do the “humiliating dance of ‘pick me’” — all you do is feed their egos and give them YOUR power. Now is the time to practice detachment and take care of yourself (see a lawyer, protect your assets, get IRL support). Set aside your grief and make room for righteous ANGER. Let it fuel you forward. You are not anyone’s consolation prize.

5. Do not waste your time trying to figure them out.

Seriously, people, this is a time suck. If you’re like most betrayed spouses, you spend a lot of time in pointless arguments yelling at your cheater “WTF?! How could you DO this?” or “Does her pussy have some gravitational pull that you’re helpless to resist?!” or “That fedora-headed, hipster douchebag? REALLY?” You’ll posit theories. You’ll deconstruct their FOO issues. You’ll order a dozen infidelity books on Amazon.

All this does is keep your energy focused on them. Not YOU. You only get to control yourself. So what do YOU want? Is this person someone you want to invest in? What is acceptable and unacceptable to you? And what are YOU going to do about it? If you’re so busy trying to uncode them, or predict what they’ll do next, or prevent them from doing some awful thing — you will just stay stuck. It doesn’t matter why they are how they are. You can’t fix it. You just get to fix you. (See more about this at “Untangling the Skein of Fuckupedness.”)

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Jack Chong
Jack Chong
11 years ago

“1. Do not confront your cheater until you’ve gathered evidence.”

Indeed, because speaking from experience, you may be the paranoid cynic who sees the infidelity ghost around every corner.

LeanJedi
LeanJedi
11 years ago

Good stuff. Keep up your good work. My MLC W filed for D and I am working efficiently to give her (D) what she wants.

will revisit soon.

Denise Wolever
Denise Wolever
11 years ago

Thank you so much for telling your story and helping people with this nasty business of infidelity. It has been 20 years of misery for me. I want to help other people suffering with this pain. It is the worst kind imaginable. I will tell you everything that happened to me if that will help others to not suffer so much.
I am so thankful I have a strong faith in God and in the truth. I wish you could think of a different name besides “Chump Lady.” It sounds so mean to me. You are a wonderful person that unfortunately got duped—like all of us that have been betrayed by rotten, selfish, cruel, evil people. We all may be sadder, but hopefully wiser. You are definitely helping people to be wiser. God bless you and your courage to ge the truth out there.

NubianNarcXSisNemesis
NubianNarcXSisNemesis
6 years ago
Reply to  Denise Wolever

My thoughts, EXACTLY!!! Truer words have never been spoken on the topic of infidelity!!! So often we rationalize with the Cheater, to seek closure, answers, and some sort of restoration of the security we have the right to expect from a spouse that simply is, and never will be forthcoming. Its a total waste of time and energy. We have none to spare. NONE. Likewise, for sympathy, empathy, and patience. Not even anger. Don’t waste any of that on ’em either. Use it to fuel you forward, full speed ahead… May you all find the courage, and self-discipline to follow ChumpLady’s advice, as it is invaluable. I have experienced doing all of the above(and some) to try to save a marriage, only to be discarded, as I was used as a kickstand, until he was able to stand on his own two feet-without my assistance. I was just used as Narc Dessert Supply for 10+ years of emotional, physical, and financial exploitation and abuse. Unfortunately, I stayed long enough to see all those vicious cycles repeat over and over and over. That’s why I know ChumpLady knows wtf she’s talking about. I did everything she said we’ll do. In vain. Because all I did was send the message to him that no matter wtf you do to me or how many times you do it–here I am, your eternal doormat, and financial institution, here for the taking!!! Never again. I’m so glad I found this blog, totally by accident(although, I don’t believe in those sort of coincidences)

Watermelon
Watermelon
6 years ago

I hear you, I hear you. I’m going through it right now, being into an 8 year relatioship and living together. Today, after New Year’s Eve, we’ll have “that conversation” I asked (almost begged, to be honest) him to happen. We both decided to not spend New Year together so he can “clear up” his mind. Now, reading this and your comment, I know I’m faulty of putting myself as a faithful doormat. Now it’s 10:00 Jan 1st and he’s not contacted me to say where he is or why he’s so late (he got his phone stolen from some punks two months ago and he conveniently hasn’t replaced it yet). Before entering this site I had planned this conversation to explore some solutions like renegotiating our terms, but now I see clearly this is just me putting myself as a doormat and retarding the inevitable. Now I know this won’t work. Now I know the fastest I get through all this shiagt, the better for me. Now I see a future without him not as dark or as sad, even I start to feel some kind of hope in the future growing inside of me. Sending you love, Nubian. Have a great life.

