Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Should I divorce him? Husband and a younger ex colleague

55 replies

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 06:30

My husband doesn’t make a lot of effort with his friends. He rarely makes plans, and prefers to be a home. He has a few male friends, sees them less than once a year.

Background context- not long after we had our first child- who is now an older teenager, he had an affair with a woman from work and left. I stupidly took him back. There have been a few incidents over the years. One of his colleagues’ weddings where he was really friendly with a woman who he’d never spoken about and then ditched me with his work colleagues for hours- gut feeling about this one. He was super over friendly with a beautiful young neighbour who since moved out. Again nothing more than that as far as I know. Occasionally I’ve caught him looking at women, which he always denies. I haven’t made a big deal out of any of it.

Cut to now, and something possessed me to check his phone. After the affair and when I took him back I made a pledge with myself if I was going to trust him I would. I haven’t looked at his phone for all these years. There is a message there to a younger, beautiful ex colleague asking to meet up for a catch up. He says he doesn’t work near her on her days, but will ‘make an exception for her’. and he calls her ‘lovely’ which he does to women so not out of the ordinary. I told him openly what i’d done and seen. He says they’re just friends. I don’t know what to think but bad gut feeling and things have been up and down between us. I know he would like more sex. I’m exhausted with work and the kids. What should I do?

OP posts:
bringbacksideburns · 17/03/2025 13:01

What did he do to make you take him back initially after the affair? I’d have found that very hard to get over that betrayal tbh. What does he do to big you up and make you feel special to him?

Did you discuss why he was so disrespectful to you at a wedding for his work colleague? Those are not the actions of a contrite and affectionate husband - to leave you for hours whilst he talks to some other woman. Did he introduce you to her? Did he help you to enter conversation with other people?

The rest sounds inappropriate too. Why is he calling other random women ‘ lovely’ in texts? It’s odd even if the norm for him.

You are still young. Don’t spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. The poll says it all.

I wonder what would happen if it was the other way round? I just get the feeling his actions are of someone looking for an opportunity who just hasn’t yet.

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 13:07

bringbacksideburns · 17/03/2025 13:01

What did he do to make you take him back initially after the affair? I’d have found that very hard to get over that betrayal tbh. What does he do to big you up and make you feel special to him?

Did you discuss why he was so disrespectful to you at a wedding for his work colleague? Those are not the actions of a contrite and affectionate husband - to leave you for hours whilst he talks to some other woman. Did he introduce you to her? Did he help you to enter conversation with other people?

The rest sounds inappropriate too. Why is he calling other random women ‘ lovely’ in texts? It’s odd even if the norm for him.

You are still young. Don’t spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. The poll says it all.

I wonder what would happen if it was the other way round? I just get the feeling his actions are of someone looking for an opportunity who just hasn’t yet.

He broke it off with the affair partner. Lived on his own but was a good, attentive father and just kept saying he’d made a horrible mistake- I’d had PPA and struggled with horrible anxiety, my mum was seriously ill and I took him back because I was weak. I have regretted it over the years and at other times thought i did the right thing. The other things we haven’t really discussed. He has an answer for everything. It wasn’t what I thought- that’s not how he was behaving etc, he didn’t say it like that…

OP posts:
Terrribletwos · 17/03/2025 13:07

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 07:16

I think the replies here are so right. Although the message could be completely innocent- I don’t trust him. I really don’t feel like he’s an honest person- he lies about big and small things.
It’s really hard when you love someone- we’ve been together 20 years and we’re both still young- in our early 40s. I’m terrified of the effects on the kids. But I don’t want to live like this all my life.

No, that message does not at all sound completely innocent. The opposite in fact. Sounds like he's always had a roving eye and is up to his old tricks again.

I wouldn't ever trust him. Get out whilst you still have a lot of life left.

