You make a good point, it is time to start thinking about your partner and the actions taken against them and how they will effect them.

However, many people don't want to be with a cheater. Ever.

If you cheat on your partner, you rob them of their consent to be with a cheater.

Now they are with a cheater, and maybe they don't want to be. Maybe they have strict boundaries around being with cheaters. Now that you have changed the relationship dynamic by cheating, they may not want to be in such a relationship anymore, and they deserve to know the facts if they are going to stay with you. If feels unfair to me. But I suppose it depends on the person.

I would want to know if my partner was cheating. Then I could decide if I wanted to stay with them given the history, or I preferred a partner who doesn't cheat and kick them to the curb. Either way, I get to decide, not them.

Though there is the good option of leaving, and not saying anything. Then they will probably wonder forever what happened. That may be confusing.

I think the anger they have for you and what you did is way better than the confusion and not being let in on a serious secret that others know about.