WHEN Michelle Elman announced her engagement to her 270,000 followers on Instagram, she was over the moon.
But her fairytale romance came crashing down after just half an hour, when the announcement led to a heartbreaking confession in the 31-year-old’s DMs.
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Michelle’s ex-fiancé cheated on her with one of her followers.
Moreover, the other woman was a fan of the author, had read her four books and had even spoken to her a few years earlier.
“My world came crashing down in less than 24 hours,” says Michelle.
“I never got to tell the proposal story because it was one of the best days and it’s sad that I can’t look back on it and feel that happiness now.
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“It’s so filled with sadness.”
Michelle courageously shared the story of her engagement, which took place on a Saturday in April in the countryside, on her podcast, In All Honesty.
She had temporarily left her home in London to live in a quieter environment while she wrote a new book.
The weekend of the proposal, friends came to visit the country house where she was staying.
Michelle remembers feeling like something wasn’t right the day she proposed.
She had developed a pimple on her skin and felt ‘scared’ while SUPing, a hobby she normally enjoys.
But when she saw her ex-boyfriend on his knee, she said, “It was like time slowed down.”
He told Michelle she was the “center of his universe” and that every day with her was “his favorite day” – all the while knowing he had committed the ultimate betrayal behind her back.
The couple, who were also already pregnant, had initially agreed not to tell anyone about their wonderful news.
Michelle, however, could hardly contain her excitement and told her friends as soon as she got home.
Four Red Flags That Your Partner Is Cheating
Private investigator Aaron Bond of BondRees revealed four warning signs that your partner may be cheating.
They start taking their phones everywhere
In close relationships, it is normal for people to know each other’s passwords and use each other’s phones. If their phone behavior changes, they may be hiding something.
Aaron says: “If your partner starts changing their passwords, taking their phone everywhere, even into the house, or acts defensively when you ask to use their phone, it could be a sign that they are not being faithful to you.”
“You also have to look at how they put their phone down when they’re not using it. If they put the phone face down, then they could be hiding something.”
They start telling you less about their day
When partners cheat, they may start to avoid you. This may be because they feel guilty or because it makes it easier for them to lie to you.
“If you feel like your partner suddenly starts avoiding you and doesn’t want to do things with you anymore, or doesn’t tell you about his or her day anymore, that’s another warning sign.”
“Partners often avoid each other or share less about their day because cheating can be difficult. It’s impossible to remember all your lies and it’s easy to get caught,” says Aaron.
Their libido changes
According to Aaron, your partner’s libido can change for a number of reasons, so it’s not necessarily a sign of cheating, but it can be a warning sign.
Aaron says, “Cheaters often have less sex at home because they’re cheating, but sometimes they have more sex at home because they feel guilty and use this increase in sex to hide their cheating. You’ll also find that your partner will introduce new things into your sex life that weren’t there before.”
They become negative towards you
Cheaters know that cheating is wrong and that it makes them feel good, but it can create tension and fear in them that they then have to justify.
“To release the tension they feel inside, they try to convince themselves that you are the problem and they become critical of you out of nowhere. Maybe you didn’t walk the dog that day, didn’t do the dishes, or read your kids a bedtime story. A small issue like this can now feel like a big one, and if you experience this, your partner may be cheating,” Aaron warns.
The writer and now influencer shared the news with her 270,000 followers on Instagram the next morning.
Within half an hour of hitting “post,” her life turned upside down.
While Michelle was sitting in front of the television on a normal Sunday for everyone, she received a heartbreaking message.
One of her fans called her husband by his full name and sent screenshots of his profile on a popular dating app.
When Michelle confronted her new fiancé, he began to manipulate her by asking, “Why would you say yes to me if you would choose some stranger on the internet over me?”
He also told Michelle that she “ruined their engagement weekend” when she begged him to explain the incriminating messages.
I remember collapsing. It sounded like an animal howling through the house.
Michelle Elman
Michelle then received another message from the other woman, saying that she had slept with her fiancé in November and that she had proof that he claimed to be single at the time.
He had booked a hotel to commit fraud on the day he returned to England from a holiday in Milan.
The hotel booking confirmation in his email was the only proof for Michelle that it was true.
With nowhere to turn, the cheater finally admitted he had been unfaithful.
But it didn’t stop at that one time.
The month before their engagement, he had also slept with another woman in Paris.
And he even texted that second woman the same day he went shopping with Michelle for her engagement ring.
My world fell apart in less than 24 hours. I never got to tell the story of the proposal because it was one of the best days and it’s sad not to be able to look back and have that happiness now.
Michelle Elman
“In total, he cheated on me with three women,” Michelle says.
“A lot more if you count all the messages on dating apps, but he had been on dates and slept with three of them.
“At the end of the day he admitted that it had been the third time.
“I remember collapsing.
“One of my friends who was in the house at the time said that she could hear an animal cry throughout the house and that she was so scared that she didn’t come upstairs to see what was going on.
“It sounded like an animal howling through the house.”
I know I’m strong, but I’ve never seen the strength in me that I’ve had these past few months
Michelle Elman
The experience left Michelle sobbing and feeling “sick,” especially after her ex-fiancé left the countryside for a business trip shortly after his brutal confessions.
When she realised her relationship was officially over, Michelle had no choice but to return to their London home and move on.
She even went on a solo trip to express her grief. The trip was originally booked as a trip she wanted to take while pregnant with her ex’s child.
“I shocked myself,” Michelle adds.
“I know I am strong, but I have never seen such strength in me as in the past few months.
“There’s something very special about waking up every morning and being proud of yourself, and impressing yourself every day.”
