| Rebuilding Trust- Prerequisites for the Cheater |
The discovery of marital infidelity is a devastating experience. Even though a marriage can often recover, sometimes the
damage done is simply too great to overcome. The speed and degree of recovery is usually dictated by the behavior and
actions of the adulterous spouse, in essence because they are the one that brought an outsider into the marital union.
Often, however, the adulterous spouse has no idea what to do, or how to behave, in order to help rebuild trust in the
relationship. Therefore, I have composed this guide to assist the adulterous spouse in helping to rebuild their marriage.
damage done is simply too great to overcome. The speed and degree of recovery is usually dictated by the behavior and
actions of the adulterous spouse, in essence because they are the one that brought an outsider into the marital union.
Often, however, the adulterous spouse has no idea what to do, or how to behave, in order to help rebuild trust in the
relationship. Therefore, I have composed this guide to assist the adulterous spouse in helping to rebuild their marriage.
| Relationships. Cheating, and Infidelity Expert. Danine Manette Ultimate Betrayal |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
#1 Stop Lying.
If you love the other man/woman, admit it; if you’re not sure you want to remain in the marriage, say so; if the
victim spouse presents evidence of the affair, own up to it. You need to understand that the worse thing that
could happen has already occurred…you slept with someone else. Therefore, continuing to lie, twist, or deny
is simply adding insult to injury. If you are looking your spouse in the eye and claiming to want the marriage to
work then you cannot continue to lie about various odds and ends. You have been lying to your spouse for the
entire duration of the affair, therefore, if you continue to lie now, it sets the reconciliation process waaaay
back. The victim spouse likely knows the answers to the questions they are asking, or can usually find out, so
if you are interested in rebuilding trust in the relationship, simply STOP LYING!
#2 Do not get defensive or assign blame.
This is not the time to employ the old adage of "the best defense is a good offense." This is the time to be
contrite, remorseful, empathetic, compassionate, honest, and emotionally available. Do not say anything at this
point which will give the impression that the victim spouse drove you to cheat, or in any way contributed to your
behavior. There will be plenty of time to pass the blame around later on during counseling sessions, or during
times of productive conversation with your mate. Additionally, do not waste time blaming the affair on anyone
or anything else. Do not point the finger toward temptation, being under the influence, or falling prey to a
stalker. The victim spouse will see right through these excuses and will view this as another attempt to keep
them in the dark while you continue playing them for a fool. The best way to effectively deal with your spouses
anger, and start the process of rebuilding trust, is to take complete and full ownership of your selfishness,
immaturity, or basic destructive marital behavior.
#3 Cut any and all possible ties with the other man/woman.
Keeping a person in your life with whom you have had an affair is like trying to put toothpaste back into the
tube. Not only is this a confusing message to the other person, it is extremely disrespectful to your spouse. It
does not matter if you have known this other man/woman since kindergarten, it is time to break those ties.
Once you have allowed another individual to permeate or undermine your marital union, there is no place for
this person in your life. You simply cannot expect your victim spouse to move past the affair as long as you
continue communicating with, seeing, or having any type of relationship with this other man/woman. It is in fact
an insult to the intelligence of your current spouse for you to purport that you can maintain a professional,
platonic, or otherwise innocent relationship with this destructive individual. Furthermore, because this person
had an affair with a married man/woman, your current spouse knows they have absolutely no respect for your
marriage. Continuing to work with, hang out with, email or chat with this person is probably the single worse
possible thing to do if you are wanting to repair your marriage. This is the time to figure out which relationship
is the most important to you, either your marriage or the relationship with the other man/woman, and behave
accordingly. You simply cannot drive in two lanes at once.
#4 Your life must be an open book.
