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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:
diddl · 10/01/2026 21:06

Perhaps Sarah is stringing your husband along?

Question is-why does he let her?

Why does it matter so much?
Presumably because he is besotted by her & therefore not focussed enough on his marriage/s?

sprigatito · 10/01/2026 21:07

Thinking about it, I reckon those funerals were both full of people who found Sarah’s presence a lot more welcome than yours OP. I think you would have felt uncomfortable whether she had been there or not, but you once again focused all your unease on her.

It’s not her. She’s just a symbol - of your insecurity and resentment and your deep-seated awareness that this relationship isn’t right or healthy.

diddl · 10/01/2026 21:08

I also agree with others that if she has known his parents since she was 4 it's not unusual that she went to the funerals.

Mrsblobby88 · 10/01/2026 21:09

EchoesOfOurDreams · 10/01/2026 21:05

I actually don't think the post is real because of that detail. People don't actually do that outside of movies/TV do they?

I think you might be right

Brightlittlecanary · 10/01/2026 21:10

You’re the red flag. The whole bunting, you got him to to propose, marry you, which she was right, he shouldn’t have done, it was due to his work and living conditions and you’re so consumed with jealousy over Sarah, who has done nothing wrong, which is why her husband has no issue with them talking, they have never even been an item,

you chose being second best, you did this.

Brightlittlecanary · 10/01/2026 21:11

diddl · 10/01/2026 21:06

Perhaps Sarah is stringing your husband along?

Question is-why does he let her?

Why does it matter so much?
Presumably because he is besotted by her & therefore not focussed enough on his marriage/s?

the woman is married with kids, what a way to blame the woman, fuck me,

Barnbrack · 10/01/2026 21:17

CanSeeClearlyNowTheRainHasGone · 10/01/2026 19:29

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.

  • And you are incredibly jealous of that I think.
... 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.
  • Cool move, I'm sure a divorced wife has no axe to grind.
... She told him not to marry me.
  • Sounds like that might have been sage advice.
... 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.
  • yeah, not like she thought of them as parents ... oh, wait, what was that she called them
... I told him in no uncertain terms that if he spoke to her there that the marriage would be over.
  • that sounds like rational behaviour at a funeral
She glared at me the whole time.
  • really? you didn't do the glaring? but apparently never took your eyes off her.
After the funeral I said he could never speak to Sarah again and told him to remove all social media links to her.
  • another rational move (classy!)
... I don’t understand why Sarah’s husband hadn’t stopped them speaking to each other.
  • perhaps because he's not an irrational dick?
... I’ve never even spoken to this woman and yet I want to kill her.
  • yeah, that's a rational point of view.
... I hate what she has done to my marriage.
  • I think it's what you've done with your irrational behaviour fueled by DW1's opinion of "Sarah"

You've never talked to her.
You mention nothing about them getting it on together
Her husband seems full aware.
Oh, and as you put it, "She's nothing special to look at"

You're not just being unreasonable. You're being Carslberg level unreasonable.

I think you should leave him. You obviously consider yourself to be far superior to him with your much better career. And I suspect he'd feel much more relaxed in your absence.

If the sexes were reversed here, I think everyone would be aghast at how controlling you're being and advising him to secret money away and telling him how he's entitled to 50% of your (undoubtedly large) pension.

About sums it up

Barnbrack · 10/01/2026 21:19

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.

I'm shocked

I am not remotely shocked. This was obvious.

Your husband cheated on his wife, your friend, with you and lost his career.

He has a childhood friend you hate because you know he will cheat.

You're a walking red flag

Moveoverdarlin · 10/01/2026 21:19

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.

Who the fuck are you to say they need to be no contact? You are the new kid on the block, they’ve been mates since they were 4. It sounds like if she wanted him, she could have him.

I have a friend like this. I adore him, we’ve been friends for years. I do not fancy him in the slightest, I do not want to be with him. Just great mates. His partner despises me. I sent a message saying ‘Happy Birthday’ to him and she sent one back spouting all this abuse. I backed off and no longer contact him. But I know he loves me as a friend, and I love him. We passed each other in the street and didn’t speak. But it’s bizarre we were so close once. That’s how I imagine your DH and this woman are. They’ve never even been an item! Why don’t you be a cool, chilled out, confident wife and not some highly strung, scorned woman, it’s embarrassing.

StrippeyFrog · 10/01/2026 21:19

Perhaps she told him not to marry you because she recognised that he was rushing to marry you as he had lost his job and was dependent on you.

She was a family friend attending your in-laws funerals. It was nothing to do with you and I would have been furious if my partner tried to start drama about that whilst I was at a parent’s funeral.

Isekaied · 10/01/2026 21:20

Get rid of this asshole.

And then he can mooch after her as much as he wants.

Forgotthebins · 10/01/2026 21:22

You say this about Sarah.

“I’ve never even spoken to this woman and yet I want to kill her.”

Does that seem rational?

Igneococcus · 10/01/2026 21:24

Why would Sarah, who is married with at least one child, risk her own marriage for a man who cheated on his wife (yes, yes, it was all over anyway) and lost his career? He doesn't sound much of a catch, sorry OP.

Cailleachnamara · 10/01/2026 21:28

I have shared some of your experiences. I also have a husband of 30 years with a very long standing female friend who he held a torch for for many years. She also tried to talk my DH out of marrying me.

After many years of absence she resurfaced in our lives and DH started going out with her from time to time. Recently this situation came to a head, when he organised to go out with her to an event that I thought was inappropriate.

