Loss of Trust

• According to the Marriage Counseling Guide, adultery destroys all trust in a marriage; it is the definitive betrayal of the marriage vows. Trust is the foundation on which marriage is built and in order for the marriage to survive after adultery, these foundations of trust need to be entirely rebuilt or else it risks deteriorating the relationship completely.
  
  

Insecurity and Poor Self-Esteem

• For the spouse who was cheated on, adultery can cause great anxiety, insecurities and lower self-esteem states the Marriage Counseling Guide. She may have trouble dealing with the adultery and will often ignore the underlying issues. A cheated on partner may well keep asking herself "Why?" and feel that it was her fault or that she deserved it in some way, which can make it difficult to move on.
  
  

Guilt

• Guilt can be experienced on both sides after adultery. The adulterous spouse may feel huge guilt for what she has done and become unable to forgive herself or try to rebuild the broken marriage. The partner who was cheated on may also experience guilt and responsibility and feel as if he did something wrong in order for his partner to cheat. This guilt can leave a couple stuck in the past and incapable of moving on.
  
  

Strengthened Relationship

• If both spouses are fully committed to rebuilding the relationship after adultery, it can potentially make the marriage stronger than ever according to Theravive.com. However, in order for this to happen the spouse who cheated must completely repent and the cheated on spouse must completely forgive. The couple needs to focus and deal with the underlying issues rather than the adultery itself, however painful.