It's also an emotional tightrope from which many women ultimately tumble.
Despite the risks, plenty of women are drawn into this whirlwind of sex and deceit, and in due course, most of these relationships fail while taking a heavy personal toll. My advice: don't do it.
But, if you happen to find yourself heading down the Other Woman path, heed some advice to help you manage the situation so you come out the other side for the better, not worse.
Judgment Day
Right or wrong, prepare to be judged by the people who know you are living the life of the Other Woman. Some will paint you as immoral, and others will pity you as a weak woman caught up in the snares of a manipulative man. And that's just your friends.
Says a friend of mine, let's call her "Amanda," who's 34, from NYC, and who's been in a relationship with a much-older married man for over a year, "I am so sick and tired of being portrayed as this unstable, evil, insecure, greedy bitch." Don't take on those judgments as truth. Only you know the realities of your situation.
For The Thrill of It
If you're dating an otherwise-attached man, you're likely in for a thrilling ride. Many an Other Woman claims that adulterous men often outperform their single counterparts in the sack, perhaps because they have not felt fulfilled sexually in a long time and are turned on by the promiscuity of it all, and they oftentimes express themselves more romantically than when they were single.
But don't confuse passion and body buzz for romantic dedication. For him, especially if he's been in another relationship for a long time, it's like he's experiencing the falling-in-love phase where everything is new and exhilarating and hot. Of course, for some women that is precisely what is so attractive about being the Other Woman.
One Other Woman by the name of Mia Ford, in an article titled "Unapologetic Other Woman" on Helium.com, writes, "Actually, I only date/sleep with men that are attached, preferably married. For me, there's something thrilling, borderline addictive about having a man that's willing to risk everything (his marriage, financial security and even his family) just to be in my presence. I love the process of meeting them, having them work to seduce me and teasing them."
Outer Limit
There are some serious risks to pursuing a relationship with a married man. If you let him make all the rules, for example, you are going to get hurt. So set some boundaries to protect yourself emotionally. This might mean that you see each other as friends but have no physical contact until he is officially on the market again. This allows you to retain some sense of power when so much in the relationship is out of your control.
Be aware that you will still become emotionally entangled (just as dangerous, really, as a physical connection). One of the better things you can do for yourself is to continue dating other guys. This keeps your Other Woman relationship casual. It also helps you keep perspective, gives you the opportunity to find something better, and puts pressure on him to treat you right.
Men Don't Leave…Or Do They?
If -- despite your best efforts -- the relationship develops into something more meaningful and you fall in love, don't expect that you suddenly have more say in your partnership. Men rarely abandon their committed relationships for the Other Woman.
While it is impossible to support this statement with statistical data (the topic itself being inherently secretive), one certainly gets this impression when talking with those who have snuck down this path or reading the countless blogspots and websites dedicated to unconditionally supporting the Other Woman.
Men don't like being outside of their comfort zone. And why leave when he has the best of both worlds: a mistress for sex and emotional attachment, and a wife or girlfriend for security? Warns advice columnist Emerald about promiscuous married men, from The Other Woman website, "Until they are divorced, they are married. And as long as they are married, they are still in a serious relationship with their wives, REGARDLESS of the feelings and dreams they have with you."