Is Your Boyfriend Cheating on You?

There are not hard and fast rules as to when you first felt that little nagging doubt in your gut, but anymore you are sure that it is there and that it spells trouble. You cannot really put your finger on it, but you are beginning to wonder if you are the only woman in your boyfriend's life. Unless you have a thoroughly paranoid personality, the odds are pretty good that if your gut is alerting you to some trouble, there is probably something wrong. Granted, it could all be one big misunderstanding, but even so, it is best to get it out in the open and over with.

Obviously, there are no surefire ways to determine if your boyfriend is cheating on you (short of asking him) but there are some hints that - especially if they seem to accumulate - could spell trouble:

1. Do you notice a sudden sense of defensiveness in your boyfriend when you ask innocently who just called him on the cell phone? Is it not unusual for you to ask him "where did you go today" but suddenly he gives you a lecture on how you are trying to control him, and how he does not appreciate this any more? If these are the case, then the odds are good that he is doing something with his time he does not want you to find out about, but that at the same time he feels guilty over.

2. When you are at his home, do you find little things, such as handwritten notes and little artsy things, that have you wondering who is giving him such gifts?

3. Does he no longer want to hold your hand when you are out in public, but instead does he appear to be watching his back, almost as if in fear of being caught?

4. Does your boyfriend suddenly have a new set of friends that you do not know and whom he is careful to keep separate from you and your circle of friends?

5. Quite possibly the biggest tip-off is the telephone call he receives which he ends with "I cannot talk right now."

These signs are indicators that he has a new lady in his life but is not yet ready to tell you about it. A confrontation may be what you need to get on with your life, but be prepared for it to be unpleasant. If, on the other hand, you already know that it is time to cut him loose, you can do so by simply not calling him anymore, and when he calls you to be kind and polite, but to refrain from setting up any dates.