Many married men who stray from their marriages often make promises to their mistresses, vowing to leave their wives and start a new life together. They may criticize their wives, calling them names or blaming them for various issues, but in the end, they seldom follow through on these pledges.

These men seem to enjoy the thrill of balancing their family lives with their clandestine affairs, as if they are trying to have their cake and eat it too.

Here are five reasons why cheating married men rarely leave their wives for their mistresses or side chicks.

1. Maintaining Their Image

Many men highly value their social status as married individuals. They are often respected members of their communities, including churches, mosques, companies, and other institutions. Leaving their wives just to be with a side chick would be a blow to their reputation, something they are not willing to risk.

2. Wives’ Tolerance

Some wives adopt the belief that “all men cheat” or that it’s acceptable as long as he keeps it discreet. This attitude essentially gives men a free pass to cheat. When wives choose to turn a blind eye to their husband’s infidelities, it lowers the expectation of faithfulness. Society’s structure reinforces this, suggesting that having a cheating husband is preferable to being single, especially with children, or divorced at a certain age.

3. Genuine Love for Their Wives

It may seem contradictory, but some men who cheat do genuinely love their wives. These men view their side chicks as merely a source of fun and have no intention of replacing their wives. They compartmentalize these relationships, ensuring they remain temporary and secondary to their marriages.

4. Children’s Well-being

Many married men choose not to leave their wives because they want their children to grow up in a stable, complete family environment. The desire to maintain a ‘functional’ family for their kids often outweighs their relationship with a side chick.

5. Stability of the Status Quo

Why would a man change a situation that already benefits him? If he is receiving intimacy from his side chick without any strings attached, and can still return to his family, he has little motivation to disrupt this arrangement. A cheating man will often opt to enjoy the best of both worlds rather than disturb a working system.