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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I became the 'other woman'.

55 replies

elizaljames · 21/03/2023 18:01

I was seeing a guy for 5 months. All was going well. Everything smoothly. Little did I know... he had a long term partner twin daughters. The twin girls are three years old. He's been with his partner for 9 years.

The reason I wasn't aware of their existence was because the family were in a different country. He was initially meant to be here with our subsidiary company on a three month contract. But before that timeframe passed, he was offered a permanent contract, hence the family coming.

Before anyone says 'you must have known he had a partner' etc.... no. I didn't. We spent endless blocks of time together. Even spent weeks on end together. No sneakiness with the phone despite the time difference, no hiding the phone, no sudden 'work emergencies' etc... He stayed at my home over entire weekends! His social media consists of only 6 photos - latest being from 2018 and that was a phot of a sunset!

Needless to say, his partner did indeed find out, as she came over to surprise him one day - and with the girls too obviously. I wasn't there, but apparently she saw my skincare products in the bathroom as well as my clothes on the bedside table.

The crafty fucker kept none of our text messages (must have been deleting as he went), but didn't think to delete the call logs (which also shows that the calls were FaceTime calls instead of just regular calls) - and I got a call from an angry American (from his number) demanding me to tell her who I was.

I have spent recent days in a total haze and have been WFH (as we are allowed to from time to time).

Yesterday, he called me and begged me to go along with a made up story. No apology for me or anything - just purely wanting me to go along with a 'plan' as his relationship - as he put it - was dead in the water anyway. Like that was supposed to make it all ok. I did demand an explanation (which is how I know the above/about the twins/the plan for the family to move here etc...) but to be honest, when dealing with a liar, you can't even trust what they tell you to be the truth. A man that can lie to one woman, can easily lie to two.

I hung up after telling him I had no desire to go along with his story. His story, of course, didn't make me look good/innocent. Why would it? At the end of the day, he didn't call me to 'explain himself' (not that anything he said mattered since he lied about literally everything), he called me to ensure that I would maintain the same BS story he told her. He suddenly had all this morality and was talking to me about the importance of family for him etc...

The thing is, I still have all the proof. Alllllll the messages, photos, countless paragraphs of how he pursued me, told me he was single, etc...

Part of me wants to cut him out of my life and just forget the whole thing ever happened. I skipped part the sad breakup stage of a typical relationship because of my anger - and guilt - even though I was in the dark about his 'real life'!!

Another part of me doesn't want to hurt his partner further with all the proof. She probably wouldn't believe me anyway despite the proof being irrefutable. They have twins together and I feel awful for a potential break up of a marriage/family even though I wasn't aware of their existence until very recently!

Another part of me wants to expose him for who he really is. My messages would show the whole picture - and not the lies he fed her upon her finding out. But again, there's so so so much there that it would definitely end their family setup.

I must admit... I'm very angry at being seen as a 'home-wrecker' more than anything else - so I largely want to clear my name. My motives aren't entirely altruistic in that regard. I also stupidly expected an apology. Ridiculous, I know.

Also, how did he expect to keep this 'relationship' going once the entire family arrived?! I suppose he could have just gone MIA/broken it off. I guess it is a moot point now.

Sorry if this is rambling-y. I'm enraged about this entire situation. I actually think I'm beating myself up more than he is!

Should I leave it be - or pass all the evidence on? Is there any point? Am I just being a bitch if I do that? Who is it really serving at the end of the day?

OP posts:
elizaljames · 21/03/2023 18:03

To be clear, when I said 'I almost stupidly expected an apology' - I meant from HIM.

OP posts:
Ishefuckingkiddingme · 21/03/2023 18:04

I’m sorry OP. Send her everything, block and move on. She already knows but she could be manipulated back to misery.

gwenneh · 21/03/2023 18:05

Should I leave it be - or pass all the evidence on? Is there any point? Am I just being a bitch if I do that? Who is it really serving at the end of the day?

Give her the receipts. He won't be telling her the truth either - he'll be giving her a carefully crafted narrative. You can give her the information she needs to make the decision that is best for her and her family rather than continuing to allow control to rest with the cheater.

NalafromtheLionKing · 21/03/2023 18:05

Pass all the evidence on. She may shoot the messenger but you have nothing to lose really (avoid giving her your full name or too many details about you.

If I were her, I would want to know.

magicstar1 · 21/03/2023 18:13

Send it to her and let her decide.
My friend had something similar. She had a relationship with a man whose wife had left and moved to America. After 6 months he disappeared and it turned out she hadn’t left….she’d gone ahead to sort out a house etc. while he finished his contract.
The wife never found out, and all my friend was left with was a nasty case of genital warts, which have had a lasting impact on her life. The poor wife must have got them too.

elizaljames · 21/03/2023 18:23

magicstar1 · 21/03/2023 18:13

Send it to her and let her decide.
My friend had something similar. She had a relationship with a man whose wife had left and moved to America. After 6 months he disappeared and it turned out she hadn’t left….she’d gone ahead to sort out a house etc. while he finished his contract.
The wife never found out, and all my friend was left with was a nasty case of genital warts, which have had a lasting impact on her life. The poor wife must have got them too.

How awful. These men really do like to live a double life if they can!!

Here I am feeling like a home-wrecker/dirty w*e and he's peddling lies her way because all of a sudden, he's 'Mr Morality'...!!

OP posts:
Drinkinggreentea · 21/03/2023 18:32

Give her all the proof, clear your name and then block him. He's a nasty piece of work. He made a conscious choice to ruin his own marriage. You had no idea.

