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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think I can save my marriage after infidelity(mine)?

257 replies

Shehz21 · 16/08/2020 10:37

I'm posting here for traffic and want to get opinions/read about experiences from anyone who has cheated in their marriage.

I have cheated on DH who I've been married to for 4 years during lockdown. I have always been the exemplary wife, mother(we have a 3 year old DD) and everyone always looked up to us as being the ideal couple. I started feeling extremely lonely during lockdown and think I got caught up in the whole "new man giving attention to me" situation. I extremely regret and came clean to my husband few days ago about the emotional side of the relationship and the next day he spoke to OM and OM told him about the physical side of it. DH is totally broken as he genuinely loved and cared about me so much. He says he can never trust or love me again and staying in this marriage will only make me miserable as he won't be able to be the old him again. I really want to save my marriage and need to know whether it is possible to survive this together? Will he ever be able to love me again? Is there anything I can do from my side to bring that love out of him again?
The affair lasted 4 months and ended because I was feeling extremely guilty about cheating on DH which is why I came clean to him the same day I ended the affair. Only thing is I failed to tell him about the times I slept with OM and he had to hear it from him. Can anyone who has been through this situation help me please or share your thoughts/experiences?

OP posts:
DopamineHits · 16/08/2020 13:30

ITIR, you were stupid three times over. First in cheating. Then in telling your DH when he may not have ever found out. And then thirdly in lying about the details. If you wanted to tell him that badly right after the OM breakup, why wouldn't you be fully honest?

Nikhedonia · 16/08/2020 13:32
Hmm
Zaphodsotherhead · 16/08/2020 13:38

I'm sorry, OP, but I think you are about to learn the true meaning of 'you don't know what you've got til it's gone'.

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 16/08/2020 13:39

@Yeahnahmum

Four months. ... jeez i hope he is packing his bags. I would have ended my marriage for sure op
Her bags surely? Why should he and his DD have to leave, they did nothing wrong.
ZZGirl · 16/08/2020 13:44

Its over.
You didn't give him the full story and he heard it from your other guy. You were being honest except you weren't. You made your bed, time to lie in it.

RoseGoldEagle · 16/08/2020 13:49

everyone always looked up to us as being the ideal couple.

This is such a weird thing to say, I think this is quite unlikely! It’s almost like you think you’re somehow special and can therefore get away with this because he adores you so much, which is just horrible.

He might forgive you, but it will have forever ruined that trust, your relationship won’t ever be the same. Sorry to be harsh, but a four month affair after you’ve been married 4 years is just so awful, I feel so sorry for your DH and your child.

DoesThisMakeSence · 16/08/2020 13:50

Ignoring the affair for 2 seconds.

You risked you childs saftey in the middle of a pandemic for a shag really????

RoseGoldEagle · 16/08/2020 13:52

And the whole ‘exemplary wife’ thing makes me laugh, it’s like people who say ‘I don’t do things like this....’ when having a one night stand- well, you clearly do!

LittleBearPad · 16/08/2020 13:52

And you were WFH as you were vulnerable but invited a random bloke into your house?

Foundmy · 16/08/2020 13:53

A lot of harsh comments. People are human & make mistakes which the OP totally seems to acknowledge.

It’s in his hands but being open & honest with any questions he may have is the only way forward. Would he be open to couples counselling? I’d really recommend looking at the work of Esther Perel, you can find lots of interviews & talks with her on YouTube which are amazing & she has a book called The State of Affairs. One of the things she talks about is how your relationship as you knew it is over, but there’s the opportunity to begin a new relationship together, marriage 2.0.

I’m not condoning cheating & have strong views on this myself but I can imagine you’re hurting & understand wanting to do whatever you can on your side to fix this. Wishing you & your family lots of luck.

emilyvictoria17 · 16/08/2020 13:55

I find it quite revealing that you don’t say whether you love him. It’s all about how much he loved you and whether he can do again. What are YOUR feelings in all this, besides guilt?

GameSetMatch · 16/08/2020 13:57

You made your bed, it’s time to lie in it!

EmbarrassingAdmissions · 16/08/2020 13:59

Relatively speaking, it's easier to come to terms with cheating than persistent lies - especially when the lies are somebody's attempt at coming 'clean'.

AllsortsofAwkward · 16/08/2020 14:01

ForgivenFool
That all sorts of grim to cheat on youre dh when you were pregnant with his child, are you surprised his wife was messaging you verbal abuse? Many women get sexual harassed they don't jump into bed with another man behind their husbands back. You're dh is a mug. Please don't make excuses for cheating its insulting to the person who's been cheated on their is new excuse.

fairlyplump · 16/08/2020 14:02

Sorry you dont deserve him. I loathe cheats, nothing worse, your a liar, and selfish.

fairlyplump · 16/08/2020 14:03

@Foundmy

A lot of harsh comments. People are human & make mistakes which the OP totally seems to acknowledge.

