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.

my husband is in love with another woman.

359 replies

ponytailcapbadge · 10/01/2026 18:59

Sorry this is a name change and a long one so as not to drip feed. I would like to hear people’s opinions as I am considering leaving my DH as he is in love with someone else, lets call her Sarah. He has known Sarah since they were 4 years old. Their parents and grandparents were all friends.She is who is parents thought he should and would marry and she is utterly adored by his who family. She called his parents mum and dad. My husband claims they were never an item (although he wished they were) and they have only kissed once when they were teenagers. She’s nothing to look at but has done very well in her career. We are now all in our late 50s.
This is a second marriage for both me and DH. I met him and his DW at work. I was friends with his DW1 and she would often speak about Sarah and how much she hated her and how she had banned her husband from ever contacting her. When DH marriage broke up, I was already divorced and we started seeing each other. Unfortunately in the job we do this is utterly banned and within 2 weeks we were discovered and he was sacked on the spot. He also lost his home at the same time as it went with the job. I was protected because he was my boss and so was considered a victim. DH had to move in with me and I supported him while he searched for a new career. I wanted a commitment from him and he proposed in a very theatrical way within 6 months of us getting together and it was wonderful – or so I thought.

It turned out that he had immediately got in contact with Sarah when his marriage failed and was messaging her several times a day. They also met up at her house. She told him not to marry me. At this point I understood why DW1 hated her. We got married anyway. It’s fair to say it’s been a pretty tempestuous union. My career has skyrocketed and I’ve moved up through the ranks. He’s struggled to find work and earns now a fraction of what he did when we worked together. I knew that he still thought about her and once he called out her name during sex.
When his mother died Sarah turned up at the funeral. I was furious that she should insert herself into our family grief. When DH father died a few years later she also came to that funeral and had the cheek to bring her husband and child as well. I told him in no uncertain terms that if he spoke to her there that the marriage would be over. She glared at me the whole time.
After the funeral I said he could never speak to Sarah again and told him to remove all social media links to her. I don’t understand why Sarah’s husband hadn’t stopped them speaking to each other.
It’s been 6 years and I really thought she was out of our lives and then on NYE his phone pinged.I checked his phone and it was a text from Sarah saying HNY. I then realised she is never going to be gone from our lives. Our respective kids are almost grown up. AIBU to think now is the time to call this a day. I’ve never even spoken to this woman and yet I want to kill her. I hate what she has done to my marriage. Do I really want to spend the last part of my life with a man who is in love with someone else?

OP posts:
IridiumSky · 11/01/2026 02:45

OP, I suspect you’re a copper, probably middle-ranking, and used to giving orders.

You need to leave that stuff at work.

Xkk · 11/01/2026 03:45

Sarah has done nothing wrong. At any point. Sarah is the villain in your story because of you. You got with your husband while he was still married. You thought then that if he blow up his job and lost his house it was for the all consuming desperate love he had for you. Making sacrifices an'all! The truth is starting to show it's face now. Your husband did not sacrifice anything, he just happened to get caught and you became the default provider. It was easier to marry tou then to start over financially. You also realise that your husband is flaky not to be trusted a.ss who can be easily swayed. You also realised that you are afraid. You are afraid the Sarah is like you. Ready to snatch your husband regardless of friendships and anything else. You know you don't have much morals, you don't trust your husband and you are afraid they are more like you out there. You will be always looking over your shoulders and there will be always a woman you will hate. Because of how you set the foundation of your relationship.
P.S. you have no right in any circumstances to dictate who comes to your in laws funeral. None. Get you narcisistic head out of your arse.

UncannyFanny · 11/01/2026 04:33

ponytailcapbadge · 10/01/2026 19:40

ok I admit we did get together when technically he was still married ,but their marriage was over, she was extremely abusive towards him and I was a shoulder to cry on and developed from that. What I'm struggling with is why wont Sarah just leave him alone. She knows I dont like her. She knows that he is meant to be no contact with him. Why doesnt she stick with her own husband rather than messaging mine? i cant sleep since I saw that text. It makes me wonder what else is going on.

Why wouldn’t you just leave him alone? His marriage was none of your business. Well I suppose at least you know what it feels like now to have another woman sniffing around your husband.

Goldengirl123 · 11/01/2026 04:39

It’s awful for you to banish her from his life. They are lifetime friends. She attended his parents funeral’s because she had known them for so long.

you have never spoken to her but you have this hatred for her

Goingootforawalk · 11/01/2026 04:45

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 01:48

He called out her name during sex with his wife???

Yeah and that doesn’t contradict what that poster said about Sarah not doing anything wrong.

Not sure if it happened before or after the funerals but how would Sarah know about this?! There’s no indication anyone informed her that OPs husband called her name out in sex 😬

And that’s a him problem anyway, why should she not attend the funerals of her family friends that were like parents to her, because he’s calling out her name in sex?

She has no idea what he’s doing during sex with OP and sent a HNY text to all her old friends probably like many across the world did. Why would she leave him out? Because Op doesn’t like it?

