So you met your significant other while they were in a relationship with someone else… no biggie – YOU’RE their soul mate, not their ex. Right?

Right????

Maybe. Maybe not. The old adage is true – once a cheater, always a cheater. Well, maybe not ALWAYS, but if they were dating someone else when the two of you met, there’s a higher probability that they have a wandering eye.

Is there hope? Yes, there is. To find out how much, reflect on how they acted and what they did when they met you. Did they lie and say they were single? Did they cheat on their then-partner with you? Did they sneak around for awhile before either getting caught or breaking up with their then-partner? If so, odds are not in your favor. It would be very easy for them to do it again, because those behaviors and decisions are typical for someone who will cheat repetitively. They see the grass as always being greener on the other side, yet they’re so worried about rejection that they hold on to their current person until they’re sure they have a replacement. OR, even worse, they don’t have a moral issue with cheating and only break up with their then-partner because they got caught, or because you gave them an ultimatum.

Where the hope comes in is if they handled the situation in a different way than that. Did they disclose that they were dating someone else? Did they try not to flirt with you because they were dating someone else, even though the chemistry between you two was undeniable? Did they resist the temptation to cheat on their then-partner? And did they break it off with their then-partner before pursuing a relationship (or physical relations) with you? If so, their moral compass is in-check, and there’s hope that he won’t do the same thing to you with someone else. Whew!