However, the real-life experiences of the people involved are completely different.

“It was excellent.

I was single, and he was always in a relationship.

Alexis Bledel in a dimly lit room, appearing upset, caption reads "you're the other woman."

I was under the impression that his relationship was over, and I began to fall for him.

We started sleeping together, and it was honestly the best sex.

This was ages ago.

A couple sit in a church pew. The woman looks pensive, and the man is slightly turned away. Others are seen in the background. #Hearties

I dated a lot after him, but I still think of him every now and then.

He was my biggest heartbreak, and we were never even officially together.”

We stayed in touch, though.

A woman in a sheer-sleeved dress whispers into the ear of a smiling man in a suit holding a drink at a dimly lit bar

I even attended his wedding years ago!

I was single and definitely interested, so we arranged a couple of weekends together.

I was not in a relationship, so I agreed.

Woman in a striped shirt seated on a couch, holding a smartphone and appears to be stressing over its content. Shelves and a window are in the background

His wife knows of his exploits in theory, but does not know who the offending women are."

“There was a guy I met who was part of a road crew for a famous comedian.

He was cute and funny, and we both knew it was only going to be for one night.

A man and a woman in formal attire share an intimate embrace, with the woman showing an elegant open-back dress and wearing drop earrings.

It was pretty good, nothing mind-blowing, but an enjoyable enough time.

I had no idea he was in a relationship, and he had not mentioned it to me once.

I absolutely ratted him out and sent my apologies to the other girl.

Woman with red hair touching her cheek and lips while looking down pensively. Her hair is styled in loose waves

He wasn’t happy in this relationship.

She did not treat him well.

They were not compatible.

A woman is holding a phone to her ear, looking concerned, with one hand gesturing in confusion

I met him right before Halloween, and we really hit it off.

They went on a “break” but didn’t clearly communicate what the boundaries were.”

(Continued) “He came to me to talk about his frustrations.

A young woman lies on a bed looking away, while a man is blurred in the background

He realized he connected better with me and dumped his girlfriend; we officially started dating a week later.

Anonymous, Age: 24

7.

“We met at work, of course.

A man and a woman sit on a bed, their legs hanging off the edge. The man wears suit trousers and shoes, while the woman wears a dress and high heels

It was all fun and games until he went to a lawyer to seek a divorce from his wife.

I realized exactly what I had done.

I was officially a homewrecker.

Two people sit at a bar with drinks, one holding a martini and the other a glass of water, while the bartender is in the background preparing a drink

Well, needless to say, I dumped him ASAP.

I was still in love with my ex anyway.

He stayed with his wife and went on to have another child.

Three people are socializing at a bar, holding drinks and smiling. The group includes two men and one woman. Other people can be seen in the background.

I never got in the middle of another relationship again.”

“My fiance had left me for his mistress a couple of months before my encounter.

Some part of me wanted to know what it felt like to be the other woman.

A close-up of a man with a beard and a woman, both partially undressed, intimately touching and about to kiss

I went on a website and found a married man looking for something on the side.

Definitely not an encounter I would repeat, but at least the sex was good.”

“Our paths crossed several times at a local hangout initially.

A man and woman, both in business attire, smile at each other while holding coffee cups and a folder in an office setting

Then, one evening, these two guys came over and sat down at our table.

We visited for a while, and all went our separate ways.

He would stop by my apartment, and we would go out and meet friends.

A woman in a sheer black top places her hands on a shirtless man's chest, while the man touches her shoulders

I had no clue he was seeing anyone else.

We started spending almost every evening together, including most weekends.

While out with multiple friends from the area, someone asked one of the girls who she was dating.

A group of people, including a man and woman embracing, dance and celebrate at a lively party under bright lights.

She said she was dating the same guy I had been seeing.”

“I was sleeping with my best friend’s husband for two years.

I have known him for 15 years, and we have always had a connection.

A close-up of a person's hands, with one hand removing a wedding ring from the other.

For 13 years, we waited until it eventually happened and snowballed into an affair.

We felt exceptionally guilty, and it really began to take a toll on our friendship.

The wife found out he was having an affair, except the woman she found out about wasnt me.

A frustrated woman walks away from a man who appears upset on a sidewalk. Both are dressed in casual attire

“I started having an emotional affair before my marriage ended.

Ended up having sex a couple of times after my marriage ended.

He was with a long-term partner throughout the whole thing.

Two people in business attire stand close together holding hands, each carrying a briefcase. Their faces are not visible

His response of ‘Oh, it’s not that simple’ gave me why I needed to stop things.

Walking red flag.”

Anonymous, Age: 33

12.

A couple sharing an affectionate moment outdoors. The woman is sitting on a railing while the man, wearing a denim shirt, embraces her

“I matched with a guy on Tinder.

We talked every day for weeks and really connected.

I hooked up with him twice, then one day decided to do a deep creep on Facebook.

I confronted him and cut off contact, but months later, he was back on Tinder.

I know it was wrong of me, but we matched and started talking again.

Hes going to cheat on her whether its with me or not.

Going on two years now, and he claims she doesnt suspect a thing.”

“We met when we were in the military.

He was separated from his wife at the time, and I was single.

The affair lasted a year or so; we ended things because he returned to his wife.

Fast forward to five years later when we saw each other at an event he worked at.

Sparks flew once again, and we started where we left off.

We were both married to other people when we began the affair.

This lasted for another two years.

It was fun and exciting sneaking around.

But we ended things for good when my husband found out.

But I still think about how we both made each other feel.”

I judged those who did it harshly.

We were work colleagues and, over a few years, became friends.

I know people will come for me, I come for myself everyday.

Im not proud of the situation.

And we handled him being taken as delicately as we could.

“I feel horrible even thinking about what happened many years ago.

It all started very Innocent and as a dare.

I was unaware at the time they had hired a new maintenance worker.

I was curious about this man and had to seek him out for myself.

We walked up to the office, and there he sat, talking with a girl In the office.

Yes, I was married, and so was he.

My coworker dared me to go in the office and rub my hands over his chest.”

“He was a friend of a friend.

I met him when I was 19 and he was 25.

We eventually followed each other on social media.

I felt like a teenager doing this but somehow found it funny and sweet.

“He wasn’t open about having a girlfriend, so I thought us hooking up was fair game.

I felt like I dodged a bullet when I finally figured out what was happening and ended it.”

Anonymous, 36

18.

We would go on trips together.

Our relationship lasted for several years before we ended it.”

“I met my man 15 years ago at a medical business conference.

He was 60 years old.

We hit it off so well, and we talked via email and over the phone.

Karma is a witch, so all my best to him.”

“We worked for the same company and were mutually attracted to each other at first sight.

He was married to the same woman for over 30 years.

We became ‘friends’ and got to know each other for just over a year before we slept together.

When we finally did, it was pretty amazing.

But it was a one-time thing.

I stopped seeing him afterward because I knew I loved him.

“We met on a dating site.

He was semi-secretive before we actually met; I just attributed it to him being shy or whatever.

‘Youre married, huh?’

He responded pretty defensively.

‘My marital situation has nothing to do with you.’

I just laughed and let him know it really was my business.

I didnt mind, which was not the response he was expecting.

He loves his family and wife, this is just mutual masterbation in a sense.”

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length/clarity.