For three years, Naomi believed she had found the man she would marry. Daniel was charming, generous, and always knew exactly what to say whenever they argued. Then one evening, Naomi found messages between him and another woman. The messages weren’t ambiguous. He had been telling the woman he was single, taking her on dates, and promising to spend the weekend with her. When Naomi confronted him, Daniel didn’t deny the messages. Instead, he asked, “Why were you checking my phone?” She was stunned. “Are you seriously asking me that when you’re the one cheating?” He sighed. “This is exactly why I can’t talk to you. You invade my privacy, then start a fight when you find something you don’t like.” Naomi reminded him that he had repeatedly told her he was working late on the nights he had actually been with the other woman. Daniel shook his head. “You’ve been neglecting me for months. You’re always tired, always complaining, and whenever I try to talk to you, you turn everything into an argument. What did you expect me to do?” Naomi began to cry. “So you’re saying I made you cheat?” “I’m saying relationships take two people. You can’t ignore your partner and then act surprised when things go wrong.” Then he pulled her close. “I love you, Naomi. You’re the woman I want to marry. That girl means nothing to me.” Somehow, Naomi found herself apologizing for checking his phone. She even promised to become more attentive. For the next two weeks, she tried harder. She cooked his favorite meals, stopped asking questions, and convinced herself that every relationship had problems. Then the other woman sent her a message. It contained screenshots of Daniel telling her the exact same things he told Naomi. He had called both women his future wife. He had blamed both women for his unhappiness. And when the other woman confronted him, he had told her that Naomi was just a jealous ex who refused to let him move on. Naomi sat on her bed, reading the messages over and over. Suddenly, she understood why every conversation with Daniel ended with her questioning herself. He never needed to prove he was innocent. He only needed to make her feel guilty for asking questions. That evening, she confronted him again. Daniel rolled his eyes. “Are you still talking about this? I thought we’d moved on.” For the first time, Naomi didn’t argue. She simply asked, “If I did to you exactly what you’ve done to me, would you forgive me?” He answered immediately. “Absolutely not. I would never tolerate that kind of disrespect.” Naomi stared at him. Then she picked up her bag and walked toward the door. Daniel followed her, shouting that she was destroying their relationship over one mistake. She turned around and said something that silenced him. “You didn’t just cheat on me. You convinced me that my pain was the real problem. And I almost married you believing it.” Now the question is: What’s worse: cheating on your partner, or manipulating them into believing they’re responsible for your betrayal?