Dear Cheating Asshole,

You were done with me. You wanted to see what else was out there. That sucked, but that's fine. That's your prerogative.

But what was NOT FINE is what you put me through because you were too much of a coward to make a clean break of it.

You started online dating behind my back. You stopped touching me, and claimed it was because I'd given you an STD (I hadn't). I lived in daily guilt and misery over what I'd supposedly transmitted to you. I also lived in daily guilt and shame because we had had such a vibrant and loving relationship, and all of a sudden, everything was awkward between us.

I was too ashamed to tell many people what was going on. I was isolated from you, my friends, and my family, because of all this.

I spent MONTHS living like this, until I got a message from a woman you met online, telling me the truth.

You let me believe I had given you an STD. You let me remain racked with guilt and shame for months. You let me think we were going to work things out, while you were making other plans. You let some random-ass stranger tell me you were cheating instead of being brave enough to tell me yourself.

And now that I am in love with a wonderful, sweet man, I'm realizing that you have ruined my ability to trust. This new guy has given me no reason not to trust him. And yet, I am terrified of being hurt again.

All this could have been avoided if you weren't such a goddamn coward and just were honest with me when you started having doubts.

Thanks a lot, Cheating Asshole. Go fuck a cactus.