There's nothing more stomach-wrenching than suspecting your partner may be startling to lose interest in you - apart from suspecting they're starting to develop feelings for someone else.
So, I hate to break it to you, but if you've started to notice subtle changes in your loved one's behaviour, or they're acting slightly more elusive than you're used to, there's every chance that they have something to hide.
Either that, or they're planning on popping the question...
Advert
Anyway, in order to distinguish between your partner's secrecy and their shiftiness, a private investigator has this week put some top tips and tricks together that can suss whether they could be playing away.
In fact, according to professional mystery solver Aaron Bond, there are only a handful of 'red flags' that you need to make yourself aware of if you're becoming suspicious of cheating.
Speaking to The Sun, he firstly explained that one of the biggest indicators of infidelity - and probably the most obvious - is if your other-half begins to act more protectively around their phone.
Do they run to their phone if it pings whilst charging? Do they take it with them when they go to the bathroom?
Advert
If you answered 'yes' to either of these questions, then I'm sorry, sis, but you might need to do some deeper digging yourself.
"If your starts changing their passwords, starts taking their phone everywhere with them, even around the house or they become defensive when you ask to use their phone it could be a sign of them not being faithful," Aaron explained.
And on the subject of phones, he warns about them placing their phone face-down when in your company.
Advert
If you're feeling really brave, take the punt and ask them, 'Can I just look something up on your phone?'.
Their reaction might tell you everything you need to know...
Second in the list of 'red flags' is if your partner begins to act elusive about what they got up to that day.
Advert
Are they being more vague than usual? Saying things like, 'Oh, my day was fine, honey. Same old, same old. How was yours?' - that sort of spiel - you may need to reevaluate things.
Aaron claims this could be down to them feeling guilty, or trying to suppress that they have something more sinister to hide.
Coming in third in the list of things to look out for is a change in your partner's libido.
After all, if they've stopped seeking some 'down time' with you, could they be getting their fix elsewhere?
Advert
"Cheaters often have less sex at home because they are cheating, but on occasions, they may also have more sex at home," the expert explained.
"This is because they feel guilty and use this increase in sex to hide their cheating.
"You may also find that your partner will start to introduce new things into your sex life that weren't there before."
Lastly, Aaron warns daters that the biggest indicator of cheating is that they start behaving poorly towards you in other ways.
Are they picking arguments with you? Are they pulling you up on every mistake you make? Or being overly critical?
All of these signs could indicate that they themselves are suffering with a guilty conscience, or have something to hide.
Their outbursts could be subconscious means of them trying to defend their bad behaviour.
Despite these five 'red flags', Aaron warns those who may suspect cheating to be mindful that these signs aren't set in stone.
Your partner's change in libido could be down to work stress or other things playing on their mind.
They might be too exhausted to tell you all about the ins and outs of their day.
That said, it's always wise to clear the air if you feel in your heart that something is wrong, before confused or upset feelings begin to fester.
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Hacks, Real Life, Life