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.

I’m cheating what to do

296 replies

ashamedclown · 15/01/2026 13:49

Hi all. For the last couple of years I have realised fallen out of love with my DH. We’ve been married for twenty five years and got married in our late teens and we both came from religious households (I am no longer religious myself). We have three children together (19, 17, and 16). I don’t hate him but I just no longer can stand being around him. I am ashamed but for the last nine months I have been having an affair. He’s not in a relationship and he is generous and kind. He says now that I have to tell my husband about us so that we can officially get together but this would mean admitting to what I’ve done. I don’t know my children or parents would react to me having done something so horrible. What should I do?

OP posts:
Newyearawaits · 15/01/2026 14:24

"Self support

Beachtastic · 15/01/2026 14:25

Newyearawaits · 15/01/2026 14:24

"Self support

I did wonder what sort of new lifestyle you were suggesting there 🤣🤗

Gahr · 15/01/2026 14:25

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

The word 'affair' generally means sex. If they weren't shagging, OP probably would have called it an 'emotional' affair.

Unpaidviewer · 15/01/2026 14:26

idgafifucallmetransphobic · 15/01/2026 13:51

Stop cheating and leave your husband and spend some time on your own.

I was going to say the same thing. I would add get some therapy to the response too.

BetterOffNow · 15/01/2026 14:26

Be honest with everyone and deal with the fallout.
Tough but necessary and the sooner you do it the sooner everyone will be able to start living the life they deserve, whatever that ends up being.

lisar47 · 15/01/2026 14:28

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

SpanielLover356 · 15/01/2026 14:29

If you've fallen out of love with your husband, you owe it to him to tell him, discuss how you can separate amicably or otherwise move forward.

I guarantee that he will ask if there is someone else. This is the time to be totally honest with yourself, your husband and those around you.

I hope that you find happiness, though not necessarily with the person who you're having an affair with. You need to work out what you want out of life & why your marriage fell apart so that you don't make the same mistake again.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 15/01/2026 14:29

Your marriage is over anyway. For the sake of having an amicable divorce for the children, I would pause the relationship with the gym guy and give it a few months maybe get counselling and check you still want to divorce, and then work on ending your marriage in a way thats as smooth as possible. If you're going to split anyway I wouldn't pour fuel on the flames by confessing, it will just hurt your family more than needed. After you're divorced you can pick up with gym guy if you still both want to

Gahr · 15/01/2026 14:29

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Why? Your comments on this thread are very silly.

ReturnToRiding · 15/01/2026 14:30

Leave your husband, tell him you’ve let someone else, the dust will be settled in 6 months

Highlighta · 15/01/2026 14:31

You are asking us what you should do?

Why? So that maybe just one poster comes along and says 'ah there Dear, everything will be alright. This happened to me and I'm fine'. 🙄

If you've been married 25 years you must be a sensible age. Wtf did you expect when you started an affair.

Jesus wept I hope this is a wind up post.

lisar47 · 15/01/2026 14:32

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Moonlightfrog · 15/01/2026 14:32

Everyone in MN will tell you how horrible you are for cheating, we see so many threads where men have been cheating but not many woman come on here to admit they are cheating (well done for sharing). Most people here will tell you to leave the other man and/or to come clean to your dh but it’s not really up to anyone in here, we can give advise but you don’t have to act on it.

My advice will go against what most people are saying. I think you need to leave your dh, it’s up to you if you mention the other man or not but you need to end your marriage because you don’t feel the same about him as you used too, it’s unfair to continue pretending all is ok even though both of you know it’s not. Get your ducks in a row, leave your dh, sort out all that comes with it (finances, house, kids) and then decide if you want to continue the relationship with this other man. I would ask the other man to back off until you have sorted everything at home, don’t make any promises to him, just concentrate on your divorce/break up with dh.

No matter what people say on here, it’s not uncommon to fall out of love with your dh, you married young, we change as we grow older, things change, but you probably should have left a lot sooner.

Highlighta · 15/01/2026 14:34

Migrainedays · 15/01/2026 14:12

Im single maybe i should sign up.
Seems to be the gym is where the action is 😆.

Not my gym.

I was there yesterday and there was a very strong aroma of male BO all around.

