Dear Abby: Partner's texts to another woman undermine relationship

DEAR ABBY: My relationship with my partner hasn’t been the greatest, but we are both working on ourselves to become better partners. Recently, I found out he has been texting another female (flirting). He 100% swore to me nothing more has happened besides the texting. He claims he likes the attention. This other woman knows he’s in a relationship. How can I move forward from this? Before I found out, things were starting to get better. Now I’m not sure how to feel. I want to move past this, but I’m hurting. Help!
TAKEN ABACK IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR TAKEN ABACK: I understand that you are hurting, and I am sincerely sorry. Your partner has some serious flaws that you shouldn’t take lightly. First, he is so insecure that he needs constant validation that he’s attractive — more validation than one woman can give him. Shovel as fast as you could, and you probably would never be able to fill that hole. Second, he may also have an honesty problem. While I don’t usually advise readers to contact the “other woman,” in your case, if you do, you may learn enough to decide whether it would be in your best interest to move on.

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