Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My dh has been messaging a colleague. Please can I have some practical and moral support

854 replies

PleaseVipersHelpMe · 22/07/2024 15:25

NC but been here forever. Not really sure why as he would recognise the whole thing in an instant but I need the help and I’d rather he didn’t know. Please can I ask for some support?

I’m on holiday and finally plucked to the courage to ask my dh to let me see his phone. Told him it’s because I was feeling jealous of this woman (true). He let me, but obviously didn’t realise that he has to delete his deleted messages from the recently deleted file and I found quite a lot but only up till about 3 months ago, nothing before. Him telling her that he misses her. Texting when he was away telling me how much he misses me. Telling her that she’s one of the greatest people he has ever met. That he wants her in his life. Then arranging to pick her up from her house on his mid-life crisis car that i stupidly encouraged him to treat himself to. I feel so fucking stupid.

I took screenshots of everything and send them to myself but he’s insisting that nothing happened, that she was just his friend and he’s crossed the line but no affair. I haven’t found anything in emails or what’s app either. Is there anywhere else I can check without alerting him. I have full access to bank accounts and nothing untoward there so far but we don’t have online banking for one account (I can check that when I get home).

I feel so betrayed but the fact that he’s lying to me is worse. He’s treating me like an idiot. He insinuated in the texts that he was going to get her a company car but is saying he hasn’t actually done it. Funnily enough emails seem to be missing re this. He’s clearly been deleting calls from his call log but I don’t know whew do look to find them and I’m pretty sure they will be all gone now if not before. I know he’s lying is there anywhere I can look to find evidence of this? He won’t let me have the phone without him being there now.

I know it won’t make me feel better but it will make me feel like I’ve outsmarted him a bit and I wave him to feel as on edge as I do. I feel like I’ve been punched in the stomach and I’m trying to be normal for the kids but I’ve just been sick. I’m supposed to go out for fucking dinner with them all now and be normal. I‘m trying so hard to not upset the kids, they deserve better. This is horrendous. I’ve honestly told so many women on here what to do in this situation but I can’t believe this has happened to me. How could he do this. Any why does he think that shagging her is worse than lying to me? Thanks in advance for any help, and for reading ny ridiculous essay. I will respond to and replies as and when I can after dinner.

OP posts:
Hankunamatata · 22/07/2024 15:27

I know with o2 you can get itemised bill of numbers called

SwannWay · 22/07/2024 15:27

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Spirallingdownwards · 22/07/2024 15:48

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Your standards are way too low if you think having an emotional affair with someone else is not "much wrong".

rubyslippers · 22/07/2024 15:50

He’s having an emotional affair
time and energy he should spend on you
He’s lying and being deceitful

confront him - he’s seeing what he can get away with before it turns physical (if it hasn’t already)

his messages are deeply inappropriate

sorry that you’re going through this

Feelingmentallyunsettled · 22/07/2024 15:55

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

What telling another woman he misses her? That he wants her in his life? Arranging to meet her? Deleting messages?
You actually think that's an acceptable normal way for a married man to behave towards a colleague.?

Runbunny · 22/07/2024 15:55

It doesn't matter what he's doing, it only matters what you're going to do. Let him worry about that and don't waste your energy.

Illbethereforyouuu · 22/07/2024 15:57

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Are you ok?

BigPussyEnergy · 22/07/2024 16:00

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Are you OP’s husband? Or the OW?

Hellskitchen24 · 22/07/2024 16:02

Context needed please. How did you find out about this? And what’s the background; what do you know about the colleague?

The texts are really weird. Even if he’s not having a physical affair, he’s having an emotional one.

CovertPiggery · 22/07/2024 16:03

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

There are some replies that you think wtf is this person wibbling on about, but then you seen the username and it all makes sense.

5128gap · 22/07/2024 16:03

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

How unfortunate that he's married to a woman who expects him to respect the usual boundaries of a marriage then, and not to you.

Aquamarine1029 · 22/07/2024 16:04

The only reason he hasn't already shagged this woman, if that's even true, is because she hasn't agreed to yet. He is cheating, end of. How he is carrying on with her is cheating.

ThatsCute · 22/07/2024 16:08

OP, does he know you’ve found the deleted folder, or is he oblivious?

SwannWay · 22/07/2024 16:14

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SwannWay · 22/07/2024 16:15

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Aquamarine1029 · 22/07/2024 16:15

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

You don't think the content of those messages matters at all?

SummertimeMadness24 · 22/07/2024 16:19

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

This is ridiculous, amazing how some people have no idea about respectful boundaries in a relationship.
Sorry you are going through this OP, what a dick. As others have said he if hasn't done anything physical it's only because she didn't give him the opportunity. But you will never know that for sure without confronting her. Re checking any deleted folders, he's probably going through everything with a fine tooth comb now he knows you're on to him. Why some men do this and why some women enable/encourage them is because they are inherently selfish people with no self control.

SwannWay · 22/07/2024 16:20

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SummertimeMadness24 · 22/07/2024 16:20

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

🙄 you sound a bright spark.

SwannWay · 22/07/2024 16:21

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ALunchbox · 22/07/2024 16:21

I don't know enough about technology to advise but if I understand correctly, you already have screenshots that you have saved? Do you need more to proceed? You already know he has lied to you and attempted to hide evidence. Perhaps best to focus on the next step. I'm sorry you are going through this.

Didimum · 22/07/2024 16:22

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Hmm no. I’ve heard of emotional affairs long before Mumsnet forums started. If you are investing the emotional energy of a relationship into a person that is not your partner then that is an emotional affair. It’s incredibly simple to understand and it’s unacceptable.

Something tells me you allow men to disrespect you and your relationships and have been gaslit by them to believe it’s women overreacting.

SummertimeMadness24 · 22/07/2024 16:22

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

And now you're turning it round on the OP. Oh there's a name for that, gaslighting I believe, or is that made up MN tosh too?

SwannWay · 22/07/2024 16:22

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SummertimeMadness24 · 22/07/2024 16:23

Ah we have a troll 👏