Cheaters seem to enjoy toying with their spouses.

I remember this phase as such a hurtful time. In one moment, I had hope, and then the other it was shattered. It sucked.

This is when having clear-eyed friends is so critical.

Faithful spouses need the difficult truth in these moments so that they do not get caught up in the cheaters’ manipulations of their hearts. We need reminders that infidelity results from character level problems. It is not going to change over night.

False hope is cruel. And that is all these cold-hearted cheaters offer to their spouses.

Starting anew without your cheater is usually the best course of action. That is why, I believe, God allows it for faithful spouses (see Mt 19:9). God knows this is the unfortunate best of bad options left for the faithful party.