On the other hand, you may have been protecting a stranger from a lot of heartbreak. But I don't think you cared about that when you did it, or at best, it was a minor, secondary concern. You just sound too gleeful about it. Sorry, I have no desire to come across preachy. When people talk about healing - they say that for your benefit, not to piss you off. Kudos to you for not opening up a can of whup-ass on them when you saw what was happening. That must have been so hard not to do.
How long ago did this all happen? And how did your family react, asuming that they know?