'Husband Faked Marriage To Be With My Cousin'

rediffGURU Shalini Singh, founder of andwemet, advises choosing healing over hurt, self-growth over revenge.

What happens when the people you trust the most betray you?

Imagine finding out that your marriage is fake?

How do you deal with the heartbreak and the reality that your relationship was based on a lie?

rediffGURU Shalini Singh, founder of andwemet, an online matchmaking service for urban Indians, suggests how to prioritise healing over revenge and anger.

• You can post your relationship-related questions to rediffGURU Shalini Singh HERE.

Anonymous: My husband faked our marriage to marry my cousin.
She was 17 when we got engaged and he knew her parents wouldn't approve of their relationship.
After marriage, he convinced her parents to let her stay with us in Pune.
It was only recently I found them cheating on me.
He apologised and said he never loved me, that he only married me to stay close to her.
I feel used and devastated. How do I deal with this betrayal from both my husband and my cousin?

This is sad and sickening. The person you married, according to me, is a weakling.

I totally understand you feeling betrayed; anyone would feel this way.

For you, it will be best to move out of this relationship.

Your spouse can move out of your home too while you work on healing yourself.

You can cut off from anyone and everyone who is toxic or showing sympathy; you need neither.

You need to invest in yourself and come out strong.

The process of feeling better can take as long as a year. So take care.

• You can post your relationship-related questions to rediffGURU Shalini Singh HERE.

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