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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to believe my husband (kiss)

203 replies

IloveGandT · 04/08/2018 18:18

Hi everyone,
I think there will be a bit of a divide in terms of reactions on this thread but I really want to know what everyone thinks.
My husband went out last night for a few drinks with some of the guys from his work. They went round a few pubs in a town not far from ours and also went round a couple of clubs.
I went to bed at around 1am because he never normally comes home much before 4/5am on a night out so I didn't stay up to wait for him.
I messaged him when I got into bed telling him to stay safe and that I love him and that I was going to sleep. About a minute later, I had a message that simply said 'I'm so sorry but I've kissed someone tonight. I'm coming home'
He got home and I was very upset but he insists that the woman came up to him and kissed him and he kissed back but then pulled away.
He's never done anything like this before although he's a very flirty person and he's popular with women.
AIBU to accept it as just a harmless mistake?
I don't want to throw away an otherwise happy marriage Sad

OP posts:
longwayoff · 05/08/2018 11:34

If he woke me up with such trivia I'd be mightily pissed off. How old are you both?

AfterSchoolWorry · 05/08/2018 11:36

It sounds to me that he only stopped because your text interrupted him.

I'd say there's a lot more to this than he's admitting.

longwayoff · 05/08/2018 11:42

And he'd divorce you if you did the same as him? Have you considered couples counselling? Your relationship could probably use an MOT

IloveGandT · 05/08/2018 11:50

Thanks everyone for your honesty.
I'm going to speak to my some of my friends and my parents and ask them whether they know more than they're letting on.
I don't know whether counselling would be worth it or whether I should just leave. I'm scared that he won't change and that he's got me right where he wants me.
I'm going to sort my finances and such out to make sure that if I come to the decision to leave him, I'm prepared for it.

OP posts:
truckytim · 05/08/2018 11:53

I'm sorry but even seriously attractive men aren't walking around in clubs batting off women left right and centre! Some might try and engage in conversation at the bar but it doesn't sound as if he's been politely giving off the 'I'm taken' signals.

I'd split with my DH if he regularly got himself into situations having a dance with random women, occasionally resulting in them trying to kiss him. It's so disrespectful.

I'd definitely think twice before having a family with this man op, sorry. Thanks he sounds extremely immature.

madja · 05/08/2018 11:57

That sounds like a really good idea OP.
I'm sorry you've had to come to terms with the idea that your relationship isn't what you thought it was.
And definitely get those around you to tell you what they've seen or heard. You know these people have your best interests at heart, he doesn't. His focus is himself.
Flowers For you.

HulaHana · 05/08/2018 11:58

Thank you truckytim and madja

longwayoff · 05/08/2018 12:09

Best of luck OP

TurnipCake · 05/08/2018 12:09

Another one who thinks he was seen and went into damage limitation

Accusing you of cheating every day is emotional abuse, likely to escalate in the event of a pregnancy

Put yourself first OP, pause with trying for a baby and consider your options

ZorbaTheHoarder · 05/08/2018 12:48

Hi OP, don't you think you deserve better than being accused daily of cheating?

It's good that you are going to get your ducks in a row - he really sounds untrustworthy and - what is worse - manipulative. He clearly doesn't care about you at all, so why stay with him?

Good luck and don't let him try to pull the wool over your eyes!

Raffles1981 · 05/08/2018 13:03

The fact that he has been so honest and came home straight away tells you that he loves you. He didn't snog her, carry on with the night out then casually mention it over dinner the next evening. I would be glad he was so honest. Surely that tells you something? Of course you are affected by it, who wouldn't be. But he came clean, came home and that is more than most people would do

TSSDNCOP · 05/08/2018 13:13

Once is an accident, twice is a habit.

RebelRogue · 05/08/2018 13:17

If I didn't know any better I'd think you married my ex.
All night partying with the lads? Check.
Women "throwing" themselves at him? Check
Paranoid,constant cheating accusations (varying from made up,ridiculous to completed impossible ) ? Check.
Cheating ex as an excuse? Check
Complete inflexibility if the shoe was on the other foot or if your attention is on any way on another man? Check.

