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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Does this mean he is cheating?

133 replies

TheBrazies · 21/09/2023 17:04

DH and I have been together 6 years, 2 children 3 and 1 and twins on the way. He is a doctor, recently swapped speciality from Trauma Surgery to Emergency Medicine and is working at a different hospital so lots happening, new shift pattern etc.
Yesterday we went on a family day out with the kids, once we got into bed I asked for the pictures he'd taken on the day, he told me to send them to myself, gave me his phone, went to the bathroom to brush his teeth etc.
I sent myself the pictures then noticed a video which should have probably been in the hidden folder, from a few days before. He hadn't sent me the video (him masterbating essentially). Curiosity got the better of me so I watched it and he moaned another girls name throughout!!
Before I could investigate anymore he came back. I didn't want to get into a argument, I was tired and he had an early start so I didn't mention it to him.
Once he fell asleep I checked his phone, searched the name in his contact only one person came up (not really a common name). He frequently deletes all his messages so there wasn't much between them other than that days and the days before messages. The day before was all work based, yesterdays messages was just her sending a selfie clearly at work captioned "I don't have the energy for this today, going to be a drag without you". He replied "hahah you'll survive". At the end of the day she had sent a message sort of summarising her day in a funny way. He just replied with "didn't miss much then". So all very innocent. That was all on WhatsApp and it didn't go back as far as the day the video was taken.
I checked instagram, no messages between them there. On iMessage they seemed to talk music a lot, sending screenshots of Spotify playlists and it seem everyday she was sending him a Taylor Swift song to listen to and he was reviewing it.
So clearly they are atleast pretty good friends!! But he hasn't in almost two months ever mentioned her ?!! Put with the video I have a terrible feeling he is cheating!!
Im pregnant with twins so had no sex drive for a couple of months now and I checked instagram she is stunning!! And a doctor so clearly smart!
I told my friend and she said it doesn't necessarily mean his cheating but probably means he is atleast thinking about her while having his fun.
AIBU to think he is cheating? That he probably sent the video to her and they have probably being having sex too. He works in a massive hospital with a massive trauma centre which takes in a lot of severe cases so obviously there are times where he will genuinely be held up at work, but I wouldn't know how to tell if he was held up because of that or because he was with her?!
He won't be home for a while yet and I have no idea if I should mention it.

OP posts:
emiily93 · 22/09/2023 21:17

GoldenSpangles · 22/09/2023 02:03

I think the advice to leave immediately when she has toddlers and is pregnant with twins is not good advice. Why should she move out and scrape by on less money while looking after 4 kids under 4 with two being newborns? It would be much better to wait till she's had the babies and had a chance to recover and made a concerted effort to get them to sleep through the night. If she can put a little money aside during this time that would be all the better.

I agree.
OP don't give him a easy way out and remove yourself from the family home etc. you will be worse off.

Detach, focus on your children and pregnancy, recover from having the twins. Monitor the situation, try save, harbour as much money from him as you can. Then take him to the cleaners.
Patience always wins.

And it remember, this is nothing about you, it's his own issues that have caused him to behave like this.

MsDogLady · 22/09/2023 22:00

@TheBrazies, what a blow this must be. After seeing your thread about names for your twins, reading this was quite jarring.

Your H is indeed cheating and abusing your trust. While you’re carrying his twins and parenting his two young children, he’s been busy investing emotionally and sexually in this colleague. She’s his secret. They’ve built an affectionate connection, and he has taped/sent this video to her to show her significance to him. If they aren’t already having video sessions or having sex, he absolutely wants to.

In the minute chance the video is for his own use, it shows his obsession with OW, which throws a grenade in your marriage and family. Either way, I wouldn’t tolerate this betrayal. After viewing his wanking while moaning her name, I’d have permanent mistrust and ick.

If his transgression isn’t a dealbreaker, I’d probably investigate his phone for a few days, keeping in mind that they may be cautious to not be outing in their messaging. I wouldn’t wait too long to confront him about the video. Say, “Tell me about you and Colleague, and any lies or later drip feeding will be the death knell for our marriage,” and then be silent.

Please don’t blame yourself or allow him to blame your diminished libido, his stress, or any other sorry excuse for his unethical, destructive choices. He and only he is responsible for protecting his fidelity, and he has failed.

@TheBrazies, I would send him away while you seriously consider your options. He needs to feel the loss of you and understand what he has so cavalierly risked. I wouldn’t even consider staying with him until he comes clean, cuts contact with OW, provides transparency with devices, and moves mountains to rebuild your trust.

That he is capable of such deception and faithless behavior while you’re so vulnerable does not bode well for the future.

PawsAndReflection · 22/09/2023 23:03

For the love of god DO NOT CONFRONT HIM!!

Give yourself some time, get your ducks in a row and pull together a plan. Agree you need more evidence and make sure you keep copies of everything. You're incredibly vulnerable right now and need to protect yourself and little ones.

Is there anyone IRL you can talk to?

MsDogLady · 23/09/2023 03:08

Certainly @TheBrazies shouldn’t leave the home. He should. He is ‘that guy’ who cheats/makes a fool of his pregnant wife and children. He’s stealing her agency, consent and choices, and could expose her and the twins to STD’s.

@TheBrazies, knowledge is power, so consult a solicitor and line up some ducks, but if H is not challenged in the short-term, this illicit relationship will likely escalate and deepen.

I can’t imagine the stress induced by knowingly living with a fraudulent man who is leading a sneaky double life. Assert your boundaries and set consequences. If you choose to show him the door, he will still need to
co-parent and continue to financially support and house his children.

bb2mama · 23/09/2023 07:45

Inauthentic · 22/09/2023 05:51

I have added my husbands finger print to my iPhone (we happily share)

@bb2mama Is this your solution to prevent infidelity? Why would access your huband's phone?

Edited

Ohh haha nooo absolutely not, we just literally use the two phones interchangeably. Sometimes mine might be upstairs, forgotten, no battery etc. and if we're in the car lost and need google maps open asap or my little one is nagging to watch YouTube it's just easiest for phones to be easily accessible to both and use whichever is there and available. We have literally nothing to hide. We don't read each others messages unless for example "please can you check if mums text me back about later"
Whenever get a new iPhone will re add each other but have noticed that it throws you out of online banking when you do that

MNetcurtains · 23/09/2023 08:35

amechange · 21/09/2023 17:37

@TheBrazies Do you know any of his co-workers, can you ask for a meeting with someone higher up. I would try and ask people who work in the hospital if they have noticed anything between them, there are cameras everywhere in hospital too

Good god NO!

Allinadayswork80 · 23/09/2023 10:42

How are you doing OP? I can’t stop thinking about your situation since I first read your post and feel so sorry for you. Have you made any decisions yet? x

Older73 · 23/09/2023 16:36

Hi OP any update?

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