You no longer have the luxury of coming and going as you please. Once you have abused that privilege, it
takes a while to get it back. Therefore, if you will be late coming home from work, or have had a change in
plans, inform your spouse. Every time you leave the house your spouse is now wondering if you are going
where you say you are going. The best way to ease their insecurities is to check in throughout the day. Invite
your spouse places you usually go alone like to the game, the gym or the mall. Let your spouse know that you
have nothing to hide. Additionally, do not hide your cell phone or set the ringer on silent. If your spouse
requests, give them your email and voicemail pass codes. In fact, if you have nothing to hide then offer your
spouse the codes without them having to ask. Don’t lock your cell phone, call log or address book, and keep
the credit card statement in plain view on the kitchen table. Although your spouse may never choose to check
these things, the simple fact that you made them available for his/her perusal will be a huge step in regaining
their trust. Although you may feel as though this is a violation of your privacy, you need to know that these
steps are absolutely necessary if you are trying to rebuild trust. Saying that you are on the straight and
narrow, while continuing to hide your cell phone is counterproductive to your stated goal of wanting to rebuild
your marriage.
#5 Be prepared to answer any and all questions about information that your spouse has a
legitimate right to know.
Your spouse is going to want lots of details and ask questions about things you may not want to answer, but
too bad. Your spouse is going to cross reference your prior stories and ask you to confirm if “this” or “that” was
a lie. You simply need to fess up. The worse thing you can do is to conceal information because you don’t
want to hurt your spouse. Remember, they have already been hurt beyond belief, so continuing to withhold
additional information gives the appearance of an attempt to continue the deception. Sure, your spouse may
not need to know the exact places, times, and positions in which you were intimate with the other man/woman,
but they do need to get a general understanding of how intense the relationship was, how long it lasted and
any additional information they deem necessary to facilitate their healing. Although this may be one of the
most difficult steps in the process, it is one of the most important. It is extremely difficult for a betrayed spouse
to know that there is another man/woman in the world who has more information about their marriage then
themselves. Therefore, asking multiple questions helps the betrayed spouse get up to speed, thus obtaining
necessary information to deal with feelings of being in the dark while their spouse was gallivanting around with
their lover.
#6 Do not attempt to dictate the length of time the victim spouses recovery should take.
You are the one who brought the outsider into the marriage, and therefore, are in no position to dictate when
the victim spouse should be “over it”. The truth of the matter is, the victim spouse will never fully be “over it”,
but may simply learn how to mentally move past the affair. When a person is hurting, they typically share their
pain with the closest person to them. As their spouse, you are the one they will vent to, even though it is you
that caused the pain. Additionally, you may feel as though since you’ve confessed, apologized and vowed to
remain faithful, things should now return to normal. That is simply not the case. One of the worse things that
can happen is for the adulterous spouse to begin acting as though it’s “business as usual”. Deciding to remain
in a relationship after your spouse has cheated is a major decision and one which can be both humiliating and
stressful. Do not downplay the magnitude of that decision by behaving as though nothing happened two weeks
after getting caught cheating. FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, the adulterous spouse needs to periodically wrap
their arms around their mate, kiss them, and thank them for another chance. Additionally, acknowledge how
much you hurt your spouse, how difficult it must be for them to get over the pain, and vow to do whatever
necessary to make things better…forever. Although it may seem as though such actions will revive the pain,
that is simply not the case. Acknowledging the degree of pain you put your spouse through, and expressing
appreciation for another chance, gives the victim spouse the impression that you not only are mindful of their
pain, but that as long as you are aware of their struggle to overcome the ordeal, you will be less likely to make
such choices in the future.
#7 Do not behave inappropriately or create future problems.
Don’t put yourself in situations which will cause your victim spouse undue stress. Spending time with attractive,
available singles, or forming relationships which could take focus away from your marriage or family
commitments, is certainly not wise. Once you’ve rebuilt trust in your marriage, then it may be okay to revisit
these outside relationships. But for the time being, try to stay away from the bachelor parties, solo trips to
Vegas, or nights out with the girls. Additionally, make your spouse aware when you anticipate coming into
contact with the other man/woman. If you suspect the other man/woman might be at the holiday party, let your
spouse know in advance. Also, if you run into, or have contact with, the other man/woman unexpectedly, let
your spouse know as soon as possible. Nothing is worse than finding a recent email from the other
man/woman that the victim spouse did not know about. It gives the impression of further secrecy and
deception. Trust me, it won’t hurt your spouse to know the other man/woman is contacting you, as much as it
will hurt them to discover you hid that information. Believe me, during this time of broken trust, full disclosure is
always the best route.