It didn't end well for me,his ex wife,his gf after that,new wife,his gf after that...etc. He followed the same pattern over and over again,and still does now at nearly 40.

anothernameagain000 · 05/08/2018 13:21

@raffles did Rtft??

TurnipCake · 05/08/2018 13:23

I love the way a man 'being honest' is lauded over like they should get a fucking medal for a quality that should come as standard

RTFT FFS

Timeisslippingaway · 05/08/2018 13:25

You would have to be acting a certain way for more than one woman to try and kiss you so I thi k there is more to this.

Timeisslippingaway · 05/08/2018 13:29

Our relationship other than this is great although he's paranoid about me cheating and he brings it up almost every day. I've never cheated though!*

I think this is called projection OP.

He sounds ridiculous and childish.

Timeisslippingaway · 05/08/2018 13:31

He then replied with 'good. Because if you cheat on me with him, I'm going to beat him up'

So he actually believes that you will just sleep with the first guy that walks your way, infact he believes it so much he is planning how he will react and telling you what he will do about it.
He sounds like he needs help tbh.

AnoukSpirit · 05/08/2018 14:19

I'm sorry @IloveGandT but you've described an abusive relationship, not a great one. Not even a normal one.

Three of your updates have left me sadly thinking "textbook abuse", including this one:

We had a man round the other day to fix our boiler and my husband said to me 'I saw you looking at the boiler man!' i told him he was being ridiculous and that looking at a man does not mean I want to cheat! He then replied with 'good. Because if you cheat on me with him, I'm going to beat him up'

I imagine the reason for the responses you had from family and friends is that they see this and are worried for you.

Please don't try counselling - at least not couples counselling - it is always actively discouraged in cases of abuse because the abusive party uses it to get you to accept responsibility for the abuse and tie you in more deeply. Counselling alone, for yourself, would not hurt, preferably with a therapist experienced with the dynamics of abuse.

The only thing I can guarantee is that he won't change, there is nothing you can do to change him - just like absolutely nothing you have tried has stopped him accusing you of cheating on a daily basis.

Abuse isn't about violence (although it may include violence) - it is about power and control. The cheating accusations are to make you change and restrict your behaviour.

For whatever reason, perhaps because of the length of time you've been with him and dealing with his behaviour, your sense of what is normal, healthy and acceptable in a relationship is very much distorted.

I highly recommend you get yourself a place on the Freedom Programme. It will help you wrap your head around all of this and find a way forward. It also teaches what healthy (genuinely great) relationships look like. You don't have to share anything personal, you can just listen, and they won't tell you what to do. But they are very supportive and can signpost you to help if you ask. Www.freedomprogramme.co.uk

It's not throwing something away, it's giving yourself the chance of a healthy future with someone who won't behave like this, won't treat you like this. If anything, he's done you a massive favour by giving you the opportunity to have this realisation now, before you brought children into the situation - this way you can have a clean break and won't be tied to him for life by a child.

I don't want to tell you what to do, but I would strongly encourage you to do the Freedom Programme and if you were my friend I would be incredibly relieved if you asked for my help in leaving him.

Walkerbean16 · 07/08/2018 12:39

this has ended up in the daily mail

Walkerbean16 · 07/08/2018 13:07

@IloveGandT just to let you know. hope you are ok.

Apehouse · 07/08/2018 14:37

My ex would confess to things like that (e.g. a female friend asking him to massage her naked and him declining). Subsequently I discovered that he had given me a highly sanitized version and had in fact been sleeping around.

Purpleartichoke · 07/08/2018 15:30

Since you don’t have children, I would consider divorce. If you stay, I would ask for a major adjustment in his choices. That doesn’t mean never going out with friends, but he needs to moderate his drinking and call it a night earlier.

I’ll be honest though, my first husband liked to go out and party. Not every weekend, but when he did, he went big. Ultimately it was one of the biggest barriers to us having a successful marriage. I am so very happy I left before we had kids.

PurpleFlower1983 · 07/08/2018 15:39

I would not be happy if my husband got so drunk on a night out that he managed to kiss some random on the dance floor. It does sound like a one off and that he’s sorry but I would still be questioning our relationship if he managed to do this, no matter how happy I was.

PurpleFlower1983 · 07/08/2018 15:41

Just saw your other posts about accusing you. Massive red flag!

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