Lulutoo
Lulutoo
6 years ago
Reply to  Watermelon

I just came across this post and I really like it!

anudi
anudi
11 years ago

Dear Chump Lady,

One thing I always wonder is – what is the life of a serial cheater? I mean I understand my life, which is about our family (kids, parents, partners, friends, pets and people who need us) and about our own (career, individual dreams like hobbies etc.). What is their life about?

This question is important for us chumps to see things in proper perspective. One point is that he likes the cake (their partner & family: which gives them a social standing) and likes to eat it (all those EAs, PAs n what not!) too. However, if he loses his cake, he should be unhappy according to this logic (at least half of what the chumps are!). Why does it look like a lost game to chumps but not to the serial cheats in deciding to leave? Why do serial cheats look bold? Why serial cheats do not seem to care for repercussions…are they extremely lucky that come what may, they may get another cake if this one goes? What is it that makes them so confident? Do they have no thoughts of future…without a family?

This question keeps me disturbed a lot of times. After all, even if I wasted so many years of life, he did invest something into the cake…how does he think about losing it…any remorse or fury for future? We chumps shouldn’t be the only one suffering so much!

Regards

Otherside
Otherside
5 years ago
Reply to  anudi

They walk away smelling of roses because they are narcissistic. They don’t feel things the way we do, my SA/narc did therapy, begged me to stay, said he’d told me the whole truth, etc. 5 years ‘working on the relationship’ ended with me being told of lots other infidelities via a friend. We separated and 4 days later he’s in a serious relationship. Our children are gutted, my daughter found candles in his new bedroom as she’d slept in his bed because of a nightmare – but he sees no problem with it. As Chump Lady so eloquently says hope is not your friend here, 20 years of hoping this entitled **** would be nicer, kinder, more loving, stop being a SA did me no favours. Anyone reading this, please think seriously about the reality of your situation and if your hope is your friend or a masochistic crutch.

Wtfjusthappened
Wtfjusthappened
5 years ago
Reply to  anudi

Yes, although there is no question that I have to leave him, this question bothers me. Does he really not care about our life together or about his child?
That arrogant stance bugs me

Nord
Nord
10 years ago
Reply to  anudi

BAsically, my serial cheating ex had been lining up possible replacements for years. Even when he was thick in the affair with final OW he was at various stages of grooming a number of others. The night I found out he had plans to see yet another woman the following day.

So basically if it all falls apart with the spouse they’ve got backup. My ex is now with final OW and playing happy happy for all to see. And I’m quite sure he still has some grooming going on on the side, just in case.

thewife2003
thewife2003
7 years ago
Reply to  Nord

they are co-dependant and can’t stand being alone.

Chumpanzie
Chumpanzie
6 years ago
Reply to  thewife2003

My ex has paid dearly for it. After our break-up (because of her cheating) nearly 45 years ago, I strictly maintained the NC rule, but I followed her life from afar by listening to what her friends said and watching other info sources. She married twice more, both of which soon crumbled in ruin. She was a serial cheater. Today she is a weepy and sad old lady with nobody to look after her. Her father and mother are both gone, and they were her enablers in may respects. Her illegitimate children have grown up and have abandoned her. She’s got nobody, and she’s pathetic. Tough shit, honey.

geden
geden
5 years ago
Reply to  Chumpanzie

Damn , I heard that! Mine didn’t care that she got found out . I caught them , we later had a long talk..I told her if she needed to think about things to take the weekend away to do some introspection. Determine what’s important.She left and returned two days later. Two weeks later I found a camera in her car with pictures of her “getaway weekend”. She went straight to him and they spent the weekend together. I showed her the evidence and she became indignant. I told her if she loved this guy she needed to be with him. So she left.I was broken.I filed.The divorce took almost a year. She came by two weeks after the divorce telling me I was the best friend she ever had….pffft..So the slut found out the grass isn’t always greener. Like you , I told her to hit the road. This was almost 40 years ago. She’d married the loser and he ended up leaving her for another a couple years later , she married again and that lasted about 4-5 years till that one hit the rocks but he died before the divorce was final. She is now 60 , weighs 300 pounds , lives alone (but still has a fuck buddy), her best friend is a dog and she’s neck deep in debt. I’m 63 , found a loving wife of 35 years , and am worth maybe a half mil. She fucked up big time and she knows it , but you just can’t unring a bell. Live with yourself.

