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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

My DH “ran into” his ex

406 replies

Erras · 16/09/2025 19:36

Hi, so DH and I have been together for 5 years, married for 3 and have a 22 month old daughter together.

On Saturday DH took our toddler to visit his friends in London, when he got home he told he he’d ran into his ex, in the train station (a very big and busy central long station), he told me that he stopped and had a coffee with her. They broke up 6 or so years ago, she doesn’t live in the uk and like I said this was a massive station so I already find the probability of that being an incidental run in being very low (but then I’m always highly suspicious of coincidences). He still follows her on instagram etc.

I asked why he stopped for coffee and he said that he didn’t really know why, he just wanted to catchup with her and see how life had treated them. I don’t why but it makes me really uncomfortable that my daughter was there for this conversation. He told me that they probably chatted for about an hour or so, she had just arrived in London so was in no hurry and the trains to our town are pretty frequent so he wasn’t really clock watching.

I let it go as I didn’t really want to cause an argument and I felt like I’d been irrational.

Then tonight he left his phone on the counter and I saw her name flash up, I asked why she was messaging and he told me that they had spoken about some films/songs/books and she had just sent a list of recommendations, he offered his phone for me to check this myself.

I told him that I do trust him but I find him being friendly with his ex makes me quite anxious. He said he understands and that he wouldn’t say they are friends just someone he ran into following up and n part of the conversation, but he thinks after this time and me being the one he married and had a child with he feels that if he did want to be friends with her he should be able to. I asked if he wanted to be her friend and he told me that he wouldn’t be against both of us meeting up for wine with her and her partner or going to see a film together. He told me that there are some hobbies he shares with her (Foreign language films, philosophy, tennis, F1) that he doesn’t share with me and while that doesn’t mean he wants her or doesn’t love me it’s just that we are both allowed to have hobbies which the other doesn’t share and as long as we do have some joint hobbies it shouldn’t be something I feel threatened by.

None the less I really don’t feel comfortable with him being friends with his ex. In some ways I think it’s because I have low self esteem and feel like she is more attractive, more intelligent and more fun to be around.

I’ve asked my friends and they seem split on if I’m being unfair or not.

AIBU to A) doubt that it was really an incidental run in and B) not be comfortable with them being friends.

OP posts:
Hopingtobeaparent · 18/09/2025 21:34

Doubledenim305 · 18/09/2025 14:21

Totally disagree with this comment.
Her Spidey senses are tingling because her DH meeting up with an ex and seems intent on continuing to do so..
This is not a low self esteem issue.
She's reached out to MN to see if she's off the mark.
Lots of people agree with her being worried. Lots don't. I think it's a bit low to tell her she needs to work on herself. Her husband may be doing something untoward, threating her whole family life. You don't know if he is or isn't. Only time will tell.

@Doubledenim305

Fair enough, you obviously don’t have to agree. OP, though has literally said herself that she recognises having LSE, feels threatened because she perceives his ex as being more attractive etc.. this can cause issues in a relationship and are based on personal insecurities.

The first of the messages with his ex when OP looked on husband’s phone started from ‘it was nice to have bumped into you’ etc...

The husband and ex split due to circumstances, and both their lives have moved on. I have a few ex’s that I’d happily want to catch up on if bumped into years later, and they would be no threat to current bf. BF’s anxiety however may not like it though.

There were a few things stated about how the husband responded and dealt with it that made it feel genuine to me.

There are a lot of posters on here who have sadly been badly bitten and who are very reactive and quick to assume the worst. Perhaps I’m just not one of them.

🤷‍♀️

NameChangedForThis2025 · 18/09/2025 21:57

I don’t want to totally blow some posters minds, but I recently went to my exes wedding, with my partner.

My ex was marrying the best friend of another of his exes, I’m friends with that ex and his new wife.

Oh and there was a 3rd ex at the wedding with her partner, who we’re also all friends with.

It is totally possible to be friends with an ex and have very fond feelings for them and for it to be ENTIRELY unromantic and platonic.

I appreciate it’s not common as there is often hurt involved, but isn’t it nice when a relationship can just alter instead of ending?

WalkDontWalk · 18/09/2025 22:21

Both I and the OH regularly see exes for lunch, dinner. To us, it’s not a an issue.

Which is not to say it isn’t for you, OP. But it’s not unarguably a concern.

Marieb19 · 20/09/2025 09:16

saraclara · 17/09/2025 19:15

You haven't bothered reading OP ' updates, have you?

Did that smug reply make you feel good? You must have a very small life.

Nestingbirds · 20/09/2025 10:49

Let’s see what happens, if it’s purely platonic and he has happily agreed to cut contact with his ex entirely knowing it upsets op this should be the end of this issue…right…?

I would absolutely be checking op, because there are question marks about his honesty. Blindly choosing to believe every word without evidence would be foolish. You are not doubt young and beautiful, he should be looking after.you and his dd.

Not spending his limited energy, time and effort on an ex girlfriend.

HardyMauveQuoter · 27/09/2025 08:59

Nope, I wouldn't care if they bumped into each other as a one off, but I certainly would not be happy that he has her on any social media or her phone number. Why the hell would he feel the need to??

He has friends to share his hobbies. She should now be somebody he use to know.
Also I would now be finding out how I could bump into my ex and having a drink with him, see how the hubby likes that 😤

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