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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:
DrLightman · 06/08/2023 15:14

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.

This is not a nice man. You deserve better

willWillSmithsmith · 06/08/2023 15:16

ProudThrilledHappy · 06/08/2023 14:22

There are three people in your marriage

And unfortunately it seems OP is the third wheel. Even if they’re not physically doing anything they’re treating you very disrespectfully. Your husband’s gaslighting would be a big red flag - (“me thinks he doth protest too much”).

Grumpymummy78 · 06/08/2023 15:16

I agree with prev posters OP

Regardless of whether their relationship is physical, in way it doesn't matter as what you've described is not okay (in my book); there is no way on earth I would put up with half of what you have.
Please value yourself more - your DH is not respecting your feelings and that would be a deal breaker for me (sorry).

LightSpeeds · 06/08/2023 15:17

I only got part way through your post before I thought fuck that!

It sounds terrible for you but it's difficult to see how you can easily diminish their (complete) involvement in each others' lives now.

Who knows if they're having an affair but it doesn't sound like he has much perception of how it all looks or the fact that YOU are his priority.

You need to talk to him...

Edenrose206 · 06/08/2023 15:17

Yeah, I went on holiday with my 'D'H and the "friend" who turned out to be his mistress...and her husband! My DH made out that I was jealous and paranoid when I expressed concern. She continued shagging him (unbeknownst to me) while I endured IVF... Honestly, these people REALLY DO exist. And they're pathologically selfish (and self-serving). I really feel your pain. 💐

midnightrecovery · 06/08/2023 15:18

You are saying that her dh doesn’t seem to care what she does. Well, your dh doesn’t seem to care much about you either.

FarEast · 06/08/2023 15:19

Oh you poor thing @OfMyDog Its an emotional affair. Even if it isn’t , at the very least your husband and your “friend” are behaving shockingly unkindly.

You shouldn’t be made to feel like a 3rd wheel on your holiday.

You’re going to have to have a conversation with your husband and tell him how his attention to your friend makes you feel. That his attention is over the top and straying into unfaithfulness emotionally. Hell focus on tne physical and argue that if they haven’t had sex it doesn’t count. But it does.

Cas112 · 06/08/2023 15:20

Why did she just not come sit with you two that night in her pyjamas.. why did they have to be alone. If that was me I would have wanted to come to you so to me very suspicious. As is the rest of it

safetyfreak · 06/08/2023 15:21

What a push over you are! you have allowed another women into your marriage, it would not surprise me if your husband is in love with this woman.

I hope it was worth it to be seen as the 'cool wife'.

midnightrecovery · 06/08/2023 15:21

Well, if your friend is on mn she’ll hopefully also have a sanity check.

CelestiaNoctis · 06/08/2023 15:23

Sounds pretty obvious to me. I'd take a break in the relationship and see how fast he runs over to her house. And see how quickly they suddenly end up together. Maybe just say to your friend that you know because your husband has told you and then see if she comes out with it all based on just saying that.

elm26 · 06/08/2023 15:23

We regularly holiday with our group of friends. We are early 30s, me and DH together since school and have kept friendship group and their partners have been added in throughout the years. I trust them all, I trust my DH 100% but this is an emotional affair at the very least. Open your eyes, OP. Sending hugs x

Andthereyougo · 06/08/2023 15:24

He’s having his ego stroked and is living it.
He’s gaslighting you so you doubt yourself.
He makes it out it’s “his right” to be so involved with this woman. I’d have kicked him out for that alone.
The front door is there for a reason, and he should be the other side of it.

LovelyJubbly12345 · 06/08/2023 15:24

I have had direct experience of this. Twice! With my ExH. Who turned out to be quite a player.

First time was with a friend called Clare. Her DH had an affair and left her. She was devastated. Before long, she started outrageously flirting with my then H. Bending over, showing cleavage etc. I am 99% sure something happened between them.

Second time was with a friend called Tina. This was my best friend in the world, we were so close. Her DH had an affair and left her (see the pattern here!) Shortly afterwards she stopped speaking to me, for no apparent reason. One night, my H got really drunk and fell asleep. I snooped on his phone, and found text messages between them, discussing the sex they'd had.

Please don't think for a moment that your "friend" wouldn't sleep with your DH, because many women will do just that. And in my own experience, it was when those women were feeling rejected. Your friend is currently being rejected by her DH, and I strongly suspect that she is making a play for yours.

And your DH seems to like it. Can you get in to his phone? You need to get snooping.

