If a spouse tells another women he loves her and tells her he is spending as much time as he can with her should you believe it is just a running joke?
The other woman should never believe what a married man says because he would not be cheating on his wife if he didn't have problems with communication skills with his wife or wasn't so self centered and devious to cheat on her. The 'other woman' is generally looked on at first as being exciting for the married man because she does not know him as well as his wife does so he can pretty much get away with lying if he so chooses, but he also knows it's about a free sexual relationship with no ties and more often than not men for one reason or another will go back to their wives and toss the other woman away like so much garbage. The percentage of a married man getting a divorce to marry the other woman is extremely low.