Trust is the foundation of any relationship, but what happens when it’s put on the line in the name of a joke? In today’s post from the subreddit r/AITAH, a man recounts how his girlfriend’s elaborate “prank” with a mutual friend of theirs jeopardized everything they had built in two years. The woman said she was just playing around, but the guy’s definition of fun doesn’t include coming home to his partner straddling someone else in their bedroom.
Image credits: cottonbro studio / pexels (not the actual photo)
Image credits: freepik (not the actual photo)
Image credits: anonymous
Image credits: wayhomestudio / freepik (not the actual photo)
Sometimes you can’t know for sure if you’re partner is cheating or not, so we asked marriage and family therapist Dr. Talal H. Alsaleem, PsyD, LMFT, also known as the Father of Modern Infidelity Counseling, about the most common signs to look out for. Of course, every situation is different, but Dr. Talal told Bored Panda there are three that stick out:
#1 Over protection of privacy and access to digital interactions
“Secrecy is one the most common elements of infidelity,” he explained to us, adding that it manifests in a variety of ways, including:
- Closing out of chat windows when a partner walks in the room
- Deleting the computer history
- Erasing online interactions
- Deleting texts
- Pretending to be working on something else when engaging in internet infidelity behaviors
- Password changes
- Taking phone everywhere
- Using a burner phone
#2 Engaging in selfish behaviors
“When you don’t feel close to someone, you are less inclined to think and or care about their needs and desires, because you feel that they don’t care about yours,” Dr. Talal said.
#3 Superficial conversations
According to the therapist, a lack of intimacy breeds lack of trust and a decrease in vulnerability. As a result, “you are less likely to have a deep, soulful conversation with your partner about your hopes, dreams, and the things that bother you.”
#4 Living Separate lives
Dr. Talal said that when the bond is strong, we tend to spend a lot of time with our partners and wholeheartedly enjoy mutual activities. But when it’s weak, couples start drifting apart and look for things to do by themselves or with other people that they feel close to.
Most of those who read the story said the man did nothing wrong
However, a few saw the situation differently