I would be massively concerned if a childhood friend’s husband or wife banned them from contacting me. And I would want to continue staying in touch with them even if only occasionally. If they (the friend) didn’t like that they’re always welcome to block me and tell me to go away. However in the absence of that I wouldn’t just end the friendship on the say so of their spouse - especially given the circumstances under which they got together and married.

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 08:49

I’ll tell you what I think, Sarah is the decoy. Your husband is having an affair but it is not with her.

She was the decoy with his first wife too.

Of course she would go to his parents funerals, she has as much right to be there as you do.

Trust your instincts here, he is having an affair, or about to start one, but it’s not with Sarah. She has done absolutely nothing wrong, and is lucky she avoided a relationship with him, he is slimey.

Hegharty · 11/01/2026 09:37

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 01:48

He called out her name during sex with his wife???

And that’s Sarah’s fault because….?

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:39

Hegharty · 11/01/2026 09:37

And that’s Sarah’s fault because….?

So you are telling me, if your partner called out another woman’s name during sex, you’d be happy for them to maintain contact, regardless of whose fault it is?!

Brightlittlecanary · 11/01/2026 10:52

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:39

So you are telling me, if your partner called out another woman’s name during sex, you’d be happy for them to maintain contact, regardless of whose fault it is?!

I still can’t see how irs Sarah’s fault either, or how banning contact solves the issue. The issue is with him. He’s the husband. If he prefers another woman, then banning contact doesn’t mean he suddenly prefers you as you’re all that’s available.

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 10:52

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:39

So you are telling me, if your partner called out another woman’s name during sex, you’d be happy for them to maintain contact, regardless of whose fault it is?!

I definitely wouldn’t be blaming her!!!

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:57

3luckystars · 11/01/2026 10:52

I definitely wouldn’t be blaming her!!!

Nobody knows what their text message conversations entail, or what they talk about face to face.

they could both be as bad as each other for all anyone knows.

but standard MN’s everyone jumps on the bloke or the wife asking her husband to cut a threat out of their marriage. I’d love to see everyone who is on the “Sarah’s” side in the same situation

loislovesstewie · 11/01/2026 11:00

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:57

Nobody knows what their text message conversations entail, or what they talk about face to face.

they could both be as bad as each other for all anyone knows.

but standard MN’s everyone jumps on the bloke or the wife asking her husband to cut a threat out of their marriage. I’d love to see everyone who is on the “Sarah’s” side in the same situation

Even if there are other messages, the person to blame is the husband. I notice that women don't do that, they blame the other woman as though the man is a poor, week individual who can't say no.

OneZanyPoet · 11/01/2026 11:05

Is this the plot of a novel? I find it hard to believe three people would act so bizarrely and make such insanely bad decisions.

if true:
I think it’s likely the love for Sarah is unrequited or they would be together. Stop blaming her.

Your whole relationship is based on being the best option after he screwed his life up by beginning a relationship with a subordinate. Of course it’s a disaster. It should never have happened.

Leave him and get some therapy to help you understand why you have been so blind to the enormous red flags here and unable to make sensible decisions or take control of your own destiny.

Hegharty · 11/01/2026 11:06

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:39

So you are telling me, if your partner called out another woman’s name during sex, you’d be happy for them to maintain contact, regardless of whose fault it is?!

You haven’t answered my question.

How is that Sarah’s fault?

It’s the husband that has the crush or whatever it is, but do tell me how you can blame Sarah for the husband calling her name out during sex.

Gosh, I know people often blame the OW rather than the man when someone has cheated, but even with no cheating and no suggestion that she’s done anything wrong, this is whole new level of blaming the woman.

Allisnotlost1 · 11/01/2026 11:16

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:57

Nobody knows what their text message conversations entail, or what they talk about face to face.

they could both be as bad as each other for all anyone knows.

but standard MN’s everyone jumps on the bloke or the wife asking her husband to cut a threat out of their marriage. I’d love to see everyone who is on the “Sarah’s” side in the same situation

This is wild to me. Who wants fo stay in a marriage with someone who wants someone else? The ‘threat’ in the marriage is that the husband doesn’t love OP, and OP is behaving like a maniac as a result. Split up, be happy

shouldofgotamortage · 11/01/2026 11:25

Hardly Sarahs fault your husband (who you was well aware piror) has a thing for Sarah. You should never of married him knowing he is obsessed with her. Yabu.

TwistedWonder · 11/01/2026 11:31

This does sound like the OP did the pick me dance and has now realised play stupid games, win stupid prizes. And he’s definitely not a prize worth winning.

He was an absolute idiot to lose his career and home for an illicit shag and it does seem like he’s tried to make the best (for himself) of a bad job by becoming a cocklodger to his OW. And realising that he’ll be entitled to a share of her home by marrying g her.

Its a complete and utter shit show.