Mapleunicorn · 17/03/2025 13:09

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 08:13

It feels like such a small incident to divorce him over. I know he will double down and make it into me being jealous and insecure. I am so torn because I love him and he’s my best friend but I don’t want to be made to feel like this.
Any advice on how to support the kids would be appreciated

Even if you are being jealous and insecure, that’s as a result of him having an affair and not subsequently doing to necessary work to make you feel secure. Affairs have long term consequences for a relationship. He’s the one who fractured it and continues to act in manner that would naturally make you suspicious given his background. This is all on him. You deserve better.

MsCactus · 17/03/2025 13:16

He reminds me of a man I used to work with. He rarely cheated but was CONSTANTLY looking for female attention.

We went on a work trip once and he got drunk and then shouted at me for not wanting to sleep with him. He was very good looking and it felt like getting women to fancy him was just part of his personality.

I feel very sorry for his wife, who is beautiful btw, as I'm sure you are too OP.

LTB

Mache71 · 17/03/2025 13:20

DustyLee123 · 17/03/2025 06:51

I don’t see how you can have a true relationship if you don’t trust him, you’ll always be wondering.

To be fair to OP it would be hard for any woman rfk trust a man like that, but she did take him back after cheating, and his obvious wandering eye and possibly is a womanizer.going off for hours ? It’s obvious no one could trust a man like that, the question should be why are you staying with a man like that?

arcticpandas · 17/03/2025 13:23

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 08:13

It feels like such a small incident to divorce him over. I know he will double down and make it into me being jealous and insecure. I am so torn because I love him and he’s my best friend but I don’t want to be made to feel like this.
Any advice on how to support the kids would be appreciated

Small incident!? You are deluded OP and I say this with kindness because he will keep on hurting you.
" I would like to have people round and be more social and he doesn’t like having other people here" Wtf! So he isolates you but he goes out to pick up women. It gets better and better. Please bin this awful man OP, you deserve better than this!

Thepeopleversuswork · 17/03/2025 13:23

Hindsight is a wonderful thing but this is why I never think its a good idea to forgive cheaters and "work on the marriage". Once that trust is lost its impossible to get it back and it will eat away at you forever. There's just no point being in an intimate and supposedly exclusive relationship with someone if you don't trust them 100%. You may as well be single.

I don't want to minimise what's involved because I can see on the surface its not "bad enough" to give you the impetus to leave and it is a huge step. But realistically what will happen if you stay? You might be able to convince yourself this was a one-off or another slip and that it didn't mean anything and get past another year or so of this but your trust reserves will be even lower, your self-esteem even worse. Little by little your marriage is eroding.

Ultimately it's not going to get any better. The question is whether you want to spend the rest of your life with someone who you don't trust. Once you've made that decision it's a no brainer and then the focus is how to do it in a way which minimises disruption for your and your DCs. Be kind to yourself and give yourself time but you know the marriage is over.

chocmalt · 17/03/2025 13:30

In my opinion, when someone cheats, the terms of the entire relationship have to change, if it is to survive. The cheater has to accept that they will need to make their life an open book, giving their spouse or partner no reason to doubt them. They have to make an effort and go above and beyond to keep their partner comfortable. Things that might have been acceptable before (like spending time and attention on other women who are supposedly only friends or making an extra effort to meet up with an attractive ex-colleague) are no longer appropriate. Not everyone would be willing to do that, but if they aren't, I don't think they're serious about wanting to keep the relationship alive.

It doesn't sound like he's living by this higher standard, and I wouldn't feel confident trusting him.

pikkumyy77 · 17/03/2025 13:33

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 08:13

It feels like such a small incident to divorce him over. I know he will double down and make it into me being jealous and insecure. I am so torn because I love him and he’s my best friend but I don’t want to be made to feel like this.
Any advice on how to support the kids would be appreciated

How can he be your best friend? He lies, cheats, is aggressive and grumpy! These are not good character traits in anyone—let alone a best friend. Best friend (though important) is not the same as lover and husband. People don’t live snd die with their best friends. Its a soppy and sentimental relationship compared to ride or die.

I sometimes think that , on mumsnet, there is some confusion about what a good husband can be vs what a familiar/constant companion can be. A good husband is more than someone who is around a lot, reliably does some household chores, or shares old jokes with you. A good husband and life partner cherishes you snd is concerned about your happiness, self confidence, future, experience.

