Rules for Cheating on Someone

writingsforwinter:

1. Don’t cheat on someone.

2. If you just had to go ahead and cheat on someone (which you didn’t), tell the truth right away. ASAP. Not two weeks later. Not two days later. Not three hours later. Now.

3. Apologize. 

4. Take “it was just ____” out of your vocabulary. No, it wasn’t “just” anything. Kissing is just as much cheating as emotional intimacy is cheating as sex is cheating when it comes to the person you cheated on. It wasn’t “just” anything. “Just” minimizes your actions. Take that word out.

5. Were you drunk? Ok. That’s not relevant. Not an excuse. Sure, alcohol impairs your judgment and maybe you wouldn’t have actually carried out that cheating action without it, but were you thinking about it, even subconsciously, at some point beforehand while sober? Yep. What you do drunk is a reflection of what you think about and who you are sober. Just nastier.

6. What if the other person initiated it, and you were just following along? So? Maybe they kissed you first, but if you kissed back intentionally, even if you finally told them it felt weird to be unfaithful, you still cheated. Doesn’t matter who made the first move. Long as it wasn’t assault or nonconsensual.

7. Give them space. Don’t you dare ask for forgiveness. No begging, no pleading.

8. Do they forgive you, but want you to make it up to them? Are you going to make it up to them? Hell yes you are. You are going to do whatever you possibly have to in order to make things better.

9. Ohhh but it’s taking FOREVER for them to “get over it.” It’s alwayyyyssss going to be an obstacle in your relationship. So? You sewed the seeds, you reap the consequences. No time is too much time to get over a betrayal of trust. Give them time. And stop whining about it.

10. Ask yourself, “Am I a bad person?” Well, that answer depends on your next move. Your action was bad. It was really bad. It was really, really bad. What determines whether or not you’re a bad person is whether or not you do it again.

11. Did they decide to stay with you? No? Okay, that’s probably good. Yes? Okay, then don’t get mad whenever they bring it up again. Chances are, if they bring it up again, they’re hurting. Who hurt them? That’s right, you. Suck it up.

12. Are you going to do it again? Nope. What if you reallyyyyyy really want to? Break up with them and get out of their life; they’re better off without you.

Got it? Got it.