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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ridiculous amount of texting to colleague

59 replies

spiderontheloose · 16/06/2019 10:36

I've found out that my bf of six months is texting his colleague at all times of the day and night. First thing and I mean 630am to last thing.., sometimes during the night if he is out socialising . It is nearly always him who starts it off . Obviously they work together too. I am fuming . Aibu? Btw she is also not single. Texts are usually casual news stories and videos but there can be ego stroking on his side to her but is the amount of contact is making me upset.there is nothing in his texts that I could use to accuse him of cheating though

OP posts:
spiderontheloose · 16/06/2019 13:00

How should I play this then? Ultimatum?

OP posts:
OldAndWornOut · 16/06/2019 13:06

Oh I honestly wouldn't know what advice to give.
I'm no relationship expert.

NurseButtercup · 16/06/2019 13:17

there is nothing in his texts that I could use to accuse him of cheating though

so the messages aren't flirty, just banter
Is he ignoring you/not making plans going out etc in order to message her?

Manclife1 · 16/06/2019 13:27

OP you sound insecure, needy and clingy. Do both of you a favour and leave the relationship!

sincethereis · 16/06/2019 13:30

they seem like friends to me. Men and women can be friends.

Added to the fact there’s nothing inappropriate being said (no flirting etc just banter) and you’ve admitted to being not confident and insecure, YABU.

You really need to work on ur insecurity because it’s not nice for a partner to experience that and also for ur MH

Mintlegs · 16/06/2019 13:55

Work on your self esteem but also listen to your gut. Does he contact other colleagues like this? Is he secretive/unusually defensive of her? I would say if there is a dramatic change in his behaviour and it seems like he is with you but not with you mentally (because constantly on phone). I would be considering that it may be an emotional affair, sometimes men get swept away and they need to be reminded of your feelings and asked if you did this would he be ok with it?

HollowTalk · 16/06/2019 13:57

But it's his behaviour that is leading to her low self-esteem! And I really don't believe for a minute that anyone here would be happy with that level of contact.

Anotheruser02 · 16/06/2019 14:05

If that's normal and the OP's insecurity is the problem then what is an EA? I thought it was just this, being infatuated by someone outside of your relationship without the sex.

I would feel really unhappy if my partner was thinking of another woman all of the time like that.

Whyhaveidonethis · 16/06/2019 14:15

I have 2 close male friends that I message on a daily basis. Multiple times a day. My DP knows there is nothing in it. I have also been away with 1 of them abroad twice whilst I've been with DP. We shared a room with twin beds. These are men that I have 0 interest in sexually and it is absolutely plutonic on all sides. Never flirty or inappropriate.

So men and women can be friends and there be nothing in it, but I get that it can be distressing for you. I'd definitely not give an ultimatum. Everyone needs good friends.

I'd definitely be annoyed by anyone I love going MIA though.

MaximusHeadroom · 16/06/2019 14:20

I have a male friend I message a few times a day. We share a hobby my DH isn't particularly interested in.

I am 100% not having, nor planning on having an affair with him. DH isn't threatened at all and nor is my friend's girlfriend AFAIK.

Take the messages in the context of your relationship.

Broombroomshaketheroom · 16/06/2019 14:26

"Plus he could have all of that contact with me ."

Yes. But he doesn't want it from you, OP. He wants it from his friend. Which he is entitled to do. Would you say the same thing if she was a guy?

You're his girlfriend. Not his best friend.

If you want to date/marry your bestfriend then I suggest you go find them, because it is not, and never will be him.

He's already made it clear he does not want that from your relationship. And not everyone does, and that's ok. As long as both parties are on the same page.

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 16/06/2019 14:26

Do you think trying to control his friendship with her will improve his relationship with you? For example, that he'll text you more because there's some limit on how many texts he can send her? That seems pretty unlikely. In other words what are you looking for? It seems that you already have enough reassurance that they're not having an affair.

There are some men who wouldn't consider having a woman as a friend. You might want him to be that sort of man, but evidently he isn't, and trying to make him be someone he isn't while in the process souring the relationship he has with an important work contact is really not going to be helpful.

Maybe it's going to be better for you to work on your own confidence?

Broombroomshaketheroom · 16/06/2019 14:29

An emotional affair @Anotheruser02 is a full blown affair but without the physical contact. Confessions of love etc are normally involved.

Otherwise any deep and meaningful friendship with anyone ever would be an EA Hmm

NCforthis2019 · 16/06/2019 14:47

You sound controlling...... men and women can be friends, even close ones you know? If you don’t trust him - leave him and let him find someone who does.
Please for gods sake don’t give him an ultimatum 🤦🏻‍♀️ - you are going to look crazy.

username286 · 16/06/2019 14:48

I'll be honest and say it would definitely bother me. Saying that how long has it been going on? Has it only just started in last few months or have they been friends and texting like this for years?
If it has been going on for a lot longer than you have been together I would say it could possibly be innocent.

