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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Slept with ex dh

25 replies

YourAquaLurker · 08/12/2025 20:20

Ok so totally prepared to be ripped into by mumsnetters as I have messed up.

Quick backstory to avoid drip feed, ex h and I divorced more than decade ago. Two small DS at the time. Reason was I had found out he was getting to know another woman. He denied it vehemently however I said that it was an emotional affair as far as I was concerned. There was other stuff like emails and family members who had passed on info to me.

Things turned toxic and I couldn’t move past it and we finally divorced after a year. The divorce was amicable and I got what I asked for. Ex dh paid off the family home and transferred it to my name, and paid sufficient CM that I didn’t need to work however I went back to work anyway for my pension.

He then moved back to his home country. DS spent majority holidays with him and he would travel back to London for work and see the kids then too. My lovely parents facilitated the children seeing him because they have a summer home in the same country. So I never saw ex dh bar once or twice since we split.

Fast forward to last month, I stayed in touch with his female cousin. We get on like a house on fire and she never mentions Ex dh and I don’t ask about him either so it works. I am no contact with his mother and sister etc never got on and they hated that he’d married someone that wasn’t of the same nationality as them.

His cousin insisted I attend her wedding which took place in ex dh home country last month. I refused a lot however she convinced me in the end. I ended up being one of her bridesmaids and dressed in their ethnic wear etc

About two years ago ex dh ended up marrying again. He married the woman I suspected him having an emotional affair with. She wasn’t at the wedding and I didn’t know why.

At the wedding ex dh followed me around a bit and kept trying to speak to me. Annoyingly the chemistry was still there and he has aged very well. Later that evening he text me to see if I’d be willing to chat about the boys financial arrangements for university and I said yes. He came to the room and we ended up having sex.

I feel like shit, he’s married and we shouldn’t have done that.

It’s been a month and he won’t stop texting asking to come to London to speak about it. He’s saying he’s not with his wife and that they separated but divorce isn’t final due to her wanting a better financial outcome. The latter is none of my business so I didn’t care to ask more.

I don’t know whether to let him back in or not. I spent the last years entirely single raising the boys (didn’t want another man in the picture for obvious reasons) and they’re now due to the fly the nest. I am a bit lonely and ex dh was familiar territory.

I did try dating last year at the insistence of a friend but the first thing the man asked me was if my house was mortgaged or paid off. He even made a joke about moving in with me …as his flat would be no good for a relationship????

It put me off entirely and was one of the reasons why I never dated when the kids were young. I didn’t want to disrupt their home environment or allow anyone in who had ulterior motives. The flip side of this being that I am now chronically single and due to be very alone once the DS 2 moves out.

Would love some advice from anyone who’s been in this situation where an ex has popped up after many years particularly if you left for infidelity reasons ?

OP posts:
UninitendedShark · 08/12/2025 20:24

Chalk it up to experience. But I wouldn’t go back there if I were you.

socks1107 · 08/12/2025 20:43

I’d leave it at that for your sake, you caught him cheating and he’s cheated on his wife with you. He isn’t a man that can stay faithful

rwalker · 08/12/2025 20:45

Enjoy the memory and leave it there can’t imagine any future in this

lucya66 · 08/12/2025 20:46

Hmmm depends. Do you want to be with him now?

YourAquaLurker · 08/12/2025 20:51

lucya66 · 08/12/2025 20:46

Hmmm depends. Do you want to be with him now?

Partially yes but I don’t know if it’s because I’m being desperate because once the kids are gone I will be alone. He’s a safe option but as another PP said he was unfaithful twice. I’m an idiot too for going to the wedding.

OP posts:
Lmnop22 · 08/12/2025 20:51

He’s literally cheated on both his wives and one of them was already you - do not let it be you again!

I think this is likely a sign you’ve missed male companionship and you should try dating again - maybe a more elite paid dating website where the calibre of matches is likely to be better than what you find on the average site.

Fishingboatbobbingnight · 08/12/2025 21:03

You know what ? I have three kids with a SE Asian .. (I’m Caucasian btw) but lived in his country and speak the language..we divorced 17 years ago .. but because nonetheless have spoken almost every day.. sex was meh ! But the connection is there forever ..

PollyBell · 08/12/2025 21:08

If I were you I would work on my self respect and focus on my own life, I am probably meant to dress it up as something pretty but wake up why on earth would you do this?

Northbynorthbest · 08/12/2025 21:11

He cheated on you with her. Now he's cheated on her with you.
Of course he would cheat on you again if you got back together.

Thistlesg · 08/12/2025 21:14

Don’t eat out the trash! He’s a cheater!

SpottyAardvark · 08/12/2025 21:17

So he cheated on wife number 1 with wife number two, now he has cheated on wife number 2 with wife number 1. What a catch!

Decent trustworthy chap, obv….

