The moment you decide to cheat on your partner is the moment you begin your road to self-sabotage. While some people can show enough remorse to have their partners forgive them and keep the relationship, many are left wallowing in deep regret for the situation they put themselves in.
The man in the story you’re about to read is a classic example of the latter after learning that he got his girlfriend and her sister pregnant. While he recognizes he made a terrible mistake, he has no choice but to face the consequences.
As he tried to figure out how to break the news to both women, he turned to the Reddit community for some sound advice.
There is no upside to cheating on your significant other
Image credits: user17007025 (not the actual photo)
This man cheated on his pregnant girlfriend with her sister, whom he also knocked up
Image credits: Drazen Zigic (not the actual photo)
Realizing the mess he had made, he turned to the internet for advice
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Cheating with a partner’s sibling often happens in an environment where boundaries are already compromised
While the author didn’t give much of a backstory on his relationship with his partner’s sister, it’s possible that they are in an environment where their boundaries are already compromised.
As wellness expert Dr. Eleni Nicolaou tells Bored Panda, it could be through frequent contact in a domestic space that “undermines the natural barriers of preventing infidelity.”
“Early cues of it include an unexplained increase in inside jokes or protective secrecy about shared messages,” she said.
Psychotherapist Claire Law shared a similar insight, stating that it typically occurs when siblings are in similar social circles, when discussions about relationship problems occur between a person and their partner’s sibling, or when the person is “unusually close” to their significant other’s sibling.
Law added that triangulation is a significant warning sign that is often overlooked. As she explained, it is when someone seeks validation or support from their partner’s sibling about their relationship, adding that, “Once triangulation occurs, it is hard to go back.”
What turns this situation chaotic is that the fallout of the betrayal may rip the family apart. According to Law, the infidelity could be a lingering topic of discussion even long after it happened, or worse, family members may be forced to choose sides.
So, how do people move forward from such a messy situation? Time and space between the people involved may jumpstart the healing process, Law says.
“Once people have come to terms with what happened, they tend to be better placed to consider what they are willing to accept in terms of boundaries and whether they actually want to work towards rebuilding any of the relationships involved,” she noted.
At this point, the author has no other choice but to man up and tell both women. He may have to sit them both down, confess to what he did, and acknowledge his mistake.
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Advice and responses from readers poured in as the author responded to some comments
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He then shared an update, revealing a twist and a successful revenge plot by both women
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Commenters had a unanimous reaction to the new developments
