My girlfriend cheated on me on Christmas Day, but I don’t know what to do – people think I’m silly for taking her back
AN ex-boyfriend has opened up about the devastating moment his world fell apart on Christmas Day when he found out his girlfriend of 2.5 years had cheated on him.
Sharing his story on Reddit, the 18-year-old described the emotional whirlwind of their sudden breakup and the betrayal that shattered their once-loving relationship.
The heartfelt post, which has quickly gained attention online, reveals the highs and lows of their time together and the pain of an unexpected ending.
Reflecting on their relationship, he wrote: “We met in high school and instantly fell in love.”
“She wasn’t just my girlfriend; she was my best friend.
“We had the same sense of humour, always laughed with each other, and did everything together.
“Despite how young we are, we dreamed of how we’d be years in the future.”
However, the relationship took an unexpected turn when he received a breakup text from her on Christmas Day, citing stress as the reason for ending things.
“I called bullshit right away, saying that if she was stressed, she would’ve talked to me about it instead of just dumping me,” he explained.
“I was in shock. Everything seemed to be going normal in our relationship except for two days before Christmas.
“She started to take longer to respond to my texts and give dry responses.”
Despite his initial disbelief, she insisted that the relationship had felt different over the past month – but he disagreed.
The story took an even darker turn when his curiosity led him to log into her Instagram account, where he discovered messages that shattered his trust.
“I found messages with her friend describing how she cheated on me and how she enjoyed it,” he revealed.
“When her friend asked if she was going to leave me for him, she said yes and claimed I had been being a dick to her recently.”
The user shared how the messages revealed that his girlfriend had been talking to another man for a month and had recently become intimate with him.
For the foreseeable future, I do not want her back at all
Reddit user
“My heart broke into a million pieces,” he wrote.
After confronting her, she apologised and suggested breaking up.
But the following day, she sent a flood of texts expressing regret and asking for another chance.
“She said she hates herself and regrets what she did. She told me she realised what we had together was so significant,” he explained.
15 Relationship red flags to look out for
Red flags are warning signs that indicate unhealthy or manipulative behaviour. When you encounter relationship red flags, it’s a good time to pause and reflect on the dynamic you really share with that person.
- Overly controlling behaviour
- Lack of trust
- Feeling low self-esteem
- Physical, emotional, or mental abuse
- Substance abuse
- Narcissism
- Anger management issues
- Codependency
- Inability to resolve conflict
- Constant jealousy
- Gaslighting
- Lack of emotional intelligence
- Negatively affecting your relationship with family and friends
- Inability to communicate openly
- Lack of social connection or friends
For more advice and support, Relate is available: “Whether it’s your relationship with a partner, a child, a family member or anyone else – we help everyone to build better relationships.”
“I told her I need time and that it would take forever for me to regain her trust.”
Despite the heartbreak, the Reddit user admitted to feeling conflicted about their future.
“As much as I love her and the relationship we had, I don’t want it back – at least for a while,” he confessed.
“A small part of me hopes we can somehow fix things, but I know it’ll never be the same.”
But he expressed: “For the foreseeable future, I do not want her back at all.”
The post has sparked a wave of support and advice from other Reddit users.
One wrote: “Bro if you don’t respect yourself she won’t respect you.
“In case it wasn’t obvious, she probably asked to date him after she dumped you and he rejected her.
“You take her back and she’s gonna do this to you every other month cause she knows you’ll take her back.”
Four red flags your partner is cheating
Private Investigator Aaron Bond from BondRees revealed four warning signs your partner might be cheating.
They start to take their phone everywhere with them
In close relationships, it’s normal to know each other’s passwords and use each other’s phones, if their phone habits change then they may be hiding something.
Aaron says: “If your partner starts changing their passwords, starts taking their phone everywhere with them, even around the house or they become defensive when you ask to use their phone it could be a sign of them not being faithful.”
“You should also look at how they place their phone down when not in use. If they face the phone with the screen facing down, then they could be hiding something.”
They start telling you less about their day
When partners cheat they can start to avoid you, this could be down to them feeling guilty or because it makes it easier for them to lie to you.
“If you feel like your partner has suddenly begun to avoid you and they don’t want to do things with you any more or they stop telling you about their day then this is another red flag.”
“Partners often avoid their spouses or tell them less about their day because cheating can be tough, remembering all of your lies is impossible and it’s an easy way to get caught out,” says Aaron.
Their libido changes
Your partner’s libido can change for a range of reasons so it may not be a sure sign of cheating but it can be a red flag according to Aaron.
Aaron says: “Cheaters often have less sex at home because they are cheating, but on occasions, they may also have more sex at home, this is because they feel guilty and use this increase in sex to hide their cheating. You may also find that your partner will start to introduce new things into your sex life that weren’t there before.”
They become negative towards you
Cheaters know that cheating is wrong and to them, it will feel good, this can cause tension and anxiety within themselves which they will need to justify.
“To get rid of the tension they feel inside they will try to convince themselves that you are the problem and they will become critical of you out of nowhere. Maybe you haven’t walked the dog that day, put the dishes away or read a book to your children before bedtime. A small problem like this can now feel like a big deal and if you experience this your partner could be cheating,” warns Aaron.
Another added: “Do not get back with her. The only reason she came crying and begging for you back, is because the guy she cheated on you with doesn’t want her.
“I’m sorry this happened to you and the pain of being cheated on is immense. But you will get past this.”
A third said: “Don’t do it. You and her will be better off. If you take her back, she’ll remember it the next time she thinks about stepping out.”