What would you do if you discovered your long-term partner cheated on you years ago, but hasn’t done it again?

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You’ve been with your partner for about 30 years and have children who will soon be adults. Suddenly, you discover they cheated on you several years ago, before you even had children. What do you do? Do you leave them?

Comments

  1. AutoModerator Avatar

    Since you shitlords like to delete your posts, here’s an original copy of /u/AdelCraft’s post (if available):

    You’ve been with your partner for about 30 years and have children who will soon be adults. Suddenly, you discover they cheated on you several years ago, before you even had children. What do you do? Do you leave them?

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  2. CnC-223 Avatar

    100% get my kids DNA tested.

  3. ss9889ss Avatar
  4. absolute_panic Avatar

    You only found out about that time. There are most likely others.

  5. Industry-Standard- Avatar

    Leave them, if they can lie about this massive thing and cover it up for years, then they’re liars and they clearly don’t have a guilty conscious.

    Can you trust them not to lie about anything again?

    The kids are grown, which makes the split easier

  6. AnonymousResponder00 Avatar

    No, why would I throw away a seemingly good marriage over something that happened years ago? I’d be really upset, but if the alternative is throwing away this marriage, I’d be stupid not to eventually realize that my life is better staying.

  7. Leather_Addition2605 Avatar

    DNA test the kids and bounce immediately. The fact that the kids in this scenario are adults makes the leaving 1000x easier. No-brainer.

  8. Regular_Leading_4565 Avatar

    I personally won’t believe them about it only being once off. Also,how would one only find out after 30 years??Were there no signs?Gut feelings?etc… Definitely getting divorced.

  9. FBISurveylance Avatar

    I can’t say I’d leave them. I’ve been married 14 years and if I found it she cheated year one, it would be rough. Really bad. But to say I’d divorce her isn’t realistic. A lot of factors would play but I don’t think it would be the end.

  10. killingfloor42 Avatar

    So , I just found out they lied to me for years as well as cheat? I could never believe them again. Who says they didn’t do it again? They have been lying for years

  11. the99percent1 Avatar

    If they didn’t come clean, leave.

    Live is too short to be spent on low character people.

  12. iawj1996 Avatar

    Depends on if they confessed themselves or if i found out on my own. If they confessed, that means there’s a chance of me trusting them again. If i found out myself, that means i can never ever trust anything they did or say up until me finding out and after. People do dumb shit and can change.

  13. Cratonis Avatar

    Just tell him you or your mom cheated and deal with the consequences.

  14. GiddyDaLegend Avatar

    Forgiveness. If you cant forgive your life partner it doesn’t last a life time.

  15. Moogyoogy Avatar

    See ya later alligator

  16. EllisD1950A Avatar

    Nothing, not a thing. it happened years ago and they have stuck by me for the biggest part of 30 years. i would not do anything.

  17. AyahaushaAaronRodger Avatar

    Trust is broken. What other shady shit has she done? What will she do if she thinks she can get away with it? End of relationship for me

  18. LOL_YOUMAD Avatar

    I’d be out. You would have been living a lie for all that time thinking things were great and then it’s not. You’d have to wonder what else they did and didn’t tell you over that time. 

  19. nutterflyhippie7 Avatar

    Leave immediately. This is why you always check his phone and whereabouts. I really don’t give a rip if people are like “Oh wah wah trust your partner – you don’t have trust you don’t have anything, wah wah.” FUCK THAT. Ladies, I have a wonderful husband who always shows up but life has taught me men will get away with what you let them. Protect yourself. Check the damn phone. Leave immediately if you find anything sketchy even if it financially ruins him. Always have a PLAN B.

  20. AceFiveSuited Avatar

    If I can be 100% certain it’s only happened once and never again, I probably come to terms with it.

  21. LivingIntent Avatar

    Leave! Your entire relationship has been a lie. How can you even believe they haven’t done it (or anything they’ve said) again since you were betrayed?

  22. Contagious_Cure Avatar

    I’d leave.

    The issue with cheaters isn’t that they can’t change, it’s that you can never believe they’ve changed.

  23. GrahamGreed Avatar

    An affair that was repetitive and occurred on multiple occasions? I would probably dip. A one off moment of madness Vs however many years of marriage? I’m staying.

  24. One-Championship-779 Avatar

    Get dna tests and ask for an easy seperation.

  25. Bluebehir Avatar

    I would DNA the children. If they are mine, I will stay. If they are not, I’m gone

  26. QuietorQuit Avatar

    I’m assuming that enough time has elapsed and that everything is good between us.

    I’d have an open discussion and I’d ask EVERY question I could.

    I’d reserve the right to revisit and rediscuss.

    I’d get on with life as if nothing happened.

  27. youresovainn Avatar

    [ Removed by Reddit ]

  28. Alone-Custard374 Avatar

    I would probably divorce.

  29. absolutely_not00 Avatar

    Leave. It’s rare that it only happens once and I wouldn’t take my chances

  30. meeplewirp Avatar

    So some people will look at this as one lie (completely valid) and some people will look at this as a long term lie (completely valid). If you focus on the length it’s easy to leave. If you focus on it being one random time it may be easier to say for some. Hope this helps. It’s up to you.

  31. Analisandopessoas Avatar

    I would probably ask for a divorce, the chance of having cheated on other occasions is very high.

  32. poopynips1 Avatar

    I would/could never trust them again.

  33. Radiant-Ordinary1390 Avatar

    Don’t matter when they cheated if you just found out does it really matter if it was 10 years ago or today they took your choice away if you found out 10 years ago would you have stayed