DEAR ABBY: I cheated on my husband "Greg" for nearly a year. My job involves a lot of traveling, so it wasn't difficult to pull off my double life. I finally realized how bad I felt about myself because of the cheating and decided to rededicate myself to Greg. Since he had no clue about the affair, I wasn't going to tell him.
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At the time I ended the affair, my lover's wife found out and told my husband. I begged for forgiveness and implored Greg to give me another chance. We had been happily married for a decade before the affair. I know it's no excuse, but I cheated only because it seemed exciting.
When Greg learned about the affair and understood how sorry I was, he seemed willing to work it through. Then, all of a sudden, he became depressed and moved out. He said he "couldn't do it anymore" -- he couldn't respect me, couldn't love me, and couldn't get certain images out of his head.
Greg now lives out of state. I call him almost every day and apologize and beg him to come back, but he's cold as ice.
Please don't suggest counseling, Abby. Nothing in this world would persuade him to go. I'm counting on you for some magic words of advice. Sign me ... WOKE UP TOO LATE IN LITTLE ROCK
DEAR WOKE UP TOO LATE: I'm sorry, but there are no magic words that can turn back the clock. The only magic I can see is that in your hunger for excitement, you made your marriage disappear in a puff of smoke. I hope your sad story serves as a cautionary example to others who are contemplating an affair. There is no such thing as free love. What you're paying now is the "amusement" tax.