So... my girlfriend cheated on me. I know it, she doesn't know I'm aware of as much as I am.
She went away on a trip a couple months ago and came back different. Completely different. All she could talk about was going back and how much fun she had.
At first, I didn't think much of it. She doesn't have a lot of friends and I was genuinely happy she had a great time.
Then she started getting on Skype to talk to her friend (who happened to be an old ex, and the guy she was visiting out of state). That was in addition to IM and FaceBook chat.
Constantly irritable she began arguing with me every chance she got. Little things like asking if she needed something to drink would set her off as if I'd done something wrong.
My problem is that I really do love this girl. We moved in together pretty early on so the situation gets complicated in that she took this trip right after we moved to a new place and signed a new lease.
I became suspicious after a few weeks of all this going on. I purposefully avoided kissing her or having sex because my mind was all over the place trying to figure out what was going on.
I became paranoid enough to activate a long installed keylogger on my computer which I've used for development purposes (I used to write software). Since she uses my computer, and not her ricketty old laptop, I knew I'd capture most of her conversations.
The keylogger gathered one side of hundreds of conversations with her and her ex. Everything she typed it captured. This left me with only half of the conversations and a void of the data I needed to make an informed decision. They never explicitly said they had sex together, but rather openly referred to thinks like "what happened" or "THAT". I did capture some of the conversations on both sides from saved chat transcripts.
Unfortunately the crucial first two weeks where they were likely to say things outright I don't have any data on. She's been erasing chat logs for weeks now. Last week I was two seconds from opening her phon to look at all her texts with this guy (they have like 200 a day).
Anytime I bring up this issue she treats me like I'm acting like some kind of clingy baby and like I shouldn't worry about any of it. The lack of
I have a problem though. I love this girl. Like, truly love her. It sickens my heart to see things be this way.
My heart is telling me to give her another chance, my brain tells me to kick her to the curb.
With a newly signed lease (possession taken September 1st, 2009), What am I supposed to do?
She's scheduled to head out and visit this guy again for his birthday next month. I'm considering hiring a PI to get me proof she's cheating.
What should I do? How should I handle this?
Update: I'm seeking counseling for my need to dig up evidence but continue to conceal it. My girlfriend and I have spoken about this issue and she swears it's a mistake. If I sense she's cheated again after she returns from this upcoming trip, we're over.
15 days ago
This is not a healthy situation. Usually, I would be careful about telling someone to break up, but in this case I have no hesitation.
First, you are pretty sure that she is cheating. Even assuming she had not had sex with this guy, the fact that she is spending so much of her time with him and that he is an ex mean that she seems to have a close connection with him. I am usually all for friendships between women and men, but I would feel very uncomfortable about this situation if I were you.
But even if it turned out that she had never had sex with this guy and had never even talked to him, I would suggest that you break up. Things have really jumped the shark if you are spying on her. You may feel upset right now, but whatever she has done in your relationship, that is crossing a line and it is a major violation of her. You should hope that you haven't broken any laws--that is how serious this is. It is ridiculous that you are talking about having "data" on her and that you're seriously considering accessing her texts. You clearly can't trust her... When you first realized that you didn't trust her, that is when the relationship should have ended. There should have been zero data collection and spying.
Forget about the lease. Look for someone else to take the apartment or sleep on someone's sofa while you finish the lease. My advice is to end this and find a woman who you feel secure with, who you will treat with respect and dignity (i.e., not monitor her phone and email).
