Do leavers ever look back and realise that they have walked away from a family who loved them all for a bit of "fun"

[Bambino1234]

My left in January.
I except he's not coming back.
I except I don't particularly want him back.

I don't understand though how you can walk away from a family and the reality of it all not hit you.

To know that two families have broken apart so that you can be with an OW

How it's possible not to speak about what has happened or why ?

And just bury your head in the sand.

To miss your family but it's not enough.

Does the loss ever hit them, will he ever feel loss like I have ?!

The problem is that when they look in the mirror they dont see the real them, they see the airbrushed version.

And they will always do that. :(

I agree with you OP. My SYBXH had an affair. He left the kids and I three times for OW. He packed his bags in front of the kids. He cried and rolled around on the floor like a teenager in love. In hindsight it was pathetic. At the time it was hell and I just hope my kids were too young to remember his behaviour and what he put this family through. We were at a comfortable stage, he is now starting again with ow 20 years younger than him.

One of my best friend left his wife for an OW.
5 years on he deeply regrets it and he is also cheating on her too.

I think for most men that cheat will do it for the sake of it.
As a result they leave a perfectly good relationship for a woman they don't know and realise the grass isn't greener.
Whereas for women they cheat when something is lacking.
Maybe that's why women don't seem to regret leaving whereas men do.

I’m really intrigued to know Bambino1234 what has happened since? I’m in exactly same position you described and want to know if regret ever happened?