I really can't agree with the 'stains her character' claim. If she embraced the feelings she was having for the 'proxy' and tried to act on them, that might do it, but the ml is treating her like his wife and NOT his boss's wife, so of course after having such a miserable life before, she can't help feeling good about the person treating her so kindly. She has been doing her best to reign in her feelings and stamp them out since she has every intention of being loyal to her husband and building a life with him.
Ok all of us are different with different values and standards for cheating. Basically for me, having feelings of attraction and longing for another man is cheating of the mind in itself. Yeah she may not act on it out of duty or other reasons but FOR ME, it's already cheating.
You do you though. I am not going to force my
opinion on you
i'd agree with you if she had ever even met her husband and exchanged a word with him. It is cheating when people are in a legit relationship. She has been married off to a stranger and hasn't met him in person, so she can involuntarily develop feelings for another guy who she has spent all her time with since getting married, and one who has been genuinely nice to her. That is possible, and it doesn't stain her character, it just makes her seem human.
Even people in relationships can find others attractive. They don't stop having eyes at all. But what matters is how they choose to act on them. If they choose to engage in or encourage these feelings by being inappropriately close, emotionally or physically, then its cheating. Else its just an impulse that goes away if you choose to work on your relationship instead.
It's not cheating cuz he is the same person but I am still not liking her falling for 'her husband's subordinate'. It just stains her character. Sigh.