Have you ever wondered if the man in your life could fall for his “side chick”? A side chick is a woman a guy hooks up with on the side while he’s in a relationship with someone else.
Sometimes, things with a side chick turn into more than just fun. Some key signs can tip you off if a man falls hard for his side chick.
A man can fall in love with a woman who started as his fling on the side. Even married men may develop deep feelings for their mistress. It happens more often than you’d think.
When an attached man starts falling for another woman, it’s bad news for his primary relationship. His attention gets pulled away toward his new love interest. Signs start cropping up that his emotional attachment to his side chick is growing.
Spotting these clues early can help determine if your partner is falling in love with his side piece. While no one wants to believe the man they love may love another woman, ignoring the truth won’t make it disappear.
Stay tuned to learn the 11 biggest signs that a man may be falling hard for his side chick, along with tips on what you can do about it. Catching these red flags early is key so you can decide whether to fight for your relationship or set him free.
11 Signs He’s Falling for His Side Chick
1. She’s His Priority
If the man in your life has a side chick that he genuinely cares for, one of the first signs that a man genuinely loves her is that he prioritizes her needs.
When a man loves someone, he prioritizes her feelings, wants, and well-being over everything else – even his primary relationship. It’s possible for a man to love more than one person at once, but the one he loves most often gets priority.
If your partner is blowing off plans with you to console his side chick when she’s had a bad day or rearranging his schedule to take her on a special date, it shows where his heart lies.
A man who loves you will prioritize your relationship, not drop everything for his side chick’s whims. If his side chick takes precedence, your relationship may be in trouble.
2. Constantly Together
When a man deeply loves and cares about someone romantically, he wants to spend as much time together as possible. Love and relationships thrive on quality time.
If the man in your life is suddenly booked up at odd hours or has less and less free time to devote to you, chances are good he’s spending that time with his side chick instead.
Men often sneak behind their partner’s back to grab extra time with the one they love most. If your partner is clearing big chunks of his schedule and being vague about where he’s going and who he’s seeing, it can signify his heart has left the building – and is with his side chick. A man who genuinely doesn’t love or care about his side chick wouldn’t risk being constantly together.
3. Relationship Gets Public
When a man is genuinely in love with someone else, he reaches a point where he no longer cares about hiding it to spare his primary partner’s feelings. Going public means, he’s proud to show her off as his chosen one, despite what anyone else may think.
Therefore, if you catch your man holding his side chick’s hand out on a date or inviting her to hang with his friend group, consider it a giant waving a red flag. No matter what lies he tells, a man who acts this way is no longer invested in maintaining your relationship.
4. He’s Possessive
Jealousy and possessiveness often go hand in hand with love. Even if a man is already coupled up, he can still feel jealous about the thought of “his” side chick finding love in their lives with someone else.
Men want to feel like they are the only ones, even if the situation isn’t built for monogamy. A seemingly small detail, like noticing your man interrogating his side chick about who she’s texting or snapping at her for talking to male friends, might be a sign he sees her as his prized treasure.
And for some men, the more time they spend with their side chick, the deeper their emotional ties and jealousy may grow.
Would a married man who doesn’t truly love his mistress bother feeling jealous? Probably not. For your man’s green-eyed monster to appear, he likely harbors genuine affection and a desire to “lock her down” from intruders.
5. No Wedding Ring
When a man commits his love to one woman for life, he announces it to the world by wearing a wedding ring. But when his passion and priorities shift elsewhere, the ring is removed so he can appear single and hook up with his side chick without repercussions.
If your husband suddenly stops wearing his ring, take it as shorthand that he may have eyes for someone else.
A man who chooses to ditch this key symbol of his marriage is already withdrawing mentally from the relationship. So, believe his actions even if he claims nothing is wrong between you.
He might justify it by saying the ring no longer fits, or he took it off for work and forgot. But a slip of the mind wouldn’t explain wearing it inconsistently for days or weeks. Don’t ignore this sign when his ring finger gets suspiciously bare on repeat.
6. Adopting Her Interests
They say imitation is the best form of flattery. When a man starts adopting his side chick’s favorite hobbies, tastes in entertainment, or lifestyle choices, it signifies she’s molding him into her ideal mate.
A man casually dating a woman on the sly typically doesn’t feel inspired to change. But when genuine affection takes root, he’ll go out of his way to align with her interests and preferences why? to spend quality time together doing things she loves and likely also to impress her.
So if your sports nut partner now stays glued to Bravo or he swapped his gym rat ways for hot yoga to get his zen on, this change may be to bond with his namaste-obsessed side chick.
When your man does a 180 to share his side chick’s passions, there’s a good chance he’s doing it for love, not just lust. Beware of this sneaky sign his heart now lies with his former “casual” hookup. Because soon, there might not be anything casual about their relationship!
7. Making Joint Plans
When a man has casual feelings for someone, he lives in the moment with them. But when feelings deepen into love, making plans for the future suddenly doesn’t seem so scary. The psychology behind it is when you intensely love someone, you crave having them in your life long-term.
So if your man is scheming with his side chick about getting a place together, planning romantic holidays for later in the year, or even helping her map out career goals – it can confirm his heart is tethering itself to her more.
Making plans while his primary relationship crumbles? That suggests where he wants to be. It’s important to be aware that some men think they can juggle loving two women at the same time, but his attention will never split equally.
And if making plans with his side chick lights him up in a way nothing in his current relationship does anymore…it may be time to cut ties for your dignity.
8. Ignoring Main Partner
A man who comes to love his mistress will get so caught up in the rush of their dynamic new relationship that he starts subconsciously withdrawing from his current partner without noticing it at first.
