 I could be physically harmed in just about any way, and it still wouldnt hurt nearly as bad as when I went through their electronics, only to discover messages and emails showing that they’d been seeing and reaching out to someone else. I remember the feeling like it was yesterday, the initial shock, then my heart dropping into my stomach. I dwelled in disbelief in both occurrences, such an awful feeling. As time has passed, I’ve learned to move on from the person, but still have yet to move past the feeling. I often wonder if It might take a lifetime to do so.Â
      To cheat is to stab someone in the back and apologize, like it’s something that’s forgivable. “I’m sorry,” is rarely an apology for their actions, but an apology for getting caught in the first place. The way I see it, if someone truly cares for another, there would be no alternatives..Â
      Before other options become possibilities, ponder this: is what could be potentially lost, worth losing? At first, it might not seem so bad, but eventually with passing time, their scent will gradually disappear from your memory, their voice stripped from recognition, their touch of something foreign, and their smile will be nothing more than a memory. In due time, someone else will consume their love and attention, something that once belonged to you. Picture their wedding day, when they’re face to face, promising “til death do us part,” but the person in front of them is not you. Think about the moment their first child arrives. The precious sound of the babies first cry, and the big smile that appears the moment the babies eyes meet theirs. The child is half them, but half of someone else. Is it worth it? Is temporary attention of more importance than a future with a current significant other?
      While consequences of one’s actions might hurt them in the end, nothing could ever beat the pain experienced on the other end of the stick. The feelings of betrayal and pondering why set one into complete misery. To do that to someone else, is, for the lack of better words, completely and utterly shitty. If you are able to accept putting your significant other through such a whirlwind of emotion, shame on you. Not only is this process wounding, but also makes bestowing trust in future partners extremely challenging. Eventually, someone else is left to fix a heart they didn’t break.Â
      To the people who sat me face to face with such experiences, was it worth it? To lose someone who had nothing but good intentions for our futures, are you satisfied? One day, I’ll be the one saying “I do,” at the end of an aisle, to a future with the man standing right in front of me, but it won’t be you. I’ll have my first child and fall instantly in love, half mine, and half of someone else that’s not you. I’ll grow old and rickety with someone, someone who is not you. While moving past what we had was a challenge, I do however, have to thank you. It was you two who taught me the right and wrong ways to love another person, so that when the time comes, the one who’s meant for me, will receive the best of me.Â