trying2fly
trying2fly
9 years ago
Reply to  Nord

This is my husband to a T. Phone, texting, emailing girls in every state (Australia). I have never been able to describe it so well as you just did…

Karen
Karen
10 years ago
Reply to  anudi

Definitely falls under narcissism; they have many many years of practice in not considering any consequences of their behaviour, and when those consequences can’t be avoided, of shifting blame on to others. They’re GOOD at this stuff, and THEY DO NOT CARE!!!

Now, enough ‘untangling’, I’m smelling spring air and working on my ‘meh’. Long ways to go, but I’ll get there!

moda
moda
11 years ago
Reply to  anudi

I think that falls under #5. But I’d say it probably revolves around Narcissism. Trying to unravel that nest is only going to cost you more of your precious time.

sandy
sandy
10 years ago

“Never reveal your sources.” Unfortunately, I was a source for a former friend. she purposely revealed that I told her about her cheating husband, had been approached by MY cheating sociopath ex-husband with a deal: he’d help her get out of her marriage if she helped him target me.

My life is in ruins because I was naive in believing that my ex was “normal”, that he’d never do anything to hurt me purposely. I’ve discovered he’s been stalking me, conducting a successful smear campaign against me for over 30 years, committed parental alienation with our son (who has also been participating in harassing me since he was in his teens and his dad’s nephew was convicted of murdering – beating to death – his ex girlfriend because he saw her talking to a male friend in a bar – psychopaths).

Nathan
Nathan
6 years ago
Reply to  sandy

Sounds like you should fill your trunk and run away! Seriously, take the advice

Marie
Marie
10 years ago

Hi Chump lady,
What if I feel that the reason my husband cheated was my fault? My husband left me 7 months ago for another woman. He said he got tired of me rejecting him for sex. He said me rejecting him was like a dagger to his heart. I feel so guilty about this. I know that he is telling the truth because he said it before he started his affair over 1.5 years ago. We had piles of bills from a failing business and I was never in the mood for sex because all I could think about is how to pay off our bills and get out of debt and make the business successful again. He took my rejection as if I wasn’t attracted to him anymore. I didn’t look at it that way at all. I love him. I’m a mess. Please help with some advice.

Ana
Ana
4 years ago
Reply to  Marie

Mine told me the same think. But, you know what I told him, sex is done by two and he didn t try to be close to me. So I wont take the blame for his mistakes. I m a good person and I know my value. Stay true to yourself and work on you to become stronger.

geden
geden
5 years ago
Reply to  Marie

“What if I feel that the reason my husband cheated was my fault?”
It’s not , you didn’t put a gun to his head , he willfully made the choice.
A dignified exit would be painful , but would not incur nearly as much pain as infidelity. Infidelity is a character flaw you are not responsible for.

Kara
Kara
10 years ago
Reply to  Marie

He still made the decision to cheat. That’s still his responsibility, not yours. He’s saying that to make you feel bad and to take the heat off him for cheating.

Like Karen said, liars lie, cheaters cheat. He’s a liar and a cheater. There are numerous, more mature things he could have done. He decided to go the immature, selfish route and cheat. He could have told you how he felt. You could have gone to counseling. Shit, he could have even just ended the relationship anyway, but WITHOUT having cheated.

There may have been issues in your marriage, but cheating is not, ever, the way to solve them. That is HIS fault, not yours.

Karen
Karen
10 years ago
Reply to  Marie

Hi Marie;

HONEST people who are unhappy in their marriages (for whatever reason at all) either seek to resolve the problems in the marriage (serious discussions, honest attempts to change themselves as well as you, couple’s counselling), or HONESTLY tell you it’s over and leave. In worst case scenario, they find themselves getting involved w/someone else, and IMMEDIATELY make a decision to either end their marriage or end their new relationship.

