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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can’t take much more of this!

254 replies

Violetrose1 · 02/03/2023 10:35

Long story short but my husband had an affair with his work colleague for a year. When I found out I was completely traumatised but he was so upset and begged me to forgive him (yes, yes I know.. im stupid to have fallen for that crap). He had to continue working with her but he swore to me he didn’t speak to her anymore as just before the affair ended he had been trying to end it with her anyway and only sees her as a platonic friend now.
2 months later he is now saying he wants to meet up with her and her two friends (a couple) for drinks sometimes as he misses his friendship with her. he is refusing to let me meet her as he thinks it will cause drama.
when I got very upset last night about him wanting to pursue a friendship with her again he got very defensive with me and made out I was being unreasonable.
I need to end this marriage don’t I?! He is completely overstepping any boundaries I needed him to adhere to. Even if he’s telling the truth and it is 100% platonic (which I very much doubt as she was/is in love with him and he definitely had strong feelings too) then am I wrong to still think it’s not ok for them to hang out together after everything?
sorry I just need someone to mull all of this over with as I have no one in real life to discuss it with.
it’s as if my self esteem has been destroyed and I’ve been manipulated over and over again to the point I now don’t know what is ok or not ok in a marriage anymore

OP posts:
FFF3 · 02/03/2023 13:28

EekGoesTheBaby · 02/03/2023 13:25

This is really good advice. Just want to make sure it is seen.

This this this. Read your posts. Stop it. It’s over - please understand and accept it! It’s time to move forward with getting yourself sorted.

ASimpleLampoon · 02/03/2023 13:28

Get Rid and He can be her problem now. He will do the same to her. They deserve each other.

EekGoesTheBaby · 02/03/2023 13:29

You are not overreacting, OP. This is a big effing deal. You gave him a second chance and he absolutely blew it.

There are literally billions of other people he could be friends with. He's a selfish piece of garbage. You are strong enough to LTB, and you'll be so much better off after the dust settles.

gettingolderandgrumpier · 02/03/2023 13:30

Violetrose1 · 02/03/2023 12:25

Can anyone understand why he is telling me about meeting her and being friends with her when he could easily continue to lie about it like he did last year? Is this just a manipulation tactic where he can throw things back in my face by saying “but I was fully transparent with you about meeting up with her”?

He’s played you like a blinder op that’s what he wants you to think !!.
even if wasn’t haven’t a affair and I’d bet my salary he is , he’s massively disrespecting you to even stay friends and the fact he’s trying to turn it to you that your unreasonable.
get rid he’s trying to mess with your head , the reason he doesn’t want to leave you because he wants it all not because he loves you and just wants to be friends with this woman .

KevinsChilli · 02/03/2023 13:37

I've been through similar OP. You're only 35, bin and move on. You'll NEVER feel OK again with him after all of thise. Do you really want to live the rest of your life this way?
It's hard, but trust me you'll be glad you've left him behind in the long run.

BeachBlondey · 02/03/2023 13:40

OP, I don't even know you, but when I read this, I felt SO VERY angry on your behalf. He is taking the total PISS. He wants to go on a double date with his Ex-mistress, whilst you sit at home.... and he thinks you should be okay with that? Is he fucking insane? He actually sounds like a narcissist. No one could be that thick.

I know how hard it is, but believe me, you have to leave him now. This just isn't going to get any better. My first H had several dodgy encounters, with several OW. It took me 4 years to leave him (we had shared children and assets), it's very hard, but....it was the right thing to do. You can't live like this. It destroys everything. I actually had a breakdown of sorts. I now have a lovely DH, who is so much more loyal and trustworthy.

You're only 35. Start making an exit plan now, you are still young enough to start over. And above all TAKE BACK CONTROL

Once I had started the process of working out the money, looking at property, --and flirting with other men on nights out the whole thing about starting over, became rather exciting.

Funnily enough, once ExH knew I was leaving him, I was suddenly the only woman he wanted. Funny that.

If you have the means, such as parents nearby, I would pack a case and leave when he is collecting the garden stuff on Saturday. Let him come home to an empty house and let him feel the full force of his actions. Don't answer any texts or calls, and don't tell him where you are. Chances are, he will think you've popped to the shops, and the realisation that you've actually had the balls to leave him, will hit home around dinner time, when you don't come home.

Anything less and he's simply not going to get it, and (in the nicest way possible), you would be a doormat.

imtoooldforthisshite · 02/03/2023 13:42

Don't know how to copy but EekGoesTheBaby is spot on. And I'm talking from experience. This man is a pig. He got caught and panicked, but now time has passed and he's trying to gaslight you in the most spectacular way. It's a huge fucking deal and his complete and utter lack of respect for your pain, makes me so angry. I think I read no kids and money is ok? Please leave, leave today, it will be the best thing you ever did. I promise.

LuluLehman · 02/03/2023 13:48

I haven't read all PPs so please forgive me if I repeat what you've already heard.

I am so sorry that he has been gaslighting you like this. You have to leave for the sake of your mental health. He is controlling you to get what he wants. When you leave you may even begin to see other evidence of this and not just concerning the ow.

Your mental health has been so messed up that you no longer trust yourself. That is a very serious issue. No doubt you have been given a lot of advice by PPs and are starting to see a way out of this. It will feel shit at first but soon you will be in charge of your own life again and will never be able to go back (I speak from experience).

Love and strength to you.

GiltEdges · 02/03/2023 13:48

Violetrose1 · 02/03/2023 12:25

Can anyone understand why he is telling me about meeting her and being friends with her when he could easily continue to lie about it like he did last year? Is this just a manipulation tactic where he can throw things back in my face by saying “but I was fully transparent with you about meeting up with her”?

