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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Wife texting ex-help?

16 replies

Pete87 · 28/12/2018 02:25

I really have had no one to talk to about this because I didn’t want family or friends to know about the situation as yet. I was just hoping I could get some advice on my current situation if anybody is willing to help.
My wife and I have been together for 5 years, married for 2. We have no children but we own our house and both have jobs.

We first met about 6 years ago at work. I was in a dreadful relationship at the time which was ending and she was in a short relationship with someone else too. We were friends at first, we spoke about our partners etc. Her partner was more or less using her for a booty call so she ended it. He really hurt her the way he treated her. I then finally got out of my toxic abusive relationship with my ex. (My ex was an abusive alcoholic who would kiss people in front of me which really destroyed my confidence and trust)
2 months later we started dating as we were both single and got on well. Things were going well for a few months then I noticed at one point that she was texting her ex still (she unlocked her phone in front of me and a message of his had popped up) I told her how it made me feel shit and unwanted how she carried on talking to him as we were starting a new relationship. She promised me she would stop and focus on us.
A year or so later I find out that she had been texting him. I then told her to block him as it would damage our relationship. I feared she still had feelings for him.
Then about a year later we get married. Everything feels all good, I finally feel I can trust someone 100%, we get on well, have so many laughs etc.
Then on Christmas night I went to bed early at 9pm because I’d hardly slept the night before and the few beers I had made me real tired. I leave my wife downstairs watching a film, drinking her Gin. I wake up at 2am to some weird type of groaning noises downstairs so I go down to see what is happening. My wife is sitting in the dark quite intoxicated. I ask her what was the noise and what she’s been doing. She just repeats “nothing”. She was acting too strange and was hiding her phone from me. I took her to bed and helped her when she was sick and got her water. She kept looking at her phone and started telling me to look after my niece which was strange. So I done something I haven’t done for years. I decided to check her phone because something was not right. I check her phone and she has been texting her ex that same night. The messages were about their past sexual relationship. She’s calling him a sex god and his dick was a good size. She then says she thinks about him even when she’s sober. The last message was on about how he used to pick her up when she was drunk and she man handled him and it made him hard. The last message said how she “unbuttoned him” and I think this is about the time I came downstairs. So god knows where that convo would have went.
I let her sleep the drink off for 5 hours while I sat there confused, hurt and not knowing what to do.
I confronted her and she denied it all but I told her I’d seen the messages. To cut the story a bit short we argued and she eventually told me that night she had been texting him throughout all January, everyday. And then through April too. I asked her if they were sexual. She said some were about past sexual things they done, but there were no talks about future sexual things. She told me he wanted to meet up with her as friends for a drink, but she declined. She has said she only wants me and she doesn’t know why she talked to him. She has deleted the means they used to message each other. She also said I could check her phone all the time. Which is something I do not want to do. I was happy feeling I was in a trustful relationship and I hate not trusting her now.
I feel at a loss on what to do.

OP posts:
Sweetpea15 · 28/12/2018 02:36

Just to clarify- it was this Christmas you caught her texting? As in a few days ago?

If that’s the case then she’s been texting him through the whole duration of your relationship, which I think shows a lack of respect for you. I’m sorry but it kind of sounds like she settled for you as you were stable and safe, you had laughs and treated her with respect but she still wants him or the grass is greener...

I really hope I’m wrong and this is just my opinion but it seems like you want to make this work more than she does.

Pete87 · 28/12/2018 02:43

Yeah, it was a few days ago it happened. I’ve barely ate or slept.
She said the last time they spoke before Christmas was April. But I find it hard to believe.
I still want to be with her but my mind is such a mess. I’ll struggle trying to trust her again. She’s the perfect woman for me (so I thought) so this has really destroyed me.
She told me I treat her so well and she’s happy with me and she doesn’t know why she has been texting him. She knew it was wrong and felt guilty for it... but carried on anyway. She told me she’s glad it’s out now and that I know because she will stop it. But I seriously hoped it would have been up to her to stop it and not by me finding out.

OP posts:
Sweetpea15 · 28/12/2018 02:54

She told me I treat her so well and she’s happy with me and she doesn’t know why she has been texting him. She knew it was wrong and felt guilty for it... but carried on anyway. She told me she’s glad it’s out now and that I know because she will stop it.

So she’s been talking to him on and off for the last 5 years, some of it sexual but NOW she’s going to stop? Why not the other times you caught her/asked her to?

