We've been together for 7 years, love each other, planned a future based on common dreams, etc. We live together, still have the lease until November. We have cats, we share a bank account, a car, our lives are very intertwined. I know that she loves me and that won't ever change. Right now we are on a break, which, I discovered was a mistake to do.
Around May I was sensing something off about her. I didn't know what and I just let it built up rather than talk about it. I sent her a text while she was on a trip with a friend that I'm afraid we are going to break up but I don't want to. This was a bad move on my part but I was an emotional wreck while she was gone on her trip. She tried to get a ride back ASAP to see me to talk about it but came back the day she planned and we talked and patched things up. It was then that we talked about if we were different people, this would be when we get married (we're both against marriage but are devoted to each other).
It was around this time that a much older guy (40s) living with his daughter in another part of the US added her on Facebook because he used to live in our city and he likes the same band and as a mutual friend. During May and June, he would comment a lot on her pictures and stuff. She described him as annoying and socially weird. Other than that, June was great for us. We couldn't have been happier.
During July we traveled separately to visit our families for a while. It was during this time that he began to message her a lot. And they talked a lot. When we got back at the end of July, she started to be very distant and said she wanted to be more independent. This issue is reasonable and one I fully support. She had started to mention it before. She was just in a difficult place because she was also getting depressed about her future, career-wise and whatnot.
I could read all the signs and discovered that she was looking at articles and finding suggestions about being in love with two people at once. I asked her about this and she told me who it was and that it meant nothing because it's Facebook and saw that he was just very lonely.
I said that we can work through things in the relationship and make it better but she needs to stop talking to him first. First she said she deleted their conversation out of respect for me but I kept pressing her to just unfriend him. She was very hesitant and it took her days and she lied about doing it. I got really angry that she couldn't just do it. This was when it felt like utter betrayal that in my anger I knocked some furniture over. She said that scared her and I quickly regretted it. But she eventually unfriended him.
However, my trust was wrecked and later while her laptop was opened, I just took the chance to block him from her. I thought if it really was over then this wouldn't matter in the end. It only made me discover later that she just unblocked him and kept talking to him.
Things were tense and I really didn't know what to do. I felt like leaving her right then when I found out they were still talking. There were many times during this period where I was an inch from completely leaving. Every time I hinted this, she cried and was devastated. She begged me to stay, that she would delete her Facebook and just wanted everything to be back to normal.
I left to stay with a mutual, close friend for a week. He talked to her during this time and everything he relayed to me suggested that she just wanted to overcome this and get back together with me. I then decided to spend some time with my family away from her for a bit. Before I left I went to see her. She says that when she talks to friends for advice, she begins with "I fucked up, I hurt the person I love.../destroyed the best thing that ever happened to me." I said that this break may help us. We took a walk in the park, had meaningful kisses and said we love each other. This was at the very beginning of September. I thought that we left on a good note.
Yet during this time apart, she flies to visit the guy for a weekend. I know our finances and so know that he paid for it. He initiated the whole thing to begin with and so I'm sure he just gave her this opportunity that she accepted. (Maybe to get seeing him out of her, maybe to truly follow through on her feelings to overcome this, but maybe also out of genuine love for the guy) Nevertheless, I see this entire thing as this guy just grooming her to develop feelings for him.
During this break, we had no/minimal contact. I'm just not too sure what to do when I get back. I know that one can just forget a whole relationship for a moment to see happiness in someone else, especially when you are in a mental/emotional state where you need that happiness. But one cannot just throw away a whole relationship forever. That's what I don't get. I just don't see how talking online for a month could even challenge 7 years of love together, you know?
I guess I just need general advice on this. When I see her, should I keep saying that she should just cut off all ties with this guy and say that I feel that he's just using her, all the while we can reset things and work things through together? Or do we try to work things through while she keeps talking to him? I feel any hint of jealousy or ultimatum from me would just push her away and that if I'm understanding then it puts me in a positive light, shows her that I really love her and make her decide to do the right thing.
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tl;dr:After 7 years, girlfriend encounters older guy on Facebook, he talks to her a lot for a month. She thinks she has feelings for him and she goes to visit him on his dime during our break period. We both love each other still and I just need to know the best way to approach this when we see each other again.