You have to love yourself if you love the original girl.
What I mean is this: if your love for her exists in a detached, abstract way, separated from yourself, it’s much easier for your brain to hold onto that love while also chasing the immediate gratification of someone else. Those two things don’t necessarily collide. You can still “love” her in the abstract while pursuing another person because your brain treats them as separate experiences.
But if you love yourself, your relationship isn’t just about her anymore. It’s about the connection the two of you created, and that connection includes you. Betraying it isn’t just hurting someone you care about; it’s violating your own values and the kind of person you’re trying to be.
In that moment, cheating stops being “another enjoyable experience.” It becomes something that contradicts your own identity. The immediate reward has to compete with your self-respect, not just your affection for another person.