Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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:
TakenRoot · 06/08/2023 23:16

You did her such a favour, paying for her and her kids to come on holiday.

Did she babysit all the kids ever? Say ‘oh, OffMyDog and DH, you two must have a couple of child free evenings, I’ll stay in and look after the kids’?

Or was it all going off to watch the sunset with him while you did the childcare??

You are very trusting of her..

“Have I spoken to her about how I feel - yes. She is always respectful to me but I don’t think she gets how much he hurts me” No. despite the fact that you have spoken to her about how you feel she was right there, watching the sunset. Letting him sit with her in her jammies instead of packing him off back to you.

I don’t know what you should do for the best. I think I would be laying it on the line and telling him he makes a distinction between his marriage and his friendship and starts to place you first and centre in his life. And if he thinks that that is your problem then that’s your answer: he won’t put you, or your marriage, first and centre.

Libelula21 · 06/08/2023 23:20

I’m wondering if perhaps the OP is autistic, or neurodivergent in some way to social or relational cues?

Maireas · 06/08/2023 23:24

I think she's been duped by the pair of them.

CandyLeBonBon · 06/08/2023 23:25

Libelula21 · 06/08/2023 23:20

I’m wondering if perhaps the OP is autistic, or neurodivergent in some way to social or relational cues?

Really? Ffs 🙄

TakenRoot · 06/08/2023 23:27

OP, if her Ds was asleep in your room, why didn’t she come over to you? Why did your DH go to her room, leaving you with her Ds? What on earth was the pretext for this?

Hibiscrubbed · 06/08/2023 23:27

The children haven’t ever mentioned it but we’ve got in a habit of co-parenting between the 3 of us and they just seem to accept it.

Bloody hell fire. Who does he actually think he is?!

BoohooWoohoo · 06/08/2023 23:34

Your updates about Co parenting as a threesome make me very concerned for you.
Have they ever asked you for a threesome ?
Were your husband and her both married when they met at work?
Like a pp I can't help but worry that you are neurodiverse and she is your friend so that she can spend time with your h. Is there a reason why she's not split up with her h? If she has children do they predate the time when she worked with your h?

Silverseas1 · 06/08/2023 23:34

Itsnotrightbutitsok · 06/08/2023 22:51

That’s mad and totally your own insecurities.

If you don’t trust your partner then why be with him.

Sorry, I trust DH 100% because I've thankfully no reason not to. I admit the thought of him taking another woman out to dinner or any other liason with her if its one to one makes me sick to the stomach. It would be different if it was a group of friends situation. Also, I would never invite another woman's husband to spend personal time with me either.

ballsdeep · 06/08/2023 23:34

Op this is mental! Absolutely bonkers. They are playing you like a fiddle and basically having an affair right under your nose!!! Co-parenting?!?

Thatboymum · 06/08/2023 23:38

She deffo isn’t your friend I’d be getting rid of both of them because not one of them have an ounce of respect for you ! I’m angry for you

MollysBrolly · 06/08/2023 23:41

Imagine you were seeing this in a film hat would you be thinking?
They are treating you like an idiot.

geoger · 06/08/2023 23:44

Hibiscrubbed · 06/08/2023 23:27

The children haven’t ever mentioned it but we’ve got in a habit of co-parenting between the 3 of us and they just seem to accept it.

Bloody hell fire. Who does he actually think he is?!

He thinks he’s that prick off Sister Wives

MakeADecision · 06/08/2023 23:47

Oh OP I can’t believe what I’ve read.

They are both mugging you off ☹️

Kaz40s · 07/08/2023 00:09

I'm sorry, I know it's hard but they both are taking the absolute piss out of you. Surely her as the single person on holiday, should have stayed to watch kids whilst you had quiet time with your husband?? Please lnow nothing about this situation is right & you should go with your gut feeling on it. You deserve more. She is NOT YOUR FRIEND!! 😡

Daisybuttercup12345 · 07/08/2023 00:21

Do you enjoy living in an open marriage?
Your husband obviously does.
Surely you can see this for what it is? A full blown affair right in front of you!!!!

bluebell34567 · 07/08/2023 00:23

i bet people who saw you have thought him and her are a couple and you are just a friend.
time to get rid of both of them. (in fact it was long time ago)

MsRosley · 07/08/2023 00:27

TomatoSandwiches · 06/08/2023 14:15

She is not your friend, if she was she would know his behaviour is out of line and she would take a step back.
Her husband doesn't find her interesting but yours certainly does, she cares more about getting attention from him than how his behaviour makes you feel.

She is not your friend and your husband is a gaslighting bastard.

I don't know how you fix this because he obviously enjoys this, if they are not having a physical affair they certainly are having an emotional one and I bet if you left him it wouldn't be long until it turns physical.

Sorry.

This first comment nails it.

newfriend05 · 07/08/2023 00:28

Spacemoon · 06/08/2023 14:41

Your friend thought it was ok to go and watch the sunset with YOUR husband whilst you stayed and watched her kid, on a holiday you paid for? She's just as bad as he is! Please stop making excuses for her! They are both taking you for a complete mug! Even if there's nothing physical there (doubtful) it sounds very much like they are having an emotional affair, in plain sight and gaslighting you in the process.

This .. their taking the piss

MsRosley · 07/08/2023 00:29

Yeah, she's an absolute snake in the grass. Wake up, OP.

SlightlyJaded · 07/08/2023 00:31

This is a scenario where I can absolutely imagine one or both of them sitting you down to tell you they have fallen in love.

Everything is aligned in their favour: You and her 'absent' DH have given them a legitimate go ahead to be intimate (emotionally), to spend time together and to be in each other's company, to laugh, watch sunsets and be in a carefree environment, and what they don't have is the mundane drudgery of having to talk about gas bills and the weekly shop. It's a dangerous and intoxicating setup and I would put money on at least one of them currently believing they are 'in love'.

You need to address this and fuck your DH getting arsey about it. That's just another red flag.

IamSaved · 07/08/2023 00:37

The sheer arrogance coming from your H is absolutely outstanding OP. I'm flabbergasted. Complete and utter disregard for your feelings, and such a disrespect towards you as his wife. Not to mention your friend, a brazen hussy.

JANEY205 · 07/08/2023 00:48

Honestly one of the more shocking things I’ve read here OP. My Aunts husband was having an affair and she gave him benefit of the doubt until he confirmed it and actually asked HER to be their third! Outrageous!! This has all the same vibes and I’m truly so sorry. Get rid of this woman out your life immediately!!

Habreathmint · 07/08/2023 00:58

They're having an affair in front of you ffs!

Abbimae · 07/08/2023 02:19

Unless you are actually wanting a throuple this is wrong

bobotothegogo · 07/08/2023 02:37

My grandparents had this exact set up. Grandfather was a narcissist, grandmother was completely brainwashed and downtrodden by him. They used to bring their 'friend' on holiday, she was GF's mistress. GM considered her a good friend however I'm certain, deep down, she knew what was happening.

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is not accepting new messages.