Member-only story
What the Other Woman Should Know
Your married boyfriend is going to tell you a lot of things. But you should know the truth.
My ex-husband cheated on me before we even got married. In fact, I later found out that one day, as I drove into our apartment complex, the pretty young woman who waved at me on her way out was the woman he’d cheated with. She wasn’t the first, I suspect, and I know she wasn’t the last.
I spent the next three years trying to make that marriage work, listening to his promises that would always be broken, and wishing things were different. And normally, I would give my advice to the betrayed spouse, because that’s the position I’ve been in. It’s the one I can relate to, and the one I can best tell you how to navigate.
But the other woman deserves to know a few things too. Before you panic or get angry, don’t worry — this isn’t going to be a bash-fest on you for being the other woman. I know that sometimes you had no idea he was married until it was too late. I know that even if you did know he was married, he was the one who made that vow, not you.
But you’re still doing something you shouldn’t, and I don’t just mean helping him commit adultery. You’re settling for a relationship you don’t deserve, a relationship that’s not really even a relationship. And if…