Liars lie, and cheaters cheat. If your husband lied, it’s because he’s a liar. And you deserve better.

Lisa
Lisa
10 years ago

Check out this list – its called the 180 and is a list of things to do whether you plan to stay married or not:

http://www.survivinginfidelity.com/faq_bs.asp#FAQ11

Fgh
Fgh
6 years ago
Reply to  Lisa

Wow, that’s terrible victim blaming, cheater-excusing advice.

RCCola
RCCola
10 years ago

I don’t know if anyone is monitoring this post any more.

I’m going through D right now and stbx and I have only been split up for 2 months. I have this huge desire to call her and hear her voice. I know she sucks! I know that it wont do me any good but I don’t know what to do to get rid of it. I’m getting anxiety like crazy because I cannot stop thinking about her. If anyone could serve me a dish of reality, or a slap to the face it would be really really nice. I thought I was done with these feelings but they just came back today.

RCCola
RCCola
10 years ago
Reply to  Tracy Schorn

CL, Thanks for replying and so quickly. I didn’t call her. I’m good now lol. I have no idea why I have been feeling that way but it built up on me.

KarenE
KarenE
10 years ago
Reply to  RCCola

RCCola, I totally get those moments of longing and weakness. Mine are mostly gone now, but they were HARD to get through. One thing that helped me a lot was re-framing is as WHAT I was longing for, rather than WHO. I was longing to feel safe and loved, I was longing to believe in the person I thought my ex was (but SO totally wasn’t), I was longing for everything to be OK (when it really, really wasn’t, and wasn’t ever going to be, w/him). I was longing for certain feelings and situations, and those were legit longings. I just had to remember that they were MY longings, and didn’t actually have that much to do w/him.

Then I could use that, to re-focus on what I DO want in my life; the love, the security, the peacefulness and trust …. and good sex! And while my heart struggled, my head knew very well that I was never going to have those again w/my ex.

It’s been 14 months since DDay, and it’s been such a long time since I felt that urge to reach out to the ex – don’t even remember the last time. Definitely a milestone on the road to ‘meh’.

RCCola
RCCola
10 years ago
Reply to  KarenE

Karen,

Thank you.

I get what you are saying. I do not want to long for her any more. I think I can put into practice what you said and re-frame my way of thinking. It is hard right now. I hope I can be a lot further along in 14 months like you. I have the problem of having to see her because of our kids. Are there any tricks to stop looking at her physical beauty and start seeing her inner self. Because I know she is a lot uglier on the inside.

KarenE
KarenE
10 years ago
Reply to  RCCola

My ex too is super good looking, almost a decade younger than me, and has that baritone voice I find so hard to resist! Being around him was often torture in the beginning, and bc of the kids and house, happened pretty often.

The things that helped most were;

– reducing contact to an absolute minimum. I made sure the kids were ready when he arrived to pick them up, didn’t invite him in when he dropped them off, (funny, when I started doing that consistently, he stopped picking them up and dropping them off, sent them on their own!), ignored his phone calls unless the kids were with him, just listened to the msg right after, and addressed anything I needed to tell him or discuss w/him by e-mail, and in e-mails, only addressed the practical issues, ignored anything else. When he wanted to do work around the house (he had agreed to look after the yard, since the house is too big for me and the kids), I made sure I wouldn’t be there. This was hard to implement, it took time and back-sliding, but it helped a TON. Weirdly, the less I saw him, the less I missed him!

– I made a list of everything I disliked about him and all the major bad experiences I’d had w/him over the previous 14 years. It was quite horrifying to see it all there in black and white. I built the list gradually, as I remembered or thought of stuff, and as he pulled more stupid stuff during the separation. I’d review it when I was feeling sad or missing him. It gave me the ‘big picture’ for the first time, really clarified who he actually is, and that made it much easier to not feel tempted by who he LOOKS like he is!

(I named the list ‘101 Reasons I Don’t Want to Get Back Together w/the ex’, and the last time I added something, several months ago, it was up to 106 items! NONE of it is ‘normal married issues’, either! It’s selfishness, meanness and entitlement!)

WTH Happened
WTH Happened
4 years ago
Reply to  KarenE

Karen, your tips were spot on! I’m only 4 months into my drama of husband leaving with a friend of mine and the fog is finally clearing a little bit.

