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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Emotional Affair? What to do?

120 replies

mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 17:53

My wife began seeing her personal trainer outside the gym. I cheated on her almost 4 years ago. I say this just to put this in perspective. She sometimes still have emotional setbacks because of my unfaithfullness. My situation was not the norm though. I was out of the country on military duty (reserve). I was called home because my mother was deathly ill...long story short, my mother died. I had to preach her funeral because I could give no other man that honor...this cause me to repress all my emotions. Afterward I couldn't face the world so i returned to my military duty. I broke down while there, and what I now see as an emotional affair came full bloom during my grieving and I found myself in a position conducive to sex while I was weak and that's exactly what happened. I left the country, but continued the emotinal affair, waiting for it to die because i didn't want to keep her hanging on to false hopes. We chatted on FB periodically and yahoo messenger. My wife found the communication on my phone and I was completely exposed.

So, she still hurt sometimes. Since then I've completely regained her trust (I think) and her forgiveness. Yet, in a moment of sadness she allowed herself to be comforted by her personal trainer. This friendship, somehow found its way outside of the gym. I knew nothing about it until i began to smell smoke on her. Finally after i questioned her on the smoke, she admitted that she's been spending time with him, that he's her friend, that she has been in his apartment alone with him, that she has spent the many times she was late returning from the gym at his apartment with him and his girlfriend or him alone, in spite of my difiance, she insists on maintaining and nourishing this relationship. She tries to justify it and rationalize it based on my physical affair and my ministry to a suicidal teen who would call me openly and who i hid no communication from her initially. However when the kid became suicidal again, I began allowing short calls during the time i was home and i spoke with her in my wife's presence.

Each time i confront my wife on her behavior she tries to rationalize and explain it away. She has spent one ENTIRE day (dawn to dusk) at his apartment with him and his girlfriend drinking without so much as telling me where she was until she had been gone 7hrs. The next Sat, she left at 8:30ish pm and returned about 4am, again, not asking, consulting, advising in the least. She has done a photo shoot of him alone in a location they hiked to, yes-without asking me if it was ok...just telling me that she was going to do it (never showed me the photos). Last night she left angry because one of my former students texted me commenting on Turabian format...this student has aroused my wife's suspicion simply because she's female and has asked for my guidance, not because i've done anything or have spent any quality time with her. I didn't reply to the text and I told my wife what the text was and who it was from.

She took that as an opportunity to leave and she didn't return until after 4am. Again, she admits being over to HIS apartment.

I need to know if I'm crazy? She doesn't want to do any form of counseling...says that she loves him as a friend but is not in love with him. I read her texts (she allowed, but said she would never do it again and refuses to grant me access to any of her media) in one of the texts he called her luv. She defends him, but gives me hell, and say that I'm giving her hell, because I want to know what's going on.

after many argumental requests. She's never told me where he lives nor has she given me his phone number and I 've requested them all. Am I crazy or is this a very far gone emotional affair.

I've told her to end it and that i don't want him in our lives. I've told her that as her husband i have a right to put boundaries in her relationship with other men...she disagrees. Says she's grown and won't be controlled and can pick her own friends. I don't want to leave my wife and I truly don't know what to do. I've requested all access to her media, and i've insisted on therapy...even if it's just us using a program i downloaded from marriage busters, all with resistance. Please help.

OP posts:
mrspremise · 27/01/2014 19:44

I think the OP has buggered off... I'm still howling with laughter at BasicFish 'Sorry. but Grin'

capsium · 27/01/2014 19:48

You have to make yourself a more attractive prospect than him I think, if you want to move forward.

No point in playing the blame game. It sounds like there is fault on both sides.

Start focussing on making your time together enjoyable. You can analyse till you're blue in the face but it doesn't make for a pleasant time together. Everyone likes good company.

mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 19:49

Hello, thank you for your reply. I agree with your summation that the trainer is not the answer, I also agree that we need counseling, but am I wrong to insist on my wife not developing a private relationship with another man...don't forget, this is a relationship that I am being completely left out of. I don't want to hang out with them...I just want to trust that there's nothing more than what she says there is...and until she starts respecting my feelings about the matter, I don't know if I should trust her intentions. I have given my wife all access to all media that I have. She has my passwords and account numbers and logins to every account I have. I want to promote transparency in our relationship. I also owe it to 20 years of marriage and our 3 kids to protect our union. I have nothing to hide...not so sure about her just yet.

OP posts:
mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 19:52

True. I do try to make our time enjoyable. Believe me, my play-time is over. I don't think we should take turns though. Two wrongs don't make it right. I do think focus is something I need, that we need. Unfortunately, it's hard to get her to focus on me. She spends most of her spare time focusing on developing that relationship. I don't want to move on...and it's hard to stay in this the way it is.

OP posts:
capsium · 27/01/2014 19:55

I don't think access to her media would be enough for you. I would forget about that and work on being close. All the suspicion is not conducive to this.

If you are closer to her, gain her confidence, you'll know what is going on with her.

She has to trust you to confide in you, to want to spend time with you, over other men.

So you have to stop the accusations and start being the person she wants to share her life with.

tigermoll · 27/01/2014 19:55

You've convinced yourself that, even if she isn't having a sexual relationship, this friendship still breaks what you see as the terms of the relationship. Your partner disagrees.

There's not much else you can do. You can't insist she stops seeing this person nor can you insist she does therapy or shares all her messages with you. So your choices are basically a) put up with this or b) end the relationship.

