My name is Nate, and I’m 27 years old. About eight or nine months ago, I found out that my girlfriend of eight and a half years had cheated on me. We were high school sweethearts — we met when we were just 16. What drew me to her was her smile, the way she looked at me, and her personality. She just felt right.

After school, we decided to move in together when we were around 21. We got a dog, started building a life, and I was seriously planning our future. I wanted to buy a house with her, and marriage was definitely on the cards. We were saving up and doing all the things couples do when they think they’re in it for the long haul.

Then one night she told me she was going out for drinks with friends. She ended up coming home much later than expected, and when I texted to check in, I didn’t get a reply — which wasn’t like her at all. I eventually reached out to one of the friends she was supposedly with, and they had no idea what I was talking about. When I finally got hold of her, she admitted she was at another guy’s house.

That night we had a long, tearful conversation. She couldn’t even explain why she did it. We both cried a lot. I was devastated. The pain and betrayal hit me incredibly hard. Even though I’ve forgiven her now, at the time I knew I couldn’t stay in the relationship. I asked her to move out the very next day.

We’d been together for over eight years and had lived together for most of that time, so it was a massive adjustment. Suddenly I was covering the rent on my own in a shared house and figuring out how to live as a single guy again. The hardest part wasn’t just being alone — it was dealing with the betrayal and trying to learn how to trust people again. She had completely shattered my sense of security.

Emotionally, it was a rollercoaster. Some days I woke up angry, some days I felt completely numb, and some days the sadness was overwhelming. But then, one morning, something just clicked. I told myself I had to take ownership of my life and move forward. From that day on, things slowly started getting better.

Not long after, I met someone new. She had gone through a very similar experience — she’d been with her ex for six and a half years and was also cheated on. We connected deeply over what we’d both been through. What started as friendship quickly grew into something much stronger, and now we’re extremely happy together.

I still have our dog — he’s been with me the whole time, and he’s been a great little companion through it all.

Looking back, if I could give advice to anyone going through something similar, I’d say this: learn to love yourself first. Focus on doing the things that make you happy. Healing takes time, but it is possible — and life can get good again.