People ask me if I regret how I handled it. If maybe I should have tried counseling, given her a chance to explain, been the bigger person. But when I’m alone at night in the bed I bought a new mattress for, I remember the sound of her laugh when she was with him. The intimacy in their voices when they thought they were safe. The six weeks they spent destroying everything while I worked to support them both.

No. I don’t regret anything. Some betrayals deserve to be burned to the ground. And if you’re reading this because you’re thinking about cheating, here’s your warning: When you blow up your life for someone who runs when things get hard, don’t expect the person who actually loved you to be there to catch the pieces.