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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:
Barney16 · 10/01/2026 19:44

ElegantFowl · 10/01/2026 19:16

I can’t see what’s wrong with her attending the funerals, nor sending a HNY text.

This. If she had known his parents since she was a child I think she would go to the funerals. I can't really see what she has done wrong but If the relationship isn't working for you of course it's reasonable to leave.

loislovesstewie · 10/01/2026 19:44

You sound bossy, judgemental, controlling and actually quite nasty. Your husband is a saddo to be carrying a torch for a teenage non romance, but I think he ought to leave you. You sound stifling.

Lucelulu · 10/01/2026 19:44

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.

Have you read the responses to your original post? You sound really very unreasonable and obsessed I’m afraid

Scarlettpixie · 10/01/2026 19:45

Of course she went to the funerals of people she cared about and had known all her life. Whats the issue with her taking her family? If you were a rational human you might have been introduced. To ignore her and say your husband can’t speak to her is ridiculous.

The advice not to marry you was probably spot on. You hadn’t been together 5 minutes and he’d lost his job as a result of your relationship. It was unreasonable of you both to get together in such a way you’d be found out btw. The sensible thing would be to not, or to keep it very low key while one of you got another job.

You also got into this knowing what he was like and how much his ex wife disliked Sarah. I wonder how much that influenced your feelings towards her.

I don’t see that Sarah has done anything wrong any issues you have are with your husband. That said, I don’t think he is wrong to want to maintain this friendship.

DeepBlueDeer · 10/01/2026 19:45

CraftyMintHedgehog · 10/01/2026 19:43

@ponytailcapbadge your relationship was doomed from the start.

Sarah was right to tell him not to marry you. It was way too soon. Sounds a bit of a rebound thing and he wanted drama given he knew he could lose his job.

If he wanted to marry Sarah he would have done so.

I think he would pick his friendship with Sarah over your marriage by the sounds of it.

I think he would pick his friendship with Sarah over your marriage by the sounds of it.
On the basis of him receiving a "happy new year" text message after, so far as we know, 6 years of no contact?

reversingdumptruckwithnotyreson · 10/01/2026 19:46

The reason you don’t like this Sarah person is that you know you got your husband by cheating so you’ll be next in line to be cheated on.

But fear not, this woman isn’t after him otherwise she’d obviously have him whenever she wants.

SeaShellsSanctuary1 · 10/01/2026 19:46

Who the hell tells omeone that they can't speak to a lifelong family friend at their parents funeral.

You need help

Arlanymor · 10/01/2026 19:46

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.

'She was extremely abusive to him and I was a shoulder to cry on and it developed...' - tale as old as time and then engaged six months later!! You were both completely idiotic to get involved with each other so quickly - let alone the work ramifications.

Sarah can talk to who she wants - she isn't 'supposed to be no contact' - who are you to tell her that she can or can't talk to your husband? She's known him almost her whole life. She's never had a relationship with him. She's never expressed the desire to have a relationship with him. He's a childhood friend.

If HE wants more than that's another thing. Your problem is with him - why is she not blocked on his phone? I guess he wanted to receive the message, which sounds like it was just 'Happy New Year', not 'Run away with me'. You have a husband problem and all of the things you are asking us you should be asking him. Maybe if the two of you hadn't go together in the way that you had you would have more trust between the two of you?

KiwiFall · 10/01/2026 19:48

Sarah isn’t the problem.

You say your husband wished they had been an item and called her name out during sex. He’s the problem.

It does, as you said, come down to do you want to be with someone who loves another.

I think it’s best all round if the marriage ends.

CanSeeClearlyNowTheRainHasGone · 10/01/2026 19:49

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.

What I'm struggling with is why wont Sarah just leave him alone. She knows I dont like her.