Newyearawaits · 08/12/2025 21:18

Difficult one OP, no easy answer but I am concerned that u may be wanting him for the wrong reasons (scared of being alone).
Seems like he has been extremely generous re divorce settlement and cms so clearly decent.
Perhaps start dating him again and take things slowly.

JLou08 · 08/12/2025 21:30

He's still a cheat. You can't trust him.

Jeronnemo · 08/12/2025 21:35

YourAquaLurker · 08/12/2025 20:51

Partially yes but I don’t know if it’s because I’m being desperate because once the kids are gone I will be alone. He’s a safe option but as another PP said he was unfaithful twice. I’m an idiot too for going to the wedding.

He's definitely not a safe option. He's a very high risk option. Lonely is tough but being cheated on, lied to and let down is even worse. I'd focus on building a life away from him, despite the understandable temptation.

YourWildAmberSloth · 08/12/2025 21:37

He's a cheat, why would you even consider getting back with him? He cheated on you and cheated with you.....seriously, raise the bar.

theunbreakablecleopatrajones · 08/12/2025 21:39

UninitendedShark · 08/12/2025 20:24

Chalk it up to experience. But I wouldn’t go back there if I were you.

This exactly.

Put it behind you, and plenty of distance between you and him - let him go find it somewhere else.

YourAquaLurker · 08/12/2025 21:40

Newyearawaits · 08/12/2025 21:18

Difficult one OP, no easy answer but I am concerned that u may be wanting him for the wrong reasons (scared of being alone).
Seems like he has been extremely generous re divorce settlement and cms so clearly decent.
Perhaps start dating him again and take things slowly.

Financially he’s always been fair in fact more than fair. He didn’t want me to go out and work straightaway when the kids were little hence sorted the home out and paid a lot of CMS. He was leaving the country and didn’t want the kids to suffer in anyway. Boys have a fantastic relationship with him and he’s not been absent despite living away, he’s been proactive in seeing them on regular basis. Paid for flights, hotels and they spend most their holidays with him. He also respected my wishes to not see or speak to him unless it was related to childcare. So overall he’s a decent man, not abusive in anyway but he did have the affair.

i hear you and the others about me doing it for the wrong reasons. I think I will have to shut this down before it gets messy … again.

OP posts:
Frenchfrychic · 08/12/2025 21:40

Wow so he cheated with her on you then cheated on her with you. That’s messed up,

ContraryNoodle · 08/12/2025 21:46

Mmmh, I would certainly not feel bad about a one-off nor have any guilt towards his current (ex) wife if she was the affair partner. See where it takes you.

outerspacepotato · 08/12/2025 21:47

He cheated on you with her, now he's cheated on her with you.

He's a cheater. And you know this. You know he'll just cheat on you with her, he's still married.

Why would you do that to yourself?

Endofyear · 08/12/2025 21:56

Hmmm sounds like he's still the cheat who cheated on you and has now cheated on her. I really wouldn't take him back or see him again even. It's easy to fall for the comfortable and familiar but I can see this ending in tears again. There are decent men out there, if you don't want to be alone, keep dating and see what happens. You can have a relationship that doesn't involve moving in together and keep your independence.

Marble10 · 08/12/2025 21:57

Well I have to applaud you for even considering it - he left you to raise 2 sons alone whilst he was out of the country, living his life, with a new woman etc. Now they are grown up, you are considering being back with him?! I don’t think I could ever forgive being left like that and nothing makes up for all the missed times, even a paid off house and sufficient CMS.
I feel you think you possibly won’t meet anyone else with the same financial status as him, but you can. Where you have now fallen vulnerable is that you had sex, and yes it was passionate and familiar , bringing back the good times but don’t let that mask over what this man done to you.
what would your sons / his family / your family even have to say about this?

  • posted as coming someone who has been in extremely uncomfortable situations for the sake of money but even I couldn’t consider.
CinnamonBuns67 · 09/12/2025 09:36

He cheated on you with her and now he's cheated on her with you, he probably told you both the same story too. He hasn't changed OP you'd be mad to get back with him.

Netcurtainnelly · 09/12/2025 11:51

Ewwwwwww🙄

Frenchfrychic · 09/12/2025 12:02

ContraryNoodle · 08/12/2025 21:46

Mmmh, I would certainly not feel bad about a one-off nor have any guilt towards his current (ex) wife if she was the affair partner. See where it takes you.

I don’t think she needs to feel guilty. No one is really discussing guilt. More it’s really grim after how he’s treated her the first time she’s in his presence she shags him again.

op, when he invited you back to his room, at night, you must have known you were not going to discuss finances, he was clearly thinking you still had feelings for him and were up for it.

You seem to be putting all the blame on him, when I’m fairly sure you knew exactly what you were doing and are likely fully intent on getting back with him.

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