Extramarital relationships represent one of the most significant and important threats to marital stability, frequently accompanied by loss of trust and various psychological consequences. Aim: The present study aimed to explore the role of love schemas in the formation of extramarital relationships by analyzing the lived experiences of women involved in such relationships. Method: Employing a qualitative design with a phenomenological approach, semi‑structured interviews were conducted with twenty women residing in Tehran who had reported experiences of extramarital involvement. Participants were selected through purposive sampling, and an initial assessment of their love schemas was performed using the Love Schema Scale (LS). Subsequently, the data were analyzed through thematic coding. Findings: Data analysis yielded three main themes and twenty subthemes. The principal themes included maintaining distance from intimate relationships (associated with the avoidant schema), persistent pursuit of intimacy (associated with the dependent schema), and ambivalent attitude toward closeness (associated with the unstable schema). Each of these themes reflected distinct deficiencies in attachment structure and emotional regulation. Conclusion: The findings suggest that individuals characterized by different love schemas hold diverse perceptions and motivations for engaging in extramarital relationships, underscoring the necessity of schema‑informed considerations in psychotherapeutic and counselling interventions addressing marital infidelity.