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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Did he cheat, was he unreasonable? Is it me?

35 replies

Gladya72 · 10/11/2024 08:12

Someone hacked into an old facebook account, I couldn't remember the password so i found an old family computer which had everyones login details on to try and get in and stop it, it was already logged into my husbands account so I had a look in it and found some old messages to a woman I had never even heard of who he had met on a course lasting nearly 3 weeks, a few years ago, the messages were innocent enough but I was upset he never mentioned her, I woke him up with a pic of her in his face one morning and straight away without any hesitation he said "of thats so so so from the course" (I have done this since with someone he kinda knows from work and he didnt recognise nor know her name) I have to mention, I remember him coming him from this course and raving about the other person there( who was male) telling me all about him, his family, where he lived, what he did, everything,,, her not a mention, she lives just down the road, had a sick child like I did but even though we had these things in common, you would think he'd come home and mention it, he just said that he didnt think to mention her! (this is not what he is usually like). I know I have been jealous in the past but we got past that, so there was just no need, the night the course finished he was messaging her. a few months later and they messaged on a off for a few months even bumping into her (when he ever bumps into anyone he knows, usually he would mention it in passing) A few months later gets a message about the course and looked at me and said the outcome and he led me to believe this message came from the man he met, when it was in fact her, his behaviour when I have asked questions has been to just disregard, say I am overeacting, he didn't lie because he never told me so its not lying and that he didn't sleep with her so he's done nothing wrong! i cant seem to make him understand that the purposeful deciet that he has followed up with has really upset me, when i ask questions he claims to have forgotten but didn forget her bloomin face though! one minute he says I wont allow him friends then retracts with 'attractive' friends, then she wasn't a friend, then she was, he didn't fancy her because she was big (I was bigger than her at the time) all contradictory, I know him better than he knows himself, I struggle to verbalise what I mean but he has been too evasive, if I don't ask something in a specific way I won't get the truth. we have been together over 30 years, he let slip when arguing about it one night that if I dont ask, he doesn't tell! I honestly thought we were on the same page re something like this, I asked how he would feel if I met two people at a course and came home and raved about the woman only and left the atrractive younger man out of the equation but he claims that would be ok, even though I know he would be hurt, its not the substance of the chat, it the hiding it, he says he didnt hide it, he just didnt mention it and that's what I struggle with, if it was innocent why would you not tell? I have become obsessed with trying to find out what went on as I now feel that it will happen again and I need to be on the lookout for it! i have become what will push him away and we spend more time arguing than anything else. Until this we had a great relationship, in my bones I just cant get over how we suddenly see something so simple, so differently. Any advice? I need an outside perspective as Its driving me mad

OP posts:
Heybearu · 10/11/2024 08:18

To be honest it sounds like some friendly messages.
Had he cheated before?
Because if not this level of inspection feels a bit unhealthy and I feel like yeah If I was in his shoes I wouldn't want to mention any female to you incase it hurt you or provoked this reaction
Waking him up with a photo of her in his face...sounds a bit well Batshit to be honest.

Pleatherandlace · 10/11/2024 08:23

I’m not surprised he didn’t mention her if this is how you carry on. Imagine waking someone up by sticking a photo in their face?

GoldenSunflowers · 10/11/2024 08:25

That a bit intense.

TwinklyAmberOrca · 10/11/2024 08:25

Jealous is an ugly trait that will ruin your relationship.

It sounds like your behaviour is already causing relationship problems.

My ex was like this. I worked in engineering and he didn't like me having male friends and would ask all sorts of questions that came across as accusational. It made the relationship become tedious and strained and was one of thr main reasons for it ending.

I suggest you seek help for your jealousy issues.

Flossyflop · 10/11/2024 08:26

Reverse this, if you were talking to a male colleague in a private message innocently and your husband reacted like this, people would call him controlling.

It doesn’t sound like he’s done anything wrong? It is you.

Catza · 10/11/2024 08:26

You didn’t get over your jealousy as you went and snooped through his messages. You violate his privacy and make up complex stories based on nothing and then act like Spanish Inquisition. I can understand why he wouldn’t mention anything to you because this is exactly the situation he would want to avoid. You may well think you would have been ok with him mentioning meeting her on a course but I doubt you actually would be OK.

category12 · 10/11/2024 08:27

Has he cheated on you before?

Because if he hasn't, you going through his old Facebook and going off about some messaging with no sexual or romantic content, seems deranged.

everlysu · 10/11/2024 08:30

I can understand why you are upset at what was hidden from you, but at the same time from what you've said it doesn't look like the ideal environment to mention a female colleague.

