Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not want to see or speak to her again?

297 replies

froofroomcgoo · 22/04/2017 20:43

Been wanting to write this for a while but didn't have the guts. This could be loooong.

My BF is one of DH's BF. They met at uni, I met her about 3 months after he did. I was her maid of honor, she mine. DH was an usher at her wedding, we see each other most weeks. Or did.

I got pregnant shortly after getting married. She requires an operation before she can have children (well, it's advised the operation is before pregnancy as pregnancy could make her condition worse) she doesn't want the operation so has put it off until recently when she has had to organise it. She isn't sure she wants kids at all, wants to foster ASD children.

She was the first person we told I was pregnant. She was excited and happy for us, continued to see her regularly. Then baby came. I had mild postnatal depression, I was struggling with the physical changes to my body, I had a birth injury causing on going issues and my sex life was non-existent which along with my mood was causing issues in my relationship. I confided in her. DS was a velcro baby, bottle refuser and terrible, terrible sleeper. I was miserable, sleep deprived and depressed.

I feel that as a good friend she should have suggested nights in round mine, shopping trips or lunch out, nights round her with DS coming with me, walks in the park etc (which I did suggest to her). I feel she should have hugged me, listened to me, told me to buck up. I did ask about her life and the things important to her etc, it wasn't one sided.

Instead, she went out drinking and dancing with DH, invited him to child-unfriendly things, invited him to lunch, the park, shopping, coffee with DS (under the guise of giving me a break).

We used to all do a hobby together, which I can't do due to my birth injury. She'd invite DH to do that, knowing how upset it made me, she'd invite him to gigs, trips away.

DH would always ask me before saying yes or no, and would sometimes say no anyway as he knew I was struggling, but I felt bad asking him not to go (I know now I should have said when I wasn't happy.

She'd also do things such as when we were round hers, put music on and give DH drinks and start dancing, then say "I really want to go out dancing but I bet froo won't let you" within earshot of me.

It all came to a head when DS was about 8 months when DH and her were going away for an event. DH informed me he'd book a twin room (we're pretty broke) or take an airbed in a cheapo hotel. I found out the night before that he's booked a naice hotel with 4 poster bed (though it was cheap!) we had a massive row and they didn't go.

We discussed it afterwards and DH did admit that he and DF had been getting close, he's been confiding in her and enjoyed spending time with her and could see it wouldn't take much for him to start having inappropriate feelings for her. He admitted his behaviour had been out of order and we discussed the issues in our relationship and are working on those.

DH maintains that DF didn't know about the hotel and I shouldn't blame her. I pointed out all the issues above and told him I felt she had been a poor friend to me, and had been undermining our relationship by listening to me about how I felt and things that were going wrong and then using them to get close to DH. DH admitted that he hadn't seen it that way but could see my point and that that meant she wasn't a good friend to him either.

Unfortunately she is part of a wider close friendship group, making it very hard to cut her off completely. I've seen her maybe 6 times since this incident. I'm polite but cool. The rest of group don't know about any of this. DH is still maintaining a friendship with her, though made the decision himself not to see her alone at all, or without me where possible.

He feels over time I should forgive her and move on. I don't want to. There is history of her doing similar things and this is just the final straw. I don't want her in my life. It's been about 9 months now.

DH and I have been working through things and things have been pretty good. I haven't fully decided if I can get over what he did, I do believe it to be an emotional affair and I'm not sure I can forgive him, but I'm trying.

AIBU to never want too see her again? And certainly not consider her a friend?

I think we're doing well and then I find that last night, when out with work and drunk, he text her. He clearly wanted to see her (I don't know what he text, just her response of "I'm not out tonight" when it flashed up on his phone screen.) and know I'm thinking does he still have feelings for her?

I hate this!

OP posts:
haveacupoftea · 23/04/2017 16:11

So sorry this has happened to you. I'd be going through his phone like nobodies business to find out what they've been texting each other. And if you don't want to leave him, you'll need to both cut her out of your lives entirely. If that means losing the rest of your friendship group to save your marriage then so be it. You'll be resentful of him for a long, long time though and might never trust him again. He has changed your lives forever with his behaviour.

