My boyfriend (29M) of seven years cheated on me(25F) and I don’t know how to handle the pain.

r/

I know people on here say this a lot, but I actually never thought I would be in a situation. English is not my first language, so sorry for any mistakes.
I’ve been with my boyfriend for 7 years. I thought he was the love of my life. I gave up everything for him and we moved together to another country. My degree has no value here, so I had to work warehouse job, cleaning jobs, we struggled a lot. I had a lot of doubts, but I loved him. And I told him, that as long as he loves me and wants me with him, I’ll handle anything. I have nobody else here, while he has family here. We only have a few common friends. But without him, I’m alone.
A couple of days ago, I found on his phone how he exchanged nudes with another girl a couple of years ago. I have seen him talk to this girl before, smiling at his texts. I asked him about her. He would always assure me that they were just friends. I am really not the gelous type, so let it go. But I always have a gut feeling, and I feel sorry that I didn’t confront him. I never asked for his phone. I gave him space. He would very often leave his phone unblocked, so I thought I was being paranoid and that he wasn’t hiding anything.
We were at some of his relatives, when he left his phone unblocked and for some reason, I just opened the messages with this girl.
There was only one exchange of nudes. But they also flirted. A lot. He told her that her breasts haunt him. He told her he can’t be with just one woman, that he’ll get bored and he needs diversity. She would send him pictures of vibrators that she wants. He told her how well he knows how to please a woman (Idk where he got that from, it took him many years to learn how to give me orgasms).
He called her “my beautiful doll”, amongst other things, which is how he always addressed me. And one year after the nudes exchange, he told her, on her birthday, that he loved her.
This is bad enough. But when I confronted he got so defensive. Like it was my fault. He pretended to be sorry while at his relatives home, but when we got to our house, he didn’t show any remorse. I do think he’s sorry, but he doesn’t do anything to fix it. Not that there is anything to fix.
He said she was just friend, that we were having some issues, and he doesn’t know why he did it. He said that’s not cheating. He tried to blame me. I keep trying to talk to him, but he is ignoring me, as if I did something wrong.
Of course, I’ll leave. But I can’t leave now. It will take me at least a month. I also have no idea how to close my bank account here, my health insurance. It’s a long process and he told me he won’t help me at all. That he doesn’t want to break up with me, even though he admitted that if it would be the other way around, he wouldn’t forgive me either.
I’m in shock. Sometimes I’m numb, but other times I’m a complete mess. I loved this man. I gave him 7 years of my life. It’s not even the disgusting conversation that hurts the most. It’s that he lied to me. It’s his reaction of getting defensive. It’s him ignoring me. He said he’s sorry, but that’s it.
His aunt told me that he talked to him and that she feels he’s genuinely sorry. But she told him that it’s gonna take a lot of effort to win me back. I don’t know what he told her, but he hasn’t shown me any remorse. No effort, no anything.
I just want to push through until I can finally leave. We sleep in separate rooms. How to handle this period while I still have to see him? How do I stay sane, knowing what he did, until I can finally leave him? I have nobody to talk to here. I call my mom multiple times a day, and I talk to her. Thankfully she’s a teacher, so she’s on summer break and has time for me. But aside from that, I’m going insane. How do I handle the pain?

TLDR. My boyfriend of 7 years exchange nudes and flirty messages with another girl. We are in a different country and I can’t leave at the moment, even though I can’t wait until I never have to see his face again. It’s too painful.

Comments

  1. QuantumCowTipping Avatar

    Sorry you’re going through this. I promise time will heal this wound

  2. BeautifulTerm3753 Avatar

    Op, this is heartbreaking. Sorry for what he has put you through. The lack of accountability and remorse is devastating and insulting. More proof that you need to get out. I get narcissistic vibes from him

    While you plan ahead and plan your exit, can your mom or family or friends not help you with the bank account and insurance? I am also sure the actual bank will help you too. Give them a call. Glad you know you don’t deserve this. Use this opportunity to get up, and rebuild. Show him you can do it, without him op. There is so much out there.

    I hope you get to rediscover how wonderful you are! Let the scum go.