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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What would you do? - cheating ex

36 replies

bunnyg007 · 01/04/2022 11:01

Ok ladies this is a really long one and its not an April fool - so get a coffee. I know I'm no saint in this but please try not to be judgemental, I'm not proud of myself

8 years ago met someone lot younger than me, he pursued me and eventually I gave in. We always acknowledged because of our age gap we could never make a life together but we had "fun" for 3 years before he decided it was time to find someone to settle down with, it was "expected" of him. Despite being with someone else he always messaged me from time to time asking after me, if I'd met anyone else etc, roll on2 years and he started wanting to come over for a coffee. Eventually we met up and he put his cards on the table, he wanted to see me again but not give up his relationship. Stupidly I decided what the hell, I'm not bothered about being in a relationship (family grown up) and if he wants to cheat that's his problem, and we started seeing one another again. We couldn't meet very often but we messaged one another frequently. We carried on like this for well over a year when the inevitable happened and she found out by seeing our messages while he was sleeping. She walked out, he carried on talking to me and we met up a week later. He said he felt relieved things hadn't been good for a while his friends knew he wasn't happy blah blah and he should have done something a while back but he didn't and now he has this mess. He spent the whole night telling me he loved me but also added you know we can't be together properly but I (maybe wrongly) assumed that if they weren't going to reconcile then we would carry on as before they met, I had no reason to think otherwise. All seemed good between us but next day he was constantly scrolling through his phone and was a bit distracted, I asked if anything wrong and he just said he was planning his work list, shortly after he left and I didn't think any more of it. We messaged a couple of times over next 2 days but I knew he had lots to sort in his head etc so left him to it. Roll on another week or so and I'm chatting to a friend on phone whilst casually scrolling through Facebook when I realise I've been unfriended!! WTF!! No warning nothing, obviously they are now talking and probably she has made him do this. I'm only off Facebook though nothing else. So I wait don't do anything, give him time and after a couple of days send a tentative message asking how's you - no reply. Leave it another week and then I message with screen shot asking why after everything he said and all our history was he being so mean as to cut me off without any warning or explanation. He immediately replied apologising saying he knows he should have spoken to me, his head is all over the place but they are trying again etc. I replied that was fairly obvious but he should still have come and told me rather than leave me to guess, especially after all the years and memories we have. Anyway he never replied so I left them to it. A week later it looks like he has deleted me as a contact in WhatsApp but not blocked
2 months later I get a message asking for my opinion as a woman do I think he's doing the right thing? I didn't see it until really late, replied next day asking what he meant and got no reply, a month after that he messages again - she is moving back in a few weeks and asking would I see him one last time for a goodbye!!! I was fuming and immediately tempted to forward message to his gf but sat on this for a week and then replied asking how he thought this could happen and again no reply. Then just recently he's messaged again asking for one last time!! I've not responded
He has massively hurt me with his actions, us being together long term in a "normal" relationship was never in dispute and he knows that I accepted that and I don't think with his family etc it would have ever worked if we did decided to make a go of it but we had respect, trust, love, belief and history between us or so I stupidly believed - that was clearly one sided. I don't know how he thinks I could meet him for a "last goodbye" and it all be ok, what planet is he actually on? He clearly has no realisation of the damage he has caused to both me and his gf, or care. The sad thing is there was no need for this, I thought a lot of him and respected and understood why we couldn't be in a permanent relationship, all he had to do was come and tell me what was happening or message if he hadn't the balls to speak, not just wipe me out of his life like shit stuck under his shoe and leave me feeling worse than a bad one night stand. Obviously I would be sad but I would have accepted it and wished him well and we would have gone our separate ways with happy memories of our times together
So what to do?
Friends think I should let her know he's been messaging me trying to meet up again because this is the only way he's ever going to realise the damage he has done and if I don't do anything I'm just letting him get away with it. He'll go off making his little life while I'm left devastated and with no closure.
I'm not so sure I can do that, I don't know her or her friends so it would have to be a letter and although I may be doing her a favour as it gives her a chance to get out before marriage, kids etc its still a horrible thing to do. Despite what I have been doing I am actually a nice person! Wouldn't it be seen as me just being vindictive? That said just sitting here doing nothing is eating me up, I just want him to know how badly he's treated me and needlessly too and have closure
What would you do?