Andthereyougo · 06/08/2023 15:24
  • loving it.
Sittingonasale · 06/08/2023 15:26

OP, I split with h about 8 years ago and I've been single with 3 dc since then.
I am always extremely careful around couples or people I know are in couples. I'm not flirtatious anyway nor am I looking for anything but I am careful to never give that impression.
I'd simply hate for any friend to get the wrong idea.
I never allow myself to be with a man on my own who I know is in a relationship let alone behind closed doors in pyjamas.
I'm careful about becoming too friendly as well and probably come across as quite aloof actually in these circumstances. It's to protect myself though.

I am sorry but you are being naive.

How would he feel if you did the same?

amispeakingintongues · 06/08/2023 15:26

SpongeBobJudgeyPants · 06/08/2023 14:53

She is NOT your friend. We are all saying it. Please don't trust her. You can't trust either of them Flowers

This!!!

Stop pinning all the blame on him. It takes two to tango.

And they watched the fucking sunset!!!!???? Your friend is surely not thick. Anyone would know that's overstepping a BIG boundary.

You need to leave OP and i rarely say that to people on here but this situation is MAD.

Bearpawk · 06/08/2023 15:27

Yeah I'm pretty relaxed but this is really weird. Definitely sounds like he's got 2 wives....
Why wasn't she offering to stay home with both dcs so you & DH could go out as a couple ?

Dombasle · 06/08/2023 15:27

The modern phrase for your situation op is 'They're mugging you off.'

HarridanHarvestingHeldaBeans · 06/08/2023 15:27

This is your husband's fault, he is the one who made vows to you, and he is the one edging you out of your own marriage. However, this woman is no friend to you. Please find someone else to confide in.

I have several close male friends. Some are married and some are not. Not once have I thought that it would be appropriate to be alone in a hotel room in my jammies with one of them. Particularly not when their wife might be looking after my child elsewhere! I love my friends, but I am always aware that there must be boundaries, and I wouldn't want my husband to be made as unhappy as you are. At the very least, he is being cruel to you and boosting his own ego.

I think they are probably either shagging or congratulating themselves on keeping the moral high ground by "just" having an emotional affair. But the shagging/not shagging part isn't the most important thing for now. Your husband is treating you with utter contempt, and you are allowing him to. Please, for the sake of your own sanity, stop doing that.

Yalta · 06/08/2023 15:28

I think that if there was nothing going on then your dh wouldn’t be getting so angry at your comments

He would take onboard what you were saying and would be apologising and looking at his actions and not putting himself in a position where it could upset you

Equally if your friend was a friend she would direct the conversation to include you and not sit there talking to him directly.
Nor would she be alone with him in her bedroom as that isn’t appropriate especially when her friend has already said she feels uncomfortable about the two of them together.

Whether it is an emotional or full blown affair or they aren’t having an affair and are just good friends with a shared hobby, what is coming across is that neither of them are your friend

Solasum · 06/08/2023 15:28

Is there any resemblance between the two boys OP? Could her DS be your H’s? Would explain why he wanted to take him on holiday.

Carpediemmakeitcount · 06/08/2023 15:30

It's a toxic friendship they are enjoying it and know what they are doing. Your husband likes the idea that he has wife and bit on the side why is he going to want to stop that. He wants his cake.

As for your best friend who you love to bits is enjoying your pain her own husband can't be bothered with her and I wonder why.

Your husband should have took you out to watch the sunset not his OW. It wouldn't surprise me if they were holding hands and doing more it sounds very romantic.

I think you need to accept your husband doesn't love you and would prefer your friend. If he loved you he would have listened and changed his behaviour but he doesn't want to.

LittleMoReturns · 06/08/2023 15:31

I cannot believe what I just read!?!

This is SO weird and SO inappropriate and I can’t believe they have you going along with this like it’s perfectly fine. WTF?!

Grumpymummy78 · 06/08/2023 15:31

Sittingonasale · 06/08/2023 15:26

OP, I split with h about 8 years ago and I've been single with 3 dc since then.
I am always extremely careful around couples or people I know are in couples. I'm not flirtatious anyway nor am I looking for anything but I am careful to never give that impression.
I'd simply hate for any friend to get the wrong idea.
I never allow myself to be with a man on my own who I know is in a relationship let alone behind closed doors in pyjamas.
I'm careful about becoming too friendly as well and probably come across as quite aloof actually in these circumstances. It's to protect myself though.

I am sorry but you are being naive.

How would he feel if you did the same?

This is exactly how I used to behave -and my exact same thinking- with friends husbands both when I was a single parent and also now I have a DH.

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