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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Do I tell the OMs wife

162 replies

Noideawhat2do · 14/02/2025 22:00

Right will try and make this short as possible. I recently found out my wife was having an affair when a guy from work (I'm the husband). Marriage wasn't great in terms of affection, intimacy and general emotional availablity (as in over the past few years she became distant etc). Anyway after me asking for second time (denied the first time) I got the whole story which backed up what id already found out. Basically both him and her are terrified I'll let on to their work and have said the affair is over (I'm pretty sure it's not and obvs are still in contact) and that I go to his wife. This is my problem over the past few weeks I've literally being moving in a haze but now we've separated I'm fairly sure they have or about to start up again - he contacted me telling how grateful he is I never told his wife - this is the thing I didn't contact her as I told him he should do it if he has any conscience and a lot of people advised me not to get involved in his family BUT why shouldn't she know, we've both been treated like crap but the difference is I know it but she doesn't. AIBU to not tell her as I'm dealing with the fallout for me and my kids and need to concentrate on that??

OP posts:
Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:26

Elasticatedtrousers · 15/02/2025 17:22

@Unescorted are you still with your husband?

Yes... We worked through it. It was important to me that my kids had a stable home life and financially we had to stay together to achieve that. It took a lot of work to get to that point and it may not be for everyone but it worked for us.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:27

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:10

You weren't there. I was... We all live in a small village and his way of telling me ( more than once,) was to follow me into shops and shout it out in front of my kids, their friends and parents. So yes I can dispise him.

I get your anger, but your ex put you in that position. Not him.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:28

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:26

Yes... We worked through it. It was important to me that my kids had a stable home life and financially we had to stay together to achieve that. It took a lot of work to get to that point and it may not be for everyone but it worked for us.

Oh he’s not your ex, hence why you wouldn’t listen to the truth.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:34

I was and still am at times angry with my husband and know what happened in all the sordid detail. That doesn't mean I can't find the OW's husbands behaviour despicable. He In trying to get revenge on his wife and my husband he made my life hell. I already knew what had happened before he started making it very difficult to go to the post office or pick my kids up from school without knowing if he would pop up and shout all the details out to people I would see every day. It didn't do anything for my healing. He chose his revenge over my mental health... Do yes I do dispise him.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:48

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:34

I was and still am at times angry with my husband and know what happened in all the sordid detail. That doesn't mean I can't find the OW's husbands behaviour despicable. He In trying to get revenge on his wife and my husband he made my life hell. I already knew what had happened before he started making it very difficult to go to the post office or pick my kids up from school without knowing if he would pop up and shout all the details out to people I would see every day. It didn't do anything for my healing. He chose his revenge over my mental health... Do yes I do dispise him.

Again your “D”H was 100% to blame! He made your life hell, it was on him totally!

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 17:53

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:48

Again your “D”H was 100% to blame! He made your life hell, it was on him totally!

This is an odd reaction, I think. The other husband sounds deranged, turning up at @Unescorted school pick up and shouting her business to all and sundry. Yes, her husband was the one who had an affair but that doesn't excuse this behaviour at all.

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 17:53

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:48

Again your “D”H was 100% to blame! He made your life hell, it was on him totally!

This is an odd reaction, I think. The other husband sounds deranged, turning up at @Unescorted school pick up and shouting her business to all and sundry. Yes, her husband was the one who had an affair but that doesn't excuse this behaviour at all.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:53

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:48

Again your “D”H was 100% to blame! He made your life hell, it was on him totally!

My husband was 100% to blame for the affair. I agree with you on that. I don't blame the wronged husband for that at and never have. I do blame him for his behaviour afterwards. And for that I dispise him. His wife's affair was not my doing yet he made my life horrific to exact revenge on his wife and my husband.

My original point to the OP was to caution against making it worse for the wife out of rage which is what happened to me.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:55

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 17:53

This is an odd reaction, I think. The other husband sounds deranged, turning up at @Unescorted school pick up and shouting her business to all and sundry. Yes, her husband was the one who had an affair but that doesn't excuse this behaviour at all.

Infidelity by your partner tends to turn people irrational! I’ve not experienced it but it bought my lovely sister to her knees, acting totally out of character etc.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:57

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:53

My husband was 100% to blame for the affair. I agree with you on that. I don't blame the wronged husband for that at and never have. I do blame him for his behaviour afterwards. And for that I dispise him. His wife's affair was not my doing yet he made my life horrific to exact revenge on his wife and my husband.

My original point to the OP was to caution against making it worse for the wife out of rage which is what happened to me.

But he was 100% justified with revenge on his wife and your husband, he was wronged and it sends people to extreme lengths. You unfortunately got caught up by your husbands disgusting behaviour.