OR you could try talking to your wife without dismissing her responses as 'rationalisation' or insisting she does therapy. You could apologise once again for your affair, without all the mealy mouthed excusing and minimising you did for us at the top of your post (you were only remaining in contact with the other woman so it would 'die' away by itself? Nonsense)

But somehow I think what you want is for all of us to say 'You are completely in the right, and what is more, here are the special magic words that will convince her of this as well'.

mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 19:58

Sorry to disagree...there's still love and joy in my relationship. There's only been one affair...mine. She's in an emotional affair based on all the signs, but we still love each other and our relationship is in a bad place...that place is not called the end. I encourage anyone in my predicament to fight for your relationship and don't wimp out because things suck. 20yrs this year didn't come because we're quitters. Thanks for your feed back though.

OP posts:
capsium · 27/01/2014 20:01

The way you 'fight' makes a difference though. Possessiveness and accusations never win. They suggest you think you've lost already. Try going on the offensive, and winning her back.

Armadale · 27/01/2014 20:01

A personal trainer who smokes Shock

mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:04

Hi Tigermoll...maybe you're right about me wanting support, who doesn't. One thing I can do though...I can insist on whatever I like, it's up to her to measure her love for me and decide whether or not she will meet my request. She insisted on everything that I did, and I did what she asked because I wanted to get back to us. I pray we get back to us. I love her, but you're wrong...ending it is not on the list. Bad marriages end themselves. Thanks for your honest feedback, believe it or not...that's what I'm looking for. I need to see myself from other's eyes so that I can understand my wife better. I know I have my own perspective, but unless you've lived my life in my skin, you can't say that my perspective is inaccurate or unjustified.

OP posts:
mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:04

Lol...yes. who smokes.

OP posts:
MeepMeepVrooooom · 27/01/2014 20:05

Why do you jump to emotional affair instead of just a friendship?

I don't quite get this.

mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:06

Capsium.

I truly appreciate that input. Sometimes in the heat of frustration and aggravation we lose sight of the possibility of pursuit. Thanks because i know i've not lost her. She still loves me and is worth fighting for.

OP posts:
capsium · 27/01/2014 20:07

Good. Start right now. Do something nice for her.

UptheChimney · 27/01/2014 20:15

as her husband i have a right to put boundaries in her relationship with other men

Oh just feck off back to 1650 or thereabouts. You have no such right over any other human being in 2014.

Uptheanty · 27/01/2014 20:18

As her husband you had the right not to put your dick in another woman.

mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:19

MeepMeepVrooooom,

Warning signs that your partner may be having an emotional affair

1.They withdraw from you, subtly.
2.They seem to be thinking about their friend a lot, and spend more time talking to him/her than to you - in the early days, they might even crop up in conversation quite a lot.
3.They says things like, "You really don't understand me at all"; subtext, "Only my friend can really understand me".
4.You seem to have less time on your own together than in the past.
5.They're coming home later than usual after work, and may be spending a lot of time on their phone, calling or texting.
6.You discover that your partner has spent a significant amount of time with this friend that they haven't told you about. (this comes from Mumsnet and is all true of my wife's situation)

"An emotional affair happens when you put the bulk of your emotions into the hands of somebody outside of your marriage," explains psychotherapist M. Gary Neuman, author of Emotional Infidelity. (without question prevalent)

  1. You dress up for him. 2. You lie to your significant other about seeing him. 3. You do special things for him that you don't do for others. 4. You're spending more and more time away from home and/or your significant other. 5. Your electronic communications are increasingly devoted to your non-significant other. 10. You feel understood by him, unlike by your partner11. You tell others, "we are just friends12. You feel uncomfortable when your partner says something about him. Charlotte Michie
14. You tell "little white lies" to your partner. 17. Your emotions seem more powerful and intense. 18. You feel more alive. (from the Huffington Post's artical on Emotional Infidelity: 18 Signs You're Crossing The Line; only a few didn't apply)

I could go on and on with Biblical stuff, Psychology Today, Web MD, but I only went to sources because I didn't know what was happening, but I knew something was happening. Now I know. Thanks for asking such an honest question.

OP posts:
mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:19

True.

OP posts:
mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:22

Hi UpTheChimney,
True, I have no right over her as a person. Never said I did. But I do have a right to say what hurts and expect the one who loves me to react accordingly.

OP posts:
mrneedyone · 27/01/2014 20:24

Capsium,
Last night I cooked dinner for her and my kids. The roses I bought week before last died so I guess I can get some more. The clothes that I washed last week are still in baskets, guess I could put those away. Guess I'll spend more time doing more and less time expressing my pain and trying to get her to see it. Thanks again.

OP posts:
Uptheanty · 27/01/2014 20:26

Seriously op you need to take a long hard look at yourself.

Maybe give it a couple of days and re read this thread.

Though I strongly suspect that the morals & expectations that you insist on from others are not how you live your life.

MeepMeepVrooooom · 27/01/2014 20:29

To be honest OP I think you could relate all bar 6 to a woman who has a new friend (couple as friends) and who is unhappy too.

I do think you need to sit down with your wife and first and foremost address whether or not she is happy. If she wants to work on your relationship.

Good luck OP hope you both get things sorted.

MeepMeepVrooooom · 27/01/2014 20:30

unhappy in her relationship**

capsium · 27/01/2014 20:30

Never said you wouldn't have to persevere.

Keep it up. You might have to play the long game. Also find yourself some stuff to enjoy for yourself, so you feel happier in yourself. You don't have to depend on her for your own happiness.

Uptheanty · 27/01/2014 20:30

OMG

Scrap my last post...

You made dinner not just for your wife but the kids tooShock

You bought RosesShock

You did a load of laundry Shock

Maybe when the matching band your wife hired for you ( she bloody better have)...stops playing at your parade they can join your pity party?