TOO MUCH TO FORGIVE?

She broke my heart, but I can’t stop loving her
Dear Taiwo,
I believe I can count on you to help me out of this predicament I am in. I believe love is a sweet thing and it is the best thing that can happen to anybody. But my girlfriend of over six years just proved me wrong. She gave me a bitter pill to swallow recently which gave me a different outlook to life entirely.

I am 26 years old and I finished my youth service (NYSC) in July last year. Fortunately, to the glory of God, I secured a job with a federal hospital in November. With this, I felt I was on the road to a good future with the woman I love but she shattered my dreams.

She is 25 years old and we have dated for about six years, her confession confused me and at the same time made me sad because it showed me that I never knew the lady I had been with all these years. I thought she loved me and was faithful to me like I have always been to her, but I was very wrong.

One fateful evening, recently, she paid me a visit. We were talking generally when I returned from work and all of a sudden she started crying.

I was shocked because what we were discussing did not warrant any form of cry. I tried to calm her down so that she could talk. Eventually, she started by pleading with me to forgive her. “What for?”, I asked. She then confessed to me that she had cheated on me several times, and that she was dating three other guys alongside me. She confessed to going to their houses and having sex with them exactly the way she does with me.

I was shocked and I asked why? Her answer shocked me the more because she said she does not love me, because if she does, she wouldn’t have dated these other guys nor had sex with them.

She also said that she dated and had sex regularly with a seminarian which led to the expulsion of the guy from the seminary. She went ahead to tell me about other sex partners she kept too.

This is a lady I invested so much in, my time, money and emotions. I trusted her so much and I loved her too.

At the initial stage when I started dating her, my mother did not like her, but I made sure I brought them together and made my mother promise to treat her the way she would treat me.

As an only child, my mother would do anything for me; anything that would make me happy. Now, see what she has done, would it be fair if I told my mother what she did?
Although, I don’t know why she told me all these, but she said she regretted every action and she wanted me to forgive her. I was shocked by her revelation. I am also sad because I still love her. It is very strange, but I love her so much. The problem now is that I cannot trust her one bit again, so it becomes difficult for me to continue with her, though sad. But there is no way I would forget all what she told me, and the moment I remember, I cannot see myself having anything to do with her again.

I asked her to leave after telling me all these and I told her without mincing words that I cannot continue with our relationship again. She has since been pleading with me. At a level, she solicited my mother’s help, although she did not tell her my reason for calling off our relationship. My mum has since been on my neck to take her back. I wonder how she would feel if I let her know why I decided not to have anything to do with her again.

Should I tell my mother? How can I stop loving her? Please, help me.
Tony.