You have some very valid points, and I understand. I feel rather dirty having spied on her. I never would have done it if she were using her own computer. But since she only uses my computer, which prior to this issue I used extensively and frequently for work related things... I thought it within my jurisdiction... at least since I had to report the purchase and use of the computer to the IRS every year. - 25 days ago
Answerer
Legally, yes. But don't you see what is wrong with using phrases like "within my jurisdiction" in relation to your girlfriend? It doesn't matter whose computer she was using (except in a legal sense)!!! I think you should talk to some people about this (maybe a counsellor, some sensible people you know) because this is really a serious issue. Believe me, it will affect your future relationships if you can't understand what is wrong her. Good luck. - 25 days ago
Question Asker
I've been looking for a counselor for weeks for my issue with being so paranoid about all this to be doing what I've been doing. Unfortunately, none seemt o have slots available within a reasonable distance to me at the moment. - 25 days ago
Answerer
Well, it is great that you are making an effort. In the meantime, try finding a few other people to talk to--like family members or your friends' moms. But I think you should get the counselling to help you figure out how to behave in a relationship. I think you should end the current one. In my experience, when things reach a certain level of crazy (which has happened in your case, with you spying and the girlfriend cheating), the best thing to do is end it. Get counselling for the future. - 25 days ago
Depending on the landlord, I have been told that you can let them know of your intentions to cancel, and provided they can get someone in and fill "your vacancy," you may be able to get out. - 25 days ago
Answerer
That's a good point. Yeah, I would not let the lease get in the way of breaking up in this situation. - 25 days ago
its going to be really hard but you're beetter than that
get rid of her make her realize how much she misses you and loves you and how much she disrespected you (if she omces crawling back in a week or so, she still hasn't learned her lesson) make it hard for her take yourself out of her life for a bit and shell realize what she did and if she truly wants to be with you she'lll continue to pursue you and won't stop . it may take a month or so but you have to remember PEOPLE NEVER CHANGE. BUT THEY DO GROW UP so give her time to grow up and you may be able to have a healthy amazing relationship with her or might find someone else along the way . I was in the same situation and decided to move on when he came back. in the time you leave her alone for a bit ull regain respect for yourself and realzie exactly what you deserve. :)
I have a rule I've consistently followed whereby once a relationship ends, I don't return to it. If she and I split, it won't be a test to see if she really loves me. I simply will move on and no longer worry about whether she really cares for me at all. - 10 days ago
am sorry to say this! BUT YOU ARE FUCKING STUUPID FOR STAYING WITH THIS CHEATING BITCH! she has no f***ing right to vesit her ex and talk to him while she's going out with you! you deffffnnnetttlllyyy shoudl dump her ass right now.
There's no reason to be sorry you have an opinion. I'm providing her the opportunity to prove to me what she did was a mistake. It's my right to allow her that opportunity, she's not guranteed one by default.
If I feel she hasn't proven herself, it's over. It's a couple weeks time from now and I don't think that's an egregious period of time to wait for a decision. - 15 days ago
Answerer
I wish you luck with eveything. cus she's seems worthLESS! - 15 days ago
Break up with her sorry ass! My apologizes man, but she doesn't respect you as a person, if she respected you she wouldn't be manipulating you by implying that your "the problem". You are not the problem, and you are not a baby. You don't deserve to be treated this way, point blank, she's cheating on you, and she doesn't care. She's selfish, she's being very selfish because she is not taking into account about how her behavior is affecting you; she's thinking about herself, that's it. And I'm not going to sugar coat this for you, she isn't planning on changing, she won't, she'll never. And that ex-boyfriend of hers is no better; it sounds like to me their using each other. Lets just pretend here that they get back together, do you think it will last? Hell no, she's come crawling back to you my friend (they always come back).
Keep this in mind; behind every action there is a modivation; what is she getting out of cheating on you, what purpose is it serving for her self-esteem, because we know its not helping yours. Human behavior is very simple sometimes; if she's done it once, the probablity of her doing it again is very high, if she does it again, the act is inevitable.
I have a rule for myself whereby once a relationship ends, it will not begin anew. If we break up, it's over. Forever. No second chances. My experience tells me that the same problems which caused us to split the first time will cause us to split a second. It's not worth the heartache.
The way she is acting totally sounds like cheating to me! When you have feelings for someone besides your significant other you start to do a lot of fault finding and that sounds like what she is doing. Honestly, it sounds to me like either she is not feeling excited enough by your relationship or if you just moved in together maybe she was not ready for the kind of commitment she has made. The best thing you can do is give her her space. Take your name off the lease if you can and move out. If you love her and you want to wait for her to quit being stupid, then just give her time and space to realize that there is a reason that this guy is her EX.
You are acting like any guy would do. However, you have the technology to actually find things out. I would sit down and talk to her if you really love her. If she doesn't have many friends then maybe she is just happy to get some attention from someone other than you. You should take her out to places where she can meet new people. Where you two can meet new people TOGETHER and have friendships with these people together. I would ask her to not go on this trip because it makes you feel incredibly uncomfortable. If she does not comply then you should consider breaking up with her. I understand the whole lease situation but this constant investigating is taking up your life. You need to confront her and it needs to be soon. Her behavior is not appropriate. Maybe if you scare her and she thinks that she will actually lose you then she will get her act together. If not, consider a break up.
The unfortunate thing is that she doesn't really enjoy meeting people. She doesn't like parties and tolerates my friends when I have them over to visit.
