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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Husband and our (f) best friend on holiday

1000 replies

OfMyDog · 06/08/2023 14:10

Sanity check please. Just back from 10 days in Santorini where it was me, DH our DS and also my best friend and her DS of same age. She is on a lower income so we offered for her and her son to join us and we paid for everything. She’s married too but she and her husband aren’t close so he stayed home, so just took her and her son.

She’s mainly my best friend and we’re super close and I trust her implicitly, but my husband also counts her as his best friend. They used to work together years ago. At home they go out alone together all the time, play sport together, meet for coffee and if one is WFH, they meet up at our house or hers for lunch without me. Our sons are in same class at school and it’s all one merged family. Her husband doesn’t seem to care what she does.

In the first week of the holiday they were spending loads of time together and I felt a bit like a spare part sometimes, he chats to her more than me, they joke together, they went to watch the sunset together on the beach alone etc. If we go somewhere, he sits in the middle of us with one of us either side but then he talks to her and ignores me, and if I bring this up he just makes out that it’s his right and that I’m boring him by even mentioning it.

I love her to bits and believe she is fully on my side, but I hate seeing him laughing and joking with her. I trust her and I’ve no physical evidence to doubt that he is doing anything, though he’s alwsys on his phone late at night :/ My family says that I’m being too trusting and that it’s not right. When I’ve tried speaking to him about it and how I feel, he shuts it down and says I’m being ridiculous and turns it into an argument about how it’s my fault and I’m being silly.

One thing that really stood out was a night on holiday where both our DS had fallen asleep in ‘our’ hotel room, so I stayed with them, and DH who’d been texting her all eve went to her hotel room and was gone for ages. When I went over and knocked, they were just sat on sofa and she was in her PJs, I have no reason to think anything happened then or any other time, but maybe I’m also being naiive!?!?

I don’t know what I’m asking other than AINBU to think that they’re just friends and it’s fine? I trust her, and I’ve never seen any evidence of him cheating. It’s just a bit uncomfortable with it sometimes and any of my other friends who hear about it think im a mug. I also hate how he just shuts me down and says I’m being too clingy for even mentioning it. Now we’re back in the UK they’re literally finding every opportunity to go for walks together and again I feel like the spare part, argh!

Please tell me I’m not being ridiculous!

xx

OP posts:
Delphinium20 · 06/08/2023 17:46

LAMPS1 · 06/08/2023 17:41

I would have one last talk with your friend and calmly tell her you want her to step back. Be careful not to accuse her of anything. Just tell her the holiday opened your eyes and you are not ok with it. Tell her your marriage is suffering because of the threesome. Tell her you will meet up with her without your DH but you will no longer be inviting her to share your husband when he should be wanting to watch the sunset with you not her. If she is a true friend she will be mortified, apologise and do as you ask without question and go away and quietly make excuses not see him or chat to him again.
But if she questions you, or pushes you for reasons why, (she wants you to accuse her so that they can make out you are the ridiculous one) then you will know at last, that she isn’t the friend you thought she was and you can just walk away from her.

Then watch and wait. Watch him like an hawk and keep your wits about you. Know where he is at all times.
So sorry to say OP, but I have a feeling that your marriage may be about to come unstuck and reveal itself to you for what it really is. Sooner you get to the bottom of it all the better. Don’t be scared. What you have described is simply not right. Trust your family on this!

I agree with this - it's very good advice.

MeridianB · 06/08/2023 17:47

I wouldn’t bother with any ultimatums, OP. What’s the point when H has treated you like dirt.

Take the next few days or weeks to gather all the paperwork you need, remove your share of any finances to a new account and get a good divorce lawyer.

Your vile ‘friend’ doesn’t deserve to have you stick up for her or absolve her from her fair share of the blame for this. She’s behaved unforgivably, even if there is nothing going on. She is no loss to your life. You deserve so much better. 🌸

DrManhattan · 06/08/2023 17:48

@Susieb2023 really. How naive can a person be! Most people wouldn't let it get this far.

Comedycook · 06/08/2023 17:48

If a couple paid for me and my DC to go on holiday with them...the least I'd do is offer to babysit their DC one evening in the holiday so they could have dinner together alone and a nice evening together.

Did she do that op? I bet she didn't

Herejusttocomment · 06/08/2023 17:48

When I’ve tried speaking to him about it and how I feel, he shuts it down and says I’m being ridiculous and turns it into an argument about how it’s my fault and I’m being silly.

Yikes, red flag! If there wasn't anything going on (in his mind) he would have tried to reassure you so much.

Personally I think he's friends with her just to get in her pants, not because of who she is as a person.

BCSurvivor · 06/08/2023 17:49

Oh my goodness, you say you blame your husband 75% and your friend just 25% because you're still close - she's no friend, a friend would not be disrespecting you like this, and a friend would certainly have mentioned - hopefully to you but definitely to him - that he was overstepping the mark.
But she hasn't, and continues to see/flirt/text him just as much.
They're both playing you.
And she is equally to blame.

Ollifer · 06/08/2023 17:50

Never in a million years could I ever imagine sitting there saying I'd babysit while my husband went to my mates hotel room for the evening. Absolutely bonkers!!!!

Going to watch the sunset together? Texting her all evening? Going out alone all the time? They are taking you for an absolute mug op.