Don’t confuse this miserable partnership with this selfish man as either “best friend “ or good enough husband. He’s neither.

Sickwithkids · 17/03/2025 13:33

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 11:37

I don’t know if that’s the case to be honest. The neighbour was about 10 years younger and constantly asking him for favours/ being over friendly with my kids. The woman this time is just as friendly back on the texts. Not the point, but I wouldn’t put up with him being an old disgusting letch.

@ByDreamyNavyDreamer You say this but that’s based on your perspective of him. In my 20’s I had a colleague in his 40’s who paid me a lot of attention and because I wasn’t assertive enough and didn’t want to make waves I would reply to his texts in a polite way rather than shutting him down. I thought of him as a disgusting old letch.

Mapleunicorn · 17/03/2025 13:55

chocmalt · 17/03/2025 13:30

In my opinion, when someone cheats, the terms of the entire relationship have to change, if it is to survive. The cheater has to accept that they will need to make their life an open book, giving their spouse or partner no reason to doubt them. They have to make an effort and go above and beyond to keep their partner comfortable. Things that might have been acceptable before (like spending time and attention on other women who are supposedly only friends or making an extra effort to meet up with an attractive ex-colleague) are no longer appropriate. Not everyone would be willing to do that, but if they aren't, I don't think they're serious about wanting to keep the relationship alive.

It doesn't sound like he's living by this higher standard, and I wouldn't feel confident trusting him.

I agree with this. It’s why affairs are so damaging to relationships. Because so few people are able to actually do the work that’s needed to fix things. It’s not just a case of saying sorry and moving on. You have to continually atone for your sins. It’s human nature to want to think of yourself as a good person, they don’t want to have to constantly sit with the reminder that they’ve done something so shitty. They want to put it in the past and move on. It takes an incredibly emotionally mature and secure person to do this. Which is catch 22 as emotionally mature and secure people don’t often have affairs in the first place

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 14:22

arcticpandas · 17/03/2025 13:23

Small incident!? You are deluded OP and I say this with kindness because he will keep on hurting you.
" I would like to have people round and be more social and he doesn’t like having other people here" Wtf! So he isolates you but he goes out to pick up women. It gets better and better. Please bin this awful man OP, you deserve better than this!

No he doesn’t isolate me- I have friends and a social life- just he really hates having people at ours so we don’t. I’m not excusing his behaviour- it’s just this isn’t one of the problems for me.

OP posts:
ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 14:23

pikkumyy77 · 17/03/2025 13:33

How can he be your best friend? He lies, cheats, is aggressive and grumpy! These are not good character traits in anyone—let alone a best friend. Best friend (though important) is not the same as lover and husband. People don’t live snd die with their best friends. Its a soppy and sentimental relationship compared to ride or die.

I sometimes think that , on mumsnet, there is some confusion about what a good husband can be vs what a familiar/constant companion can be. A good husband is more than someone who is around a lot, reliably does some household chores, or shares old jokes with you. A good husband and life partner cherishes you snd is concerned about your happiness, self confidence, future, experience.

Don’t confuse this miserable partnership with this selfish man as either “best friend “ or good enough husband. He’s neither.

This is so helpful to look at it this way. He isn’t any of those things

OP posts:
MrsBreadPitt · 17/03/2025 14:33

Trust takes years to rebuild. He should be prioritising your sense of safety and security every day. The reality is, the dynamic of your relationship changed the moment he had an affair. Whether he likes it or not, trust now comes at a higher cost, and he doesn’t seem able to operate in a way that acknowledges that.

His response to you about this latest ex colleague should be, “If this makes you uncomfortable, here’s what I’ll do to reassure you—including not meeting up with her.” Not, ‘I’m going to act in a way that is traumatising for you, but it’s your problem to deal with’.

