It’s easy to question why somebody would throw away a healthy, long term relationship for an old fling, especially when W and S’s relationship was fine and they were both content prior to M showing back up in W’s life.
However, the relationship was nothing more than ‘fine’ for W. Although S is happy and completely in love with W; unfortunately, W is never going to feel the same, and was basically settling because S is such a genuinely good guy (also because the sex was pretty good.) Even if S is okay with that arrangement at this point, it’s ultimately a relationship recipe for disaster.
In all actuality, W should probably have broken up with S regardless of whether M came back into his life because W was already bored with the relationship and completely taking S’s love for granted.
That being said, I don’t feel like W is quite the ‘bad guy’ everybody is making him out to be. He is definitely selfish and inconsiderate. He absolutely has to immediately stop lying and cheating, and he needs to make his decision before causing S or M any more pain because nobody deserves that.
Nevertheless, being in his position— having to make that decision— is overwhelming and confusing, because life and love are not like a multiple choice test with one correct answer.
I keep seeing comments about their relationship being “unhealthy” or “headed for disaster.” I disagree. Instead, I think their relationship is actually the first “healthy” human interaction either of them has experienced.
I feel the author has done a great job portraying the reality of how difficult it will be for them as they learn to live “normal” lives. Communication, understanding, and trust are things that nearly all couples struggle with at some point. For them, these issues will all be amplified, therefore more challenging, since they are experiencing everything for the first time.
A true ‘happy ending’ would not be for them to ‘live happily ever after,’ because that only exists in childhood fairytales. Their happiness will come from making many mistakes- yet learning from those mistakes together, resulting in them growing as individuals and as a couple. They are bound to misunderstand each other, unintentionally hurt each other, and even lash out at one another. Still, I would not deem this to be an unhealthy relationship. Sure, their codependency and desire to please are not traits akin to ‘normal, healthy, mature relationships.’ Expecting that from them at this point (or possibly ever for that matter) would be rather far fetched.
That’s just my take on it.
That happened.