Fuck that shit. They either are having an affair or are about to have an affair, and it's happening right Infront of your eyes !

IAmAnIdiot123 · 06/08/2023 17:52

I'm pretty sure I would be classed as a 'cool wife' by MN standards but absolutely no way would i accept any of this! I wouldn't even accept this behaviour from 2 mates on a friends holiday, let alone my husband and best friend!

Honestly, i think they are having an affair, it is the only reason for most of these actions. I regularly holiday with my friend and her husband, want to know the number of sunsets me and her husband or she and mine have seen 'alone', zero!

WantingToEducate · 06/08/2023 17:56

I haven’t read the thread……but by the end of your starting post all I could think was, “Wake up woman! Of course something is going on!!”

Coffeelotsofcoffee · 06/08/2023 17:57

I'm sorry there having an affair in plain sight

ReturnoftheMuck · 06/08/2023 17:57

If you said you felt she was getting in the way of your marriage and you wanted him to take a break from her, then what would he say? This will tell you whether he cares about working at your marriage at all.

Your family should come first.

Zone2NorthLondon · 06/08/2023 17:57

She’s not your friend. She’s duplicitous & underming you and your marriage in front of you
wakeyfuckingwakey she’s making moves on your husband and he is reciprocating
Time to cut her off. Right now. Expect tears,denials and protests that she’d never do that
they're continuing to meet up, having enjoyed their sunset strolls in beautiful Santorini

you need to get really angry at them both
Get yourself prepared for their lies,denials and obfuscation

BigButtons · 06/08/2023 17:57

@OfMyDog so she knows how this behaviour makes you feel and she STIILL does it? You call this woman your friend? Come off it. She is NOT your friend.
I must be devastating to come to the conclusion that the two people you Clinton as being to primary supported infact don’t give a toss about you.

Lweji · 06/08/2023 17:58

I have male friends and it would never occur to me to go off to watch a sunset with either of them without their wives. I doubt any married woman would either.
I can´t think of any man who would suggest paying for a friend and their child to go on holiday either. Maybe unless they were loaded and didn´t think their own family were enough as company.

I agree with pretty much everyone else.

You can talk to her about your suspicions about him having an affair. But at the end mention someone else. See how she responds, and in particular, if she seems more relaxed when you claim to suspect some else.
It might work on him too.

Cherrysoup · 06/08/2023 17:58

What the fuck am I reading? He’s treat her like he’s single and doesn’t need to worry about your feelings or spending time with you. Unbelievable.

Sigmama · 06/08/2023 17:59

What sort of wanker husband doesn't go on holiday with his wife and child for no good reason, she's married a dud and is after yours

Sloth66 · 06/08/2023 17:59

She’s checked out of her marriage, your husband has checked out of his. You’ve tried to talk to them with no result. They don’t care.
It’s maybe time to talk to a solicitor?

MrTiddlesTheCat · 06/08/2023 18:00

Seems like his primary relationship is with her, not you. He has 2 wives but you're not wife #1 I'm afraid.

Oh and she's not your friend.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 06/08/2023 18:02

I am the polar opposite of "the jealous type" but the sunset thing would raise even my eyebrows, as would him fucking off to her room while I was stuck with the children.

(why couldn't you step out to her room while the children slept, btw?)

A decent person would have said to you and YOUR husband, "Hey, let me sit with the kids tonight; you two go out and have fun."

Very odd.

Bluesky5512 · 06/08/2023 18:02

there is a super high possibility of an affair. They went to watch the sunset together? Wtf?

pilates · 06/08/2023 18:02

It’s a very uncomfortable read - so sorry 😞

AmazingSnakeHead · 06/08/2023 18:02

I usually think MN is bonkers for this type of thing, but I actually also think that they're having an affair. I have male friends that I see by myself and text regularly. I would never go and watch a sunset with one of them while my husband sat at home.

When I’ve tried speaking to him about it and how I feel, he shuts it down and says I’m being ridiculous and turns it into an argument about how it’s my fault and I’m being silly.

This for me is the main issue. Ok, perhaps their friendship is innocent - why be defensive and try to belittle you, then? If they really are just friends he should be happy to step back and at the very least would be taking what you're saying seriously.

pinksheetss · 06/08/2023 18:03

I think it's more than just an emotional affair and also 100% wouldn't put up with this from either of them. She's not your friend. If I were you I would be calling her out on this and I'd also cut her off

VariantHela · 06/08/2023 18:05

I wouldnt like this, sorry.

Zone2NorthLondon · 06/08/2023 18:05

Lweji · 06/08/2023 17:58

I have male friends and it would never occur to me to go off to watch a sunset with either of them without their wives. I doubt any married woman would either.
I can´t think of any man who would suggest paying for a friend and their child to go on holiday either. Maybe unless they were loaded and didn´t think their own family were enough as company.

I agree with pretty much everyone else.

You can talk to her about your suspicions about him having an affair. But at the end mention someone else. See how she responds, and in particular, if she seems more relaxed when you claim to suspect some else.
It might work on him too.

Just to be clear married women aren’t the sole paragons of virtue
most people wouldn’t make a move on their friend partner in plain sight. then obfuscate and gaslight to conceal what’s going on

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