By the time you walk down the aisle with someone and commit to them ‘til death do us ‘part, it’s probably a good idea to know them well. Especially when it comes to their views on monogamy, or lack thereof.
But what happens when your spouse suddenly drops a bombshell long after you've tied the knot? Suddenly, they reveal that they'd like to explore polyamory...
That's exactly what happened to one woman. She says she was blindsided by her partner of four years, when he asked her to consider a "different" type of marriage. The wife hasn't been able to look at her man the same since, and quite frankly, wants a divorce. But she's not sure if she's overreacting.
Marriage isn't an easy journey but many couples try their best to work through the problems
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
One woman feels she can't stay a minute longer, after her husband suddenly asked her to consider an open relationship
Image credits: unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Far-Safety-9543
Netizens shared their thoughts and many had advice for the wife
Image credits: pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman provided an update, revealing that she's made some major decisions
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Far-Safety-9543
What is polyamory anyway?
Image credits: pexels (not the actual photo)
While monogamy dictates that we are married to, or faithful to, only one person at a time, polyamory is the practice of loving multiple people at the same time in an open, honest way.
Polyamory gives us the freedom to decide how many partners we can have but not all polyamorous relationships are the same. Some are equal. Others are hierarchical, meaning one relationship takes priority over others.
In this case, someone might have a primary partner and secondary partner/s.
The primary partner would be the one you live with, have children with, or marry. The secondary partner is not as involved in your life. You could be committed to each other but not live together.
Not all polyamorous relationships have a primary partner, notes VeryWellMind.
“Many polyamorous relationships are characterized by a couple who openly and consensually pursues independent or joint relationships outside of their primary relationship,” reads the site. “Others practice polyamory by having multiple independent, separate relationships, or even relationships among three or more people.”
While polyamory may seem like a free-for-all, it is not. Boundaries do or should exist in these relationships. "A big part of polyamory is ensuring that all partners are on the same page when it comes to emotional and physical boundaries," say the VeryWellMind experts.
Some of the things to consider are when and whether to divulge details about relationships or your polyamorous status with others, how often you'll spend time with each other and the "other" people, what's okay in the bedroom and what's off-bounds, and of course, what safety practices everyone will follow.
While each couple will have their own set of rules, cheating can happen. When any of the rules are broken.
"Overestimated his market value": many netizens rallied behind the wife