I decided I'd rather stay single than subject myself to that again
😂

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 15/01/2026 14:35

Your marriage is over anyway. For the sake of having an amicable divorce for the children, I would pause the relationship with the gym guy and give it a few months maybe get counselling and check you still want to divorce, and then work on ending your marriage in a way thats as smooth as possible. If you're going to split anyway I wouldn't pour fuel on the flames by confessing, it will just hurt your family more than needed. After you're divorced you can pick up with gym guy if you still both want to

Migrainedays · 15/01/2026 14:38

Highlighta · 15/01/2026 14:34

Not my gym.

I was there yesterday and there was a very strong aroma of male BO all around.

I decided I'd rather stay single than subject myself to that again
😂

Bugger I got my up the bum short shorts ordered.
I'll order a peg for my nose as well ill order a few because up bum shorts make you stink as well so I'll blend in 😆.

lisar47 · 15/01/2026 14:38

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

ERthree · 15/01/2026 14:40

What a mess and whole lot of hurt you will cause. Your children will now always know what you are. At least do one decent thing in your life and tell your Husband today. I hope you intend to leave the family home as you are the one in the wrong here. The guy you are having an affair with will never trust you because you have shown him you are a cheat and can be so deceitful for so long, and frankly it is exactly what you deserve.

Judgejudysno1fan · 15/01/2026 14:41

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

With bum scrunch and horny forever written across the front next to the camel toe.

downunder50 · 15/01/2026 14:41

FrodisCapering · 15/01/2026 14:02

The morality police are out in force, OP.
Do what seems right. You only get one life.

So does her husband and he deserves a better life than being stuck with a cheating, lying wife.

'I don’t know my children or parents would react to me having done something so horrible.'
Guess you should have thought about that before you started shagging someone else. I assume you're shagging because it would be an affair if you just had a chat at the gym every now and then would it?

It's fine to fall out of love, so why haven't you left? No doubt it wasn't financially convenient and you didn't want to look bad. Your poor family. Your husband needs to know that he needs an STD check, and so do you - or you could just carry on being a selfish, coward. Grim.

MaryStP · 15/01/2026 14:41

Cheating cannot be condoned but I don't automatically think someone cheating is a bad person. Relationships are hard and some circumstances make cheating more forgivable than others. So without knowing your motives, no judgement from me.

As for the advice, the first thing you need to do is decide if you want to have a proper relationship with your affair partner.

If not, end it with him and end it with your husband. Probably need to do it back to back in case affair partner decides to tell husband before you get there.

If you want a relationship with the affair partner, I would have a frank discussion with him, let him know you want to leave your husband, but tell him that you need time before you can go public with your relationship. Assuming he is understanding then I would break up with husband and not tell him about the affair. It doesn't ultimately change the situation and it saves hurting him further. People will no doubt disagree because they're morally perfect and I am not, but you need to do the best for your children and yourself too.

Note that if affair partner is not understanding, reconsider if you want that future with him after all.

I'd then go through the formal process of breaking up - it's tough but must be done - and I would keep things very much on the down low with your new partner. That doesn't mean not seeing him, but it means maintaining the discretion you have had for the last nine months.

When the storm has blown over, introduce your new man as your new man.

Might people find out further down the line? Possibly. Perhaps you might even want to share the full truth with ex and / or kids further down the line. But they will all hurt less when the situation isn't so raw.

If it helps, my husband's parents broke up in childhood and it later emerged his mother was having an affair before the break up happened. MIL and affair partner are still together 30 years later and everyone got over it. His parents are actually back on pretty friendly terms. People move on.

Highlighta · 15/01/2026 14:42

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Under Armour tights actually.

lisar47 · 15/01/2026 14:44

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

lisar47 · 15/01/2026 14:44

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

WallaceinAnderland · 15/01/2026 14:44

He says now that I have to tell my husband about us so that we can officially get together but this would mean admitting to what I’ve done.

What's wrong with telling them? You seem quite proud of yourself, shout it from the rooftops, take out an ad, tell your friends and family why you decided you were entitled to cheat on your husband.

Blame him. Blame your fuck buddy. Blame work. Blame life. Blame the kids. Just don't take any blame yourself because you needed to cheat and lie. It's not your fault. GO GIRL!

Swipe left for the next trending thread