Glitteratitar · 21/03/2023 18:33

I think there’s a middle ground.

Send her the messages showing that he claimed he was single so she doesn’t see you as the evil other woman who tried to steal her husband. I know you’re never going to see her again but I would hate being blamed.

Then also explain that because he claimed he was single, you behaved like a proper couple for several months including weekends together, etc and you just want her to know so she is fully informed.

TennisWithDeborah · 21/03/2023 18:34

Send her the link to this thread. Your posts make everything plain from your viewpoint.

If she requires evidence she will request it, but I suspect that she won’t. Deep down, she knows. People who’ve been cheated on usually know.

I wish her and you lots of luck.

Iwannabeacrocodilehunter · 21/03/2023 18:35

Personally, I would indeed want to know everything. I don’t like the idea of having my head messed with by a lying partner and then living in a constant state of uncertainty.

but…

I understand that not all of us are the same, so there’s always that element of risk that you’ll be seen as rubbing salt into the wound, or being a home wrecker for sharing the details.

It’s a tough one. I don’t think anyone is going to thank you either way. I’d perhaps reach out and explain that you weren’t aware of the relationship and you really wouldn’t have chosen this, but if she would like any information, copies of text etc from you, she can always reach out and ask for it.

MysteryBelle · 21/03/2023 18:36

Yes pass on all the evidence so that she’s informed and can move forward with all the facts. Whether you knew or not, she does deserve to have the truth about her partner. That’s the important thing.

OhmygodDont · 21/03/2023 18:37

I agree with the person who send simply send the messages where he claims his single.

If she wants all the details she can ask for more information but him saying his was single it a big enough bit of evidence for your name to be cleared with her and to show her who he is really.

Divorcedalongtime · 21/03/2023 18:40

The one thing I know from when my sister went through a cheating bf scenario is that she desperately needed to know the whole full truth before she could move on so I agree with everyone else, let her know but don’t give out your name address or social media etc because she is likely to hate you. (Wrongly of course, but still likely).

CruCru · 21/03/2023 18:43

OhmygodDont · 21/03/2023 18:37

I agree with the person who send simply send the messages where he claims his single.

If she wants all the details she can ask for more information but him saying his was single it a big enough bit of evidence for your name to be cleared with her and to show her who he is really.

Yeah, I agree with this.

I also think that you could say that you will answer any questions she has over the next three or four days but are then going to block them both as you want to move on with your life. It doesn’t sound as though you’ve done anything wrong and the risk is that this keeps coming back to bite you.

PartingGift · 21/03/2023 18:46

As someone who has beeb cheated on and gaslit by a wanker in the past, having evidence in black and white is helpful. Painful, but at least it makes you feel like you're not being crazy to not believe him.

What a fucking pig he is.

Mamamia32 · 21/03/2023 18:47

I would send a short message saying

"X led me to believe he was single and we had a sexual relationship that lasted X months/years long. I'm very sorry for you and your children."

She really shouldn't need to know any more information than that to decide to leave him, I can't see how screenshots of messages will help her. It will just be painful for her.

Take care op, what a horrible man.

5128gap · 21/03/2023 18:47

She caught him with your clothes on his night stand and your toiletries in his bathroom, and has seen evidence of multiple calls. She rang and asked who you were, and you presumably told her? If so, what else does she need to know? If she chooses to stay with him it won't because she believes he's innocent, it will be for her own reasons. In which case, what's to gain from hurting her with the gory details? Revenge on him for sure, but she shouldn't be your weapon of choice for that. She knows where to find you if she needs any more from you.

Cyanchicken · 21/03/2023 18:49

Send her everything - is she making a big decision to move countries with her toddlers to be with him? She needs to know before she gets stuck in a new location without friends or family support.

TimeForThunder · 21/03/2023 18:57

If I were the wife I'd want absolutely all the facts I could get my hands on to allow me to make an informed decision, regardless of your motives. The poor woman deserves to know which way is up, not be bamboozled by whatever bullshit he's now feeding her.

Poor you, too, OP. It's of course not your fault.

TimeForThunder · 21/03/2023 18:57

Good point, @Cyanchicken.

HeyManIJustWantSomeMuesli · 21/03/2023 19:00

She contacted you initially so their marriage clearly isn’t one of these turn-a-blind-eye arrangements. Therefore, I would send her everything you have evidence-wise with a brief explanation and timeline and an offer to answer any questions (if you are happy to, of course) and then leave the ball in her court.

HeyManIJustWantSomeMuesli · 21/03/2023 19:01

And what @Cyanchicken said

Choconut · 21/03/2023 19:02

She contacted you so it sounds like she wants to know, not just bury her head in the sand. So if she wants to know then she deserves to know the truth and not have him lie and gas light her. Send her everything then block and delete.

Weallgottachangesometime · 21/03/2023 19:06

Personally I’d leave it up to his partner (ex?). I’d maybe text her saying you’re sorry for what has happened and that you had no knowledge of her and her children. Then state you have messages etc and you will let her see them if she wants to.

Then the ball is in her court.
if she does want to see them I’d bull send everything and then let her know they would be no further interaction after that. Then block them both on everything.

Is this someone you work with though?

Dinersaur · 21/03/2023 19:08

Not sure what he possibly could have said to make him look innocent?

Why don't you give her the option. Say you suspect he hasn't given her the actual story and you're happy to give her evidence if she likes and tell her what happened from your perspective, but you'll respect her wishes if she doesn't want to know.