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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH ‘sexting’ colleague he only met at work party

382 replies

Jaydee92 · 07/12/2025 18:32

Feeling a bit fragile about this but I feel I need a sanity check. DH started his current job at the beginning of this year, goes into the office twice a week and has a lot of colleague who work remotely and he hasn’t seen before. Christmas party on Friday meant he met most of these in person for the first time as the company paid for them to travel and stay over. He was very drunk and I picked him up at the end of the night from the venue as pre agreed.

He was hungover on Saturday and in bed for most of the morning. Last night sat watching TV I noticed notifications on his phone (instagram messages) from a female name I didn’t recognise. I didn’t say anything but kept noticing it.

We have each others passwords for our phones and when he was in the shower this morning I looked at his messages. The message history only went back to yesterday. But basically the messages were sexual in nature. She posted a photo of her before the party, sat on a sort of sofa/stall. DH said to her he’d seen it and wished he was the stall. She said he was more handsome than he seemed on screen and that she couldn’t stop staring at his ‘bulge’ and suggested his trousers were too tight. DH said he couldn’t stop staring at her ‘tits’ and said sorry if she caught him talking to them.

I confronted DH immediately and he was initially really defensive before apologising, said he still felt drunk the following day and got carried away and had the ‘horn’.

I told him this is cheating and he said that’s nonsense as nothing happened.

My AIBU is whether I’m wrong to consider this cheating.

OP posts:
TheMorgenmuffel · 07/12/2025 19:36

what kind of man is he that he felt that comfortable to launch into such texting without any sort of history or interactions?
That simply doesn't make any sense.

Either he habitually texts women these sorts of things to the point he's entirely comfortable doing it the moment he gets a woman's number or he's been communicating with her in this way for some time and it's the first time you caught him.

TwistedWonder · 07/12/2025 19:39

IMO anything you do like this with anyone and you hide it from your partner is borderline cheating.

im not sure if get past it tbh - it’s a relationship dealbreaker for me

bathroomadviceneeded · 07/12/2025 19:41

If my DH did this, and we didn’t have DC, no way would he only be sleeping in the spare room. I’d ask him to leave, or I would leave if he refused. I would officially separate and not even consider reconciliation until he proved to me that he was trustworthy and wouldn’t cheat again. If he didn’t, then the marriage would be over.

I know you desperately want children OP, but don’t do it with this man. Not at least until he proves that he can be faithful to his wife and family.

Shatteredallthetimelately · 07/12/2025 19:42

Whilst I don't think it's cheating it really would make me look at him through different eyes.

I'd definitely stop trying to for a baby with him and be in control of how I feel about the situation and not be talked round by him.

I also think this "I was drunk" crap is a poor cop out...surely the messages would be all goberdegook and unreadable if he were that drunk.

momtoboys · 07/12/2025 19:43

I would lose my fecking mind if my husband were such an idiot.

2031MummyTBC · 07/12/2025 19:44

How did someone this sleazy and immature agree to TTC? Seems like he doesn’t want his casual shagging days to be over by how forward he is with this random woman? I would never trust this guy again.

Willyoujust · 07/12/2025 19:44

I would leave him. What a horrible man. I’m sorry you’re going through this x

CarrierbagsAndPJs · 07/12/2025 19:45

I told him this is cheating and he said that’s nonsense as nothing happened. My AIBU is whether I’m wrong to consider this cheating.

The thing is, does it matter? What difference will it make to you? It doesnt matter what he says about it. You need to work out what your line in the sand is and what you will do if it gets crossed, as it doesnt sound like this is it.

Arlanymor · 07/12/2025 19:45

Justgorgeous · 07/12/2025 19:35

If you accept this just by being furious the next time will be a physical sexual relationship.

Where did I say I would accept it?! I divorced a cheating bastard thanks!

Whatsappweirdo · 07/12/2025 19:45

He was still drunk in the evening 24 hours after…?

imagine what he’d be like in a relationship after children, if this is what he’s like now 😔

Fdsew · 07/12/2025 19:45

Forget about her.
She is nothing to you.
You are married to a waster who hasn't an ounce of respect for you or his marriage.

Take responsibility for the fact that if you have a child with him, you are doing so knowing well that he is cheating scum.

Don't knowingly inflict him on an innocent child.
Your marriage is never going to last.

reversingdumptruckwithnotyreson · 07/12/2025 19:46

If he’s like this already while TTC, once the pressure of daily life with children kicks in he’ll be cheating on you left, right and centre.

While I think some situations can be worked on, children would be off the table. In a way, you’ve had a lucky break that this happened before you got pregnant.

