I (34 M, married) have been dating my partner (36 F) for around a year and a half now. Since day one, I have been completely transparent about me being poly and what that means, and while she is monogamous and a little sceptical, she still wanted to pursue things after catching up a couple of times.

She has always made me feel wanted and was there when I needed her. She made sure to celebrate my birthdays and special occasions and in turn I have been doing my best to be a good partner and spend as much time with her as my work and home schedules allow. I would regularly buy her flowers and I was the first guy she introduced to her parents.

In the new year she mentioned that long term she would like to start a family and settle down, and unfortunately we both agreed that it was something I could not provide her, so we would have to end things, at least romantically, at some point in the future. It is not something either of us want, but feel it is necessary to stay in each other's lives.

For the past couple of months we have tried to just be friends, but last night I recertification a message late at night saying that she is really struggling with just being friends and her feelings are not something she can just switch off. She said that she's going to go silent over the Easter weekend and 'maybe talk next week'.

Meanwhile she posted a quote to her insta story 'In another life, I would have really liked just doing laundry and taxes with you'.

As someone who has been on the receiving end of failed relationships and heartache many times, the last thing I want to do is hurt anyone. Yet no matter what I do to make things work, I am to be doing just that, and I am riddled with grief and guilt.

What do I do?