Woman reveals torture of ‘emotional affair’ with married colleague and causes outrage after considering physical affair

Does an emotional affair always become physical? And is it just as bad?

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Research suggests that nearly half of British men and one in five British women cheat on their partners at least once.

But despite how prevalent affairs are, we still know they’re wrong, as one woman recently found out.

Anonymously writing on the relationship forum site Love Shack, the woman told of how she - early 30s, single - had fallen in love with her colleague - early 30s, married, one child under two.

Although she had hoped her crush would fade, it only intensified.

She explained how her colleague calls her beautiful, complains to her about his wife, and they chat for hours on WhatsApp after work.

“I honestly think that if he wants an affair, I will fall into it,” she wrote, despite admitting it’d create a lot of drama and heartache for everyone involved. “Is there a way I can fall out of love?” she asked.

Judging by the responses she received, the answer is no. And she should shut it down: “Why are you even considering this? He's married. Off limits. Big no no,” wrote one person.

“You need to get a grip on this NOW,” insisted another.

She was also called out for being naive, and was reminded that affairs never end well: “Please, please don't try and convince yourself that it's going to be different with you - it won't,” one person wrote.

Although some people could empathise with her situation, all implored her to see sense: “You might be aching now but this is nothing to what you'll feel if you're crazy enough to act on this and it all blows up,” said one person who’d made the mistake of embarking on an affair herself.

Perhaps having had experience of working alongside a love interest, many people suggested the woman start looking for a new job. “If you're smart you'll get away from this,” wrote one person in the community.

And many people pointed out that the woman was in fact already having an emotional affair.

Although she was unsure sure of her colleague’s intentions, the general consensus was that he knew exactly what he’s been doing: “He's grooming you for an affair. He is a predator,” one person wrote.

But overall, the community wanted the woman to find something better. One summed it up: “Have respect for yourself as someone who deserves and demands more than stolen cheap fantasy love that burns a hole in you.”