I live half the year in one city and half the year half way across the country. In one place I'm open trans, the other stealth. I keep these two lives separated. I prefer living stealth, and guard my gender identity jealously. Disclosing has consequences, some good, some not If you want to be treated as a cis woman, don't disclose. If you do, you'll always be seen as trans with no way back. Non-disclosure requires that you create a new life narrative. It means separating yourself from the person you were. It's not hard if you accept that you really are a different person today.
If you fall into a serious relationship, you'll have to, at some point, fess up to how you came to be you. I don't think it's necessary or wise to paint a vivid picture of your past. You're you, not that other person. Resist the urge to introduce your SO to this ghost from the past. You don't need the competition. And, OMG, never show a photo of that dead male person to your new love. It'll haunt him forever.
Some trans women have a hard time breaking the link to their past. Who they were is dear to them despite the pain of gender dysphoria. That's fine. Just be aware that it will define you in the eyes of others. I've selectively assimilated those aspects of my past that are essential to my self-image, and thrown away the rest. Yes, it does leave holes in my past that can't be completely refilled, and many past life experiences had to be reframed in the context of my having always been a woman masquerading as a man. It's not easy, but over time I've learned to not only peel away the physical shell that confined me, but the behaviors and social trappings of my past, as well. Good luck.
