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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:
Timeforteaplease · 31/03/2017 16:26

It may not have turned in to anything sinister yet - sounds like she is targeting your DH and he is currently flattered by the attention. But I agree it is time to put a stop to these games and end the friendship.
Definitely no more helping her out.

Fishface77 · 31/03/2017 16:27

Too often we minimise our own feelings but you are important!
Your feelings matter and they should matter to your DH!

Lochan · 31/03/2017 16:28

Girl did your DH not see an issue with you limbered with her kids while she chatted with him? Because him DH would have been pissed as hell.

I wouldn't put anything on the WhatsApp group. I'd speak to your DH and draw your lines in the sand and then I'd go round and see her DH in person.

Do it calmly and without name calling, just sticking to the facts about why you are breaking off the friendship. Much harder for her to accuse you of lying or being jealous if you are calm.

honeyroar · 31/03/2017 16:28

And when she sent you the selfie you should have replied that it's out of order how much time she's spending there and not the action of a friend (to you). Tell her to sort her own life and marriage out and stop putting stress on yours.

diddl · 31/03/2017 16:28

So you arrived with her kids & she didn't take them with her??

When you have been there & left & suggested that she leaves with you-why doesn't your husband say yes as he needs to get on?

She's sounding like the wife!

EpoxyResin · 31/03/2017 16:29

Whoah.

Obviously you've hinted a good deal to your friend that this is going a bit far, and either she isn't getting it or doesn't want to get it, but how close have you come to just saying, "Look, what the fuck is this, this is not cool. You need to fucking stop. Got it?"? And have her responses always been "haha, funny!"??

Is she always completely unable to read people or act appropriately or is this a special blindness she's developed specifically for this situation? Because it's getting pretty unbelievable that she could be so monumentally stupid as to not get that this is making your teeth itch. I mean you've fallen out with your dh over it, that's a pretty clear indication to any mate that they should rein themselves the fuck in!

Elland · 31/03/2017 16:29

Did your DH know you were looking after her kids?

I would be cutting down your friendship as she certainly has no loyalties to you by the sounds of it!

Softkitty2 · 31/03/2017 16:29

Agree with fishface.. Call them out on it in the group message.. Her husband can be in denial all he wants but as long you don't call them out they will carry on.

EffinElle · 31/03/2017 16:29

Jesus, I'd tell the bitch to do one! She ain't no friend Angry

Timeforteaplease · 31/03/2017 16:31

Call them out on it in the group message - totally disagree. This needs to be sorted out face-to-face between you and your husband, not via group chats.

diddl · 31/03/2017 16:32

I agree that it's between you & your husband.

She can only spend as long as she does with him because he allows her to.

MuffinMaiden · 31/03/2017 16:33

She sounds like an absolute bitch, and your DH is enjoying the ego boost at the very least. I honestly wouldn't give a damn about her mental state - she's the one who wrecked her marriage and is stringing her poor husband along. Definitely tell him, tell her to do one, and tell your DH if he doesn't get his act together he can as well!

BonnyScotland · 31/03/2017 16:34

your marriage is already over.... she has emotionally connected to your Husband... and he has connected to her.....

it's too late Flowers

VanillaSugar · 31/03/2017 16:35

I'd be going ballistic if this was my DH. I'm speechless.

GeekyWombat · 31/03/2017 16:35

Whether anything had happened or not she's clearly enjoying taking you for a mug - that selfie is just a joke and looking after her kids so she can enjoy her beverage of choice with your DH just takes the piss.

I don't know I'd be brave enough to kick off a group chat about it I am a wuss but I'd definitely be having stern words with DH and distancing myself as much as possible. And fuck the babysitting too.

Flowers for you OP, this sounds like an awful situation.

isadoradancing123 · 31/03/2017 16:35

Alarm bells put a stop to this immediately

brickinitIam · 31/03/2017 16:35

What kind of business does your OH have?

I'm trying to imagine what kind of workplace is alright with random friends hanging around the place.
Very few I would have thought.

If it's a garage that does repairs then she would have the excuse she's taking her car to be fixed.
But otherwise, what's her excuse for being there?

Does he have other employees you are friendly with that you could chat with and they could shed some light on how often this 'friend' is there?

QODRestYeMerryGentlemen · 31/03/2017 16:37

Oh Man. They both need their heads banging together

kittybiscuits · 31/03/2017 16:37

I don't know why everyone is slagging of your so-called friend. WTF is your husband playing at?

Guiltypleasures001 · 31/03/2017 16:39

Take her husband down there as a surprise, I'm not one for a cool head with shit like this, I would have gone nuclear by now at both

HollyJollyDillydolly · 31/03/2017 16:40

Oh dear. Your df has definitely set her sights on your dh by the sounds of things, it doesn't seem that he's trying to deter her either which is worrying.

EpoxyResin · 31/03/2017 16:41

I don't know why everyone is slagging of your so-called friend. WTF is your husband playing at?

Just because your husband's being a shit doesn't mean you can't tell your mate they're being an arsehole too!

GeorgeTheHamster · 31/03/2017 16:43

She's after your husband.

He's - at the very least - going along with it out of flattery. Or they're having an emotional affair. Or a physical affair.

None of the options are ok and he needs to stop all this now. No more visits. No more messages.

HashiAsLarry · 31/03/2017 16:44

Not sure 100% about your DH in all this, but I very much suspect she has her sights set on him. I don't think I'd be happy under these circumstances. I don't think you'd be unreasonable to tell him to nip this is the bud with her, even if he thinks its innocent.

Fishface77 · 31/03/2017 16:44

Kitty my reasons for going ballistic st the friend are that she has form/history for this and SHE is the one going to HIS work place.
I wouldn't minimise DHs role in this however. Bloody fool is flattered and he needs a bollocking too.
But he can be dealt with "in house" where the OP needs to tackle her out of the home.
I wouldn't babysit for her.
I would distance myself from her.
By the way OP get his phone and have a good read of the messages between them.

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