It's not easy to forgive an unfaithful spouse, even if you're trying to give them a second chance. But how do you move forward when even looking at your husband reminds you of a painful past?

This letter was posted on another site, translated and adapted to reflect how infidelity can destroy so many lives.

Dear Lover,

Yes, I still can't refer to you by your name. You're still the woman who tried to steal my husband from me and my children. Yes, my husband was wrong, too. But this isn't about him - it's about YOU.

You didn't succeed. In my eyes, you will never succeed. You did a horrible thing to my family. You tried to destroy it.

Did you think that a woman behind that man wouldn't be devastated? Did you not even care? Probably not, and that's what hurts so much. Women need to stick together in this world, not play against each other.

Did you think the children of the man you were chasing wouldn't say, "Why is that lady trying to take our daddy away?"

I still think about you every single day. I don't hate my husband anymore; I'm proud of him. He's been the perfect role model for someone who has had an affair. You were right about one thing: He's one heck of a man.

After he left you, we had a family to put back together. You have no idea how difficult that is to do.

Through all the nights of screaming at the top of my lungs, crying and threats of leaving, he stood there taking it all. Sure, there were days when he couldn't handle the guilt YOU and HE caused. There were days when he didn't think he would survive it. But guess what? He did. And guess what? We love each other despite the mess you left behind. love each other despite the mess you left behind.

Did it happen to you? Is that why you tried to do it to someone else? That's not right. I did nothing to you, and my kids certainly didn't.

Maybe, by some chance in the universe, you're reading this. If you were in front of me, I would say this:

I love my husband. I'm proud of my husband. You're only a bad memory now. We have made it.

Goodbye,

The Wife

This wife decided to move forward with her life, despite everything that had happened. That pain brought things to learn, things to remember and things to forget. But above all, love saved their relationship.

This article has been translated and adapted from the original "'Carta a la amante de mi esposo, 5 años más tarde', lo que sucede cuando se llega a perdonar," which was originally published on familias.com.