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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:
Zone2NorthLondon · 06/08/2023 21:48

BadNomad · 06/08/2023 21:45

It sounds more like they've brought you along to babysit while they have a romantic holiday together.

Yes, @OfMyDog is the reliable doormat. Does what she’s told,never complains

tootiredtolie · 06/08/2023 21:51

Can you get on his phone? Without him knowing?

AppleTurnover1000Degrees · 06/08/2023 21:53

I've not read the thread but I'm passing myself that there are people voting YABU. I will go and read now.

geoger · 06/08/2023 21:53

This situation is insane. They are having an emotional affair and using you to facilitate it by babysitting for them. You need to confront them and get the truth. Is she using your DH as a stand in husband because her own husband ignores her?

OneRedBalloon · 06/08/2023 21:54

Can I just ask, how did the proposition of you 3 adults going on holiday together come about? Who initiated that conversation?

geoger · 06/08/2023 21:57

Also, where is her husband in all of this??
What is the state of her marriage?
How can the 3 of you be co-parenting the children you have between you?
This sounds like something off Sister Wives.
Get the truth and then get out of this marriage

AppleTurnover1000Degrees · 06/08/2023 21:58

If this is real it is crazy. No loving Husband or best friend would treat someone this way. Still baffled which that's voted YABU unless they are swingers

Sandra1984 · 06/08/2023 21:59

@OfMyDog I love her to bits and I know she's on my side.

You're gaslighting yourself OP, anyone who does this is not "on your side", your husband is not on your side either. As you've read in all the above posts this is terrible behaviour from two people, and completely unacceptable. No wonder your mental sanity is at stake. With all my due respects but you remind me of that character played by Ingrid Bergman in "Gas light".

Fallenangelofthenorth · 06/08/2023 21:59

Where abouts in Santorini were they able to watch the sunset from the beach? If this is what they told you they were doing they are taking you for a fool.

AppleTurnover1000Degrees · 06/08/2023 22:01

@Itsnotrightbutitsok don't be a twat.

PumpkinPieWalnuts · 06/08/2023 22:03

They are definitely cheating - either emotionally, physically or both. And neither of them cares about you and your feelings at all. I suspect he’s being a gaslighting prick and is a bit of an opportunist, whereas she (as your close friend!) may be being more calculated in her behaviour. Either way this is horrible, and I’m so sorry. I agree with a previous poster and I’d be tempted to ask her straight out. I think she’s more likely to tell you the truth. It might even work better if you position it as “I know what’s going on between you” and see how she reacts. Nasty nasty people - I’ve watched this play out to close friends and it just destroys families.

1037370E · 06/08/2023 22:13

Trust your instincts. You can be best friends without living in each others pockets and while still respecting boundaries.

Fernticket · 06/08/2023 22:13

W0tnow · 06/08/2023 14:24

No matter how close I was to a bloke, I would never, ever allow a situation that could be misconstrued on this way by his wife. Ever.

This, in spades.
My ExDH used to behave like this
It caused serious trust issues. Note he is now an ex....

Fernticket · 06/08/2023 22:14

W0tnow · 06/08/2023 14:24

No matter how close I was to a bloke, I would never, ever allow a situation that could be misconstrued on this way by his wife. Ever.

This, in spades.
My ExDH used to behave like this
It caused serious trust issues. Note he is now an ex....

chekaboo · 06/08/2023 22:16

This entire thread and OP's responses are painful to read.

  1. Why is everyone so convinced this is only an 'emotional' affair ?
  2. Why advise her to start trying to play games or catch them out or give ultimatums as if this abusive arrogant man is in any way worth trying to hold on to or that a future with him would be healthy ?

OP you have all your answers, you seem hell bent on avoiding the fact this woman has effectively groomed you, worked her way into the most intimate parts of your life and is now belittling you and crushing your self esteem and worth- I think you need to question why you don't want to see that.

I have no idea if your marriage was previously fulfilling, loving and happy but I can say it's done and you need to be seeking immediate legal and emotional support to navigate your way out of this.

sunglassesonthetable · 06/08/2023 22:18

No idea if it's only an emotional affair. But that's what is in plain sight for starters.

The rest is up for grabs.

Thatbloodyhedge · 06/08/2023 22:19

Never read such crap
OP give your fuckiing head a wobble and give yourself a bit of dignity

bladebladebla1 · 06/08/2023 22:23

Elfer13 · 06/08/2023 20:55

So sorry to hear of your situation, it reminded me of my ex and one of my ex best friends. They would go to gigs together when the band didn't appeal to me. His interests suddenly changed from heavy metal to indie and he certainly went indie her.

😂😂

Dymaxion · 06/08/2023 22:28

She’s married too but she and her husband aren’t close

Oh really ? why is that do you think ? She is your allegedly your best friend so you should know why ? Is it because she is spending all her free time being 'bestest friends' with your DH ?
Also her child falls asleep in your family hotel room and instead of picking up said child and bidding you all a goodnight, she and your DH decamp to her hotel room ! That is weird !

JustBeKinder · 06/08/2023 22:28

Sadly this reminded me very much of my own situation a few years ago, it sounds very much like he s gaslighting you I m sorry to say and she’s only a friend to you in order to make it easier to get to him 🤷‍♀️

FuckNuggets · 06/08/2023 22:30

RationalHuman · 06/08/2023 20:12

Are you overbearing? Are you pleasant to be around? Do you play offence or are you one of those ladies who only play defence? You have to ask yourself why isn't he spending time with me? What does this women do that I'm not doing? Do you weigh him down?

Oh sod off! She's his frickin wife, she shouldn't need to play the pick me dance!

CarPour · 06/08/2023 22:31

I'm trying to imagine ever going on a sunset walk with a male friend while their wife sat in a hotel room babysitting my child. Or going on a sunset walk with my friends husband

Everyone with half a brain knows that's inappropriate. I don't think it particularly matters if anything physical has happened, they are taking the piss out of you. This woman is not your friend

My DH has female friends, and I trust him implicitly. But that's because he always maintains good boundaries, and prioritises our relationship. Trust is earnt and can be lost

Silverseas1 · 06/08/2023 22:35

If my DH regarded another woman a best friend or I regarded another man a best friend we would be history. Thankfully it would never happen.

Maireas · 06/08/2023 22:35

Silverseas1 · 06/08/2023 22:35

If my DH regarded another woman a best friend or I regarded another man a best friend we would be history. Thankfully it would never happen.

Me neither. That's so disrespectful to the spouse.

FlamingoFloss · 06/08/2023 22:37

What I’m not hearing is that you’ve spoken to your friend about this. What is your relationship like with her?

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