Lastly, but most importantly, make sure you are truly ready to be faithful and committed to your
marriage before attempting to rebuild trust.
From this point forward into the foreseeable future, your spouse will continue to have anxiety about the
possibility that you will cheat again. Therefore, be absolutely certain that you are willing and able to be fully
committed to your marriage. Nothing is more devastating to a victim spouse then learning to trust a person
who betrays them again.
If you love the other man/woman, admit it; if you’re not sure you want to remain in the marriage, say so; if the
victim spouse presents evidence of the affair, own up to it. You need to understand that the worse thing that
could happen has already occurred…you slept with someone else. Therefore, continuing to lie, twist, or deny
is simply adding insult to injury. If you are looking your spouse in the eye and claiming to want the marriage to
work then you cannot continue to lie about various odds and ends. You have been lying to your spouse for the
entire duration of the affair, therefore, if you continue to lie now, it sets the reconciliation process waaaay
back. The victim spouse likely knows the answers to the questions they are asking, or can usually find out, so
if you are interested in rebuilding trust in the relationship, simply STOP LYING!
#2 Do not get defensive or assign blame.
This is not the time to employ the old adage of "the best defense is a good offense." This is the time to be
contrite, remorseful, empathetic, compassionate, honest, and emotionally available. Do not say anything at this
point which will give the impression that the victim spouse drove you to cheat, or in any way contributed to your
behavior. There will be plenty of time to pass the blame around later on during counseling sessions, or during
times of productive conversation with your mate. Additionally, do not waste time blaming the affair on anyone
or anything else. Do not point the finger toward temptation, being under the influence, or falling prey to a
stalker. The victim spouse will see right through these excuses and will view this as another attempt to keep
them in the dark while you continue playing them for a fool. The best way to effectively deal with your spouses
anger, and start the process of rebuilding trust, is to take complete and full ownership of your selfishness,
immaturity, or basic destructive marital behavior.
#3 Cut any and all possible ties with the other man/woman.
Keeping a person in your life with whom you have had an affair is like trying to put toothpaste back into the
tube. Not only is this a confusing message to the other person, it is extremely disrespectful to your spouse. It
does not matter if you have known this other man/woman since kindergarten, it is time to break those ties.
Once you have allowed another individual to permeate or undermine your marital union, there is no place for
this person in your life. You simply cannot expect your victim spouse to move past the affair as long as you
continue communicating with, seeing, or having any type of relationship with this other man/woman. It is in fact
an insult to the intelligence of your current spouse for you to purport that you can maintain a professional,
platonic, or otherwise innocent relationship with this destructive individual. Furthermore, because this person
had an affair with a married man/woman, your current spouse knows they have absolutely no respect for your
marriage. Continuing to work with, hang out with, email or chat with this person is probably the single worse
possible thing to do if you are wanting to repair your marriage. This is the time to figure out which relationship
is the most important to you, either your marriage or the relationship with the other man/woman, and behave
accordingly. You simply cannot drive in two lanes at once.
#4 Your life must be an open book.
You no longer have the luxury of coming and going as you please. Once you have abused that privilege, it
takes a while to get it back. Therefore, if you will be late coming home from work, or have had a change in
plans, inform your spouse. Every time you leave the house your spouse is now wondering if you are going
where you say you are going. The best way to ease their insecurities is to check in throughout the day. Invite
your spouse places you usually go alone like to the game, the gym or the mall. Let your spouse know that you
have nothing to hide. Additionally, do not hide your cell phone or set the ringer on silent. If your spouse
requests, give them your email and voicemail pass codes. In fact, if you have nothing to hide then offer your
spouse the codes without them having to ask. Don’t lock your cell phone, call log or address book, and keep
the credit card statement in plain view on the kitchen table. Although your spouse may never choose to check
these things, the simple fact that you made them available for his/her perusal will be a huge step in regaining
their trust. Although you may feel as though this is a violation of your privacy, you need to know that these
steps are absolutely necessary if you are trying to rebuild trust. Saying that you are on the straight and
narrow, while continuing to hide your cell phone is counterproductive to your stated goal of wanting to rebuild
your marriage.
