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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do I tell the OMs wife

162 replies

Noideawhat2do · 14/02/2025 22:00

Right will try and make this short as possible. I recently found out my wife was having an affair when a guy from work (I'm the husband). Marriage wasn't great in terms of affection, intimacy and general emotional availablity (as in over the past few years she became distant etc). Anyway after me asking for second time (denied the first time) I got the whole story which backed up what id already found out. Basically both him and her are terrified I'll let on to their work and have said the affair is over (I'm pretty sure it's not and obvs are still in contact) and that I go to his wife. This is my problem over the past few weeks I've literally being moving in a haze but now we've separated I'm fairly sure they have or about to start up again - he contacted me telling how grateful he is I never told his wife - this is the thing I didn't contact her as I told him he should do it if he has any conscience and a lot of people advised me not to get involved in his family BUT why shouldn't she know, we've both been treated like crap but the difference is I know it but she doesn't. AIBU to not tell her as I'm dealing with the fallout for me and my kids and need to concentrate on that??

OP posts:
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mrsmagooandtheblueshoe · 17/02/2025 15:17

I note their fear of work of work finding out. That's where I'd be focussing my attention- yes there's an argument they might loose their jobs and you / the OM's wife are worse off financially. But if work find out, it's likely to get back to her and you won't be the messenger.
Or at the very least I'd make him sweat that it's a matter of when not if you're telling their employer. I couldn't countenance their smugness and my complicity in it by not saying anything.

Gettingbysomehow · 17/02/2025 14:59

If I was the wife I would want to know. I'd hate this going on behind my back.

BiggySwish · 17/02/2025 14:55

I’m so so sorry you’re going through this - and I admire your stoicism. I hope you have some support around you.

I can understand your reluctance to say anything, however as it is clearly still ongoing she has a right to know, for two reasons:
1.in case he’s about to leave her she can get herself prepared so he doesn’t blindside her. With a young baby she’s potentially very vulnerable, both in terms of mental health and practically in terms of living situation etc.
2.the risk to her health is clearly ongoing

But only if there’s no risk to you or your children.

However, if you feel you can’t because you don’t have the bandwidth right now - I would absolutely have to make her husband sweat, particularly as you know it’s ongoing. I couldn’t have him ‘thanking me’ - it just makes you completely complicit.

NiftyKoala · 17/02/2025 14:19

Tell his wife. She should know. For her health especially.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 17/02/2025 14:11

I don't think you should feel under any pressure to tell the wife unless you feel that you're ready and able to do so. Your priority needs to be yourself and your kids.

You may feel empathy for the wife, of course, but ultimately, it is her husband that has a duty towards her - he is the one that made the vows to her, not you.

What I would say, though, is that you should definitely plant the fear in her fuckwit husband's mind that you're going to tell her and that you're simply biding your time. Thanking you for not having told her yet is beyond crass. Let him sweat.

Aspasia2 · 17/02/2025 14:02

And that's only right @Noideawhat2do.
I am one saying that the wife should know but it's only one thing amongst others. What is important is that you look after yourself and your DCs, that's the priority.
Everything will fall into place in its own time, don't worry.

FiveTreeHill · 17/02/2025 13:54

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:34

I was and still am at times angry with my husband and know what happened in all the sordid detail. That doesn't mean I can't find the OW's husbands behaviour despicable. He In trying to get revenge on his wife and my husband he made my life hell. I already knew what had happened before he started making it very difficult to go to the post office or pick my kids up from school without knowing if he would pop up and shout all the details out to people I would see every day. It didn't do anything for my healing. He chose his revenge over my mental health... Do yes I do dispise him.

Shouting at you and harassing you everytime he saw you is very different to what the OP is suggesting doing. That's not just telling the wife.

I do agree that your husband still holds some responsibility for making your life hell, he had the affair and bought this angry man into your life, you were obviously caught in the crossfire of this man's anger towards to husband. If you piss off angry men unfortunately your family will be collateral damage. But you also have every right to hate the OWs husband.

Noideawhat2do · 17/02/2025 13:35

Morally I want to tell her and her family but my own situation is all over the place and my kids are my priority as harsh as it seems and getting us moved on - all think is a total shitstorm

OP posts:
Noideawhat2do · 17/02/2025 13:33

So by way of update I am 99% sure they spent the afternoon/evening of yesterday having some kind bonkfest in a hotel (was fed a story about what she doing yesterday involving seeing friends and as usual it seemed sus and kids didn't get a video call last night) then found a poorly hidden box in the bin for some "aids" to make the afternoon more exciting I'm sure. So not only was I lied to before but they are clearly still seeing each other in the same seedy way as before - im assuming yesterday was in lieu of valentine's day

OP posts:
Wantingtomove123 · 15/02/2025 19:51

I was the wife. It really hurt that everyone else including a good friend had known. I felt so stupid. Tell her as she deserves to know the truth and then she can make up her mind as to what to do.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 19:36

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 19:27

The OP and the person that he wants to tell have not had the affair. I didn't have the affair yet it was me who was the victim of the husband's need for revenge.