OP posts:
bm2021 · 01/04/2022 11:13

Your views of right and wrong are really messed up and it sounds like you just need to grow up and get on with your own life. Maybe get some therapy or do a bit of self exploration.

She’s taken him back knowing he repeatedly cheated so leave them to it, absolutely no point getting more involved now.

SunshineAndFizz · 01/04/2022 11:21

Wait, so you were happy to see him behind her back and not tell her? But now you've decided not to continue you want to tell her he's trying to cheat.

Ignore his messages, don't contact her and move on.

ButtockUp · 01/04/2022 16:23

I appreciate that there's a lot of history between you but this 'relationship' was never destined to last .

Please, if only for your own self respect, sanity and peace of mind, do not contact him any more. As to contacting his girlfriend, well that would be nasty and you don't sound like a nasty person.

TabithaTittlemouse · 01/04/2022 16:36

Walk away.
You knew that he was seeing someone but it was okay because he was up for it but now you’ve suddenly got morals and feel wronged.

FallopianTubeTrain · 01/04/2022 16:53

I'd tell him you think it's best all round if you call it a day on everything between you (and mean it) then ignore all contact and move on with life.

freedomhereicome · 01/04/2022 17:10

Wait. You're pissed off with him about how badly he's treated YOU?

All sorts of wrong.

KrisAkabusi · 01/04/2022 17:29

You contacting his girlfriend WOULD be vindictive. You didn't give a crap about her when you were cheating with her boyfriend. The only reason you want to contact her is to hurt him now.

Leave it, move on, and try to be a nicer person in future.

dustofneptune · 01/04/2022 17:36

Generally speaking?

In reality, if someone is willing to cheat on their partner multiple times / have an affair...
That person is usually NOT going to be someone who has important relationship skills - such as being a good communicator, having a lot of empathy, understanding what integrity means, etc.

I understand why you are hurt.
Just because you have behaved in a way that is unethical, it doesn't mean you are a bad person. It also doesn't mean that you can't feel hurt.

The thing that will help you to move on is to understand that the things you want from him (communication, empathy, integrity) don't exist in him. It's like a 6 year old to drive you to Tesco - they're just not going to have the ability to do it.

It doesn't even mean that he didn't care. It means he's a coward. He's shown cowardice in cheating on his partner, and he's shown cowardice in the way he's buried his head in the sand and blocked you out.

If you can go to therapy, I really think it would be good for you to do it.

If that doesn't feel like an option, then I think you should do some deep work and start reading self-help books and articles about codependency, love addiction, enabling affairs, and really look into your own self-esteem and start to build a solid foundation of self-worth and reality for yourself.

MadMadMadamMim · 01/04/2022 17:37

Well there's no fool like an old fool! If your family are grown up then you should have had a bit more common sense and a bit more dignity than to settle for this.

You knew he was with someone else - you knew he wasn't interested in a proper relationship with you because he thought you were too old. You were handy for an ego shag when he felt like it and that was it.

You would simply be vindictive to contact his partner. She's won no prize. She's ended up with a cheating wanker. Block him and move on.

Next time set your bar a bit higher.

MarinoRoyale · 01/04/2022 17:41

You need to take responsibility for your part in this mess, you knew what you were signing up to when you were seeing him when he was in a relationship and now suddenly you’re bothered he’s still trying it on with you?! Walk away and find some self respect.

SparklingLime · 01/04/2022 17:43

Man who behaves like a shit, continues to behave like a shit. Only now it affects you negatively.

You’re really, honestly not that “nice” a person.

ManateeFair · 01/04/2022 18:20

What would you do?

If I were in your shoes, what I would do would be to take a good long look at myself.