The result was a huge bust up and what looked like the end of my marriage, which is not what I wanted. Like you I barely knew this woman, in my case I had spoken briefly to her twice. Anyway I decided to contact her and she was horrified to discover I thought anything was going on with my DH. She said she had absolutely no interest in him romantically/ sexually and would break off all contact if it made me feel better. And weirdly at that point that wasn't what I wanted anymore. I realised I had built this friendship between them into this huge thing that it was not.

Are you absolute sure about your husband and this woman? Ultimately it is obviously up to you as to whether you end things, but is it not just possible it might actually be completely harmless?

Try reaching out to her? I've discovered it's much harder to hate a real person you've actually talked to than the idea of someone. I've wasted so many years hating someone unnecessarily.

BTW you are out of order about the funerals, she had every right to attend them.

DeepBlueDeer · 10/01/2026 21:30

diddl · 10/01/2026 21:06

Perhaps Sarah is stringing your husband along?

Question is-why does he let her?

Why does it matter so much?
Presumably because he is besotted by her & therefore not focussed enough on his marriage/s?

She's married, has kids and by the sounds of things they've seen each other twice in ~10 years (not socially, at funerals). After years of (as best we can tell) no contact, she sent him a HNY message.

Stringing him along in what way?

diddl · 10/01/2026 21:30

Brightlittlecanary · 10/01/2026 21:11

the woman is married with kids, what a way to blame the woman, fuck me,

True yes.

I'm not sure what I was trying to say!

It's up to him not to let his marriages be affected.

MatchaTea1 · 10/01/2026 21:31

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 are clearly externalising your guilt about having an affair with a married man and breaking up his marriage and transferring that onto this poor Sarah character whose only crime is to keep up a friendly relationship with a life-long friend and go to the funeral of two people so dear to her that she called them mum and dad.

DeepBlueDeer · 10/01/2026 21:33

Isekaied · 10/01/2026 21:20

Get rid of this asshole.

And then he can mooch after her as much as he wants.

What mooching is he doing?

Again, this is a woman who he doesn't seem to have seen in 6 years - at his father's funeral, and has just received a HNY text from (to which he doesn't seem to have responded).

Spookyspaghetti · 10/01/2026 21:33

I put UABU because I can’t believe how you treated your husband at his own father’s funeral and managed to make the whole thing about you.

BettysRoasties · 10/01/2026 21:34

You and his ex where and are the if I can’t have what I want I guess this will do wives.

He cheated on his ex with you, while emotionally cheating on her with Sarah as well. He is emotionally cheating on you with Sarah still.

Sarah will always be his one.

And of course she will go to the funerals of people she called mum and dad smh. Give your silly self a shake.

Charlize43 · 10/01/2026 21:34

When you were name changing you should have called her Camilla instead of Sarah... but seriously, I'd get out if I were you as it sounds like there are three people in your marriage. Your kids are grown up and you still have a chance at happiness. If you are already thinking about it, it is probably because this isn't working for you. Life is too short to be unhappy.

CremeCarmel · 10/01/2026 21:35

Young people say it breaks girl
code to date - let alone marry- your friend’s ex. Does that also apply to
the elders?

TwistedWonder · 10/01/2026 21:35

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 skins the polar opposite to a sane rational nice person - you seem unhinged, jealous, insecure and controlling.

By ‘can’t get this bit of my life sorted’ what you actually mean is ‘why doesn’t my cocklodging DH do what I tell him and get his oldest friend to fuck off so i can have complete control over him’

I can’t believe you can be arsed with this pathetic teenage insecurity at your time of life. Problem for you is you know your married to a lying cheat, you were a willing OW and you are deflecting towards this woman rather than look at your own behaviour

Oncloud918 · 10/01/2026 21:35

BooksandCats123 · 10/01/2026 20:37

YABU About the funeral and Happy New Year text.
My husband does in real life have a good friend called Sarah, they text, go to lunch, she’s friends with his mum & dad and she’s known DH about 20 years longer than I have.
I don’t worry about this Sarah because I trust my husband (and his friend Sarah)
Your relationship started with an affair though, it was built on lies and you can’t trust your DH because you know what he is capable of. If Sarah moved to Australia tomorrow you’d have the same trust issues with somebody else.

I respect & admire your tolerance of this type of relationship. My DH has work colleagues he also considers friends & I have no issue with it. I would certainly have an issue with it if he was meeting them one to one socially & I wouldn't care if it was a friendship of a year or 20 years. We trust each other implicitly but we have bounderies
which are more to do with respect as opposed to trust. I wouldn't dream of having a social one to one 'date' with another man either. I'm not saying it's wrong. It's just another take on it when it involves what is acceptable within individual marriages. No right or wrong.

Blablablablablahhhh · 10/01/2026 21:38

It sounds like he is in love with her ( sorry ) but she doesn’t feel the same.

Sadly , you have done something I really dislike about us women sometimes and that’s blame the woman and not the man. Of course she would come to the funeral of people she had known all her life and had such a close relationship with that she called Mum and Dad. I don’t blame her for glaring at you when she was a friend before you and you have banned your husband from having anything to do with her. I also don’t get why her bringing her husband and children to the funeral was so terrible ? Clearly , if she wanted him she could have had him and is married to someone else so doesn’t want him, she wants to be friends. She isn’t the bad person here .

I don’t mean to be jumping on you here , it must be terrible for you to realise your husband is in love with someone else. But I think you really need to think about the impression you have gave off - do you want to be that person ? He has made you that person, he shouldn’t have entered a relationship with you with unresolved feelings for someone else .

You sound like a successful woman- you don’t need him , you deserve someone who adores you.

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