Your sister is in a horrible place... I have been there and got the tee shirt. No one is blaming her. All I have said to the original OP is that if he is telling the wife out of revenge against his own wife and her affair partner it is not a kind thing to do. She may not react in the way he expects and he has too much skin in the game to be doing it solely for her benefit. If anyone else had told me I would have been grateful for the heads up... He just wanted my husband's life to fall apart without any regard for anyone else. Revenge is a very selfish act

We are not going to agree, my sister who was in a terrible place, she’s now free from the cheat, is now in a great place.

What she did, you may say was inappropriate but it wax a reaction to the cheating husband and the other woman. The whole thing pushed her so far.

A result of the cheats cheating.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 19:27

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:36

The equivalence is that having an affair when married, causes dreadful repercussions.

So, don’t do it!

The OP and the person that he wants to tell have not had the affair. I didn't have the affair yet it was me who was the victim of the husband's need for revenge.

Your sister is in a horrible place... I have been there and got the tee shirt. No one is blaming her. All I have said to the original OP is that if he is telling the wife out of revenge against his own wife and her affair partner it is not a kind thing to do. She may not react in the way he expects and he has too much skin in the game to be doing it solely for her benefit. If anyone else had told me I would have been grateful for the heads up... He just wanted my husband's life to fall apart without any regard for anyone else. Revenge is a very selfish act

Biffbaff · 15/02/2025 19:12

Can you tip her off anonymously, so you don't have to deal with the fallout?

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 19:09

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:46

Sorry, I think your take on this is really strange and you seem to be being deliberately obtuse. Enjoy your evening.

Enjoy my evening? What’s that all about? Very PA!

having seen my sister completely change after discovering her “d”hs affair, I’ll judge heavily anyone that says she was wrong.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:46

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:36

The equivalence is that having an affair when married, causes dreadful repercussions.

So, don’t do it!

Sorry, I think your take on this is really strange and you seem to be being deliberately obtuse. Enjoy your evening.

BIossomtoes · 15/02/2025 18:43

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:34

He caused it, when you wrong someone and mess with their lives, it has repercussions.

This was a repercussion from his unfaithful wife and her unfaithful husband.

You’re talking bollocks as you’d realise if you gave it a moment’s thought. Nobody is responsible for anyone’s behaviour but their own. You can only be held responsible for things that are within your own control.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 18:41

He and his wife are still together.
I am not blaming him for the affair... I have been very clear in that. I blame him for telling my friends, neighbours and parents ( he went to their house to lay that gem) about what was happening in my marriage.. It made him feel better. He didn't tell his family or friends...just mine. His rationale was that I hadn't kicked my husband out... So he thought that my husband hadn't had had any consequences for his actions. His need for revenge ran roughshod over me and my children. That is what I can't and won't forgive

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:36

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:10

I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

Well no, but you weren't also a wronged party in that affair, presumably? And she's your sister, not some random bloke shouting at you in the street. It's hardly equivalent.

The equivalence is that having an affair when married, causes dreadful repercussions.

So, don’t do it!

2025willbemytime · 15/02/2025 18:34

In my case the OW H tried to me. I wished for years that my h didn't tell me first. Now, I'm glad I knew and I've divorced him over something else. But while we were still together and thought we always would be, I wished I'd not known.

Tell her. I think the husband is a knobhead for texting you to thank you FFS.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:34

BIossomtoes · 15/02/2025 18:23

No he wasn’t. He was responsible for having an affair. He most certainly wasn’t responsible for another man bullying and harassing her.

He caused it, when you wrong someone and mess with their lives, it has repercussions.

This was a repercussion from his unfaithful wife and her unfaithful husband.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:31

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 18:25

I blame him for his behaviour. No one else's... Just his. I know he was done over by his wife and my husband but that doesn't mean I have to forgive him for his poor behaviour towards me. You can have bad things happen to you and still be a dick. Yes he was driven by revenge and anger. I was too but I didn't drag him into how dealt with it just to make me feel better.

But you felt you could save your marriage, he probably didn’t.

If your husband and his wife weren’t so awful, it would never have happened. I hope they’re both thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

I also hope the OM has moved on and found peace.

He was a victim, you’re victim blaming him.

We are not going to agree, so we will have to leave it here.

I hope your husband manages to not let you and his children down again.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 18:25

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:02

You can be annoyed but you can’t blame him, I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

She thankfully split and is 100 times better now, but those dark days were awful for her.

I blame him for his behaviour. No one else's... Just his. I know he was done over by his wife and my husband but that doesn't mean I have to forgive him for his poor behaviour towards me. You can have bad things happen to you and still be a dick. Yes he was driven by revenge and anger. I was too but I didn't drag him into how dealt with it just to make me feel better.

BIossomtoes · 15/02/2025 18:23

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:48

Again your “D”H was 100% to blame! He made your life hell, it was on him totally!

No he wasn’t. He was responsible for having an affair. He most certainly wasn’t responsible for another man bullying and harassing her.

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:10

I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

Well no, but you weren't also a wronged party in that affair, presumably? And she's your sister, not some random bloke shouting at you in the street. It's hardly equivalent.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:02

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:59

Why does he get to set the narrative.. I was just as wronged as he was . Yet am I supposed to not be annoyed and just put that down to an unfortunate set of circumstances?

You can be annoyed but you can’t blame him, I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

She thankfully split and is 100 times better now, but those dark days were awful for her.

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