Two things count: any alienation of affection without the partners consent and spending money without the partners consent. So, if you are spending emotional time with someone, particularly at the expense of quality time with your partner and your partner is upset about it, then youre probably cheating.

What counts as cheating in relationship?

Infidelity is any activity that could hurt the other person, or hurt the relationship.” “Cheating is anything that involves another person, from trawling dating apps to sexting to actually having sex.” “The worst is emotional betrayal. My ex fell in love with someone else.