It’s in his hands but being open & honest with any questions he may have is the only way forward. Would he be open to couples counselling? I’d really recommend looking at the work of Esther Perel, you can find lots of interviews & talks with her on YouTube which are amazing & she has a book called The State of Affairs. One of the things she talks about is how your relationship as you knew it is over, but there’s the opportunity to begin a new relationship together, marriage 2.0.

I’m not condoning cheating & have strong views on this myself but I can imagine you’re hurting & understand wanting to do whatever you can on your side to fix this. Wishing you & your family lots of luck.

a mistake, how she knew she was married, I am sure and how do you make a mistake for 4 months !!!
Justaboy · 16/08/2020 14:08

I think if that'd been me being told that by the other man that he shagged my woman a quick bout of fisticuffs woul have ensured to settle honuor and manly issues.

Then she'd be sent packing and after four months in?.

Is this the first time you've behaved like this then OP?.

Suspect not!

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 16/08/2020 14:09

People are human & make mistakes

A mistake is putting odd cocks on or using salt instead of sugar.

You don’t accidentally shag someone for four months Hmm

lynsey91 · 16/08/2020 14:10

@Foundmy "people are human and make mistakes". I am sick and fucking tired of that pathetic argument.

Having an affair is NOT a mistake. Having an affair means you have made a conscious decision to have sex with someone other than your partner.

Your clothes do not magically fly off and hey presto you are in bed with someone. There is no excuse.

Humans are perfectly capable of deciding not to have an affair, of thinking that affairs are wrong, of having some morals.

I also cannot believe that some posters think the OP should just not have told her husband! What strange (awful) views on relationships some of you must have

SoupDragon · 16/08/2020 14:12

A mistake is putting odd cocks on

You could argue that is exactly what happened here 😂

WhenISnappedAndFarted · 16/08/2020 14:13

He won't be able to trust you ever again, you didn't even tell him the whole truth, you left out the part about sleeping with the man.

SoupDragon · 16/08/2020 14:13

People are human & make mistakes

Repeatedly shagging someone when you are married to someone else over a period of 4 months can't really be classed as a "mistake"

IceCreamAndCandyfloss · 16/08/2020 14:17

@SoupDragon

A mistake is putting odd cocks on

You could argue that is exactly what happened here 😂

Grin obviously meant socks Grin
ElevenSmiles · 16/08/2020 14:21

You should move out, give him time and space to decide what he wants.

Lillygolightly · 16/08/2020 14:30

In short whilst relationships can and do recover from infidelities and betrayals, they are never the same as they once were.

I forgave my DH, it was many years ago and we are still together. The difference being that I don’t blindly trust him as I once did, there is always a small part of me that holds back in self preservation and protection over my own heart I suppose. It’s not something I do out of spite/revenge, I genuinely can’t help it, I can just never be as truly vulnerable or as trusting as I once was.

You’ve made a mistake and whilst I get that these things happen and that you genuinely regret it you’ve further complicated the situation and feelings on this matter for your poor DH because whilst you decided to come clean you still were not completely honest. This will be a major trauma and all around headfuck for him, it’s hard enough dealing with the betrayal but harder still when you don’t know the extent of it, and then end up hearing it from someone else. I’m sure you know you’ve done yourself no favours there.

Having gone through this and been in your husband’s shoes it makes everything feel like it’s been a lie the whole time, the trust and faith you once had in your partner evaporates into thin air and you end up feeling incredibly foolish for a whole host of reasons. You blame yourself, wonder why you weren’t enough, then wonder how blind and stupid you were not to notice certain things, or kick yourself because you did notice but didn’t say anything. At first it feels so heartbreakingly raw you can’t imagine ever getting over it, so many things are hurt, your pride, your trust, your beliefs about the relationship you thought you were in, your confidence shattered, it’s a mess and absolute hell to go through.

My advice...give him space, let him know your genuinely sorry and that you would like to do whatever he deems necessary for you to save the relationship. Once you’ve done that leave him be, don’t push for answers, don’t pressure him, don’t look for ways to place blame for this on him, or for ways to excuse your behaviour. You’ve done a terrible thing and all you can really do is be sorry and be happy and willing to sit there being wrong, knowing what you did was wrong without disputing or excusing it and if he asks questions about what went on regardless of how awkward or uncomfortable it is for you to answer make sure you answer it honestly.

There are no guarantees, you could very well do all of the above and it still may not be enough, sometimes things just can’t be saved.