Cheating— as in the act of being unfaithful in a relationship— is more complicated than it seems. It is easy enough to say that cheating itself is bad, but when it comes to putting the people who cheat on their partners, or vice versa, in distinct "good" or "bad" categories, things tend to get more difficult to parse.
Because cheating is so complicated, no matter what one's reasons for cheating may be, the stories behind affairs are almost always decidedly juicy. (There is a reason why they make for the most compelling fodder for supermarket tabloids and prestige drama TV shows.)
To that end, someone recently asked "cheaters of Reddit" to share stories about how their affairs started and ended.
INSIDER was unable to independently verify all of these stories, but you'll enjoy scrolling through them.
1. She was (accidentally) the other woman.
"I was the mistress in a marriage. The guy was an old boyfriend from high school, we dated off and on. When we were off he would date this other girl, and when we broke up for the final time he went and married her. Almost a year after we broke up, I was back in town on summer break from college and ran into him at my summer job.
He gave me this sob story about how Kelly wanted a divorce and was taking his kid from him. I (stupidly) believed him, we exchanged numbers, started talking daily. He invited me over to 'his' apartment, showed me his divorce paperwork, and ultimately things got sexual for a couple weeks.
One day I swung by to pick up a pair of earrings I'd forgotten the day before. His best friend from high school answered the door. I asked if Guy was around, best friend said no why would he? Turned out Guy was actually house-sitting for best friend, it wasn't his apartment. Best friend also informed me that Guy and his wife were in the process of BUYING A HOUSE, their marriage was fine.
I was livid and disgusted. I went to work the following day, and in walks his wife. I ask her what she's doing later that night and if she's available to talk. We meet up after I get off and I lay it all out for her. She teared up a bit, but ultimately she was pissed. She gives me their address and tells me to show up there unannounced the next day.
I do and Guy is white as a sheet trying to get me to leave. His wife shows up and they end up in a screaming match. So Guy ended up getting divorced and settled with a chunk of child support because his wife informed the right people about Guy's pot plants. None of us talk anymore. When I think about it, I have to shower at least twice." - Reddit user PeanutPhotography
2. He hooked up with an old coworker...then got a picture of a sonogram.
"Was in a five year relationship with my girlfriend at the time. I started to talk to an old coworker from my teens that I always had a thing for, but she lived a couple states away so I knew nothing would come of it. Well, it turns out that she still had family in my area and regularly visited.
We made plans to get some dinner and catch up, for old times' sake. It ended in both of us getting drunk, renting a hotel room and having some fun. This happened a few times over the next several months until I get a text from her... it's a picture of a sonogram of our child.
I was going to come clean to my girlfriend because I never had a father growing up and I didn't want to put my child through that. However, she ending up losing it a month or so into the pregnancy and we stopped talking.
It left me feeling very guilty and anxiety stricken. 0/10 would not do again." - Reddit user RedBombX
3. He met someone who made him believe in love at first sight.
"I was young — 19. I had been with a girl for a year when my parents decided I needed to pay rent, so I found a roommate and got an apartment. Day one I go to the office to turn in my walk through paperwork. The girl in the office made my heart skip. She made me a believer in the idea of love at first sight.
She moved in across from my apartment a couple weeks later and we started to hang out. One night we slept together. The next day I broke up with my girlfriend. Me and new girl talked and we both wanted to be together.
She moved in with me a month later. That was 17 years ago. She's currently asleep upstairs next to our daughter." - Reddit user optimaloutcome
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