He can't help coming into contact with women in life and with the info so far it seems like it would have caused trouble either way, mentioning her or not.

He probably doesn't want to straight up say "I didn't mention her because I knew how you'd react" which is why all the excuses now.

WhyamIinahandcartandwherearewegoing · 10/11/2024 08:30

your behaviour seems OTT and a bit unhinged. Waking someone up with a photo in their face?

FitAt50 · 10/11/2024 08:32

I don't wish to sound harsh but your behaviour is very wrong here and you need to reflect on that.

TH1NG1E · 10/11/2024 08:35

You are being crazy, obsessed and jealous. FFS no wonder he doesn't tell you anything.

Theextraordinaryisintheordinary · 10/11/2024 08:36

You said you’ve become “obsessed” with this. He must feel exhausted. With respect, I felt exhausted reading it.

I’m sorry you’re feeling so insecure but you’re projecting this outward rather than seeking help for yourself. I don’t think he’s done anything wrong but your behaviour will drive him away.

Close the book on this one now. Apologise to him, sort yourself some counselling to help deal with your low self esteem and then have a really fabulous Sunday with him. You can turn this around!

Jurassicparkinajug · 10/11/2024 08:48

If you’re a paranoid person and you go looking/ snooping, you will always find things that will confirm your suspicions, even if there is nothing going on. If something had happened between them, there would be more to the messages. He’s not told you because he knows you worry. You need to work on your trust otherwise your relationship won’t last. Many people have been cheated on previously but find a way to move forward. Are there any underlying issues from childhood that could be affecting you? Would be worth unpicking with a therapist if there are.

MissUltraViolet · 10/11/2024 08:48

You said "if it was innocent why would he not tell" ...well, read your post again, that's why.

Waking him up and shoving a picture of a woman in his face, that he has had a few friendly convos with, then proceeding to question him about it is fucking mad.

Talking about how until this you had a great relationship, is mad.

The this that is the problem, is your behaviour, not his.

I am going to assume he has never cheated on you because you would have mentioned it in the OP so, why don't you trust him?

Lancastrienne · 10/11/2024 08:57

You should get help for your jealousy. You’re going to ruin this relationship

Branleuse · 10/11/2024 09:11

Wtf?

Hes done nothing wrong

DoreenonTill8 · 10/11/2024 09:14

I woke him up with a pic of her in his face one morning
Agree absolutely bat shit, and.scary!!

Londonrach1 · 10/11/2024 09:17

Yabu. You sound very intense. I'd be advising your boyfriend that you are a red flag. Reread what you have written and apologize to him. Unless there's a back story you not sharing.

OrigamiOwls · 10/11/2024 09:18

You're in danger of pushing him away with your behaviour OP.

Notsuchafattynow · 10/11/2024 09:25
  • You've certainly not 'got over' your jealousy.
  • You are actively looking for evidence (logging onto an old computer that handily saved all passwords)
  • And when you can't find any, you are twisting what you find into something

It sounds an exhausting way to live, for you both.

Has DH ever cheated on you in the past?

Haveyouanyjam · 10/11/2024 09:28

If he has cheated before then I understand, otherwise this is totally unreasonable.

My husband had serious trust issues due to previous experiences and would question me over the smallest interaction with other men early in our relationship. I wouldn’t have mentioned them to him as obviously they were meaningless to me and totally normal interactions. Once he understood that his jealousy was a him issue and I wouldn’t have him blowing up at me for nothing, we worked through it. If he had carried on I would have left.

Get counselling to address this. Either on your own, or if he has cheated before, together.

AmICrazyToEvenBother · 10/11/2024 09:32

If I woke up to a phone thrust in my face and demands to know who someone was, I'd be fucking off out of that relationship.

You don't sound like you're in a good place, OP. If a woman posted this about her male partner, everyone would be advising her to get out and warning her about controlling behavior and possible escalation - this is you, OP. Do you want to be that person?

My advice is to get counselling and/or leave this relationship. I'd steer clear of any relationship until I'd got to the bottom of this behaviour.

DinnaeFashYerself · 10/11/2024 09:34

You sound disproportionately annoyed and determined to make this something.

nobody here will change your mind.

LizzoBennett · 10/11/2024 09:37

Insane in the membrane...

Tiswa · 10/11/2024 09:40

There is a reason he didn’t tell you - he made a friendly connection with someone and that is it but he knew what your reaction would be so he said nothing - I don’t tell DH about my message interactions with friends and that is all she was but if she he had told you this is how you would have reacted