In my anger phase I did the same as you — my child was ready and walked out to the car, he didn’t come in (the sight of him made me ill) and I had nothing to say to him. I tried to tell him how hurt I was, how they had done me wrong, etc…. I told him many times as I was trying to get him to acknowledge something, anything. I was always met with nothing, just a stare, no apology, no explanation, nothing. THAT has probably been one of the hardest parts of going thru this is feeling that the person you spent 24 years with could turn so fast without a care for you.

We were headed for divorce anyway and he purposely with held affection from me for year, affection of ANY kind. So I know I’m not losing a ‘good’ husband or anything, but the pain, the pain! I couldn’t eat, sleep, I could only cry in a curled up ball, couldn’t get out of bed, etc…. But then I went on a fact finding mission of everything I could, I made the list like you did of all the not good things in our marriage, etc..

I know I’m better off and he’ll be happier too. I think he’s had some undiagnosed depression our whole marriage. He’s a drinker and now apparently a pot smoker with this alcoholic ex friend of mine.

Anyway, your advice was good and I hope RCCola will take heed of them.

RCCola
RCCola
10 years ago
Reply to  KarenE

Karen,

I think i might start doing this. Even thinking of it just hurts, it hurts because even though I was hurt I still loved her. I type that out and I probably sound like an abused spouse. I am I know I am, why cant I stop? Why do I continue to see her and think of the things that made me love her in the first place?

I don’t want to be with her now I want to be with her before she started to be like this.

Smart Ass Texan
Smart Ass Texan
10 years ago

DON’T tell them how much you love them & that are everything to you.
They just don’t care , why humiliate yourself ?

Daisy
Daisy
10 years ago

Okay here is my story in a semi-short version. I was (so I thought) happily married for 30years. Three boys, one thru college and on his own. One in college and the third on his way there. Upon leaving my youngest at college that so called loving husband divulges he had been having an affair for 13.5 years w/the same HW. All the while she was fully aware of me, my life, my kids. Needless to say, I was shocked and devastated. He then went thru the I want you, no her, no you. Yes, I did plead as I had no idea how to function after being w/this man since high school. What does one do at 50 years old who was a nurturer, professional mom. Well, yes he used that amo promising to love me and finished w/her. Only for me to find out…he never did. My world flipped, depressed, sad, angry and here I am 2.5 years later divorced and am constatly hearing from those l I love…”GET OVER IT”!! “No shit sherlock”!! But I don’t have a switch, just expect w/time I will??! Gosh I hope as I have thrown myself into work as it is easier then feeling what has happened (but I always do!) My issue now…my kids (all boys) are the biggest yellers, “get over it). But my 4 brothers (2 who were very good friends of his who also were blown away w/his affair revealed) well their traditional snowmobile trip stopped for 2 years. Then this year back on like nothing happened!! (Exactly what this man wants…if we don’t talk about it it never happened, just now allow this women to walk into my life, like I never existed!!) This trip has caused me very hard feelings towards my brothers. How can they go w/him after what he did to me…THEIR SISTER??? Yes, they made a choice, my kids are his kids…my brothers are mine. Why, how can they do that?? How do I handle another betrayal? Could sure use some advise…Thanks, daisy!

ChumpBlocker
ChumpBlocker
10 years ago
Reply to  Daisy

Have you had a conversation with your brothers about how the trip makes you feel?

Daisy
Daisy
10 years ago
Reply to  ChumpBlocker

Yes, my brother knew. I told them someday it might not matter any longer but until then please stay away from him. This man wants this HW to now walk into my life, my brothers are doing exactly what he wants. They said, “they are over it”. They are constantly telling me “to get over it”. I have only loved one man in my life, trusted one devoted to one. He has blown up my life, my self esteem, married for 30 years, with him for 38 years and they all think 2 years is long enough for me to still have grief. They want the fun beer drinking buddy. It’s my problem I can’t get over it after 2 years. Makes me very sad to not feel I am important enough to be the one they can support. Like him…:if we don’t talk about it…it didn’t happen”. Only I feel it daily. Why am I not worth it?!

