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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to feel uncomfortable with what's going on?

525 replies

Girlonatubetrain · 31/03/2017 13:31

Ok, so will try and keep it brief,

So the background
A woman and her family moved into our street a couple of years back and have since then, become very good family friends. Our DHs get on well, kids in same school, help each other with childcare etc.

End of last year, DF had an affair, her DH knows since the new year and they have been trying to save their marriage. She is unsure she wants to stay in her marriage but her DH loves her and they are trying to fix things (she has told me this week she is still unhappy to I’m guessing the marriage will end). The OM is out of the picture now, from what she says.

DF claims that the stress of her unhappy marriage and the resulting affair have caused her to have a nervous breakdown. She is on anti-depressants. I have spent many an hour listening to her being upset with her life in general and do regard her as a good friend, who needs people to lean on.

And my problem –
My DH has his own business very close to our homes. I work from home quite a bit. Over the last couple of weeks, whenever I’ve popped in to see DH when on a lunch break etc, she has been there. I have even offered to drop her home when I leave and she has said, she’ll hang back for a bit. It sounds ridiculous, but my DH even has her preferred brand of beverage there for when she visits, but not mine!

I spoke to DH about it last week as I feel its crossing a line and am very uncomfortable about it. DH reassures me there is nothing to worry about. He then started to tell me about how she’s just going through a mental rough patch and how she’d msgd him the other morning that she was struggling to get out of bed!

Everytime I pop in to visit, which is max twice a week and only for 10mins at a time, he makes out he is really busy and doesn’t really speak to me but just gets on with his work. So how can she always be there if he is ignoring her in the same way? So can only assume, when she’s there, he has time for her?

I get that she is having a hard time at the moment. I also understand she needs support and friends. It may be that she is just using him as an emotional crutch like shes used me the last few months. But . . . . I still feel that they are crossing a line and I am unhappy about it. To know they are spending so much time together (& that’s just the ones I know about) and now to know that they are PMing each other rather than the group chat with the 2 wives and 2 husbands on it, doesn’t sit well with me . . .

I love my DH and do trust him, but still feel very uncomfortable about the whole situation. DH and I have since fallen out since the start of this week because of this and are barely on speaking terms.

Im sure his reason would be I haven’t done anything wrong, I’m just supporting DF and DW is blowing it into something bigger.
But AIBU to feel this way? What do I do?

OP posts:
Fanciedachange17 · 01/04/2017 12:02

Hope you are ok OP. Most probably shell shocked and overcome with emotion. Hang in there girl you will have loads of support on here. Please blank the cheating bitch and if your H is staying then he has some serious making up to do. If not, well ducks in a row and all that.

Girlonatubetrain · 01/04/2017 12:08

Sorry for the delay all – its been a crazy 12 hours.

Firstly thank you for all your advice and suggestions, you all really helped and I went into this prepared and not willing to take his shit.

We started talking at 8, with me asking if he knew why I was upset and he said because your think im having an affair with DF. Im not. I then said well, what is going on, because this is beyond the realms of friendship.

DH had a nervous breakdown many years ago, with suicidal thoughts etc. Because of what she is going through, in January is sent her an email to explain what he’d been through, to explain how low his life had been and to say he understood. If she needed a shoulder to lean on, that wouldn’t judge her, he would be there. I think it did start as him genuinely wanting to help.

After a month of very few chats, all around her mental health, they began to spend more time together and over the last few weeks it has become more often and more and more off topic. He didn’t realise when the boundaries blurred but acknowledged they had, massively.

He claims he didn’t know what had prompted the selfie and shed just said, Girlon has requested one, so they obliged. He has since seen my chat with her and sees why it was so wrong.

I have been through his phone msgs – which he admits he’s been deleting. He claims this is because they were related to her mental health and he’d sworn to not share with anyone, so hence deleted. From what I have read, they did cross normal boundaries but it has been a big mistake rather than malicious.

The end result is, he has accepted he’s had an emotional affair and is absolutely mortified. He promises to do all he can to fix our marriage – this went on til 4am.

At 4am I msgd DF and gave her merry hell. She initially denied everything and had thought everything was in jest. She acknowledges they crossed a line but that actually the majority of conversations had been about OM and how she still wants him. Regardless, they have both royally fucked up.

At 8am, I msgd her DH to come round. He asked with DF, so I said yes, it is about DH and DF. Then made the 4 of us sit round the table and my DH had to explain what has been going on. DH was mortified and kept apologising, DF obviously in tears, saying she had no idea what had happened, her head is messed up and she didn’t mean any of this, me ranting and her DH in shock.

I have told them they are both cunts and both despicable and calpable. I have said they have actively concealed and lied. I have made it clear, they are responsible for hurting other people with their selfish deceitful actions.

I have told them they are married. Suck it up or walk out. Don’t treat us like shit.

End result is, they are to have NO MORE CONTACT in any shape or form. If they do, 1. It will be the end of my marriage and 2. I will spread the word on the grapevine exactly why my marriage has failed. She and her DH are Asian, I’m Asian, my DH is white. She has more to lose in the community. DH will lose me and my children. He’s always said they love me more and admits he will have to give me custody.

