Before the first time my husband cheated on me, I used to tell myself na hindi mambababae yung asawa ko, sobrang confident ko nun kasi alam ko hindi nature yun ng asawa ko. But I was wrong, not just once but thrice. Yes, 3 times ko ng nahuli na may babae yung husband ko (If you want to know more about my story, it's in my thread) So now I learned my lessons, we're separated already. Tama na siguro yung magiging martyr ko ng 2 beses. I know I don't deserve how my husband treated me, so I always put in my mind na I deserve more than this and God has better plans for me and my children.
But sisters, if kaya pang ayusin yung relationship nyo, pilitin nyo. Specially if you have kids, kung hindi madali sayo yung pinagdadaanan nyong mag-asawa, mas hindi madali sa kid/s nyo. But in my situation (I have 4 daughters and currently pregnant), alam kong hindi na kaya pilitin na ayusin kasi lalo lang magiging malala. God bless everyone!
Sis halos pareho pala tayo. I was so confident then. We were bf/gf for over a decade, friends since childhood. Never in my wildest dreams that he is capable of doing it. Pero I tried to salvage the marriage. And here are my learnings.
1. Kung ikaw lang ang nagw-work sa marriage nyo at walang effort on this part, forget it. It is not worth the trouble and it will ultimately fail.
Initially I believe that we should fight for our man. Pero sa tingin ko may hangganan. Una una, is he willing to make the marriage work - you have to find the true answer, not the answer you want to hear. Set your limits.
2. The problem kasi in fighting for your man - lumalaki ulo ng guy. Super happy kaya at ego booster to see 2-3 women fighting for him. And it is something na ipagmamalaki pa nya sa mga kaibigan nya. At least this is what I have learned in my experience. Hindi ko alam sa iba.
So in hindsight, I thought to myself, HE should be the one fighting for me at hindi ako. HE was the one who committed adultery at sya kelangan magsorry bakit ako naghihirap ng ganito? I should have stepped out earlier, saved myself from further heartaches. Kasi marami nga din nagsasabi, once a cheater, will always be a cheater.
3. Don't think of any revenge. The best revenge is to get out of this situation composed, with all your finances, heart, mental intact. And be beautiful at it!
4. There is always life after marriage, in fact, for me, it has been better, less stressful. Sabi nga ng friends ko, blooming daw ako after marriage. Kasi worry free nanga. And that is the best revenge I can have. When I started announcing my separation, I started dating. Meeting different men but very very very cautious. So far, first 6 months, I dated 5 men, but now exclusively dating 1 nalang (napagod nako hehe) and very happy. Naisip ko bakit hindi ko pa noon ginawa ito. It is truly a new experience for me since childhood sweetheart ko ang ex ko, so I never dated before. Kung kelan nga ako tumanda (malapit na mawala sa lotto), tsaka ako natuto magdate.

5. Always take care of yourself no matter what. It is for your own self-esteem. Que happy marriage or philandering husband ang ending mo, you will always remain fulfilled if you are pleased with your own well-being - mind and body.
In summary, if I could turn back the clock - ano ang dapat na ginawa ko nung nalaman ko na may kabit ang asawa ko -
1. prepared myself for the worse - financially and emotionally, mentally as well
2. I would have ended the marriage and asked him to leave. If he comes back, he has to express na sorry talaga sya and I will give him a chance. If he does not come back, I have to be prepared. I believe it is only this way to make him realize what he has lost.
And also, masakit man, at least sandali lang. Kesa naman magsama pa kami at sila parin ng mistress nya - this is a LIFELONG AGONY, walang katumbas na parusa (for not even doing anything wrong to anyone). Ito ang hindi ko naisip before. Kasi I tried to work on the marriage for 10+ years. Yes ganun katagal ako nag-antay. Did he have the best of me during my younger years? No, because I was not complete then, I was not happy kahit alam kong kasal ako sa taong mahal ko. I feel more fulfilled now because I am free to choose who I want to be with, happier at walang inaalala, no more late nights waiting for him and crying, and making sure not to make the same mistake again.