As I opened up here about many times before, I hadn’t had the easiest past when it comes to romance. I’ve been cheated on multiple times in the past, and it was extremely painful every time. Picture this: the person you trust and means the most to you, betray you. It’s a slap across the face, and it’s even more painful than that. If you ask me, cheating is something for which there is no excuse; there cannot be an explanation for this. One of my ex-boyfriends, however, disagreed with this statement.

Getty Images/ ONOKY/ Letizia Le Fur

From my perspective, we had a great relationship. I thought we had everything out in the open, that we communicated about everything and were truthful with one another. I was so devastated to find out just how much wrong I was. I can still remember the day it happened like it was yesterday (not because I want to, I just can’t leave it behind me.) After coming back from work, I started getting things done around the house. I was excited to hear the key at the door and see him after a long, stressful day. As soon as he got home he sat me down and told me – he had cheated on me.

That was a complete shock to me. I couldn’t believe he did that to me, especially since he knew my history and what I’ve been through. I loved him with all my heart, and he cheated on me. When he told me, he tried to rationalize it. He told me that our relationship wasn’t satisfactory, so to not hurt me, he cheated. I was so offended by what he said. How did he not realize that this hurt me more? I thought we had communication and trust, but what he did was prove to me the complete opposite. A healthy relationship is built around communication, and we failed at that. I still believe that is no excuse for cheating, and that if you feel unhappy in a relationship, open up about it.