Being cheated on is one of the worst — and sometimes unexpected — feelings in the world. Although many hear the stories of the person being cheated on, very seldom do those who are called "the other woman" get to tell their stories. And, in some cases, those are the ones that deserve to be heard the most. Whether it's to deliver a lesson learned for future preventative measures or to display that they are just as innocent as the "main" woman, being the "other woman" isn't always as clear cut as we'd like it to be.
Here’s what 15 women say about their experiences — some unknowingly and some the total opposite — with being the other woman.
"The trust I had for him was so low from the start."
"I started out my last relationship as the 'other woman' and the trust that I had for him was so low from the start. We were with each other all the time and constantly keeping tabs on one another when we weren't together. I made no time for my friends and isolated myself from everything. I went from being confident and happy to embarrassingly insecure in myself and my relationship. So if you're thinking about it, just don't do it. There's so many other people out there and you should absolutely consider starting a relationship where you can trust the other person entirely because how it all started will always be in the back of your head."— Redditor kathyboh
"I really should have recognized the pattern…"
"I had this situation twice. Both times, the person had their foot out the door already when I met them and I honestly didn't know one was in a relationship initially — they just never talked about their significant other. We were only friendly, still, when I learned.
"Both relationships ended with me being cheated on. I'd like to say it's something I deserved falling for it twice, I really should have recognized the pattern, but the circumstances at the start of both relationships were so different I hadn't put together that it was the same thing.
"I was very trusting, blindsided both times, but I can take 'being too nice' as a personality trait."— Redditor brandnamenerd
"It very rarely works out."
"While there wasn't physical overlap, the guy kept me 'on hold' for four months while he was deciding what to do with his current girlfriend of seven years. When I said I was done waiting, that it was starting to feel gross and cheat-y, he immediately dumped her and started dating me.
"He ended up being resentful and mean towards me (I think it's partially because his guilt over how it began) for most of the three years we had together.
"After him dismissing multiple desperate pleas for couples counseling, I got sick of his behavior and ended up leaving him for another guy (ironically). He made my life hell because of it.
"Don't do it. It very rarely works out."— Redditor skydart
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