Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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:
Fecklessdizzy · 28/01/2014 00:03

Collective noun for lots of blokes called Jesus is Jesusii - like octopi or hippopotomi but more holier and with nice shiney teeth, obviouslii Grin

Chippednailvarnish · 28/01/2014 00:04

Of coursii

AnyFucker · 28/01/2014 00:06

Best fucking laugh all I've had all night

I just watched that nasty film "30 days of night" and was having a little collywobble. You guys have put my head back on straight. Or Jesus has.

was that jesus ???

Pigeonhouse · 28/01/2014 00:18

I'm already longing to go and hang out with my personal trainer and his wife from skimming your hectoring, self-righteous, God-bothering self-help jargon-laden replies on this thread, OP. Are you so insufferable in the flesh?

Chipped, it's Jesuses. One Jesus, two Jesuses etc.

Tweasels · 28/01/2014 00:20

Jesus loves you AnyFucker Wink

Chipped - Jesus said no to the lottery numbers, said something about how you'd spend all the money on fags and booze or something but a big yes to screwing around. Jesus actively encourages that by putting you in positions conducive to sex.

So if you ever find yourself in a position conducive to sex - you know like when your knickers fall down and then you trip over and accidentally land legs akimbo onto someone's erect penis (happens ALL the time). Jesus is behind you all the way.

AnyFucker · 28/01/2014 00:22

I've been looking for Moses actually. We need a fucking big Ark

noddingoff · 28/01/2014 00:41

Poor old OP. His wife fancies a personal trainer who smokes. I don't think OP is her type. Wonder if, instead of spending so much time asserting that he doesn't want to leave her, he's asked her if she wants to leave him?
Anyway. Stop baiting the American. Poor chap. I don't think he understands that a man who requests "access to all his wife's media" really does need to told to feck away off to feck. I think he needs to come and live here for a bit.

aquashiv · 28/01/2014 00:54

Why is it I feel as if I'm reading a Dear John from Yoda.

SO THE MORAL of story is you reap what you sow.

daisychain01 · 28/01/2014 03:12

Good God its like living with Billy Graham. No wonder she prefers the company of a personal trainer.

Sorry OP but if this is the sort of stuff you spout off to your wife of 20 years Im not surprised she's thrown in the towel.

No advice, you seem to have all the answers already.

Catsize · 28/01/2014 05:05

OP, not sure if you are still looking at this, but just want to say a couple of things. Some people have been unduly harsh on you, and sadly I think it is right that if you were a woman and the situations were reversed, the vipers would have been kinder, as someone else said upthread.
I can also understand your concerns, and think that the girlfriend could be the perfect smokescreen.
It is possible that this could develop into an EA, but mat not be one yet. What will not help the situation is requests to access media etc. 'You din't trust me, and I have had to trust you again, so what is the point, I might as well do it' is the risk you run.
Anyone having an affair is likely to cover their tracks phone and media-wise. You didn't, which is surprising,
However, constant requests will make her feel trapped and send her hiking for the hills. Literally in this case perhaps. And lay off the husband's rights spiel (you reneged on that yourself and it will only make her more angry and justified). And leave the Bible out if it.
I agree with you that you should work on your marriage, but I am afraid the only way I think this can be done is by a)standing back b)showing her how much you love her and c)hoping this is enough to dissuade her from taking things further with anyone else. You can do little else I am afraid. Good luck to you both. I hope you can work things out.

Uptheanty · 28/01/2014 05:43

Thank fuck David Banner finally flounced.

How sad for him that we didn't all tell him what a bitch his wife is & how she's lucky to have him.

He's so spesssial.

Give him a week in my house & he will be praying to Jesus.

Uptheanty · 28/01/2014 05:48

*would

Anyone else think the good Shepards been having a dram?

redshifter · 28/01/2014 06:23

I agree with Catsize

Or you could just LTB

Chippednailvarnish · 28/01/2014 07:41

Ah Jesuses!

I fear his refusal to give me the lottery numbers shows he knows me too well. A bit like that Genesis song.

Fairenuff · 28/01/2014 08:23

And lay off the husband's rights spiel (you reneged on that yourself and it will only make her more angry and justified)

Actually Catsize there is no such thing as 'husband's rights'.

When he married he did not gain any rights on his wife's mind, body, or will.

He did make some promises to her but they were short lived.

the only way I think this can be done is by a)standing back b)showing her how much you love her and c)hoping this is enough to dissuade her from taking things further with anyone else

If this were a genuine post request for advice I would not suggest standing back or showing how much he loves her. I would suggest that he have respect for himself and his own boundaries and tell her that the marriage was over. Then, if she didn't want to lose him, she would put all her energies into saving the marriage.

However, the OP has loose boundaries and control issues so I expect he know that if he did this she would leave.

Sadly, we can't discuss it with him any more due to his frilly flounce.

redshifter · 28/01/2014 09:57

If this were a genuine post request for advice I would not suggest standing back or showing how much he loves her. I would suggest that he have respect for himself and his own boundaries and tell her that the marriage was over. Then, if she didn't want to lose him, she would put all her energies into saving the marriage.

This

capsium · 28/01/2014 09:57

Fairenuff As you have said yourself, your advice for Op to tell his wife the marriage is over will not help him save his marriage. This sort of advice would only work in a situation where the Op was completely innocent, which he obviously is not.

If he wants to save his marriage the only option is to win his wife back, by showing her how much he loves her.

So you think the marriage is doomed anyway and tell him so, but he wants to try to save it. If you want to win at something you don't give up and admit defeat at the outset.

Whether this works or not depends on whether the people involved can change for the better. I think the world would be a sad place to be if making positive changes were impossible.

Fairenuff · 28/01/2014 16:43

The trouble is capsium that at the moment she has him at home waiting for her and her friend available for her to spend hours on end with.

If OP tries to 'win' her back, what would that look like? How would he go about doing it? Becoming clingy is more likely to push her away.

Sometimes, the only way to save a marriage is to end it and see if the other person cares enough to make the huge effort and commitment required to repair the relationship. If not, there is nothing to work on anyway.

At the moment, OP's wife has nothing to lose from carrying on the way she is, so her behaviour won't change. OP telling her that she can't see the male friend, won't make her change. Him telling her to be open with her social media won't change her behaviour either.

But him saying, I've had enough, you are either in this marriage 100% or you're not would force her to make a choice. That would change her behaviour.

capsium · 28/01/2014 17:24

If OP tries to 'win' her back, what would that look like? How would he go about doing it? Becoming clingy is more likely to push her away.

I agree becoming clingy would not be the answer.

But as to how to win her back I would suggest a little by little approach. The occasional compliment, talking about shared interests, asking her about her interests and views on things, doing small things that she will like. Not grand gestures particularly. Just building on things they find mutually enjoyable.

If their time together is more enjoyable than the time she spends away from him she'll look forward to spending time with her husband.

I agree the wanting access to social media etc is not helping.

Giving ultimatums though, can be a risky business. Is he actually in a position where she will not be totally offended and decide to end things? I think a relationship can be mended without ultimatums.

Coldlightofday · 28/01/2014 17:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page