Published On:Tuesday, August 17, 2010

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

IF you knew your friend's husband or boyfriend was cheating on her with a mutual friend would you tell her?

Would you be hesitant to break the news to the betrayed friend? Would your friendship with the other friend be of any consequence?

Tribune Woman wanted to know how women felt about love triangles and how they would act in these complicated situations.

All of the women we spoke to were very passionate about the topic and said they would not think twice about telling the betrayed friend of her boyfriend's or husband's unfaithfulness.

D'Andreia Robinson said she would tell her friend because that is what a true friend does.

"I believe that if you are a real friend you don't keep secrets. If that friend can do it to her then that would mean she can do it to me. And in this situation conflict is inevitable because if I tell her she will be hurt and if I don't tell her she will question the friendship we have," she said.

Ms Robinson said if the tables were turned and she was the betrayed one in a love triangle the only thing she would do is forgive both parties who wronged her.

"Of course I will be hurt, but there is nothing prayer can't do. I will forgive them and convince myself that if it was meant to be it would be. I think life is too short to be fighting and holding malice in your heart. We are only human and we will be angry, but there are people going through far worse things than the trivial drama. Be wise and move on with life," Ms Robinson said.

Tenisha Penn told Tribune Woman that although it might not be her place to expose her friend's cheating partner she still would do it.

"It may not be my business to do so but if my friend has no idea about what's going on I would tell her because I don't think someone should be made to look like a fool. And as for the mutual friend (who cheated with the partner), she would never be considered a friend. And if it was me I would want someone to care enough to tell me instead of me looking like a fool. Everybody else knows what's going on except me."

She added: "The boyfriend needs to be left alone. Obviously he has no respect for his girlfriend, it's bad enough that he cheated, but with a friend? That's double the hurt. If I was in a situation like that I would dump him and tell the friend to kick rocks."

Reign Clarke*, another Bahamian woman who spoke to The Tribune, also felt strongly about love triangles. She described them as "nasty and disgusting".

"The fact that she (the cheating friend) did it (means) she is not a friend and she should be exposed. I am not fake. What if the three of us go out and the boyfriend comes along and the two of them pretending like nothing is happening and I'm standing there and I know about it, that means I am betraying my friend's trust. I am just as bad as her.

"Some people would say that it is not their business, but the point is we are all mutual friends, how could you allow your friend to hurt that way. I don't care if the other girl is not my friend anymore, as far as I am concerned she wasn't our friend in the first place.

"How could a man look in your face every day and be sleeping with your friend - can someone say STD, because if she is doing that with him the chances are seven out of 10 she is sleeping with other people. Friends would never hurt you that way," Ms Clarke said.

(* Name has been changed)