When my h. started his short vanishing phase, (he is much more of an "on-off-er" turn boomerang at times
), he got out a loan (in his name only) at the bank and a few years later I found the application forms at home. He put himself down as "separated" - this was three weeks after BD and he was still living at home, sleeping in the same bed as me
.
So, they lie to themselves, also, it is well known that our marriages are over at BD according to their way of thinking, I guess they can be pretty convincing to the OP telling them that they are in the final stages of divorce. My h. only managed to divorce me four years after BD.
That didn't stop him from considering himself married to OW, wearing a wedding ring for her, all the while when he was still legally married to me.
It is definitely much more on our spouses than on the other person.
The OW in our case knew me, she chose to believe what my h. fabricated about our marriage for whatever reason... she is probably a damaged person, I don't know. I prefer to pray for her and at the same time pray that she be removed from my h.'s life in God's timing. She is not the enemy.