#5 Be prepared to answer any and all questions about information that your spouse has a
legitimate right to know.
Your spouse is going to want lots of details and ask questions about things you may not want to answer, but
too bad. Your spouse is going to cross reference your prior stories and ask you to confirm if “this” or “that” was
a lie. You simply need to fess up. The worse thing you can do is to conceal information because you don’t
want to hurt your spouse. Remember, they have already been hurt beyond belief, so continuing to withhold
additional information gives the appearance of an attempt to continue the deception. Sure, your spouse may
not need to know the exact places, times, and positions in which you were intimate with the other man/woman,
but they do need to get a general understanding of how intense the relationship was, how long it lasted and
any additional information they deem necessary to facilitate their healing. Although this may be one of the
most difficult steps in the process, it is one of the most important. It is extremely difficult for a betrayed spouse
to know that there is another man/woman in the world who has more information about their marriage then
themselves. Therefore, asking multiple questions helps the betrayed spouse get up to speed, thus obtaining
necessary information to deal with feelings of being in the dark while their spouse was gallivanting around with
their lover.
#6 Do not attempt to dictate the length of time the victim spouses recovery should take.
You are the one who brought the outsider into the marriage, and therefore, are in no position to dictate when
the victim spouse should be “over it”. The truth of the matter is, the victim spouse will never fully be “over it”,
but may simply learn how to mentally move past the affair. When a person is hurting, they typically share their
pain with the closest person to them. As their spouse, you are the one they will vent to, even though it is you
that caused the pain. Additionally, you may feel as though since you’ve confessed, apologized and vowed to
remain faithful, things should now return to normal. That is simply not the case. One of the worse things that
can happen is for the adulterous spouse to begin acting as though it’s “business as usual”. Deciding to remain
in a relationship after your spouse has cheated is a major decision and one which can be both humiliating and
stressful. Do not downplay the magnitude of that decision by behaving as though nothing happened two weeks
after getting caught cheating. FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, the adulterous spouse needs to periodically wrap
their arms around their mate, kiss them, and thank them for another chance. Additionally, acknowledge how
much you hurt your spouse, how difficult it must be for them to get over the pain, and vow to do whatever
necessary to make things better…forever. Although it may seem as though such actions will revive the pain,
that is simply not the case. Acknowledging the degree of pain you put your spouse through, and expressing
appreciation for another chance, gives the victim spouse the impression that you not only are mindful of their
pain, but that as long as you are aware of their struggle to overcome the ordeal, you will be less likely to make
such choices in the future.
#7 Do not behave inappropriately or create future problems.
Don’t put yourself in situations which will cause your victim spouse undue stress. Spending time with attractive,
available singles, or forming relationships which could take focus away from your marriage or family
commitments, is certainly not wise. Once you’ve rebuilt trust in your marriage, then it may be okay to revisit
these outside relationships. But for the time being, try to stay away from the bachelor parties, solo trips to
Vegas, or nights out with the girls. Additionally, make your spouse aware when you anticipate coming into
contact with the other man/woman. If you suspect the other man/woman might be at the holiday party, let your
spouse know in advance. Also, if you run into, or have contact with, the other man/woman unexpectedly, let
your spouse know as soon as possible. Nothing is worse than finding a recent email from the other
man/woman that the victim spouse did not know about. It gives the impression of further secrecy and
deception. Trust me, it won’t hurt your spouse to know the other man/woman is contacting you, as much as it
will hurt them to discover you hid that information. Believe me, during this time of broken trust, full disclosure is
always the best route.
Lastly, but most importantly, make sure you are truly ready to be faithful and committed to your
marriage before attempting to rebuild trust.
From this point forward into the foreseeable future, your spouse will continue to have anxiety about the
possibility that you will cheat again. Therefore, be absolutely certain that you are willing and able to be fully
committed to your marriage. Nothing is more devastating to a victim spouse then learning to trust a person
who betrays them again.