She came to say goodbye, and I broke down

My (30M) wife (30F) had a crush on a coworker a couple of months ago, started ignoring and lying to me, and eventually told me she had feelings for him and she thinks he has feelings for her too. We decided to separate, and she moved out. Today, she came to pick up her last belongings.

I was determined to avoid her, so I went out to the store room as soon as she arrived. After about two hours, she came to me. She asked about some papers and then told me she didn’t have any hard feelings toward me and hoped I felt the same. I couldn’t hold back and told her that she betrayed me and cheated on me. She denied it, saying she hadn’t done anything with the other guy yet. She blamed me for not taking care of her last year, saying she never wanted to hurt me or imagined herself in this position.

I stayed cold and told her she threw me away at my first mistake. I reminded her that she didn’t even try to fix things between us and that everything I sacrificed and worked for over 12 years meant nothing the moment she found a “better option.” She denied that anyone was better than me and said I would find love again with someone who truly deserves me. She asked me to take care of myself, and I didn’t respond.

When she left, I broke down. I couldn’t handle it and ran after her, shouting her name. She came back, and I walked to her in tears, crying and asking why she did this to me. I told her how much I loved her and how good I was to her. She kept apologizing, saying she never meant to hurt me. She said I am better than him, that I deserve better than her, and that she has lost me and our good relationship.

We hugged. She told me she’d be there for me if I ever needed her, and I said the same. We said goodbye, and she left.

Now, I feel a mix of emotions. On one hand, I feel some relief that she at least had the courage to talk to me and not just leave without saying anything. On the other hand, I feel a deep sense of loss. I still love her and believe she’s a good person despite everything. I also regret some of my actions in the past, but I feel like this was the closure I needed.

I don’t know what to do with all these feelings. I just wanted to share this with someone.