You didn’t give a shit about this man’s partner when you decided to start shagging him again, and now you think. You are not the one who has been wronged here. You were happy to jump into bed with him when he was in a relationship before, so why wouldn’t he assume you’d be fine to do the same again?

You were fine with him being vile when it was another woman he was hurting, and now you want sympathy because he’s hurting you? You’re no better than he is.

HellToTheNope · 01/04/2022 18:32

He clearly has no realisation of the damage he has caused to both me and his gf, or care.

You have brought all of this to your doorstep. The only one you should be disgusted with is yourself.

Clarinet1 · 01/04/2022 19:31

I’m going to go against the grain here - maybe you and the gf should join forces and BOTH dump him!

SucculentChalice · 01/04/2022 19:38

Men like this are generally best avoided. They just cause trouble and misery.

I'm going to be charitable and say he has probably groomed you in a way as this might have been going on for years i.e. he has eroded your boundaries and thats why you have such low self esteem. You do really have low self esteem. e.g.

He spent the whole night telling me he loved me but also added you know we can't be together properly

What rubbish. If he can have sex with you he can have a proper relationship with you. Its nothing to do with ages. People marry or live together with others and have massive age gaps, people have relationships where they move from one continent to another, where one has a severe disability and so on. He just wants a harem. I know a couple with a 20 year age gap (the man is younger). Some men prefer an older woman. Your guy is however just a common or garden player. If you were the same age, he would have some other excuse. If you were younger, you would be too young. etc..

How large is this seemingly unsurmountable age gap?

GooglyEyeballs · 01/04/2022 20:16

I mean this as kindly as possible but- you've both made a right fuck up of things! No two ways about it there! You need to accept you're both the arsehole in this situation and the gf is the victim, not you. Grow up, stop being so self centered and walk away. Erase him and her from your life and then try your best to become a better person.

dementedmummy · 01/04/2022 20:17

Both you and she are worth far more than this excuse for a man has to offer. You both know he has been unfaithful - a leopard rarely changes his spots. This is just your pride talking because he ditched you before you ditched him. Dont respond. Block him on everything. Move on. And stop doing charity work with men who are unavailable - emotionally or attachment wise.

Bananarama21 · 01/04/2022 20:26

I suspect he wasn't faithful when you were together and you aren't the only one. The fact you agreed to this in the first place is appalling. The only woman I feel sorry for is his gf.

ChicCroissant · 01/04/2022 21:10

Ah, the old MN cliche - OW dumped, OW then develops great concern for person she was dumped for. What has changed here for you, he's still with the same person?

DrManhattan · 01/04/2022 22:08

Oh no sudden concern for the other woman. I think you might need to grow up a bit.

Brainfogmcfogface · 01/04/2022 22:45

You knew he was in a relationship and did it anyway?
Yabu, you’re a skank! I hope your kids find out and are throughly ashamed of you!

(And no I don’t excuse his behaviour but this post is about you)

Natty13 · 01/04/2022 22:49

Look, you didn't care about him cheating on his serious gf. Whatever. But I don't understand how you can be surprised that he then treated you badly?

Someone who is willing to do bad things to other people will also be capable to do them to you. You say how can he treat you like that after all the memories you had? What about him cheating on and lying to his gf after all the memories they had? Reverse the situation and either way you put it he is a bad and inconsiderate person. I really struggle to believe someone would be so bad a judge of character.

Foxglovers · 01/04/2022 23:12

@Clarinet1

I’m going to go against the grain here - maybe you and the gf should join forces and BOTH dump him!
I also think this!
MissNothing1991 · 01/04/2022 23:16

I have absolutely no sympathy for a home wrecker like you tbh. You reap what you sow. Deal with it.

DeeCeeCherry · 01/04/2022 23:23

You're a cheat too. I can never fathom why complicit cheats then complain when they're cheated on. I mean, what did you expect anyway?

You want to contact his girlfriend out of spite but for all you know, shes already aware and has forgiven him.

You're not over it so you want to mess up his relationship.

Grow up and move on is best advice here.