Vroomfondleswaistcoat · 07/12/2025 19:47

I don't know if I would call it cheating as such, but I don't think I could ever look at him the same way. Not only did he spend an evening dribbling over this woman, he continued things - and she lapped it up and returned the favour. That is beyond the pale; feeling horny is no excuse at all. He sounds like a teenager who's unable to control himself and I would worry forever about how many times he had done this before, whether he was going to carry on doing it now he knows it's reciprocated, and where exactly he saw it leading.

PeriMumEndofHerTether · 07/12/2025 19:48

He thinks your views are nonsense. Tell him he's right. You USED to think he was partner materiel but that was clearly nonsense. So now you're single.

Enjoy a lovely Christmas of nonsense free fun and a great nonsense free new year.

Because that is a deal breaker.

Lavender14 · 07/12/2025 19:50

My ex did this, extremely remorseful. Even went to marriage counselling. I really believed he was making huge efforts to change. But actually he was still doing the same thing and just getting better at hiding it. Left him never looked back but with a small child it was really hard. I think you need to think very very seriously whether you'd rather divorce him now, pregnant or with small kids because he's showing you exactly who he is and how much he respects you and how you respond to this is going to set the tone for how he thinks you expect to be treated and what you'll settle for.

Endofyear · 07/12/2025 19:51

Goditsmemargaret · 07/12/2025 19:10

Stop TTC obviously l. I would kick him out for a week so I could gather my thoughts and if he won't go I'd start engaging with a solicitor re separation and sleeping separately.

Basically I'd let him know I was serious about this.

And people always say rise above it but personally I don't see why you should. I'd message her and tell her how pathetic she is engaging with a married man, he's mainly to blame but she played a part too.

Four years ago I discovered flirty messages between my DH and another woman, not explicitly sexual but definitely suggestive and going on for months. I went absolutely nuclear, he was in the spare room for months and I told her exactly what I thought of her too.

He did everything I requested to the letter to earn back my trust and it was still hard to give it.

Think long and hard about whether you want to continue with this disgusting man.

Do you truly trust him again though? I'm not sure I ever would 😕

TheatricalLife · 07/12/2025 19:51

🤮 immediate and total turn off forever for me. I know it wouldn't be a relationship ender for some, but for me it would be. Especially with no attachments like kids.

CheeseIsMyIdol · 07/12/2025 19:54

Jaydee92 · 07/12/2025 18:40

No kids but ttc. He’s 33.

Do NOT have children with this person.

Gets wasted at a party and sexts with a woman he barely knows? No thanks. So immature, disloyal and pervy.

Mark my words; if you proceed it is highly likely that you will be miserable and filled with regret in a few years.

Labamba78 · 07/12/2025 19:54

leave him whilst you’re still young enough to find someone else to have children. Don’t tie yourself to this man. You deserve better.

Sassylovesbooks · 07/12/2025 19:55

After meeting this colleague for the first time, they are sending each other flirty messages on Instagram! Either alcohol lowered your husband's inhibitions to the point that he was thinking purely with his dick or this is a man who is comfortable in sending flirty messages to women, meaning this isn't the first time or woman. She's in a relationship and he's married. Some may say it's cheating, others may say it's boundaries that have been over-stepped. Which camp you're in, depends on your personal opinion. Your husband is trying to minimise what happened, so of course he's going to say he didn't cheat! Maybe you need to ask him how he'd feel if you went on a works party and immediately started sending suggestive messages to a colleague you'd just met? Would he just shrug his shoulders and laugh about it? I doubt it.

ComfortFoodCafe · 07/12/2025 19:56

Leave him.

oneinataxioneinacar · 07/12/2025 19:57

Definitely cheating
And also a really gross and unprofessional way to behave towards colleagues.

I have seen these kind of grim flirtations ruin careers of otherwise talented people

There's no excuse for it

And I would wonder very much whether it's the first time

allthingsinmoderation · 07/12/2025 19:57

I think you know from how this makes you feel that its cheating.
Im so so sorry it must be painful.
Being drunk or having "the horn" isnt an excuse for sexually pursuing someone.
If you love someone you dont do this because you know it would hurt your partner and breach trust.
He is minimising this and thats gaslighting.
This may not be an isolated incident.
Dont accept it. Do not have a child with this man.

Checknotmymate · 07/12/2025 20:00

Do not have a child with this man. Stop TTC immediately. If he's this disrespectful now, imagine what he will be like when you're post partum and he hasn't had sex for a few months.

Tapsthemic · 07/12/2025 20:01

OP I’m so sorry this happened. I’d be more concerned about the fact he can’t see how his messages cross a line. How dare he double down. This isn’t acceptable behaviour in a monogamous relationship, and if he can’t see that now, pre-kids, then I’d be very wary about TTC with him. I’m sorry xx