In the typical scenario of betrayal, one partner asks the other, “How could you have betrayed me with x when you said you loved me?” But there is no inconsistency between a betrayal and a declaration of love if time is taken into the equation. “I love you” can only ever be taken to mean “for now.” I was not lying to Chloe, but my words were time-bound promises, a truth too disturbing for most relationships to fully take on board, or else couples would have little to talk about other than their fluctuating feelings.