RendtheVeil
RendtheVeil
9 years ago

OMG! You need to post this at survivinginfidelity.com. The people at that site had me drinking the kool-aid for way too long. I finally came to the realization that sites like that exist because some people find comfort in their own pain, thus they keep going back to rip off the scab. How many DDays (discovery days) does one spouse need before they wake up and see the true person they married? Many people at SI have 3+ DDays and they continue to wait on their cheating spouse to come around. It is sad, and they do it because other people give them false hope. They are led to believe reconciliation with a cheater happens regularly and for many people. It simply does not. People may choose to *not divorce* for a myriad reasons, but painfully few actually reconcile and have a happy, healthy, and intimate marriage again.

I should not get started on Deeply Scared, a wayward spouse, and founder of the site. Once on her bad side you will be harassed or banned. She plays favorites and does not tolerate viewpoints she does not agree with, i.e., people speaking ill of the wayward spouse trying (lying) to do better. One woman on the site has a wayward spouse that had a 7 year affair, and she has convinced herself that he only cheated because the other woman *preyed* on him. She stated time and again, he would not have cheated if this women was not predatory. He only cheated because the affair fell into his lap land she preyed on him. Call me crazy, but does that not mean he was simply a lazy cheater? He did not want to go out and look for a woman, but when one presented herself he was willing, so willing he let it go on for seven years?!?!?!?!? She has been on SI for years and she tells new betrayed spouses that a long term affair does not mean the cheater has feelings for the other woman, because of course, her cheating husband did not care about his mistress, only his wife. I would like a drink of what she is having!

Rosberry
Rosberry
9 years ago

I really like this site.I was married 22 plus years.Hes a relapsed alcoholic and I am pretty sure he is a serial cheater. I do what I can to get over this but its hard as I have PTSD and major depression but my life has improved. My problem…no guts o pull the trigger and push the divorce. I don’t understand why that is and dont see me doing it even though I would be free to date .I want to go on but am too chicken to do it! H the nerve to doow do I get it? I injured my neck in an accident and am afraid of losing my home, etc…as I cannot work since separating because of it…I was a stay at home mom and also do not have enough credits to qualify for disability…whew…

CUCH
CUCH
9 years ago

Maintain your dignity. When you do the “humiliating dance of ‘pick me’” — all you do is feed their egos and give them YOUR power.

You’re right. My ex-wife cheated on me, and she onlystarted to give a shit when I gave up trying to save our marriage and became completely ambivalent about whether it survived or not. Now, if it ever happens again – I won’t fight, I’ll just walk away.

cheaterbegone
cheaterbegone
8 years ago

oh man, these pop up banners and ads are getting really annoying. Is there a way to make them less intrusive? On a different note, I’ve come across this really enlightening article and thought it would be appropriate to post the link on here: http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/women-who-love-too-much/discussions/messages/15303361

jan
jan
8 years ago

I hate that I have done all of those things! This has been going on for a year now and I still make excuses for him. My husband reconnected with and old flame on Facebook about a year ago. She lives about 6 hours away so I didn’t really think it too much a problem until I found evidence of numerous phone calls and text messages to her, always when i was not around. They were just catching up. Now he deletes everything and calls her on his work cell. I only know of once that he met her in person but he denies that also. Said the address of that motel was just there because she wanted him to have unch with her while her daughter was on a college visit And he wanted to see how far away it was. We’ve been married for 23 years and I am having a hard time deciding whether or not sn emotional affair alone is bad enough to file. He insists they are just friends and nothing is going on. Then why hide it? He has no remorse and says he only hides stuff because I was snooping.

Michele
Michele
8 years ago
Reply to  jan

Have no idea where things are at with Jan, but same thing happened to me. Old flame found my husband on Facebook and I had no clue that they began texting then talking and later sex. The affair went on for two years before I found out and kicked his ass to the curb. We are now trying to reconcile and she is no longer a threat, but it is difficult. I would not even consider the idea if he hadn’t allowed me total access to his phone, email, etc. As far as I am concerned, if you cheat you lose all rights to privacy and if you do not like it then go be with someone else. I was suffering from severe depression when I found out so the trauma was two-fold. Doing what I can to take care of my needs and get back on my feet and feeling stronger with each passing month (5 months out now). Not sure if I will want to stay with my WH, but taking it one day at a time. We had a good marriage before he took the cheater path and he is back to his old loving and attentive self, but I’m not sure I can be with him for the long haul if I can’t trust him. I just do what I need these days to feel good about myself and get past the PTSD symptoms that still haunt me. Cheating involves deception and if your spouse cannot understand the lack of trust and the need to be transparent, open and honest going forward, then there is no forward and they are either still cheating or planning to do it again.

