She may have meant it. Movie analogy... In Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters. Hannah's youngest sister, Leah, has an affair with her H. The sister falls in love with him but still loves her sister and regrets their affair and hopes they do work it out. They reconcile and Leah moves on with another man. Probably a fantasy but it shows that the OP is remorseful for the mistaken affair.
I think if we humanize the OP it makes them seem less powerful somehow.
I noticed you mention a lot of these problems arised at the time you were getting your Master's. Me, too. Congrats to you on that. Do you think there is a correlation? Studying is intense past college age with kids and such. Plus, there is jealousy, etc. Is your H also educated?
Me:38 H:39 MLC M:10 R:23 years D6 S3 Bomb: Easter, 2007 "Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day."