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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My DHs friends drunk wife! (its long, very long, the longest thing ever but I do use paragraphs ) )

62 replies

HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 09:37

It’s all in the title really. Grin

WWYD? DH has told me to do nothing , out of deference to his relationship with his friend (K).

Background situation: K’s wife, B, is a drunk, a nasty abusive, manipulative, weepy , waily, every-one-elses-fault-but-mine sort of drunk. She systematically falls out with her family, I think she’s been NC with one sister for about 7 years, and the relationship with her other sister and parents are fraught with tension. Her DH – K – for context is emotionally a bit of a cold fish.

I avoid B as I have been on the end of several of her drunken rants (I don’t drink) when we have been out as a social group. I sit very quietly on my own when she is around with my eyes on the floor, this apparently makes me ‘not fun’ and ‘boring’ and 'a bully'. This is to the point now that 4 couples will not invite K&P to any functions because of her aggressive behaviour towards me or her sister who is also part of our friendship group. So everyone else is polite enough if we are in the same place, but no longer include them when plans are being made. So that is the background.

My DH is very ill, its on going, he will die, it’s been a rollercoaster of three months, he had another hospital admission on Friday last week. Not particularly serious enough to warrant me calling all of our friends and family. B however works in the pathology lab of the hospital. Sunday Evening , B has text me to ask how DH is (and it’s a very passive aggressive text). I ignore at that point as I’m pondering what to say – DH doesn’t want anyone to know he is in hospital.

Within 15 minutes B has text a mutual friend, weepy waily, saying I ignore her. Mutual friend doesn’t reply to B for 18 hours, knowing DH doesn’t want visitors and is feeling vulnerable. So after 18 hours, thinking DH has been discharged, mutual friend thinks its safe to tell B that DH is admitted to hospital. B then goes scurrying off to visit DH, who is actually still on the ward waiting for pharmacy to deliver his drugs – DH is too polite tell her to go away – and of course her DH, K, is one of his long standing friends so he simply isn’t going to be rude to her, no matter how inappropriate she is. B also makes a big thing about this being her break and shes not visiting in work time. She does not enquire after me or the children.

I would point out in the past three months neither she nor K have text me or called round to see if I need any support. (K has been in direct contact with DH and visited him in hospital and at home) I have bumped into her once and she smiled and kept walking. Our extended group have been fantastic, they have picked me up when I was crying, sat with me all night through intensive care, ferried me to and from the hospital, put meals in front of me, done my shopping, and generally kept me sane.

I am absolutely furious that she has instigated a conversation to legitimately obtain information that she already knows using hospital privilege to wind me up – and this is about winding me up because I haven’t responded to her text, ergo I must ‘hate her’.

DH has told me to drop it as he and K are long standing friends and it would cause a seismic shift if I did tell her what I thought of her. –attention seeking needy drunk-- But I actually have a whole list of things I want to get off my chest – none of which she will take on board, this will be projected as me being nasty. I’m absolutely bloody furious she has taken it upon herself to visit DH when he’s vulnerable, pump him for information, whilst using the guise of ‘our friendship’ when she’s anything but a friend these days.

MN collective would you take the moral high ground and do nothing - I have tried once before to discuss her behaviour with her and all I got for my efforts was a snarl and the comment 'you make me want to hit you' and 'don't make this my fault' - this is when shes sober Shockor have you got a better idea?

OP posts:
MrsOprah · 08/03/2018 10:58

Go no contact with her. Block her on all devices/social media. And move forwards.
She's not worth the headspace

Laiste · 08/03/2018 10:58

Ignore her texts OP. If she wants to moan to mutual friends let her, as i said. Ask them kindly not to fuel any of her shit stiring or tell you about what she's saying to them.

This kind of drama queen stuff can only survive when people listen and pass it all on.

TonTonMacoute · 08/03/2018 10:59

It is a good thing that everyone else in your friends and family group know what she is like, and can support you. It would be much harder if they all thought she was wonderful.

Ignore her, do nothing, let your friends take up the slack.

Hissy · 08/03/2018 10:59

I think you need to flag up to the hospital that information about your H was misused and leaked and that they need to review their procedures with regard to protecting patient information.

The rest will be dealt with at an appropriate time.

Hissy · 08/03/2018 10:59

I'd also make sure all your friends know what she's done.

HollyBayTree · 08/03/2018 11:00

As Blackadder would say, you are wise women! Grin

OP posts:
MrsOprah · 08/03/2018 11:00

....Plus most importantly you and esp husbsnd will feel better by taking action by blocking her by without confrontation/him losing his friend

BiddyPop · 08/03/2018 11:07

I would respect your DH's wishes at present. He wants to be able to maintain his long-standing friendship with K. From your posts, while there is some time for that, it will not be decades (this is what I took from your posts and I hope that doesn't upset you).

So let your DH have comfort from this friendship. Knowing that, if they (K & B) are around after your DH does die, you will be able to say thank you to K for keeping the friendship going but also able to be brutally honest (if you still want to) to B. Or else, just quietly allow that to fade into the background of the overall friendship group and no longer engage with B (and K if you wish). But keep hold of the other friendships as they seem to be important to BOTH of you and supporting you directly as well, which you will need in the future as well as now.

EnriqueTheRingBearingLizard · 08/03/2018 11:10

I'm really sorry about your DH Holly and that this person in particular is adding so much to your stress.

Please be kind to yourself, vent on here if it helps, as a PP said, write down your issues with her, but then burn it and let it go, at least for now.

Save all your emotional strength for what really matters. She sounds poisonous and as you already know, you won't get first with her, she'll just become more vicious and you'll become more upset. If she spreads it round that you're ignoring her, the people she engages with will be well aware why that is.

billybagpuss · 08/03/2018 11:27

I'm so sorry you're going through this. Don't forget that anxiety and stress also make you less tolerant of annoyances like B.

I will add my voice to the do nothing suggestions. The last thing your DH needs right now is to be isolated from his friend and its a friendship he clearly values.

Just focus on you and your family.

incywincybitofa · 08/03/2018 11:36

I think a couple of people on here are right, it's a fraught time for you, keep your chin up because she isn't worth it, and remember people do know what she's actually like you have nothing to prove.
She has had years to perfect the art of winding people up and coming out on higher ground, and all that will happen is you and your DH will be upset and possibly fighting with each other when now should be about coming together.

CotswoldStrife · 08/03/2018 12:32

I do sympathise though (even if I did say upthread to ignore it all), we used to have a drunk that would ring us at 2.00am with bizarre requests very occasionally. She was known for it.

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