We do go out places, and I ALWAYS invite her if I'm headed somewhere either with friends or to do some networking or whatever.
I accept that she's mostly a homebody. I don't consider it a character flaw. Soemtimes it can be frustrating, sure.
She's asked me several times if I'd prefer she not go. I can't bring myself to say no. :-( - 17 days ago
Get rid of her - you will NEVER trust her again, you are too young to be treated like that! there are plenty of great girls out there who would admire you and adore you and NEVER cheat on you!
Now go find one! lol do whatever you can to fill you apartment, find a roomate! It would be good for you to have someone else around so you don't get lonely-
I wouldn't waste your time or money on a P.I, I would say all the signs are pointing to cheating. Love is a serious feeling. I am a strong believer that someone who truly loves you, won't cheat on you. I would think they have the common sense to understand that love loveth at all times. If she loved you she would desire only you don't you think? She would care how this might effect or hurt you.
It is a sticky situation with you and her living together, however I would do my best to make it through until next September as roommates. There's not much else you can do. Usually once a cheater always a cheater. My brother Eric cheats on every one of his girlfriends. I love him dearly and he's one of my best friends, but once he cheats and gets away with it or is quickly forgiven, he knows he can do it again and does.
How can I take a break from her when we live together?
I've tried talking to her about everything. Mostly approaching things as individual items as opposed to everything at once. She always fires back that I'm a dork and that she "really hates when I do this" as if having emotions or concerns and communicating them were somehow a bad thing.
Arghhh! - 25 days ago
Answerer
I have friends that were engaged and broke up and they have been living together for over a year while being broken up. you can do it, you're just using the living situation as an excuse to not do it. I'm not saying you can't work on things, but you need to let her know you won't be walked on. - 25 days ago
Question Asker
I suppose you're right. I really shouldn't hide behind the fact that we live together as a pretext for letting her continue to cheat on me. - 25 days ago
I really hate the fact that you are going through this because of your gf. I just wish that things will resolve soon and you do not have to feel so paranoid.
i hate spying too, and I hate when a girl I am dating spies on me. That said, I once had a very strong feeling that a girl I had dated for a year was hiding something from me. Any other time I had the feeling I pushed until she caved to admitting lying, even though I had no evidence ever. This time she was not budging but I could read her eyes. I looked up some messages in her phone and even though they only very vaguely suggested something, I questioned the crap out of her until she admitted to working at a stripclub giving lapdances. She was absolutely not the type and I otherwise never would have expected it of her (last person who would ever be a stripper or do anything skanky). Her friend is apparenly a stripper and convinced her into it to make some quick cash. As much as I hate spying, you never know what crazy sh!t you will uncover. I'm torn because if this girl could do this kind of crazy thing behind my back then god knows what anyone you are dating could be doing. You never expect this sh!t and you only ever find out from digging. You basically have to just accept that you never know what they are doing or else you will go insane. It often makes me feel like open relationships might be the best thing for people in the end. If people have nothing to hide they tend not to hide anything and then you can trust them.
They always say "Do what you're heart tells you to" b ut I say the heart is stupid, I wouldn't listen to him, now the brain he's smart, he's eduacted. lol
With the lease, there might be a fee that you can pay to buy out of the lease. However, there might not be and if there is it won't be cheap. My most recent girlfriend cheated on me (she was under the impression that we had an "open relationship" even though we were elusively dating, go figure) so I feel your pain. It sounds as though she is attempting to push you away without actually saying it outright. Why did she visit him in the first place? Also, was she visiting a group of people or only him? In either case, she shouldn't have done that. If you are also friends with the guy, and you went along it would be a different story. What you need to do is figure out the lease thing first, if you can buy out of it or if you could get another potential roommate lined up. Then, confront her directly about it. If she isn't cheating, she will be willing to talk about everything that occurred on the trip. I wouldn't mention the keylogger though because she will probably freak out. If she isn't willing to talk about the trip or what she has been talking to the guy about or if she has a million excuses, kick her to the curb.
Love is not enough to sustain a relationship. I truly wish it was. But sometimes we fall in love with people who are bad for us. And it hurts like hell to walk away from them. I've been there (not far from what you describe, actually).
My advice may not be the easiest, but it's the best for you in the long-term.
I do not believe in "falling in love". Love is something that takes time to grow. A lot of time. True love, pure love, can sustain a relationship. However, not many know what real love is. Society advertises love as a sexual intimacy. Which I believe to be very far from what love is. I'm also a Christian- so my definition is completely different than most. - 25 days ago
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