Kostadin Kostov told Exeter Crown Court he was not angry when Gergana Prodanova started a relationship with fellow Bulgarian Tihomir Todorov.
Mr Kostov is accused of dragging his ex-partner's body through Exeter city centre in a suitcase in August 2016.
The 43-year-old, of Mount Pleasant Road, Exeter, has said he has no idea what happened to Ms Prodanova.
Ms Prodanova left Mr Kostov and their three children in Bulgaria when she moved to Exeter in December 2015.
Mr Kostov followed three months later, by which time she was working at the Great Western Hotel and was in a relationship with Mr Todorov.
He said he is not the man seen on CCTV trailing a heavy-wheeled suitcase towards the railway line on the morning of 7 August and returning a few minutes later without it.
He told the court: "I felt, with Gergana, it was over and done with. I accepted her relationship with Mr Todorov."
The trial continues.

The organisers say more than 3,000 people took part, in spite of a heavy security presence.
The government says the protest was illegal.
Activists from Bahrain's Shia Muslim majority have been demonstrating against the kingdom's ruling Sunni monarchy since last February.
Thursday's march in the centre of Manama was led by a prominent human rights activist, Nabeel Rajab.
"We are using the streets peacefully. We are marching for our rights," he told the BBC.
One activist tweeted: "Manama is filled with tear gas, protesters running in all directions, followed by shooting and riot police."
A government official confirmed to the BBC that the authorities had acted to disperse the march.
"Security forces warned those involved and requested them to disperse, but after they disobeyed orders the security forces took the necessary legal measures," the official said.
Excessive force
Bahrain's Shia Muslim majority has long complained of discrimination and human rights abuses at the hands of security police.
The Interior Ministry was heavily criticised in a report by an independent committee of experts released in November.
It found that the security police had used excessive force and had systematically tortured detainees while suppressing  pro-democracy protests that began in February 2011.
More than 40 people were killed during the violence.
The report, commissioned by the king, was seen as an attempt to defuse tensions between the government and the predominantly Shia protesters.
Ahead of the latest march, the government said it would rebuild 12 Shia mosques that were demolished during last year's unrest.

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Forest have slipped to 17th in the table, having won just once in eight Championship matches.
Cohen, 29, told BBC Nottingham Sport bad results were not down to "a couple of little mix-ups with payments".
"That is not any kind of reason why we are not getting results," Cohen said.
"Anyone that says that is lying and using it as an excuse to hide the fact they are not doing well enough."
Reds owner and chairman Fawaz Al Hasawi is close to selling up to a United States consortium, but has denied reports he is demanding a large annual salary and huge bonuses as part of any takeover deal.
The Guardian article also claimed the players had to be placated over late payments and unpaid bonuses.
But Cohen, Forest's longest-serving player having joined in 2007, added: "There have been issues over the years and everything has always been resolved, but because results are not going well and the media have got involved it has magnified the situation.
"They always get sorted out, as they will be this time, and then we move on.
"You don't want it to happen and would rather everything just ran completely smoothly but they are small issues. Talk of players' revolt - if that was going to happen then I missed it.
"It's not as big an issue as everyone is saying but you want to iron out the small details.
"There is a good relationship and always has been between the chairman and players and that hasn't changed over the last few weeks. I would be surprised if the same story had come if we had won the last five games."
A cleaner who denies murdering his ex-girlfriend said he was not jealous when she left him for another man.
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Security police have used tear gas and stun grenades to break up an anti-government march in Bahrain's capital, Manama.
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Nottingham Forest captain Chris Cohen says the club's impending takeover, off-field distractions and "small issues" with late payments and unpaid bonuses are no excuse for poor form.