He's doing what a child would do and testing the new boundaries 🤷‍♀️ You forgave him a full blown affair, so now he's pushing it that one step further and not even hiding anymore. Yes, he has to say he only sees her as a friend now, but it's patently obvious if he and her are going out with another couple, that they are indeed two couples.

ShandaLear · 02/03/2023 13:51

He should have been spending his spare time looking for a new job, not making arrangements to spend extra time with her in the pub. Tell him to get out and then he can spend as much time with her as he wants.

Jooliusreezer · 02/03/2023 13:52

Wait:

• He fucked her for a year, telling her you and he were over.

• He carried on seeing her at work after emotionally manipulating you into forgiving him.

• He’s struck up a ‘friendship’ with her again as he missed her, like it ever stopped.

• He’s visiting her house on weekends.

• He refused to let you meet her.

• And (here’s the real kicker), he wants to go out to the pub with her and a couple that she knows, sort of like double date?!

This guy is a mindblowingly arrogant cunt. Jesus fucking Christ.

Jooliusreezer · 02/03/2023 13:54

He wants to see (and fuck) her again, and he’s making you the bad guy by feigning transparency so you can’t complain down the line that he lied. He is unreal.

Inertia · 02/03/2023 14:02

He holds you in contempt, and there’s no coming back from that in a marriage.

It’s not his house now, it’s a marital asset. Don’t leave, see a solicitor for advice. In your shoes I would get legal advice before taking any steps, but you do need to get plans in place to divorce him. You are entitled to a fair split of the marital assets- whatever you do, don’t trust that your husband will agree to a fair split unless lawyers are involved!

BeachBlondey · 02/03/2023 14:02

Can I add also, I was 38 when I left my 20 year marriage. Within months I met my now DH, and we've been together for 15 years now. In order to meet a decent man (if that's what you want), you have to throw this monster back in to the sea. And he is a monster, and a very cruel one at that.

Also, my ExH has cheated on every partner after me. So, there you go, they just don't change.

ThePredictableScript · 02/03/2023 14:02

Not read the full thread but OMG I'm so angry for you!! L👏T👏B👏

Conkersinautumn · 02/03/2023 14:07

Echoing the many words to get out. He's pushing every boundary and the lies have so many layers. I have many friends. But hanging out with friends of friends that's not a birthday or celebration- that's a relationship. The didn't want a divorce because he wants to be with you isn't benefitting you. He might want xyz, but why should you care? Put YOUR needs first, he never has.

FourFour · 02/03/2023 14:08

What a pig, you deserve much better than this. He's doing this so that when you eventually become batshit crazy and unhinged, he's going to tell everyone that this is what he deals with. Don't let him do this to you. He doesn't love you. So sorry you have to go through this.

BabbleBee · 02/03/2023 14:12

YesitsBess · 02/03/2023 10:42

He needs to fuck aaaaaaaaalllllll the way off. Then a bit more...and a bit more again until he falls off the edge of the planet.

You need some peace and quiet away from his noise to get your head straight.

The people who help align ducks will be along shortly with practical advice.

Completely agree with this!

You can do it OP… get rid of the cheating piece of crap.

deliciouschilli · 02/03/2023 14:14

See a solicitor ASAP.

Heartsandbirds · 02/03/2023 14:17

Two months since they slept together? Ugh. Divorce him, cite adultery and name her.

HelloBunny · 02/03/2023 14:21

He hasn’t broken up with her.

Uhave2changethings · 02/03/2023 14:22

So you had conversations with her about it all? You shouldn't take what she says at face value as her interests are different to yours and why is she lending garden tools and wanting a social life with him still? She should be keeping well clear as should he, of course. They're both taking the piss! Kick him to the kerb, OP.

Fraaahnces · 02/03/2023 14:30

You need to be smart, get all of the banking, loan, credit card, mortgage details, etc, and get straight to a solicitor. I get the feeling that while you have been working on your marriage, he’s been fiddling the books. What an utter bastard.

Floordilemma · 02/03/2023 14:32

He sounds very much like an ex of mine. I was the OW, although I didn't know it.

He'd been pursuing me for a while but I was interested and talking to someone else. I found out the other guy had a girlfriend and, ironically, started talking to my ex as a distraction from thinking about the first guy!! I asked him outright and he said he was single. Took me to his 'bachelor pad'. Denied existence of at least one child...I knew about one other as someone at work told me.

Eventually I found out about the girlfriend. I spoke to her for a few weeks and I cut him off. Then he came back to me and said they'd broke up because of what happened. I reached out to her and heard nothing, so assumed what he was saying was true. It wasn't.

This guy was a master manipulator. So charismatic. I am so glad I got away, the girlfriend did too.

He started seeing someone else at work. I told the girlfriend again.

Telling you about the 'friendship' is exactly the type of thing he would have done. You can't catch him out as you'll already know he's with her. No one will be able to feed back to you that they're in the pub together, because you'll already know. Pub date is probably already arranged. He's probably put it off for a while and people are getting suspicious.

It'll tear you apart for a while, but please please get away. But figuratively. Fuck him over for everything you can. He's stolen good years from you, and he'll keep doing it. Fair enough if you just grew apart, but he did this and you shouldn't have to suffer financially as well as emotionally.

MaidOfSteel · 02/03/2023 14:33

It seems clear this outing was a 'double date l!' He probably never stopped seeing her. You deserve so much better than this.

Get rid of him and get your self esteem back.