thewife2003
thewife2003
7 years ago
Reply to  Michele

ugh I’m so sorry. My EX Husband did the same thing. Reconnected with his ex-from 18 years ago on FB the GF before me (they broke up because she cheated on him). Talk about going for the easy, low hanging fruit?! So lame on their part. It’s so text book it’s sad.

Ian Dubito
Ian Dubito
8 years ago

May 2012 Chump Lady:

There are so many good people in the Chump Lady archives. To anyone reading this email, Chump Nation needs you.

Could you spare a few minutes to help drum up support for Tracy’s new book? Go to this post and see if you have anything to add.

https://www.chumplady.com/forums/topic/advocacy-for-chump-rights/

If nothing else, could you come over to the forum, start a thread, and give us new Chumps an update on your Gain a Life goings-on?

Springy
Springy
7 years ago

Thank you for this. I just got the news of cheating hubby less than a month ago. He’s still in the house. I’ve filed for divorce, and he refuses to move out until the divorce is final. He’s also placing the blame of the cheating solely on me, saying we were no longer intimate. But it’s a two way street. And I’m working hard to accept this. I went to all the “save my marriage” websites, I took the blame, I apologized, I did all the shit that they told me to do. And it didn’t make a jot of difference. As my “loving” husband told me today: He doesn’t give a fuck what I think.

Pink ruffles and bows
Pink ruffles and bows
6 years ago

Thank you so much for writing this book! I had the unfortunate experience of discovering my ex husbands multiple affairs and I wish this book had existed then. I did everything you mentioned including blaming myself, begging for my marriage etc.

It was hard to leave and being a single parent is no walk in the park, but at least I have my dignity. Additionally I poured everything I had into my kids and career and it has paid off.

I don’t think you ever really get over being cheated on, but your book really helps people suffering to move on and up!

Carol
Carol
6 years ago

This is so good and has helped me immensely with my feelings I had with anger, jealousy, betrayal from my husband and knowing that it’s not all my fault! When I first found out I went ballistic but reading from you has just taught me so much about how it’s not about ME it’s about him! I tried to get marital counseling but he didn’t want it so I went to counseling alone and it has helped immensely! We are at nearly a year now of separation thank God I can finalize in Feb and start a new life at age: 50!????

Aly
Aly
5 years ago

I feel like crap and that I can’t go back and get my dignity because I’ve done most of these things…

J
J
1 year ago
Reply to  Aly

It’s ok. You are not the one with the personality defect. Give yourself some grace. ❤️

hje823
hje823
5 years ago

This was a good read. In my situation that I just found out about, Mr.X clearly didn’t care who he hurt. He decided to have 2 relationships, one with a me for 2 years while being in another relationship, engaged and just got married 2 weeks ago. Clearly I didn’t know about her and vice a versa. This article is good for both parties. I did send her an message letting her know what Mr X has been doing. I gave her pics of texts and phone logs and told her that he was in contact with me up to the wedding date and 3 days after he was married. I’m really disgusted with the conversation he and I had 3 days after being a married man asking for “phone sex”, ummm really?? Seriously cant believe he would do that knowing I had no idea that he had a wife. I’ve been reading many of the forums on here and they are helping me understand that I will be OK. I did nothing wrong, and he knows that, but will never admit it. I feel bad for his wife, who just got married to Mr X 2 weeks ago, and now knows that he was seeing someone else for 2 years. Plus the fact we both live in different states on the west coast he probably could’ve and would’ve carried on this double life. Now he has ruined 2 lives that should’ve never been hurt in the first place. Suck It Mr X…..

EssBen
EssBen
1 year ago

“That fedora-headed, hipster douchebag? REALLY?””

Thank you for making me laugh, this is exactly where I am right now.

He looks like a neckbeardy incel!

I’m no Brad Pitt, but damn at least I could understand if he was an upgrade.