The past is in the past. There's no point in dwelling on it if that means you'll sabotage your future, but we shouldn't completely forget about it either. After all, it can teach us many valuable lessons.
One woman who had put her previous engagement far behind her was recently confronted with someone from her past that she hoped to never see again. Below, you'll find the full story that she posted on Reddit seeking advice, as well as an update she later shared and some of the replies invested readers left her.
This woman's previous engagement was ruined by cheating
Image credits: Bewakoof.com Official (not the actual photo)
Now, over a decade later, she's encountered the woman her ex prioritized over her
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Image source: throwawayfiancecheat
Image credits: Andrej Lišakov (not the actual photo)
Cheating occurs in about a third of unmarried couples who live together
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Getting engaged can be an extremely magical experience for many people. You're head over heels in love, and you've finally agreed to spend the rest of your life with your partner. But being engaged sometimes makes people realize that they're actually not ready for marriage at all, and many end up getting cold feet or breaking up before they can walk down the aisle. In fact, a 2018 survey from MyGemma found that one fifth of all engagements are called off before anyone can say, "I do."
And while no one wants to imagine the love of their life going behind their back and betraying them, the woman who shared this story is far from the first to have experienced it. According to Techopedia, cheating occurs in a whopping 30% to 40% of couples who aren't married but are living together.
As far as why people are being unfaithful, 72% of men who cheated reported having low relationship happiness, while 62% of women who cheated said the same. 69% of men who decided to stray from their partners also reported having low sexual satisfaction in their relationships, while 40% of women who cheated admitted that they felt the same way.
When it comes to where people are cheating on their partners, the United States is the biggest offender. But Germany, the United Kingdom and Brazil aren't far behind with their infidelity rates. Men are also more likely to cheat than women, as 23% have admitted to betraying their partners, while only 19% of women have done the same.
There are even certain professions that tend to attract more cheaters than others. Techopedia reports that men working in trades, IT and entrepreneurs are the most likely to be unfaithful. On the other hand, women working in the medical field, education and entrepreneurs have the highest rates of cheating. And a whopping 70% of military marriages have dealt with at least one instance of infidelity.
It's best to be honest with your partner about your past
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It's not a secret that most people would be hesitant to date a cheater. Many believe "once a cheater, always a cheater" and aren't willing to take that risk. But what if it happened over a decade ago? Should it still be considered a problem?
Dating and Relationship Coach Ravid Yosef believes that it's actually a good idea to be open and honest with your partner about this uncomfortable part of your past, as it can help the two of you build trust. "Just as you would want to know that someone is divorced and why, you would want to know this," he told Bustle.
It's also probably not a great idea to hold onto this information for too long, because then it might look like you were intentionally hiding it. Be honest in the early stages of your relationship to show your partner that you're not trying to keep secrets.
While it might not be easy to have a conversation about past cheating, Yosef says that we all deserve to know exactly what we're getting ourselves into when entering a new relationship. And we all know that honesty is a crucial component of any healthy relationship.
We would love to hear your thoughts on this situation in the comments below, pandas. Do you think this woman did anything wrong by exposing Camilla's past? Feel free to weigh in. Then, if you'd like to check out another Bored Panda article discussing similar issues, look no further than right here!
Readers assured the author that she had done nothing wrong, and she joined in on the conversation to share more details
Finally, the woman shared an update on the situation, including where Daniel and Camilla's relationship stands
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Image credits: Victoria Romulo (not the actual photo)
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