My heart is breaking and itā€™s my own fault. I started cheating on my husband of 29 years, casually at first ā€” making out, getting groped, no penetrative sex ā€” and then I met a man and we just clicked. I caught feelings and we started to have an intense, kinky, and very sexual and emotional relationship.

I love my husband. We are extremely compatible in so many ways, except this one: I am kinky and poly whereas he is vanilla and monogamous. Even though I havenā€™t disclosed my cheating to him, we have been talking about my desire to be non-monogamous. He knows Iā€™m kinkier than he is, although I canā€™t disclose how I came to know I need BDSM in my life. I have also discovered that I am bisexual, but not biromantic. Because of this, my husband has moved on monogamy and agreed to be a little monogamish: he consents to me exploring sexual encounters with women, primarily because he guiltily admits that he finds it a non-threatening turn-on since I am not romantically attracted to women.

I have presented to my husband that I WANT to be non-monogamous and that I am capable of polyamory. He hasnā€™t consented. Even though he says he doesnā€™t want to say no or hold me back from exploring my sexuality, he says if I were to issue an ultimatum, we would get divorced. So, this is basically his ultimatum. Meanwhile, my lover and I have recognized that the struggles in our relationship stem from the fact that I am cheating on my husband. It raises doubts for my lover about whether I am deceiving him, since I am obviously capable of deceit. I hate this. When I ask him what he wants, my lover says he wants me not to hate myself so much. And so, we have decided to ā€œpauseā€ our affair until I can figure out how to get right with my husband and be able to be ethically non-monogamous.

Adding to my heartbreak: I NEED both these relationships. My husband can only flex so far in the kink direction. He cannot be the dominant partner I need. Iā€™ve told him this, more or less. And he takes it as saying that without that he is nothing, which is not true. He is almost everything, but he canā€™t stand being not ā€œenough.ā€ He is afraid that I will resent him if he doesnā€™t agree to non-monogamy. Which I donā€™t. But if we divorce so I can feel fulfilled, that will destroy him. I donā€™t think he believes I would choose non-monogamy or kink over him. And I really donā€™t want to leave him or lose my lover. I cannot choose between them. I need them both. My heart is BREAKING. Help.

Brokenhearted And Seeking Insightful Counsel

Iā€™m sorry about your heart but I canā€™t with your problem.

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