Affair may take many forms, from serial adultery to a one-night affair to a long-term romance outside of marriage that can endure anywhere from six months to two years, or even longer. Whatever the length of time, all of these incidents stem from a source of unhappiness and emotional crises. In order to solve this problem, people often look for a temporary relief which can sometimes lead to an enduring relationship. The duration of an affair is usually based on how quickly each person can repair any damage done by the other person's actions. If an affair ends before any serious harm is done to either party then it was probably not an affair in the first place but rather just something wrong in the mind of someone who wanted to hurt himself or herself without actually hurting anyone else. However, if an affair ends in disaster such as divorce or death, that shows that it was more than just a physical relationship being pursued by two people with unhappy lives. It was also a case of emotional dependence which has the potential to cause even greater pain down the road. When an affair ends, it's natural to want to keep it quiet so that you don't ruin what little chance you have at a happy ending. However, sometimes people feel the need to tell others about the infidelity in order to see what kind of reaction they get. If the other person reacts with anger or humiliation then they might be willing to work things out.