BigAnne · 15/02/2025 17:57

@Noideawhat2do someone told me about my husband's EA although it could have been physical. It was very painful but it allowed me to take steps to secure my finances.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:59

Why does he get to set the narrative.. I was just as wronged as he was . Yet am I supposed to not be annoyed and just put that down to an unfortunate set of circumstances?

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:02

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 17:59

Why does he get to set the narrative.. I was just as wronged as he was . Yet am I supposed to not be annoyed and just put that down to an unfortunate set of circumstances?

You can be annoyed but you can’t blame him, I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

She thankfully split and is 100 times better now, but those dark days were awful for her.

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:10

I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

Well no, but you weren't also a wronged party in that affair, presumably? And she's your sister, not some random bloke shouting at you in the street. It's hardly equivalent.

BIossomtoes · 15/02/2025 18:23

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 17:48

Again your “D”H was 100% to blame! He made your life hell, it was on him totally!

No he wasn’t. He was responsible for having an affair. He most certainly wasn’t responsible for another man bullying and harassing her.

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 18:25

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:02

You can be annoyed but you can’t blame him, I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

She thankfully split and is 100 times better now, but those dark days were awful for her.

I blame him for his behaviour. No one else's... Just his. I know he was done over by his wife and my husband but that doesn't mean I have to forgive him for his poor behaviour towards me. You can have bad things happen to you and still be a dick. Yes he was driven by revenge and anger. I was too but I didn't drag him into how dealt with it just to make me feel better.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:31

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 18:25

I blame him for his behaviour. No one else's... Just his. I know he was done over by his wife and my husband but that doesn't mean I have to forgive him for his poor behaviour towards me. You can have bad things happen to you and still be a dick. Yes he was driven by revenge and anger. I was too but I didn't drag him into how dealt with it just to make me feel better.

But you felt you could save your marriage, he probably didn’t.

If your husband and his wife weren’t so awful, it would never have happened. I hope they’re both thoroughly ashamed of themselves.

I also hope the OM has moved on and found peace.

He was a victim, you’re victim blaming him.

We are not going to agree, so we will have to leave it here.

I hope your husband manages to not let you and his children down again.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:34

BIossomtoes · 15/02/2025 18:23

No he wasn’t. He was responsible for having an affair. He most certainly wasn’t responsible for another man bullying and harassing her.

He caused it, when you wrong someone and mess with their lives, it has repercussions.

This was a repercussion from his unfaithful wife and her unfaithful husband.

2025willbemytime · 15/02/2025 18:34

In my case the OW H tried to me. I wished for years that my h didn't tell me first. Now, I'm glad I knew and I've divorced him over something else. But while we were still together and thought we always would be, I wished I'd not known.

Tell her. I think the husband is a knobhead for texting you to thank you FFS.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:36

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:10

I would never blame my sister for her actions on finding out about her “d”hs affair!

Well no, but you weren't also a wronged party in that affair, presumably? And she's your sister, not some random bloke shouting at you in the street. It's hardly equivalent.

The equivalence is that having an affair when married, causes dreadful repercussions.

So, don’t do it!

Unescorted · 15/02/2025 18:41

He and his wife are still together.
I am not blaming him for the affair... I have been very clear in that. I blame him for telling my friends, neighbours and parents ( he went to their house to lay that gem) about what was happening in my marriage.. It made him feel better. He didn't tell his family or friends...just mine. His rationale was that I hadn't kicked my husband out... So he thought that my husband hadn't had had any consequences for his actions. His need for revenge ran roughshod over me and my children. That is what I can't and won't forgive

BIossomtoes · 15/02/2025 18:43

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:34

He caused it, when you wrong someone and mess with their lives, it has repercussions.

This was a repercussion from his unfaithful wife and her unfaithful husband.

You’re talking bollocks as you’d realise if you gave it a moment’s thought. Nobody is responsible for anyone’s behaviour but their own. You can only be held responsible for things that are within your own control.

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:46

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 18:36

The equivalence is that having an affair when married, causes dreadful repercussions.

So, don’t do it!

Sorry, I think your take on this is really strange and you seem to be being deliberately obtuse. Enjoy your evening.

Justalittlehandhold · 15/02/2025 19:09

RoundLid · 15/02/2025 18:46

Sorry, I think your take on this is really strange and you seem to be being deliberately obtuse. Enjoy your evening.

Enjoy my evening? What’s that all about? Very PA!

having seen my sister completely change after discovering her “d”hs affair, I’ll judge heavily anyone that says she was wrong.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

Biffbaff · 15/02/2025 19:12

Can you tip her off anonymously, so you don't have to deal with the fallout?