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AIBU?

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Anxiety with Forgiving a Cheater?

79 replies

MrsSorryNotSorry · 14/05/2025 19:08

I recently found out my partner has been cheating with somebody at work. Bit of context - the affair started when our LO was 4 weeks old. I was going through severe postnatal depression. 1 week after our LO was born, my dad was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and was given weeks to live, he died 6 weeks later. He died at 4:30am of the morning, I came home after sorting the undertakers absolutely beside myside and he gave me our baby, went out on a night out and came back at 3pm the next afternoon. I've since found out he stayed in a hotel room with this girl. He also received a load of my dad's designer tops from my mom, he slept with her in them and I've hidden them at a back of a cupboard unable to look at them knowing she's been all over them.

When I found out, it was 2 days before my dad's funeral (beginning of April) I confronted the girl and she showed me a text message that was sent from him saying he wanted to marry her, and he'd been in love with her for 2 years (we have been together for just over that) and that I meant nothing to him.

She left him there and then. I've since tried to make things work (stupidly) for our baby. However it's left deep mental scars where I blame myself heavily, and my anxiety is through the roof everyday which I'm desperately trying to shield from him as I don't want to ruin the relationship.

He's just gone out to play golf with his friend, I noted it was the same time he would go out and meet her. I also saw that he was wearing the same polo top he "went to paint his friend's hall way" in. I remember it as I was desperately searching for specks of paint to prove to myself he was where he said he was and all I could smell was her perfume. It's set the anxiety rolling and bought a lot of things back.

I started to get anxious, teary and left the room. He's got annoyed with me saying he can't do anything, that he can't go as all I will do is message him (never has happened before) and that he feels like he's going mental with me. I've virtually begged him to go and apologised through my teeth. He's left but I know this has put a dent in things.

I'm trying my best to move forward and forgive everything that's happened. AIBU for getting anxious still?

OP posts:
outerspacepotato · 14/05/2025 19:15

He should be doing everything he can to show you he regrets what he did but he's playing the victim when you get triggered.

I'm sorry you went through such difficult times.

I consider a lot of cheating a form of domestic abuse. The partner is lying, there's gaslighting and other forms of emotional abuse, exposing the other partner to different flora and possible stis from the affair partner, and when it comes out, it is extremely traumatic to the person who's been cheated on.

He sounds like he has no remorse and faced no consequences other than now you're traumatized from his actions and poor baby, he has to deal with you getting triggered.

He's a Grade A Asshat.

How can you forgive when he doesn't seem to give a shit about the trauma he caused you when you had so much else going on?

Hayley1256 · 14/05/2025 19:13

You need to leave, tour baby needs a happy mum not 2 unhappy parents

MrsPlantagenet · 14/05/2025 19:12

So, he had an affair when you’d just had a baby, had PND AND your dad died? What a horrible excuse for a man.

Why on earth would you want to forgive him?

AlertCat · 14/05/2025 19:11

YABU for not kicking him out on his ear. What an absolute disgrace he is. I’m so sorry this is happening to you, and very sorry for your loss. Your partner should have been there supporting you with your bereavement and your new baby, not out chasing tail.

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