Happy Fall Equinox or whatever! It has been some time since I’ve been here but I was just really trying to enjoy the last days of summer. Already missing summer even though it seems that Mother Nature is loving me and giving me a little bit more.
The end of my #summerbabe summer 2019
So I’ve been thinking about cheating. Those who cheat and those who are cheated on. And I am not talking about a school exam. Relationships folks! Relationships!
Disclaimer: Don’t automatically assume this is a male bashing session. It’s not. We all know men are not the only ones who cheat, even though it seems they are the ones who get caught the most often (dumbasses) and so therefore it seems they are the ones who cheat the most, but who knows. I’d have to gather some data on that one. At the end of the day we are all capable of cheating.
I’ve been on both ends of the spectrum- cheater (not my proudest moment) and cheatee (I made this word up and for the purposes of this blog the cheatee is the person being cheated on.) And I guess the person who you cheated with we will just call…. the home wrecker? IDK). Anyway, after a most recent experience coupled with my journaling, self-reflecting and conversations with others I have really been mentally trying to dissect and process cheating and its effects on those involved.
And so you guys remember my Letter To My Younger Self? Well I’ve decided to write a letter to cheaters everywhere in the hopes that they can receive some clarity on the damage that is left behind when the cheating dust settles. Here goes:
Dear Cheater,
I am not sure what you were thinking of the moment you made the conscious decision to cheat. And yes it was a conscious decision. Most cheaters will in their apology say things like “I’m sorry I made a mistake.” The reality is that cheating is NOT a mistake. It is a conscious decision. There are those 2.5 seconds right before you cross that line when you could have said “No!!!” Like “Say no to drugs” well “Say no to pussy!” Especially the one that isn’t yours.
I have been trying to understand why you decided to step out on your relationship in this way. I mean I know people cheat for a slew of reasons: stress at home or work, boredom, not enough sex, lack of spontaneity or just a basic disconnect in the relationship because nobody is addressing it. And of course I also know Dear Cheater that you just may be one of those people who likes to cheat. And that’s a whole other blog.
An affair feels exciting, stimulating, stirring, breathtaking!!! It boosts peoples’ self esteem and strokes the ego. Being with someone new, someone you’re not fighting with, or dealing with the kids with, or paying bills with or just dealing with plain old life issues with is so much better than the reality of adulting.
I know an affair makes people feel young, and beautiful and sexy and in your quest to charm and entice you dress up, wear cologne/perfume, send sexy messages, you court. It’s fucking exhilarating!!! Shit. I know. (BTW but did it ever occur to you to try that with your significant other BEFORE resorting to cheating??! Just a thought)
But Dear Cheater, let me tell you all the other things it can be and usually becomes and let me give you a little insight into what it does to the cheatee.
When an affair comes to light the ugly in people emerges. The crazy too! Drama follows. People’s business is put out there. Threats and humiliation. Not so pretty anymore huh? Tears and fights, lengthy texts or calls spewing every hateful word that comes to mind because as humans thats what we do when we are hurt. We want to hurt others back. In the case of an affair nobody is spared, not you, not the cheatee and not the home wrecker because as much as I hate to say it they feel the effects too.
Dr. Robert Huizenga
The moment the cheatee suspects or discovers the infidelity, this tiny seed is planted in their gut. This seed of so many emotions. Too many to list. The first is embarrassment and/or shame. Yeah! Can you believe that shit? You cheated but the cheatee feels the shame and just thinks of things like “What am I going to say to people when they ask for him or her? “What did I do wrong?”
There is also lots of anger in this initial phase. Like the cheatee will threaten everything from burning the cheaters clothes, slashing tires, physically hurting them. (THIS IS JUST A BLOG I WOULD NOT TRY ANY OF THIS AT HOME!)
The second emotion is disbelief. Like “WOW!” No way. There has to be a mistake! He or she would NEVER do that! The cheatee will spend days and nights replaying every single exchange in the relationship to figure out when, how, why? Why becomes the single most important question. They try to look for clues or signs to see if they missed something. This will keep them from eating, sleeping, and/or wanting to be around others.
Then comes the obsessive stage or investigative as I’d rather call it. LOL !!! And I don’t care if your male or female all cheatees do this to some extent. The cheatee will NOT stop until they know EVERYTHING. Now quick insert- women are way better at this then men! Just saying. When a woman sets her mind to find some shit out, you’d best believe she will! In this phase they hurt so bad that you will surely not see any signs – like tears. It’s a weird thing. I am thinking this is where the cheatee starts to process that yes it really did happen and the life they thought they were living or the future they envisioned …. wasn’t going to happen.
Soon after the hurt settles. An ache. More questioning. This is probably around the time that the cheatee will find themselves crying out of nowhere. They may be retelling the story and it evokes such strong emotions they may cry at any instant. They will think about the intertwined friendships and families, the “place” that became yours and now what? Maybe kids if they were involved too and having to explain to the kids that the “cheater” is no longer a part of the family – delicately of course because it’s not their fault. This is the hardest and longest stage to process and grow through in case you didn’t know.
Eventually, the cheatee will maybe get over it, surpress it all and get on with their life and you the cheater will become a distant memory. (Once in while and in very rare occasions a cheater and cheatee will work through things and after many, many years of rebuilding and work they may come out stronger. May being the key word!!!
So Dear Cheater, the next time you are in a relationship in which you have made a commitment to be truthful, transparent, and loyal and you find yourself at a point of making that 2.5 split decision of cheating or not, remember the damage you are leaving behind lasts for far longer and run far deeper that those 2.5 seconds.
And in the end was it really worth it?
Love,
Cheatee
Thank you for stopping by and reading. If you’ve been cheated on it’s not your fault. It was their shit and not yours. And if you have cheated, learn and grow, be better, be truthful, be transparent.
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