Lots of good stuff there, bro - and thanks for the compliment.
I have been in a similar situation (wrote about this before) when my wifey got into a “funk” and did the cruising scene via chats. I found out about it when she told me to dump mail from her address (the comp was being worked on, and I used the one in the office. She was afraid that there would be too much junk built up in her “yahoo” and “msn” accounts … and that is STILL an issue … but, )
I opened her account, and found current and past letters from guys she had met on-line, and some of her responses. While I am 99% certain that nothing physical happened (these guys were geographically pretty distant), there was some pretty explicit language being used on both sides.
I did not see that she ever referred to me physically (she still maintains that I am her “best” - what-the-hell-ever that “really” means [I think it is because I am her meal ticket, and likely to be for some time - she is saying that]) - but, she did bad mouth me for being a work-a-holic (guilty then - not so much now) and somewhat inattentive (guilty also).
Some of the guys she has “visited” in the chats have actually told me that she was hitting on them, and that they has told her “no” (I actually met one, and he and I are pretty good friends now - both went to the same JR college about two years apart) … but, I have also heard from some of the gals, that she has done “cam shows” for the guys (not recently) and has been pretty explicit in chat rooms.
Anyway - the point of my questions, bro, was to help you focus a bit. I have been thru some breakups myself, and a divorce, and I know the emotions you are feeling. Many of us hold the same thoughts about ex’es … male or female … and we all - it is a human thing - have 20/20 hindsight, and a bad case of the WHAT IFS.
I am not as much of a fatalist as some of my companions here. Brokenness is mostly an emotional state, and can be healed - if only to the point where your mental/emotional health is concerned. Can your relationship with her be restored? Possibly … but, most likely never to the original extent.
Can there be a “friendly” relationship here? It is not likely, simply because there is a mutual feeling of betrayal, and until that rift is taken care of, nothing else will fall into place.
Guess I have rambled enough - again! However, the advice you have been given is sound:
(1) work on healing YOU - if, in fact, you do not believe that your relationship is [a] worth saving or you believe that it is [b] damaged beyond repair.
(2) practice FORGIVENESS, even though you may feel like the betrayed one. No judgement, remember, but until the judge declares your marriage OVER, you are still her spouse - and regardless of the motivation or the circumstance, cheating is just that, and
(3) PE to serve your needs, and the needs of future partners. It appears that you hold out little hope for this relationship to be made whole, so get ready for the next one … but, don’t try to get immense all at once. Remember, chicks are plentiful - but, you only got ONE DICK!
Be gentle with yourself. Think about the good and positive things in your past relationship, and practice forgiveness.
SHALOM
wan2Bbig/Alex