Even if his intentions are innocent (though at best, this seems like an ego boost for him), his behaviour is making you uncomfortable and he isn’t doing anything to reassure you. The real issue isn’t just this one situation—it’s that his boundaries with other women don’t align with what you need to feel secure in the relationship.

Only can decide whether the good in your relationship outweighs the anxiety this is causing you. Maybe he won’t have another affair, but if he refuses to acknowledge how his actions affect you or adjust his behavior accordingly, you’ll likely continue feeling insecure. And that’s not something you should have to live with.

carly2803 · 17/03/2025 14:40

your first mistake was taking him back after an affair
the second was thinking you could ever trust him again

divorce him. Life is just too short

Chuchoter · 17/03/2025 14:45

Well he's sniffing around her and it might lead to something untoward but if sex is declining in your relationship with even for a valid reason because you are tired, then unless that is addressed then you will drift apart and he will look elsewhere.

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 14:49

Chuchoter · 17/03/2025 14:45

Well he's sniffing around her and it might lead to something untoward but if sex is declining in your relationship with even for a valid reason because you are tired, then unless that is addressed then you will drift apart and he will look elsewhere.

Yes I think this too. I just don’t want to more than a couple of times a month and feeling pressured all the time doesn’t help- even though he always tries to be flattering/ nice about it

OP posts:
wishiwasjoking · 17/03/2025 15:12

You don't need to create a solid evidence case like a Netflix crime series and second guess what he's going to say about it and try to pre-empt whether your reasons will be "good" enough.

You can leave because you don't feel happy. It's as simple as that.

You don't need to give him any ammo or anything to pick at or judge. You just don't want to be married to him any more.

Chuchoter · 17/03/2025 15:20

'Yes I think this too. I just don’t want to more than a couple of times a month and feeling pressured all the time doesn’t help- even though he always tries to be flattering/ nice about it'

Then you've become incompatible.

Having different levels of sex drive will tear your marriage apart.

Either you agree to having more sex or he agrees to having less and realistically that's not going to last long before it turns nasty.

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 15:23

Chuchoter · 17/03/2025 15:20

'Yes I think this too. I just don’t want to more than a couple of times a month and feeling pressured all the time doesn’t help- even though he always tries to be flattering/ nice about it'

Then you've become incompatible.

Having different levels of sex drive will tear your marriage apart.

Either you agree to having more sex or he agrees to having less and realistically that's not going to last long before it turns nasty.

I agree. After the counselling we had been spending more time like date nights / one on one time. He’d been making more effort and it did make a difference to our sex life, but not to the extent he wants and now this

OP posts:
StrawberryDream24 · 17/03/2025 15:36

It feels like such a small incident to divorce him over.

It wouldn't be over this incident though, would it.

It would be over everything.

Many people think they can or should get over infidelity but find in the long-term that they can't.

That's completely understandable - and it takes the time it takes to discover that.

The children are also not your responsibility, by which I mean - he broke the marriage & family, not you

D4isyCh4in · 17/03/2025 15:51

Must be like living with Benny Hill!

Yesiamtiredactually · 17/03/2025 15:52

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 07:16

I think the replies here are so right. Although the message could be completely innocent- I don’t trust him. I really don’t feel like he’s an honest person- he lies about big and small things.
It’s really hard when you love someone- we’ve been together 20 years and we’re both still young- in our early 40s. I’m terrified of the effects on the kids. But I don’t want to live like this all my life.

I watched a really interesting TED talk about trust, and how it’s illogical to focus on trusting, rather we should prove ourselves a trustworthy and from that grows trust by others. It feels like you’ve been forcing yourself to trust in spite of quite a lot, when instead he should have been demonstrating trustworthiness, which would have naturally lead to you trusting him. The behaviours you’ve listed are quite the opposite and would raise question marks with most people even without the previous infidelity. I’m so sorry that you’re going through this, it’s so difficult to think clearly when you’re clouded by so much stress and emotion.

ByDreamyNavyDreamer · 17/03/2025 15:55

D4isyCh4in · 17/03/2025 15:51

Must be like living with Benny Hill!

That actually made me laugh

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread