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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

my husband is in love with another woman.

359 replies

ponytailcapbadge · 10/01/2026 18:59

Sorry this is a name change and a long one so as not to drip feed. I would like to hear people’s opinions as I am considering leaving my DH as he is in love with someone else, lets call her Sarah. He has known Sarah since they were 4 years old. Their parents and grandparents were all friends.She is who is parents thought he should and would marry and she is utterly adored by his who family. She called his parents mum and dad. My husband claims they were never an item (although he wished they were) and they have only kissed once when they were teenagers. She’s nothing to look at but has done very well in her career. We are now all in our late 50s.
This is a second marriage for both me and DH. I met him and his DW at work. I was friends with his DW1 and she would often speak about Sarah and how much she hated her and how she had banned her husband from ever contacting her. When DH marriage broke up, I was already divorced and we started seeing each other. Unfortunately in the job we do this is utterly banned and within 2 weeks we were discovered and he was sacked on the spot. He also lost his home at the same time as it went with the job. I was protected because he was my boss and so was considered a victim. DH had to move in with me and I supported him while he searched for a new career. I wanted a commitment from him and he proposed in a very theatrical way within 6 months of us getting together and it was wonderful – or so I thought.

It turned out that he had immediately got in contact with Sarah when his marriage failed and was messaging her several times a day. They also met up at her house. She told him not to marry me. At this point I understood why DW1 hated her. We got married anyway. It’s fair to say it’s been a pretty tempestuous union. My career has skyrocketed and I’ve moved up through the ranks. He’s struggled to find work and earns now a fraction of what he did when we worked together. I knew that he still thought about her and once he called out her name during sex.
When his mother died Sarah turned up at the funeral. I was furious that she should insert herself into our family grief. When DH father died a few years later she also came to that funeral and had the cheek to bring her husband and child as well. I told him in no uncertain terms that if he spoke to her there that the marriage would be over. She glared at me the whole time.
After the funeral I said he could never speak to Sarah again and told him to remove all social media links to her. I don’t understand why Sarah’s husband hadn’t stopped them speaking to each other.
It’s been 6 years and I really thought she was out of our lives and then on NYE his phone pinged.I checked his phone and it was a text from Sarah saying HNY. I then realised she is never going to be gone from our lives. Our respective kids are almost grown up. AIBU to think now is the time to call this a day. I’ve never even spoken to this woman and yet I want to kill her. I hate what she has done to my marriage. Do I really want to spend the last part of my life with a man who is in love with someone else?

OP posts:
DarkForces · 11/01/2026 19:26

Mumtobabyhavoc · 11/01/2026 19:18

I beg to differ.
If a man was in love with me when both of us are married the right thing to do is cut contact out of respect for my husband and the other man's wife.

How would she know? If any of my male friends announced they loved me I'd cut them out and tell dh but I certainly don't flatter myself to imagine they are.

DeepBlueDeer · 11/01/2026 19:26

So far as I can tell, there is nothing other than the "calling out her name" incident that suggests he is into her.

I appreciate that's a significant incident and one that can spark concern and hurt feelings, but saying the wrong name in bed is not uncommon and is far from a reliable indicator of being in love with the person whose name was said. It's largely meaningless.

Sarah hasnt done anything wrong and, save for the workplace HR aspect, I don't see that DH has done anything wrong either.

DarkForces · 11/01/2026 19:24

TwistedWonder · 11/01/2026 19:13

Only in a jealous controlling marriage

Exactly. If dh is going to have an affair he'll find a way. Me trying to police his friendships will make no difference at all. I completely trust him and he trusts me. I couldn't marry someone who wanted to restrict me as trust is essential to me. Nearly quarter of a century later he has proven my faith in him well placed and we both have freedom to spend time with whoever we want. If I couldn't trust him I'd end it rather than blame another woman.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 11/01/2026 19:18

TwistedWonder · 11/01/2026 19:13

Only in a jealous controlling marriage

I beg to differ.
If a man was in love with me when both of us are married the right thing to do is cut contact out of respect for my husband and the other man's wife.

TwistedWonder · 11/01/2026 19:13

Mumtobabyhavoc · 11/01/2026 18:41

No, but if you are married you cut contact.

Only in a jealous controlling marriage

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 19:10

I don’t think it says that in a marriage contract.

Mumtobabyhavoc · 11/01/2026 18:41

Tulcan · 10/01/2026 20:35

I can’t believe you just let him move in with you. Or that you have such a bee in your bonnet about Sarah when she’s just living her life. She can go to funerals, it’s not “a cheek”. It’s a normal thing to do.

It’s not her fault your husband is infatuated with her.

No, but if you are married you cut contact.

cloudtreecarpet · 11/01/2026 17:49

If she was really interested in him as a romantic partner why would she have brought her husband & child to the funeral?

Surely she would have come alone and spent her time sobbing along with your husband and sharing his grief with him thus pushing you out?

As others have said -

  • advising him not to marry you at the time made sense given the career fallout he has suffered
  • the problem is your DH & not her, he's the one you should be suspicious of and angry with.

I don't think anyone should ban or feel they have to ban their spouse/partner from contacting someone or doing anything really.

Having a conversation with them & explaining how you feel should be enough for them to act in whatever way is needed to reassure you that you have nothing to worry about.
Your behaviour shows how insecure you feel in this relationship but it's your DH who is fuelling this insecurity, not Sarah.

Goingootforawalk · 11/01/2026 17:45

Allisnotlost1 · 11/01/2026 17:04

I think it’s unlikely I’d have a close friendship with anyone of either sex whose values meant they would get into, or tolerate, a relationship with a partner who felt threatened by their friendships and/or told them who they could spend time with. If you and your DH are happy with enforced devotion, more power to you. Are you religious?