You ‘treat her so well’ - so not that she loves you, only wants you etc? Just that you treat her well? Like I said, your language suggests that you’re the safe option...

She knew it was wrong and still did something that hurt you. She admits this.

I’m sorry you’re going through this but try to eat, sleep and take a shower. You need a fresh head to think about where you draw the line and you need some space to think about if you’ll be able to trust her again.

Pete87 · 28/12/2018 03:09

Sorry, my writing skills aren’t the best at the moment. I’m knackered and have to work a 12 hour shift in 3 hours.
She does say she loves me and only wants me and doesn’t understand why she was talking to him. She said she had this little voice in her head which would tel her to talk to him. She stated that he was the one who always initiated the talking.
She is in bits at the moment, she is full of regret and says she didn’t realise it was bad. But I told her if I done it to her she wouldn’t be best pleased. She gets jealous easily, she got jealous over a woman from work who sent me a merry Christmas gif. Kind of cheeky isn’t it when she was doing what she was doing.
She is now sleeping on the couch, a choice of her own. I do think space is needed so I can process what has happened and what I need to do.
Thanks for your time and comments, I appreciate your input.

OP posts:
kateandme · 28/12/2018 03:11

shes stopped.then started for basically the whole of your time together.hasnt stopped thinking about him which means shes started again. and then suddenly since april nothing but quickly into sexual talk after a few text.i doubt its been silence since april then.
im sorry your going through this.
can you trust her.shes lied.and lied again.i would find that very hard.
are you happy?
do you want to continue this?shes made this mistake.your choice now not hers on whether this relationship can continue.
this is the woman you are going to spend the rest of your life with and already at the very start she basically cheated.

Lovingbenidorm · 28/12/2018 03:13

If this is real (and very sorry to suggest otherwise if I’m wrong) my only advice would be to run for the hills.
Without trust you have nothing
So sorry you’re going through this but I’m afraid the only advice I can offer is to get out of this relationship

kateandme · 28/12/2018 03:15

doesn't matter who initiated it she never need to reply.or should have told him to fuck right off.
unless she is mentally ill she DOES NOT have a little voice telling/making her talk to him
she didn't think sexting someone was bad?!
this bloke treated her like shit.you took her in and kept her safe.but she couldn't shake the "bad boy" now shes afraid her safety will be gone.

Whyarealltheusernamestaken · 28/12/2018 03:20

Sounds like she’s misses him and wants him, you are the safety blanket sorry

imataloss · 28/12/2018 03:24

I'd agree ur the safe option.
U asked her to block him and she didn't.
Asked her to stop messaging and she didn't.
But decided to sent sexual messages to a guy that treated her horribly.

Easier said that done I know, but I'd consider my options here.

So sorry Sad

selepele · 28/12/2018 03:30

After you told her twice not to speak with him she continued and ended up sex text him

I wouldn’t be with this woman if I was you let her be with him

DanglyBangly · 28/12/2018 07:38

Thing is, you gave her two chances already and she blew them both.

JustABetterPlayer · 28/12/2018 08:02

Ditch the bitch.

PrettyLovely1 · 28/12/2018 08:04

Get rid of her, shes not who you thought she was.

BunsOfAnarchy · 28/12/2018 08:05

Sorry OP but you deserve much much better.

Saying u can check her phone is bullshit. She knows you wont.
She never stopped talking to him after the many times you told her to (you shouldnt even have to tell her this!)
Please do not fall victim to toxic behaviour once again. Shes going mad at a colleague sending u a Christmas message? Wtf is wrong with her?!

Do not fall for it. Get out while you can

maddening · 28/12/2018 08:18

If you continue with this relationship it will be a lot of hard work even if she is fully committed - but how can you be sure she is and that she isn't paying you lip service like she has been for 5 years. Additionally any confessions are likely a minimisation of what has happened.

InsuranceGirl · 28/12/2018 09:17

Got to agree with a lot of posters, you're her safety ☹️

Her "admitting" to there being messages because you told her you'd seen them makes me feel there is more she is not admitting to because you've not seen or caught her in the act I hate to say.

Waking up and hearing strange groaning noises from downstairs rings alarm bells too. I guess she's good at deleting contact normally if you weren't able to see previous conversations they've had and will be more on the ball now she's said you can check her phone whenever, but what if she'd deleted proof they'd been video calling and covered herself up but didn't have time to delete the messages before you got downstairs.

I'm hoping the last part is just me thinking the worse and she wasn't doing that but it would be what I'd suspect.

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