6. The other partner is happy to live in denial

Another reason why some affairs last for years is because the one who’s being cheated prefers to live in denial. It’s almost impossible to hide all the evidence of a long-term affair. Unless your spouse pays no attention to you at all or lives on the other side of the world, then they will realize at some point or another that something is wrong.

They will notice that you’re not where you’re supposed to be, that your schedule doesn’t make sense, or that you carry a certain smell on you whenever you get home late.

Whatever it is, they will eventually notice what’s going on. The cheater may think that they’re being very careful, hiding an affair for so long, but the reality could be that the betrayed one has known for quite some time now.

If because, instead of saying anything about them, the one who gets cheated decides that it’s better to live in denial than address the issue. Maybe they’re waiting for things to get back to normal. Or perhaps they have self-esteem issues and are willing to accept another woman or man in their partner’s life, as long as it means they can keep their current life.