My boyfriend kept the truth from me [24M] [22F].
My boyfriend and I have been together for nine months, and I truly love him. However, I discovered yesterday that he kept something important from me, which has shattered my trust since honesty is a dealbreaker for me. He posted a picture of us for Valentine's Day, but the following day, a girl he knows followed me on social media. The only other women he followed were his mom and me, which raised my suspicions. I had a strong feeling that something had happened between them, so I asked him, "How do you know her? Did you hook up?" He claimed he knew her from high school, but I still had doubts. An hour later, I pressed him again about their connection, and he eventually admitted, "She gave me head." To me, oral sex counts as sex, regardless of penetration. After this revelation, he deactivated his Instagram account, making me worry he may be trying to hide more. He kept insisting that it wasn't sex in the traditional sense, and I had to find a definition to prove my point. We ended up arguing about it throughout the day. That night, I went out with friends and was set on breaking up with him, but when the moment came, it broke my heart. He said that when I first asked him about it, he froze because he didn't want to upset me, claiming he would have told me eventually but felt hypocritical. He has always been there for me and has shown me love, but this betrayal weighs heavily on my mind. I love him deeply, yet I’m uncertain if I can move past this incident. If we do break up, he would have to go back to another state where his family lives, and the distance would be tough. He doesn’t want to maintain a friendship because of our history, but I don’t want to lose him entirely. I’m feeling really conflicted and lost right now. Any thoughts? [24M] [22F]