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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husbands relationship with coworker, so confused

47 replies

Bcakes · 16/06/2023 14:03

Hey all, I will try keep this short. Married 11 years, husband has had some hiccups in relation to boundaries with other women, one with an ex girlfriend, and one with a coworker several years ago.
About a year and a half ago he headed a pilot training programme for work. During the preparation for the pilot he had to link with a woman whom was previously in the same role as him in another part of the country, but recently got a different position. They had known each other for over 15 years, but prior to the pilot programme, he hadn't mentioned her much at all, if ever really.
So, long and the short, there was a case of mentionitis, like seriously all the time, she just came up in conversation regularly, how good she was at her job etc. Didn't really pay all that much heed to be honest. But one day, we were both working from home, his work phone rang and he couldn't get out of the room quick enough. It was her calling, so i hung about because the way they spoke to each other was so comfortable. for want of a better word. The way he answered, Hola, I was like what the fuck. Just thought it odd. So in the conversation, there was zero work talk, literally nothing about work, just chatting and catching up. I'm not proud but I hung over his shoulder later that day when he was entering the pin on his work phone. Later that day I checked his call log with her, literally spoke most days, for at least 20 minutes each time, multiple calls some days. Now bare in mind that at this point they had handed over the pilot programme and thus didn't have reason to be chatting so much.
I checked his WhatsApp, a mixture of work and just chatting. Nothing worrying really, but just so comfortable. But I noticed a message from the previous week from her, 'lunch at 1?'.the day I'm question husband was in the company head office and told me he had lunch with a male colleague, so he lied about that. Why lie if nothing to hide? Really irked me, so I brought her up in conversation that evening and asked had he seen her in head office that day, oh ya I did in passing
Failed to mention lunch. So I just said your lieing to me, called his bluff, eventually said ya he lied that they had lunch together but he didn't want to tell me due to past over stepping boundaries with a different coworker. I flipped inside to be honest but just asked him to not lie to me about any friendships he has.
Kept an eye on their call log, continued to talk almost every day, despite the fact that it was totally unnecessary due to their different roles in the company. He even rushed me off the phone saying it was a male coworker ringing, it was her. Another day he had a big meeting with some head people, to be fair he rang me straight after, but then rang her straight after hanging up with me. I was florn by the fact that he must have had her on his mind so much.
Then suddenly the friendship ended, call log showed a few weeks of no contact. So brought her up in a round about way, he said no we don't talk all that much, I pushed asked why, he said she got snappy one day about something. Doesn't add up though, how can you go from having contact every day to nada. It just makes me feel so uncomfortable, like it doesn't add up. Or am I over thinking?? I may also add she is also married with children, a very attractive woman, his type actually down to a t.
I'm thinking was it an emotional affair? Or am I reading too much into it? As I say no overly worrying messages between them, so you could say would pass as friendly banter.
Am I being crazy? It's actually doing my head in here. Help!!

OP posts:
RandomMess · 16/06/2023 14:12

They either fell out - did you make a pass at her? Or it's gone underground on a 2nd phone/SIM?

Nodinnernogift · 16/06/2023 14:14

Well it's clear from the abrupt change in behaviour that there is more to the story but impossible to say what.

Best case scenario she declared she has feelings and he, horrified, reminded her he is married and stated it's best they cut contact.

Worst case scenario he's been having an affair but they've had to cool it as people are talking.

Most likely scenario it's someplace in between - perhaps something nearly started but one of them called a halt to it.

What is your gut telling you?

What happened in the past?

I'm so sorry, you must feel very upset and like the old wounds have been reopened.

Happyinmyowncompany · 16/06/2023 14:14

This reply has been withdrawn

This message has been withdrawn at the poster's request

ReaIIyThough · 16/06/2023 14:17

This screams 2 scenarios to me:

  1. emotional affair in the making, it went tits up

  2. you go through his phone and question and watch everything he does therefore he didn't want you to know he has a female friend because of how you react

EsmeSusanOgg · 16/06/2023 14:18

So, about a decade ago I was chatting (mostly online as we were in different cities at the time) to someone I thought was a friend/ friendly professional contact. Nothing flirty, I was writing up my dissertation, the guy worked in the industry. He said he was procrastinating at work and to pick his brains if needed. Most contact initiated by him. I was friendly with his wife too, and excited about an upcoming date with my now husband. Conversation was friendly, but nothing untoward and I was equally chatting to other friends whilst wrapping my head around some of the technical aspects of my final project and dissertation.

