Relationships are built on trust, and part of that is being confident that your partner is staying loyal to you. You suspect that your boyfriend is being unfaithful, but how can you be sure? Here are 12 signs he’s cheating.
- You feel like something’s off. Sometimes the only sign you need that something’s wrong is your gut. If you can’t shake the feeling that your boyfriend’s up to something, believe your gut feelings.
- He makes you feel you’re crazy. You confront him about how you think he’s cheating on you, and he turns it around on you. You’re the paranoid one. You’re the crazy one. You’re mad. Yikes. If it seems like he always makes you out to be the bad guy, maybe he’s trying to distract you from the fact that you’re right to distrust him.
- He’s had a makeover. It seems like lately all he can do is get his hair done and work out at the gym. He’s also suddenly into clean eating. What gives? If this all comes out of the blue, it could be a sign that he’s trying to look his best for someone else – and it’s not you.
- He’s got a goofy smile. When you’re out together, he checks his phone and he gets a goofy smile when he reads his texts. You know that damn smile because he used to give it to you when you first started dating. Fuck. Now he’s obviously reserving it for someone else.
- You find him texting in the garden. You get back home from a date and find him texting someone in the bushes. Um, has he lost his mind? No, this could be a sign he’s now engaging in secretive behavior because he doesn’t want you to bust him for texting someone else.
- He accuses you of being unfaithful. Whoa, what just happened? Suddenly, completely out of the blue, your BF asks if you’re seeing someone else. Don’t fall for it. He’s projecting his shitty behavior onto you.
- His devices are password-protected. He never used to have a password on his phone, but now you see him having to punch it in whenever he wants to use it. Hmmm. Is he afraid you’ll go snooping and find something he doesn’t want you to see?
- He’s giving you “guilt affection.” If he’s always irritated with you, then suddenly becomes super-affectionate, like by spoiling you with your favorite fragrance or wanting to spend time cuddling on the couch, it could be that he’s being loving out of guilt for what he’s doing when you’re not around. He might also give you grand romantic gestures, as though to compensate for the fact that he’s a lousy boyfriend.
- He’s always in the bathroom. When your partner comes home, he always jumps into the shower straight away or says he’s got to brush his teeth. Yeah, it’s awesome that he’s so keen on being clean, but this sudden behavior could be because he’s afraid his other GF has left traces of her on him.
- He wants to have more sex. You might think there’s no way he could be having an affair because he’s so keen on having more sex with you, but that could be a red flag. Sometimes the excitement of having an affair can make someone more passionate in their relationship. It sounds weird, but it can happen, so it’s something to keep an eye out for.
- He’s pushing you away online. He used to share info about your relationship on social media, like by tagging you in some of his photos, but now it’s like you don’t even exist! He’s all about posting selfies – and he looks super-hot in them. Hmm. He might be pushing you away online so that other women – or one specific woman he’s having an affair with – won’t find out about you.
- He can’t stick to a routine. He used to be able to fit you into his life in a pretty predictable way, but now he’s Mr. Spontaneous. This is classic cheating behavior: to prevent being caught out by their partners, cheaters will often try to be light on their feet. They won’t get into routines. In fact, their usual routine with you is likely to change. If that’s what’s happening with your partner, it’s a huge red flag.