Vehivle · 16/06/2019 14:57

Hi OP - It really depends on what is normal in the context of your relationship. Within my relationship, my husband doesn't have close female friends from work who he then communicates with outside of work. If he suddenly started to do that - I would find it out of character and odd and I would struggle to accept it was normal within the boundaries of our relationship. I wouldn't like it at all and I'd tell him so. And I'd expect him to prioritise our relationship and out of respect for my happiness - dial it back a bit. Likewise if I was messaging a guy from work a lot outside of work and he expressed it made him uncomfortable - out of love and respect for him I'd dial it back too. My partner comes before my work friends.

I do have guy friends that I've known since childhood. They are like brothers to me and I've done things like gone to the cinema one on one and restaurants one on one with them etc. BUT I don't text them all the time as that would signal more invested in them than my husband. Like it would eat into time spent with my husband if I was constantly texting them. Likewise my husband has met them, now knows them, has met their partners etc at bbqs and get togethers. So it's not secretive. My husband has no reason to feel insecure and he knows if he did, I'd be open to listening and taking his worries on board etc.

Your partner seems dismissive of your feelings. I'd expect to be introduced to toe honest if this is "such" a good and close friend to your partner and I'd expect your partner to visibly treat you like his partner when in front of her.

I see a lot of cool wives type on mumsnet who say their best friends are guys or their partners are best friends with a female and they/their partner have done things like gone away on holidays with their opposite sex friends alone and it's all fine - "having opposite sex best friends is fine!"

And that's totally fine for them in the context of their relationships but it wouldn't be fine in mine. I would never be happy with my husband going on holiday alone with a woman.

So don't let the people on here make you feel bad - telling you you're controlling or insecure or have mental health issues. You aren't any of those things. I am like you and wouldn't like my partner doing this AT ALL.

So like I said - you have to judge this based on what is normal within your relationship. And it could well be that you discover what is normal and acceptable FOR YOU maybe very different from what is normal and acceptable for your partner. In which case, maybe end the relationship now. Otherwise this issue will continue to resurface and ruin your relationship over and over again. It's like a monogomist trying to make it work with a polygamist. It will never be a happy satisfied relationship for either.

Next time when dating a man - discuss your fundamental values right from the beginning so you can ensure you're on the same page. Best of luck!

AlpacaP1cnic · 16/06/2019 15:21

Of course you're not being controlling! This man is barely awake in the morning and sending this woman messages and videos - at 6.30am! Daily. And then cracking on with it again as soon as he leaves her at work

Look OP. You can't stop him or control what he chooses to do. What you CAN do is decide if this is acceptable to you. Where your own boundaries lie. Don't worry about coming across as jealous or insecure.

I'm pretty laid back but there's no way I'd be comfortable with my husband doing this. Yes of course have friends, of course text them. I do with my male friends. But constantly? All day? All evening?

Pull the other one

mamasosa · 16/06/2019 16:07

How would he feel if you were doing this with a male colleague? I agree with previous poster; set your boundaries

spiderontheloose · 16/06/2019 16:36

Thanks . I really think that he looks up
To her or something to that effect. He goes on and on about her and he know by his face that he delights in her . I would not say there is flirty banter but certainly constant congratulations on a job well done or high admiration and praise for a characteristic that he holds in high esteem . He would compliment her now and again
. I don't think he fancies her as such but the constant contact pisses me off . He said they have known one another as colleagues for years but are only getting closer in the last 2/3 years as they work more together in the same projects .i told him it upsets me so he has started to keep his phone in his pocket when he is with me but the moment we're apart, I can see him online straight away on WhatsApp: messenger etc .

Some evenings when we are apart , when we are texting , I note how he is on line before and after our conversations , so I suspect that this is because he is having a simultaneous conversation with both of us .
He is not this close to his male friends , not to mind any other colleagues.

OP posts:
ThePerturbedPenguin · 16/06/2019 16:39

Oh come on, this is definitely dodgy. Do you have any examples of the texts where he is being overly complimentary etc(

spiderontheloose · 16/06/2019 16:42

He has told her that he has learned so much from her and that she has made him a better stronger employee 🤮
He has told her that she looks good at a given time , context being that she had started triathlon training a few months before

OP posts:
spiderontheloose · 16/06/2019 16:44

The other side of this is that he has spoke. Often to her about me he said and has sent her photos with me in them at different events and occasions .

OP posts:
squee123 · 16/06/2019 22:55

if you issue an ultimatum it will end badly. If she is a purely paltonic good friend then he's likely to ditch you the gf of 6 months that's trying to put an end to his innocent friendship. If he does have a crush on her then you issuing an ultimatum isn't going to address the underlying problem that he fancies someone else, even if he stops texting her.

Just because they're the opposite sex it doesn't mean they can't be good friends. Get over your insecurities or ditch him and move on to a man that is happy for you to be the centre of his world if that is what you need.

callmeadoctor · 16/06/2019 23:04

I think that you should arrange to meet her, thats what I would do.

callmeadoctor · 16/06/2019 23:05

Meet her with your boyfriend I mean!

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