Dear Prudence,
I know this sounds ridiculous, but COVID boredom pushed me to do something bad: I catfished someone. Basically, I’ve always had deep curiosity about what life would be like if I was significantly more physically attractive and dating someone other than my current, long-term-heading-toward-marriage partner. I created a fake profile using a photo of someone my same age but much more conventionally attractive. I adopted personality traits I always wish I possessed (more adventurous/free-spirited, into partying, etc.) and ended up matching with someone in my area. We texted constantly, then moved to phone calls. We haven’t met up yet despite four months of talking, but that isn’t out of the ordinary in these strange times due to COVID. Prudie, we’re in love. We talk nearly all day and deep into the night. I’ve never felt this way about someone. But now I feel sick with guilt. For one, I’m definitely emotionally cheating on my long-term partner. They have no idea because they live in a different state and we obviously aren’t traveling to each other right now. Second, I know the person I’ve been talking to will be heartbroken when they find out I’m not who they thought I was. I know I probably need therapy, but I can’t afford it right now. How do I extricate myself from this mess? Leaving my partner for this new person is an awful idea, right? What in the world should I do?
—Gone Catfishin’