I’ve been in that exact situation before. And I took the path you did, and got the same result (ending up single).

Only difference was that in my case, it was my high school sweetheart who I hadn’t seen in about a year. But she still loved me, so obviously, telling her that I was falling for someone else didn’t feel like such a soul-cleansing act. Rather, it brought me a sense of guilt I think I still carry to this day.

But reading your story was, in many ways, therapeutic. So thanks for sharing this, Jessica.