I think Sarah sounds like the most normal person in this car crash

5128gap · 11/01/2026 11:44

ponytailcapbadge · 10/01/2026 20:53

I'm sorry - I'm not a crazy,. I'm a nice rational person. I do a responsible job. I dont understand why I just cant get this bit of my life sorted and its tearing me apart. Maybe I shouldnt have given the back story but I didnt want to drip feed.

You might be a rational reasonable person in all other aspects, by your marriage is a 'crazy maker'. You got your husband through his willingness to cheat on his wife and because he was desperate when things fell apart. You know he has strong feelings for another woman who isn't you, and its only her choice that he's not with her.

No one in their right mind would feel secure in that marriage, and your insecurity is causing you to behave in extreme ways as you try to control sonething you can't.

throwawayimplantchat · 11/01/2026 13:02

cauliflowercheeseplease · 11/01/2026 10:39

So you are telling me, if your partner called out another woman’s name during sex, you’d be happy for them to maintain contact, regardless of whose fault it is?!

You would honestly want to ban her from your partners parents funerals because of that, even though it’s not her fault at all and they were so close that she called them mum and dad? Blimey.

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 15:40

loislovesstewie · 11/01/2026 11:00

Even if there are other messages, the person to blame is the husband. I notice that women don't do that, they blame the other woman as though the man is a poor, week individual who can't say no.

There should be no other woman involved in an up close and personal relationship with someone else's husband and the husband should not reciprocate. It's as simple as that, especially if it causes upset within a marriage. That is unless there is an agreement to have an open marriage which is a whole different story.

loislovesstewie · 11/01/2026 15:50

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 15:40

There should be no other woman involved in an up close and personal relationship with someone else's husband and the husband should not reciprocate. It's as simple as that, especially if it causes upset within a marriage. That is unless there is an agreement to have an open marriage which is a whole different story.

Edited

Sorry, but I find that ridiculous. There is no evidence at all that Sarah wants to be romantically/sexually involved with the husband. Lots of people have friends of the opposite sex, I don't want to shag every man that I'm friends with, and neither would my husband have wanted to have had sex with his female friends . We were quite capable of being friends with people. And just friends. The issue is with the husband, the OP knows what he's like because she was the other woman.

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 16:03

loislovesstewie · 11/01/2026 15:50

Sorry, but I find that ridiculous. There is no evidence at all that Sarah wants to be romantically/sexually involved with the husband. Lots of people have friends of the opposite sex, I don't want to shag every man that I'm friends with, and neither would my husband have wanted to have had sex with his female friends . We were quite capable of being friends with people. And just friends. The issue is with the husband, the OP knows what he's like because she was the other woman.

Edited

It may appear ridiculous to those who support close friendships with the opposite sex when married but it's not ridiculous to those who decide this can be too close for comfort. So many others feel the same. An emotional relationship which detracts from a marriage and causes upset is quite simply an emotional affair under the cover of friendship, especially if it's a regular one to one meeting. Again within an open marriage there is absolutely no issue.

Allisnotlost1 · 11/01/2026 16:05

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 16:03

It may appear ridiculous to those who support close friendships with the opposite sex when married but it's not ridiculous to those who decide this can be too close for comfort. So many others feel the same. An emotional relationship which detracts from a marriage and causes upset is quite simply an emotional affair under the cover of friendship, especially if it's a regular one to one meeting. Again within an open marriage there is absolutely no issue.

This kind of policing of friendships as a proxy for trust and commitment is just… well, it’s a bit lame isn’t it? If your partner is committed to you, they know the line. And if you trust them, you trust them not to cross it. I don’t want to have to force someone to love me by keeping them shackled to me. OP is trying to do that and look how well it’s going…

DarkForces · 11/01/2026 16:15

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 16:03

It may appear ridiculous to those who support close friendships with the opposite sex when married but it's not ridiculous to those who decide this can be too close for comfort. So many others feel the same. An emotional relationship which detracts from a marriage and causes upset is quite simply an emotional affair under the cover of friendship, especially if it's a regular one to one meeting. Again within an open marriage there is absolutely no issue.

I have male friends but not an open marriage. An open marriage is where you both can have sex with other people.
A happy new year text and going to the funeral of someone you've known your whole life is barely an acquaintance if that's the extent of their contact in the last year. Hardly marriage breaking stuff.

Oncloud918 · 11/01/2026 16:25

Allisnotlost1 · 11/01/2026 16:05

This kind of policing of friendships as a proxy for trust and commitment is just… well, it’s a bit lame isn’t it? If your partner is committed to you, they know the line. And if you trust them, you trust them not to cross it. I don’t want to have to force someone to love me by keeping them shackled to me. OP is trying to do that and look how well it’s going…

So with this opinion if your in a close friendship with someone else's husband and you know his wife isn't comfortable with him regularly meeting this 'friend' on a one to one basis her feelings are unwarranted & she just wants to shackle him which isn't healthy. My DH & I do what we like when we like as long as we're both happy. We draw the line at one to one dates with the opposite sex🙄😂