So, while his side chick’s phone calls get picked up immediately, his long-term girlfriend finds herself talking to voicemail. Date nights start getting perpetually rain-checked as he stays glued to his phone with a goofy grin. Inside jokes and belabored work emergencies abound whenever she asks to make plans.
If you notice your once attentive, caring guy now blows you off constantly, flakes at get-togethers, and never seems emotionally present even when you’re together, chances are high his head is wrapped up with his side chick instead of you.
This distracted, dismissive treatment is his way of screaming he’d instead pour his everything into this new relationship. Don’t stick around hoping he’ll drop his hostile act. When your needs stop mattering, his heart has checked out for good.
9. Splashing Cash on Her
They say money talks. When a man funnels his hard-earned cash and high-ticket purchases onto his side chick, it can signify she’s winning his devotion. Love makes men want to lavish the object of their affection with gifts like jewelry, shoes, trips, and paying debts off.
So be wary if your boyfriend ditches saving up for your dream house or returns the keys to that leased BMW he promised. Odds are high that he sank that money toward his leading lady on the side instead. Financing her business, shopping sprees, or even brunches and spa treatments adds up quickly.
Although no woman likes to believe it, when a man is willing to jeopardize his financial stability or get into debt trying to impress another woman, it usually means he’s fallen head over heels for her.
A guy who leaves his wife struggling financially while his side chick gets a weekly allowance isn’t doing that because he doesn’t love her. Love makes men recklessly generous at times – even to their detriment.
10. Integrating Her Socially
When a man first starts hooking up with a side chick, he keeps her separate from the rest of his life. But he can’t resist slowly pulling her deeper into his inner circle when real emotions get involved.
If the married man in your life genuinely loves his side chick, he’ll get tired of hiding her. He’ll start testing the waters by having her meet his friend group.
Maybe he invites her to parties where his friends will be present. Or adds her on social media where his connections can all see. Before you know it, she goes everywhere with him – hockey games, birthdays, guys’ night out.
Integrating her socially says he sees a future between them. She’s not just a dirty secret anymore – she’s his bae. He doesn’t care who knows it. Integration means he feels sure enough about their bond that he’s ready to make it legit public.
If you spot him getting cuddly with his “friend” at events or making it official on Instagram, don’t stick your head in the sand. His actions make it clear she’s edged you out of first place in his heart.
11. Saying “I Love You”
Nothing more bluntly confirms a man’s feelings for his side chick than confessing those three little words every woman is dying to hear – “I love you.”
Despite men getting a bad rap for commitment phobia when they fall hard, their lips can get loose fast. If your man lets it slip to the side chick that he loves her (whether accidentally in bed or showering her deliberately with affectionate praise), take it as brutal truth.
Regardless of whatever lies he tells you to cover up after, this is gold-standard proof that their relationship has evolved past casual.
Saying “I love you” aloud is scary for guys. They don’t just throw it around for nothing. It symbolizes seeing themselves spending forever with that woman.
Even though study after study shows men find it enormously difficult to divide themselves emotionally between the two women they love, your man believes he’s the exception.
Although it may seem unfair, he thinks he can simultaneously have a secure partnership with you and a passionate romance with her.
Of course, there are always exceptions. Some men fake love confessions to string their side chick along. While others get so caught up in the moment post-sex their mouth accidentally overrides logic.
However, if your man says and shows he loves her through his actions, too, it’s time to cut ties. His head, heart, and body have left you behind and fully committed to his side chick instead – even if he hasn’t clued you into that hurtful truth yet himself.
What to do if you suspect he’s falling for his side chick
Consider relationship counseling
If you find yourself in a situation where your primary partner is looking for love elsewhere with his side chick, don’t panic.
Many reasons why men develop strong feelings for other women are often fixable – whether that’s mental health issues, tension, and conflict at home, lack of intimacy, or just plain relationship rut.
Seeking help from a certified relationship coach can uncover the root of your issues. Then, they create a customized plan to nurture more love and romance again.
With work, patience, and commitment from all parties involved, it may be possible to repair the damage before it goes too far or lead to divorce.
Decide if you want to fight for the relationship
However, every situation is different. Before investing time and emotional energy into rebuilding, you need to search your heart and determine if it’s genuinely still worth saving from your end.
Especially if this isn’t his first betrayal or side chick, just because he makes an effort with counseling doesn’t automatically oblige you to stick around. Your partner takes you for granted while his side chick is around and needs consideration, too.
Decide realistically if too much trust and respect have been lost to move forward together healthily. Put yourself first – you deserve to be someone’s only cherished partner, after all!
Understand you may have to walk away
As painful as it is to admit, sometimes things have soured too much between primary partners to come back from the brink. Years spent neglected physically and emotionally can’t be erased overnight, despite the most tearful apologies.
Accept that you may have to close this chapter of your life for good if your needs keep landing on the back burner.
While starting fresh alone feels intimidating, in the long run, walking away frees up room for someone new to fully commit his all to you – not divide it unfairly between yourself and his side chick.
Final Thoughts
Discovering the man you love also has feelings for his side chick could signal your relationship is in trouble. When this happens, some may immediately want to work on the relationship issues, while others may feel too betrayed to continue.
If you want to try rebuilding things after he comes to think enough of his side chick to confess love, it will require much work, support, and understanding from both people. Nothing will change overnight. You both need to commit to open communication and patience.
But one thing is for sure – this situation cannot continue as is. Your partner needs to end things with his side chick immediately and re-devote himself to you 100%.
Because when it comes to love and loyalty, actions speak louder than words. If he refuses to cut her off thoroughly, then he has already checked out of your long-term relationship mentally.
At that point, you owe it to yourself to walk away with strength and closure. You deserve someone’s whole heart – not the leftover scraps.
