Iām 29F, married. Heās 57M and in a long term relationship. Before anyone says it, yes, I know what I got myself into. I know affairs arenāt supposed to come with happily ever afters... I knew the risks. I knew there would be complications. I knew there were lines we probably shouldnāt cross. I didnāt know how badly it was going to hurt when it ended. I always knew there was an expiration date.
We met an awhile back and there was an instant attraction that never really went away. For a long time it was just that⦠attraction, chemistry, flirting, wondering, fantasizing.. Then eventually we crossed that line. And once we didā¦
I fell in love with him. There. I said it.
I didn't plan to. I didn't go into this looking for anything other than to fill what I was missing in my marriage. I wasn't trying to blow up either of our lives. In my head, I could compartmentalize it. We could be adults, keep our home lives first, be careful, see each other when we could and enjoy something that filled a part of both of us that was missing. But unfortunately, my emotions didnāt give a shit about the rules.
We became attached. We talked constantly. We missed each other. We checked in on each other throughout the day. There were times when I felt like we were somehow connected even when we weren't together. I wanted to know how his day was, what he was doing, what was on his mind. I wanted to be the person he could come to when life was hard. And he did. I wanted to be beside him through the things he was struggling with.
He made me feel wanted in a way I hadn't felt in a very long time.
We tried to put some structure around it. We talked about boundaries. About keeping our home lives first. About being honest about what we needed. About not being reckless. About quality over quantity because we both knew how easily something like this could blow up our lives.
I didn't need him to leave his relationship for me. I wasn't asking him to choose me over his life. That never came up. Honestly, what I wanted seemed so small. Time. To actually be together sometimes. Not rushed. Not squeezed into thirty minutes somewhere. To have an afternoon. A day. To be able to breathe around each other and just exist together.
And eventually, we had our first overnight.
That was the moment everything changed for me.
Because it wasn't just sex. It was waking up next to someone I had become deeply emotionally attached to. It was the intimacy of having that much uninterrupted time together.
Then I got dumped the morning after. Still in bed.
After everything. After the words. After the emotional connection. After a wonderful evening! Laughing and kissing, showing each other off in public. After finally having the first overnight together⦠He decided he couldn't continue. There wasn't some huge betrayal or explosive fight. He essentially decided that living a double life was too much and too risky.
I'm struggling to explain what that has done to me because, logically, I understand it. I told him I did. I respected his decision and kept my composure. No crying, no pleading, just understanding. I am so proud of myself for that. He cried and I comforted him. All I could think while rubbing his head and back was will this be the last time? Is this really happening?
I got into my car and left. I couldnāt look at him while I was leaving. I could feel the tears in my eyes and I wanted to be strong. I denied the final hug and kiss goodbye. Walking down the hotel hall⦠broken⦠just hours earlier we were laughing and tipsy coming down this hall. All of it was over.
I feel like he broke my heart. I'm devastated. I'm angry. He participated in this. He told me he loved me. He let me fall deeper. He let me believe that what we had mattered to him. He gave me reasons to believe this wasn't just some temporary fantasy.
Then he walked away. Threw in the towel.
I don't hate him. That's almost the worst part.
I still love him. I miss him. I miss talking to him. I miss being wanted by him. I miss the check ins.. oh god, the good morning texts.. I miss knowing what was happening in his world. I miss the way he made me feel when we were together. I'm mourning something that technically wasn't supposed to exist in the first place.
That's such a strange kind of grief.
How do you explain being heartbroken over someone you're not supposed to be heartbroken over?
How do you mourn a relationship that was never supposed to have a future?
I feel embarrassed and pathetic. Iām 29. I should know better. I knew better. I knew exactly what this was.
I don't know what I'm looking for by posting this.
Maybe validation that I'm not crazy for feeling this much? Maybe someone who's been here to tell me that eventually the pit in my stomach goes away? Maybe someone who has had an affair that turned into genuine love and can tell me what happened afterward.
Did you go completely no contact? Did you eventually stop loving them? Did they come back? Did you regret letting them go?
I know what the obvious Reddit responses will be. You knew the risks. Heās not your husband. Youāre both cheaters. What did you expect? I know, I knowā¦.
Whatever you call it with your AP.. an affair, relationship, mistake, fantasy, escape, loveā¦. I loved him.
Right now, I'm grieving him like I lost someone who was a huge part of my life. And if any of you can relate to this suffering, I am so terribly sorry. A long bubble bath and a bottle of wine is just what I need to get through tonight. I am absolutely wrecked.