HarryPottersMagicWand · 23/04/2017 16:12

I'm not convinced nothing has happened between them. Your DH clearly still wants to see her and that just isn't on. The fact he booked the double bed shows what his intentions were. I highly doubt she knew nothing about It and was expecting to turn up with 2 single beds.

zeezeek · 23/04/2017 16:55

Maybe nothing did happen other than a woman continuing with her normal life and spending time with her normal friends, doing all the things she has always done.

Maybe you didn't feel,she was supportive, but it sounds as if you never really liked her anyway and if she picked up on that then why the hell would she want to support you?

Now, suddenly, without talking to her and with the encouragement of strangers on the internet this woman has been hung, drawn and quartered and judged to be the worst of the worst, the dreaded OW.

If you don't want to see her, then don't see her. She probably doesn't want to see you either. But if you are going to stay married and in the same social group, then yeah, you need to get over it.

Epipgab · 23/04/2017 17:05

Every thread on MN is responded to by strangers on the internet. Even the people decrying the opinions of strangers on the internet are strangers on the internet themselves Grin If someone really only wants to hear opinions from people they know IRL why start a thread in the first place? Confused

KateDaniels2 · 23/04/2017 17:07

Now, suddenly, without talking to her and with the encouragement of strangers on the internet this woman has been hung, drawn and quartered and judged to be the worst of the worst, the dreaded OW.

I think you will find most people have not done this at all.

And asking strangers is the whole point.

froofroomcgoo · 23/04/2017 17:11

Epip doesn't mean i don't value the input. Some people have raised valid and useful points and given good advice which appreciate. Doesn't mean I'm going to act on it immediately without thought or discussion IRL.

OP posts:
froofroomcgoo · 23/04/2017 17:11

Are you her zeezeek?

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 23/04/2017 17:17

And maybe monekys fly, too, zeek. Hmm Did he know you saw the text? Because if so and he hasn't addressed it, that speaks volumes.

Screwinthetuna · 23/04/2017 17:19

From an outsider looking in, I would jump to the conclusion that she fancies him and always has done. She's out of order for acting the way she has (and probably knows and doesn't care) is your DH's friend, not yours.
Your husband is even worse! The whole situation is really weird to be honest. I would stay 'friends' with her only in company of others and make it clear to your husband that you never want them alone. For him to admit that he 'could' develop feelings for me means, to me, he already has. Never, ever confide in her again.
I hope you are feeling better and find a decent, real friend! Flowers

Tulipsaregold · 23/04/2017 17:24

In that case then Zeek the friend has about as much delicacy as a half tranquilized elephant. Its simply horrid behaviour from anyone whether it was ops friend or not. Wedging yourself in between a married couple and implying the DH has a noose round his neck " Ohhh I am sooo fun, I want to go out dancing, I can, she cant - oh poor dh - I so want to go - and I am sure you want to come with me - but she wont let you."

Angry to a woman with a baby stuck at home/ with pnd and struggling is beyond appalling.

Tulipsaregold · 23/04/2017 17:26

make it clear to your husband that you never want them alone.

^^ too late for that really and if he wants to spend time with this bitch who can stop him? I mean if his wife - suffering with pnd and a clingy baby cant - ie his new little family then what the hell can?

Let him go off with miss free and fun, great when they have a dc and you can turn up then when they have your DC - " ex dh lets go out and dance, I sooo want to dance tonight now she can look after ds, come on - dont be a bore lets leave her and go and have fun"!!

CherriesInTheSnow · 23/04/2017 17:33

Zeezeek yes, are you OP's friend?? Because either you have completely disregarded the OP's account of this woman's behaviour, or you are writing based on much more knowledge of who this other woman is and her perspective.

Yes, it's true in it's bluntest form that is OP wants to keep both her marriage and her social she will have to "get over it" but what is useful or even accurate about anything you've said, unless you have some inside knowledge that the rest of us don't have?

What kind of idiot would you have to be to think that a woman is "just carrying on with her life" when she intentionally singles out OP's husband after the OP has explicitly told her that she is struggling and the implications it is having with her relationship with her husband. Absolute bollocks.

Bluntness100 · 23/04/2017 17:36

I don't think you're being very logical at all op. I think uou want to kick her out of your lives to remove the risk it will happen again or is still going on and you plan to forgive your husband because you have no desire to split up, so to justify that to yourself it's easier for uou to pretend to yourself she was the instigator who led him astray.

