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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I am a terrible wife!!!

94 replies

ThatLilacLeader · 11/04/2026 13:06

I am a bad wife and pretty awful person. My husband is really kind and good to me. I am hoping not to get too flamed for this because I’m feeling quite vulnerable - but getting flamed would be totally deserved.

i recently felt an attraction to a friends husband. I would never ever act upon that, but did indulge the feelings, if that makes sense. I feel ridiculous writing this but I even had a chat with chat gpt about some of his behaviours to see if it seemed he was also attracted to me. I know this makes me sound totally weird, but I really need to offload this. I was thinking of him quite a bit, but as I said, would never act on it.

Today, I feel awful. Quite repulsed with myself for the fact that I was even thinking any of this and feel like I have totally betrayed my friend and husband. I feel like I need to come clean, as I keep imagining how my husband would feel if he even read what I wrote on chat gpt. I feel like I don’t deserve him and need to be honest with him about what I’ve done.

I know this is AIBU, but am hoping for some kindness - which I know I don’t deserve. What do I do? Do I tell him? I know feel nothing towards that man but obviously had a moment of madness in my mind. Please help.

OP posts:
moderate · 14/04/2026 04:40

Confuserr · 13/04/2026 00:27

AI guff

AI guff

reptilemad1985 · 14/04/2026 04:23

lol me and oh often say o look at him or what ever when walking round the shops etc nothing wrong with it and I bet he does the same

BlueEyedBogWitch · 14/04/2026 03:53

Chill out, you’re married, not dead.

Stop using ChatGPT for trivial stuff, though. It’s bad for the environment. Use your imagination instead 😉

fabstraction · 14/04/2026 03:50

I wouldn't tell your DH, because you haven't actually cheated and no good can come of this type of confession. You'll only hurt his feelings for no real reason. We all feel attractions from time to time. That's natural. You went a bit too far by indulging in a little fantasy with ChatGPT, hoping to confirm that the feeling was mutual, but you've recognised your mistake and won't do it again. That's enough. Focus your energy on doing something nice for your husband because you love him and let this go.

PollyBell · 14/04/2026 03:49

would you want to know if your husband is having, what MN calls, an emotional affair, when men do it?

would it make you feel better to know?

YayRain · 14/04/2026 03:17

You found another man attractive. You're not blind just because you are married. You haven't actually 'done' anything. As long as it stops here, I don't think you have to confess anything. Coming from someone who has a very low bar for what constitutes cheating. This isn't it.

MentorChappell · 14/04/2026 03:08

I am not AI.

Turnups · 14/04/2026 02:56

MentorChappell · 14/04/2026 02:44

I am here.

So?

Turnups · 14/04/2026 02:55

You absolutely should not tell your DH. It would be completely self-indulgent - it might make you feel better because of your guilty conscience but it would make him very unhappy and not do him any good at all.

If you feel so guilty, let the feeling of guilt be your "punishment". No need to punish him too.

MentorChappell · 14/04/2026 02:44

I am here.

Confuserr · 13/04/2026 00:27

AI guff

cupfinalchaos · 12/04/2026 08:20

Pinkhiker975 · 11/04/2026 18:14

Are you the same ‘type’ as your DH’a crush?

Probably not, different personality type! Not a crush just admires her and the work she does.

ultracynic · 11/04/2026 20:24

You’d be telling him purely to make yourself feel better, while making him feel so much worse. Selfish.

Pinkhiker975 · 11/04/2026 18:14

cupfinalchaos · 11/04/2026 16:19

I’m sure my dh ‘admires’ a woman in our wider social circle. I know his type and she’s it. He hasn’t done anything wrong though, she’s happily married and so are we. It’s just life.

Are you the same ‘type’ as your DH’a crush?

CookingFatCat · 11/04/2026 18:07

Nothing wrong with fancying other men- only acting on it!

Pinkhiker975 · 11/04/2026 18:00

Catza · 11/04/2026 13:10

What have you done though? Sounds like you haven't done anything. It's OK to be attracted to other people, we are not robots. Its not OK to act on that which you clearly haven't. So move on with your life.
And, by the way, AI is a people pleaser and has no way of assessing complex human emotions. So delete the chat and stop focusing on what to tells you. It tells you what you want to hear not what is objectively true.

I just wanted to second this.

cupfinalchaos · 11/04/2026 16:19

I’m sure my dh ‘admires’ a woman in our wider social circle. I know his type and she’s it. He hasn’t done anything wrong though, she’s happily married and so are we. It’s just life.

tamade · 11/04/2026 16:04

I assume that indulging the feelings means fantasizing about him.

Stop that.

imagine him poking his nose or stinking the downstairs toilet out and move on.

Luckyingame · 11/04/2026 16:01

Well, let's get flamed together.
You are not a terrible wife, you are obviously not very happy and fulfilled with your nice husband.
I understand.
You need to put yourself first and think hard what outcome you want for yourself.

godmum56 · 11/04/2026 15:57

Confuserr · 11/04/2026 15:21

"Shocking thoughts" like finding a man attractive? 🙄 I might have been perimenopausal since the age of 15 then.

well no....nothing I am going to write about on here but it went way further than that.

OldHattie · 11/04/2026 15:47

Sounds like fairly harmless daydreaming to me? You didn't do anything. It would be a pretty unusual marriage for you never to feel attraction for anyone else ever again. That isn't realistic.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 11/04/2026 15:44

Has anything your DH said or done led you to this belief, OP? Has he ever tried to make you feel that you need only to have eyes for him and anything else is 'cheating'?

And don't resort to ChatGPT. You might just as well ask a Speak Your Weight machine about emotional turmoil, it has about as much idea.

MrsBrownsBum · 11/04/2026 15:37

It’s not a crime to be attracted to people when you’re in a relationship. If it was I’d be in prison after watching Bridgerton Grin

Miranda65 · 11/04/2026 15:36

You are not a terrible wife, OP. You are a normal human being. Stop beating yourself up, just relax and enjoy your life!

Sassylovesbooks · 11/04/2026 15:32

You are attracted to another person. There's nothing wrong in being attracted to other people, it's human nature. If you'd acted upon that attraction, that would be completely different, but you haven't. There's nothing to tell your husband or your friend.

You need to stop beating yourself up and move on with your life.

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