  • She's not contacting you - only then would you have the right to tell her not to.
She knows that he is meant to be no contact with him. Why doesnt she stick with her own husband rather than messaging mine?
  • You've never talked to her (remember!) so how would she even know that she's meant to be "no contact" (jeez, how imperious can you get?)

but their marriage was over, she was extremely abusive towards him

  • it does sound like your DH has a type when it comes to choosing a wife
5128gap · 10/01/2026 19:49

I think you behaved very badly with regards to the two funerals. You don't get to dictate whether a woman comes to pay her respects to people she's known since childhood just because you've been their DiL for all of 5 minutes and don't trust your husband. I think to make your issues front and centre when people are grieving is awful.
That said, I can see why you feel insecure. Deep down I think you know the liklihood is that had he not been on his uppers and needed you, your relationship with your husband may not have led to marriage. Sarah probably knew that too and that could well have been the reason she advised him against it, rather than her own designs on him. Which let's face it, she had ample chance if she wanted him.
Where you go from here I don't know. Personally I'd want to know if my husband's commitment to me was real, and the only way you can do that in this situation is to give him free rein and see what he does. If he escalates things with Sarah, you'll know where you stand.

No87 · 10/01/2026 19:50

So supposedly you were friends with his very abusive first wife?
Sarah is definitely not the problem here but I guess its easier to blame other people than look inwards.

CherrieTomaties · 10/01/2026 19:51

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.

Sarah won’t leave him alone because he’s her friend. She doesn’t give a fuck if you don’t like her, because your reasons for disliking her aren’t valid or make any sense. She probably feels sorry for your husband because she’ll pick up on how insecure and controlling you are.

Hellohelga · 10/01/2026 19:51

The marriage isn’t making you happy, DC are grown up, you are financially ok, so yes divorce him.

shhblackbag · 10/01/2026 19:52

Yeah, why would you be friends with someone who was abusive to their spouse? Or was that relationship just to get close to him? Shady.

TheHillIsMine · 10/01/2026 19:53

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.

This is bonkers. She knows you don't like her. And?

RealEagle · 10/01/2026 19:53

No87 · 10/01/2026 19:50

So supposedly you were friends with his very abusive first wife?
Sarah is definitely not the problem here but I guess its easier to blame other people than look inwards.

Exactly

Bloozie · 10/01/2026 19:54

Too much is missing from this. Of course she attended the funerals. She’s known them
since she was 4 and they loved her. A happy new year text is annoying but not a smoking gun. She is a longstanding friend of your husband’s - why the fuck should she leave him alone as you put it, because you don’t like her? She’s showing up to stuff with her husband and kid, not nipple tassels and lube. What exactly has she done to make you feel so threatened, beyond exist? You sound very jealous.

BunnyLake · 10/01/2026 19:54

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.

Do you know why they never got together as a couple? Do they actually see each other more as brother/sister? There must have been times they were free to be together so why did it never happen?

muckypuppyducky · 10/01/2026 19:55

You have serious issues and come across as unhinged.

if anyone told me that I could not speak to my childhood friend, I would tell them to wind their necks in.

Lancsta · 10/01/2026 19:56

You sound controlling op!
Does he check your phone and tell you who you can and can't speak too?!

CrapNewYear · 10/01/2026 19:57

So Sarah. And her husband and child turned up at a family funeral.

They had history long before you were in existence. Frankly you're being unreasonable; for letting his DW1 poison your mind. If you want to leave him then do it but don't expect your life to be an immediate bed of roses.

PrincessOfPreschool · 10/01/2026 19:57

Sorry, OP, you sound unhinged. I'm not surprised she told him not to marry you! As a PP said, Sarah is the icing on the cake of issues in your marriage. You're full of bitterness, hatred and jealousy. I'm not sure what your DH is doing with you, it must be really affecting his self esteem. Maybe he'll one day find happiness with Sarah, or maybe she is fully committed to her DH, you know bringing him to funerals of old family friends n'all. Who knows?

currentlybrunette · 10/01/2026 19:58

If this isn’t a reverse, you have a husband problem and not a Sarah problem.

TennesseeWaterfall · 10/01/2026 19:58

Why are you with him?