If that's what you need to get through it, that's what you need, but my personal advice would be to view this more accurately, it was him and deal with it correctly or she won't be the last woman this happens with.

froofroomcgoo · 23/04/2017 17:42

blunt thing is, knowing them both as i do, and knowing how it played out she did instigate it. Yes he went along, yes he booked the hotel room and yes, he was totally, totally wrong. But i have absolutely no doubt that she instigated it.

OP posts:
CherriesInTheSnow · 23/04/2017 17:42

I think the OP's being logical, it must just be very hard though. Especially when this woman has given the OP a lot of evidence to build up the image of her being the problem. I'm not saying that's accurate or fair, I feel her husband is equally to blame but I think the OP knows that.

Like, if my long time friend had an affair with my husband or was trying to build an intimate relationship with, yes I'd be mortified that my husband for being involved but I'd be bloody fuming that someone I considered a friend would dare even cross the line into that territory. It's complicated and hurtful I guess.

froofroomcgoo · 23/04/2017 17:44

cherries you've put it well, that's how I feel.

OP posts:
CherriesInTheSnow · 23/04/2017 17:46

So sorry you're going through this OP, I have a DD the same age as your baby and I completely understand why you wouldn't want to jump into leaving your husband. What a shit show Flowers

TalkingofMichaelAngel0 · 23/04/2017 17:54

I hope you find your strength soon op.

Inertia · 23/04/2017 17:58

Sorry that you're going through this double betrayal. As the thread has evolved, it appears that you have slowly begun to grasp exactly how serious this is.

The four-poster bed is a huge deal. Your husband is either already having the affair, or he was putting an unwilling woman in a position of being forced to share his bed, which is even worse.

Your friend was entitled to continue with her life. Encouraging your husband to drop you and go out was shitty, but your husband is the one that dumped you and the baby. He should have been supporting you and caring for his child - the responsibility was his.

Your husband wants you to STFU forgive him and friend and move on so that he and OW can make their affair arrangements while you are too scared to nag about it. Her husband has the right to know.

saoirse31 · 23/04/2017 18:08

You know what op, even if she did instigate it, he's still the one most, (by miles) at fault. He chose to marry you, get house, mortgage etc have child etc. Not her. Him. Then he chose to, what? Go out for coffee etc, not a problem necessarily. Book a very nice romantic , as in 4 poster bed, room for them to share? That's saying he's already slept with her, and wants to continue so doing. His latest text says the same.

He's the one whose betrayed you the most. Not her.

For the next while, forget about her and ask yourself why you're bending over backwards to be reasonable to the person who has treated you with utter contempt and disrespect.

CherriesInTheSnow · 23/04/2017 18:13

I don't think you can really quantify the blame as such. He is her husband but there are a multitude of factors at play, his shitty response to poor OP's struggles with PND, and equally this friend's attitude and knowledge of the situation and her consequent advances/willingness to have this affair, be it emotional or physical, with the OP's husband.

I know this issue of who is to blame divides people on MN, but I honestly think that in this case at the very least, this "OW" should accept her fair share of the responsibility for what has gone on.

saoirse31 · 23/04/2017 18:17

Cherries I completely agree she sounds fairly awful, but that's not really the point. The point is op hadn't entered marriage with her, had a child by her etc... On other words the ops main concern is how her husband has and is treating her.

CherriesInTheSnow · 23/04/2017 18:19

On other words the ops main concern is how her husband has and is treating her.

Agreed saoirse

froofroomcgoo · 23/04/2017 18:22

Saoirse i find being reasonable gets you want you want in the long run. And what i want is a stable, loving upbringing for DS.

I also find that being reasonable and remaining calm makes it more difficult for the person who has wronged you as they can't claim you're histerical, crazy, wound up etc. Makes it harder for them to lie more.

OP posts:
user1489179512 · 23/04/2017 18:25

Epipgab

Every thread on MN is responded to by strangers on the internet. Even the people decrying the opinions of strangers on the internet are strangers on the internet themselves grin If someone really only wants to hear opinions from people they know IRL why start a thread in the first place? confused

Exactly what I was thinking. So often here, responding feels like a pointless waste of time.

Swipe left for the next trending thread