Same!

My best guy friend is a Christian and so is his wife. I’ve known him for almost two decades and know her for about 9 years.

She had no problem with us meeting separately the first time we met shortly before they got engaged.

I actually thought we would all go for coffee but she gave me a warm welcome when I arrived, then said she’d be back in a few hours and left us to catch up before we all met again for dinner.

She is so lovely and they are now married with two kids. She is still fine for me and her husband to pop out for coffee if I’m staying overnight at theirs, although we do tend to take the kids too. He is one of the only decent male friends I’ve got, so I’m grateful his wife supports his friendship and I’d say we are now friends too.

I’m in a new relationship but having been single for most of my 30s it can be tough as a single woman over 30 to be friends with partnered (straight) men, as some women are super paranoid about it.

To some extent I get it, but as we see on MN - a lot of the women married men cheat with are also married too. So I’m not sure why all the suspicion is reserved for single women!

Hegharty · 11/01/2026 17:41

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:30

I'm not blaming her. She hasn't done anything wrong. It's just clear they have feelings for each other and so I think OP should walk away.

I advised my close friend that I have concerns about her marrying her now husband. Does that mean I’m in love with her?

TwistedWonder · 11/01/2026 17:35

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:30

I'm not blaming her. She hasn't done anything wrong. It's just clear they have feelings for each other and so I think OP should walk away.

I disagree. I don’t see it being at all clear that she’s got feelings for him as anything more than a dear friend.

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:30

DarkForces · 11/01/2026 17:21

And their union has been one of unrelenting joy... 🤔. You can't seriously blame her one conversation, text and funeral attendance for their "tempestuous" relationship.

I'm not blaming her. She hasn't done anything wrong. It's just clear they have feelings for each other and so I think OP should walk away.

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 17:29

Both his parents have died, she probably sent him a text because she thought he might be struggling.

Instead he got eaten alive by his wife.

Igneococcus · 11/01/2026 17:22

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:19

True, I misread. But she did tell him not to marry her.

Yes, because he had just separated from his wife and lost his job and was pressured by OP into a commitment. I would give the exact same advise to any of my childhood friends and I don't fancy any of them.

Lou2026 · 11/01/2026 17:22

justasking111 · 10/01/2026 23:01

If i knew or suspected that a man was obsessed with me I'd stay far away. I wouldn't keep his phone number, go to anything he was at. An obsession is kind of icky.

She may not feel threatened by it though and was clearly close to his parents. Could be she pity's the man, hes now lost both his parents and isnt in a good relationship.

DarkForces · 11/01/2026 17:21

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:19

True, I misread. But she did tell him not to marry her.

And their union has been one of unrelenting joy... 🤔. You can't seriously blame her one conversation, text and funeral attendance for their "tempestuous" relationship.

flowertoday · 11/01/2026 17:21

Sorry share a past not pair !!

flowertoday · 11/01/2026 17:20

I am a bit perplexed by the OP.
I can't see what Sarah has done wrong at any point. She and the OPs husband clearly share a pair and a connection- as friends it seems.
Sarah is clearly married to someone else, made other choices - has another life. It would seem fairly reasonable though for a friendship to remain. And there is nothing wrong with going to a funeral of someone you know or sending a NYE text.
If you don't trust someone that is an issue. OP doesn't trust or like her husband much by the sounds of it. That's the issue.
Having male / female friends is a non event in my view.
Also let's face up to the fact that some people don't marry the love of their lives but may wish to retain some relationship ( platonic obviously) with that person. Humans are complicated, friends are important and life is short.
OP if you can't cope with your husbands past and Sarah then leave and end it. But think about what you are up to.

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:19

Igneococcus · 11/01/2026 17:16

He called out her name during sex. Desires her minimum

And that makes her in love with him?

True, I misread. But she did tell him not to marry her.

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 17:16

I regularly eat lunch with men and women. If my husband had a problem with this I would be wondering where his head was at. As my dad says ‘suspicion haunts the guilty mind’

I think the reason you hate her is because you have a deep down feeling he is straying and you are likely right. The air is unclean.
And he is capable of it. It’s not with Sarah though.

Igneococcus · 11/01/2026 17:16

He called out her name during sex. Desires her minimum

And that makes her in love with him?

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 17:12

If she loved him, they would be together.

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 17:11

helpfulperson · 11/01/2026 17:09

What indication has she given that she is in love with him?. A HNY text and went to the funerals of family friends?

He called out her name during sex. Desires her minimum.

helpfulperson · 11/01/2026 17:09

QueenBambi · 11/01/2026 16:46

They're clearly in love with each other. If you have to ban your DH from ever contacting her and are wondering why her DH hasn't respectively banned her from contacting your DH then you have a massive problem.
TBH I'd leave him. He needs to be with her and you need to be with someone who wants to be with you. You'll feel a lot better for it. What's holding you back? You can forge a decent life for yourself alone. You've said your career has sky rocketed so make the most of the benefits and enjoy your life without a load of anger, distrust and pain.

Edited

What indication has she given that she is in love with him?. A HNY text and went to the funerals of family friends?

Allisnotlost1 · 11/01/2026 17:04

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 16:25

So with this opinion if your in a close friendship with someone else's husband and you know his wife isn't comfortable with him regularly meeting this 'friend' on a one to one basis her feelings are unwarranted & she just wants to shackle him which isn't healthy. My DH & I do what we like when we like as long as we're both happy. We draw the line at one to one dates with the opposite sex🙄😂

I think it’s unlikely I’d have a close friendship with anyone of either sex whose values meant they would get into, or tolerate, a relationship with a partner who felt threatened by their friendships and/or told them who they could spend time with. If you and your DH are happy with enforced devotion, more power to you. Are you religious?

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