Can only pray they both have seen the light and this is the end of this sordid saga.

OP posts:
Fluffycloudland77 · 01/04/2017 12:13

Well done for sticking up for yourself. I hope this is an end to it now.

SuiteHarmony · 01/04/2017 12:15

Wow. Sounds like you really owned this, op. Well done. How did the friend's husband react?

Osirus · 01/04/2017 12:15

Well handled! I hope this is the end of it for you.

expatinscotland · 01/04/2017 12:16

Wow! You stayed up all night? You must be shattered! Don't go back on NOT contacting them.

MrsJaniceBattersby · 01/04/2017 12:17

you rocked it OP , proud of you !

colabucks · 01/04/2017 12:22

Have been following/lurking on this thread and really feel for you. So glad that you stood your ground and that your DH recognised that there was a problem. If I'm ever in this situation or similar, I'll remember this, the advice given, and how well you handled things. I wish you and your DH (and her DH) the best for the future Flowers

YouKnowNothingJS · 01/04/2017 12:24

DH will lose me and my children.

So you're ok with your children being punished then?

Girlonatubetrain · 01/04/2017 12:24

Dfs DH was a weak coward.
he admitted I had voiced my concerns to him a few weeks ago and he didn't take them seriously.
he kept excusing their actions and telling my DH didn't mean it and because it's not a physical affair, it's not so bad.
I was pretty graphic about sticking your dick in someone is in my opinion, not as bad as getting inside someone's head! Hmm

OP posts:
Girlonatubetrain · 01/04/2017 12:27

I would not stop his seeing the children.
however he, from his own observations, a few weeks ago said to me, if we ever split, I wouldn't fight you for custody.

I have no current intention of ending my marriage. I want to fix it.

but if it ends, the kids would be in my care. However I would NEVER stop him seeing them. He's too great a dad and my kids don't deserve to be punished in any of this. But yes, to not live with the kids, would punish DH.

OP posts:
dowhatnow · 01/04/2017 12:28

Lets hope you have rammed how what he has to lose and he really was stupid enough not to realise what he was doing.

Good luck op.

anoldiebutagoody · 01/04/2017 12:29

Hope you are alright OP. 💐
Years ago DH and I had a "friend " like yours, she was very adept at the poor little woman act ( despite holding down a full time job with HMRC ) and duped numerous men, my DH included.
She lived alone, separated from her husband and every time anything went wrong in the flat she rang my DH to fix it, he would go and because she was on her own and then stay for a cuppa and she would confide in him(yes I know). She would also pop in to see him for a cuppa or lunch - he was self employed too.
The final straw came when he had just come back from her flat & her sister phoned at 11 pm as she wanted to finish her ironing and had just fused all the lights - I answered the phone and told her to phone an electrician.

Then I sat down with DH and laid it on the line that we (he) break all contact with her and her family as they were impacting on our relationship- luckily for him he saw the light and did exactly that.
I don't know if anything happened between them but I do know she would have been up for it she was always saying how fantastic he was - DH said he was just being a good friend and I chose to believe him.
We've just celebrated our ruby wedding so things can work out OK if you catch it early enough.

kittybiscuits · 01/04/2017 12:30

You handled things really really well. What boundaries has your OH agreed to?

socialengineering · 01/04/2017 12:31

Wow your not a woman to be messed with! Genuinely impressed.

Good luck in the future op and I hope df sorts herself out and her dh can move on.

Northernlurker · 01/04/2017 12:32

Good work op. Your dh has hopefully seen the light but if he screws it up again he's nobody to blame but himself.

Girlonatubetrain · 01/04/2017 12:33
  1. no further contact with DF
  2. his phone is accessible at all times
  3. if he ever gets in this situation again, at the 1st sign ofor trouble
a. he calls me or at least tells me b. he tells OW to do one at the slightest hint of interest
OP posts:
mydietstartsmonday · 01/04/2017 12:33

Well done. I really think your marriage will survive. Get these toxic friends out of your life. Good luck.
Sounds to me you are a great wife and mother. Fuck the friendship.

DanDanDanDanDan · 01/04/2017 12:36

Glad you sorted it out, but I'm a bit confused about why her sh is a cunt? Have I missed something? I have rift!

Girlonatubetrain · 01/04/2017 12:37

DF and DH.
sorry not DFs DH Blush

OP posts:
DanDanDanDanDan · 01/04/2017 12:37

Oh cross post!

Osirus · 01/04/2017 12:39

She meant her own DH, dan

supersop60 · 01/04/2017 12:39

Because he chose toignore the warnings.

Girlonatubetrain · 01/04/2017 12:43

I think DFso DH is stupid and naive and desperate
I don't think he's a cunts
but he needs to see the light
not try and justify DH and DHs behaviour to me and himself

they are wrong. end of. no excuse for crossing these boundaries.
they're grown adults and need to take responsibility

OP posts:
VanillaSugar · 01/04/2017 12:45

Well done OP - you are amazing!

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