He and wife lived in X city, but used to live in city where I was studying (both good for jobs related to my Masters and in his field of work).

I was nearly finished with the practical part of my final project. He said he was coming up for a work networking thing, if I wanted he could give some feedback before I submitted. Seemed friendly enough.

TW.

Long story short, he raped me. Blew up his marriage because he had been having an unreciprocated emotional affair in his head. Despite me spending every moment chatting talking about my now husband and showing no interest beyond friendship and professional networking.

Awful, deluded and manipulative man who seemed to think that polite casual chat with a woman meant they would have sex with him.

Now, I don't think this is necessarily what has happened here - mine is an extreme example. But could your husband have made an inappropriate pass at his work colleague? When she was not interested and just thought they were colleagues/ work friends?

Bcakes · 16/06/2023 14:19

Thanks ladies. See I'm not sure what to think to be perfectly honest. At the time I found out about the lunch I explained to him that lying only caused me to feel suspicious. He said that was the opposite of his intention. Previously had an issue with him over stepping boundaries with a different coworker. Case of mentionitis, then they went to a work gathering with dozens of other coworkers but had drinks and dinner alone. He couldn't see the issue at the time, so I asked for his work phone and she had messaged him some quite flirty stuff, to whi he didn't reciprocate, but she also sent a selfie pouting asking him for drinks one night she was staying in our city. He declined. But it was obvious she was stroking his ego and he didn't shut that shit down straight away. So that's why he claims he lied about lunch, didn't want to worry me. Am I a fool or am I overthinking

OP posts:
EsmeSusanOgg · 16/06/2023 14:20

@Nodinnernogift or, he made a pass at her. She rebuffed him because she was never interested in an affair/ romantic relationship.

Bcakes · 16/06/2023 14:21

Oh my god i am so so sorry, that's absolutely horrific. I hope you are doing ok?? See the thing is, there were lots of WhatsApps from her at one stage saying oh you're going to miss me when we wrap this programme up bla bla, nothing like that from him. So I don't know

OP posts:
Cas112 · 16/06/2023 14:22

They have either fallen out or he has realised you have clocked onto something so has found a way to be more secretive

ReaIIyThough · 16/06/2023 14:24

So when you've gone right through 2 phones you've actually found nothing that shows he's messaging anything he shouldn't? Literally just friendships with the opposite sex? I have male friends, we have a male friend who is married who came to dinner last week with 6 female ex colleagues because we are all great friends regardless of sex.

EsmeSusanOgg · 16/06/2023 14:29

Bcakes · 16/06/2023 14:21

Oh my god i am so so sorry, that's absolutely horrific. I hope you are doing ok?? See the thing is, there were lots of WhatsApps from her at one stage saying oh you're going to miss me when we wrap this programme up bla bla, nothing like that from him. So I don't know

Much better now, around a decade ago. And my husband is amazing. Thanks.

But I am wary now. Some men (not all by any means) and probably some women too do not seem able to differentiate between friends, work colleagues, and romantic connections.

Does not help that I have ASD/ ADHD. So I can miss warning signs. But also, it would not occur to me that polite or even friendly chat about work could be taken in a romantic way without saying it is romantic.

The other scenario is, they were both stroking egos with attention and then one/ other thought it meant more and they pulled away? Could she or he said something inappropriate. Could he have maybe seen she acts the same way with lots of other colleagues at HQ and realised he isn't special? Or could he have finally realised his behaviour was upsetting you and nixed it all?

