Mine was a WSO in a 6-year exclusive relationship where I was also a quasi-stepfather to WSO's young son. WSO was a dancer and kept crazy hours. Late nights of rehearsal and/or performance. Days of auditions. Lots of parties. I often partied with the dancers and musicians. It was a crazy time.
WSO got closer and closer with another person involved with the troupe. I started hearing his name repeatedly and began to suspect an EA. Then one night she just didn't come home. It was a weeknight. I was up the next morning getting myself ready for work, getting her son (by then aged about 9) ready for school, and figuring out my schedule in terms of drop off, work, and pickup.
This was like 29 years ago. Nobody had cell phones, computers, etc. in those days. I literally had no idea where she was, and frankly worried it was a car accident or DUI. Lots of drinking at those parties.
About the time I was ready to leave, she came in looking disheveled. She pulled me into our room: "Butfor, I slept with X last night and I'm leaving you for him. We're done." She was a strong-willed woman. None of her "no's" ever meant "yes."
I was crushed and heartbroken. I sat down and wept. I wept as I dropped her son at school, and went into my office, closed the door, and wept. When I was done weeping, I stared at the wall. The feeling of being alone was so profound.
It only took me a week or so to secure another place to live and move out. I moved so quickly because every day of being in our shared space was a day of pain. She was sleeping on the floor in her son's room, leaving me alone in our room. We didn't have a lot of stuff, but almost every household item we had accumulated (furniture, kitchen stuff, stereo, TV, etc) was stuff we had purchased together. I left it all behind. Brought my clothes and my guitar.
Started all over. Bought a bed and a stereo. Rented a room in a 2-bedroom house already inhabited by another single guy. Picked up the pieces and moved on.
Eventually started dating again, had some single years, and then met and married my wife 23 years and 2 great kids ago. I'm in a much better place.
It did not take very long before I developed a lot of respect for WSO. She had the clit to woman up and rip the band-aid off all at once. She knew it would hurt me, a lot, but she also knew it would hurt worse if she kept me stringing along, or lied to me and deceived me. Actually, as it turned out, X was a pretty casual fling, and she expected it would be. But as mentioned she didn't think it was fair to keep me stringing along. She wanted to set me free.
Because of her son and my relationship with him, we kept in contact. He would stay with me on weekends, sometimes take vacations or go to sports games or concerts.
There were times over the years that she hinted at having a roll in the hay. It was tempting. She is, after all, a dancer, if you get my meaning. But the heart pain that is connected with her acted as a barrier against any amorous feelings.
I'm still in touch with the son, a man in his mid-30's. I occasionally hear from the mom, like a Christmas card or a birthday text.
In hindsight, I have way more respect for my XWSO than for some of the WS's we see on these boards who carry on secret A's for long periods of time, weaving webs of lies and deception, and then only develop remorse after they are caught (which often occurs via sheer happenstance). For me, the worst part of a wayward's betrayal is the dishonesty. I would have a lot of difficulty respecting anybody who exhibited that level of dishonesty, especially toward a person she/he had pledged to love and honor, cherish and obey, until death.
That said, love is amazing stuff. Often, that type of dishonesty is not a function of a flaw in her or his moral fabric but rather some deep hurt or void in the soul. Each situation is different, and the beauty of love is that, for the people involved, it can sometimes enable even the most profoundly wounded betrayed to see beyond his own hurt and into the heart he fell in love with before the betrayal.
[This message edited by Butforthegrace at 10:43 PM, April 7th (Saturday)]