Happyinmyowncompany · 16/06/2023 14:29

ReaIIyThough · 16/06/2023 14:24

So when you've gone right through 2 phones you've actually found nothing that shows he's messaging anything he shouldn't? Literally just friendships with the opposite sex? I have male friends, we have a male friend who is married who came to dinner last week with 6 female ex colleagues because we are all great friends regardless of sex.

You are missing the point

ReaIIyThough · 16/06/2023 14:34

@Happyinmyowncompany no the point I'm making is males and females can be friends.

jojo2202 · 16/06/2023 14:36

wow. god i don’t know, my closest friend at work is male and i’ve been married 21 years. hes also married and his wife is lovely. we are just work mate, he’s more like my brother than anything weird. men and women can just be friends

jojo2202 · 16/06/2023 14:38

more like her husband found out and she shit the bed

LivingDeadGirlUK · 16/06/2023 14:42

Of course men and women can be friends, but if you are lying to your partner about the friends you are meeting then something is wrong.

OhmygodDont · 16/06/2023 14:46

Sounds like one or both had/have feelings.

One wanted to break up marriages and the other said wtf no!!! or one just wanted to start an affair and again one said wtf no!

If she snapped at him either he crossed a boundary and she wtf’d him or she wanted more and he was like dude chill we are friends and then she’s all ahh fuck go away leave me alone.

Otherwise I’d expected a yeah she blew up at because she thinks my thoughts on steam trains are stupid or some such. But just she snapped at him leaves questions.

Turfwars · 16/06/2023 14:49

Whether he did or not is kind of moot.

He's done it before, and is still doing it - despite knowing how hurtful it was to you before but the thrill of the flirting is worth your pain it seems. He's making fuck all attempts to hide it either.

Or maybe he enjoys playing with your emotions and pushing you to the point where you are suspicious because he's a nasty asshole who gets a kick out of you miserably checking his phone for proof.

And he's not having them with Dave or 55yo Marge from accounts is he? So there's an element of attraction. Which as he's married, he should be steering clear of.

It's no way to live - how's your mental health? I imagine it's pretty frayed with these work friendships he keeps having. Would you consider leaving?

Conkersinautumn · 16/06/2023 14:50

He's lying, whatever is actually going on he knows it's not 'OK'. He has mentally put her in a box of secret stuff, that's not good, is it?

Happyinmyowncompany · 16/06/2023 14:52

LivingDeadGirlUK · 16/06/2023 14:42

Of course men and women can be friends, but if you are lying to your partner about the friends you are meeting then something is wrong.

This 🙌🏽

Crikeyalmighty · 16/06/2023 14:55

There are some men who get an almighty buzz from having female friends that they like to keep secret and as someone else said it's rarely Audrey in accounts- it's usually someone who is exactly their 'type'

I don't have an issue with friends of the opposite sex, I have a huge issue when lies are told about meeting them or the amount of contact or it's kept totally secret and they are having more contact than they do with their partner.

Trees6 · 16/06/2023 14:56

You let him get away with poor behaviour twice so he probably thinks it’s a risk worth taking. She may not be reciprocating but that’s not really the point - he was obviously keen. Which is what you suspected when you (understandably) started checking up on him.

This will blow over but he will develop feelings for someone else at some point…. and on and on it goes…

I think that you need to break free from it. It’s a cycle that will damage your self-esteem.

Bcakes · 16/06/2023 16:37

So glad to hear you are doing well and sounds like you have a very supportive husband. See its possible that he shut it down, because I did open up one day about concerns around their friendship. To be clear, he has several close female coworkers, I've zero issues with that. It's the level of comfort between them, the level of contact being minimised to me, and the lie about lunch, well they make me uncomfortable. Plus, he just started in a new position, he will be in HQ once a week now, so will she, so is that an opening for their 'friendship' perhaps

OP posts:
Bcakes · 16/06/2023 16:38

Yup, unfortunately it appears to be a cycle, and it is massively impacting on my general well being

OP posts:
Bcakes · 16/06/2023 16:40

He has other female coworkers that are friends, zero issue with that, but it's the trying to cover the level of contact that really makes my spidey senses go on alert

OP posts:
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