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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel like I was made a fool of by DH again

1000 replies

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 22:55

Almost nine years ago, DH started getting mentionitis and a pretty obvious (to me) crush on a neighbour of ours. We frequently hung out together and DC's played. Got really awkward, she knew how I felt and I always believed it highly entertained her and gave her a sense of power. She was unemployed, cash strapped and with both DC in kid , she was under pressure from her H and family to find a job. She used my DH for a lot of small favours and help and used me and the DC at times too.

Cutting to the chase, moved to a new neighbourhood to upsize to the suburbs 4-5 years ago. Lost touch with them. Last week was our 20th wedding anniv and I decided to invite them too.

H had always maintained it was a good familial friendship that i ruined with suspicion even though there was nothing there. In our new community I have a fab gang of girlfriends while he has struggled to make any, he gets along like on an acquaintance level only with their husbands, and hasn't made any other friends

I genuinely thought we had moved on from all that re 8-9 years ago low key drama. But no. He swears when I tried calling him inside to plate up his food that I was seething that he was talking to her (I swear I did not even notice who he was talking as they were sitting out in the garden in a circle, everyone else had their BBQ, and other food on plates, only he had not started yt). His friend asked me why H was not eating with the rest of us. I wish to God I had plated up food for him and taken it to him rather than call him in (for just a minute to take his food).

Later for the rest of the party, he avoided me - I had planned games in the garden for the 6 couples - like musical chairs, a couples duet singing competition that our teen kids were meant to be judging us on (all in fun) - he bailed on the whole thing , took the husband of this lady (not the other men, though one tagged along behind, and the other 2-3 were at a loose end) for a walk, and left us ladies to it, though I had told them the plan was going to be couples stuff, maybe even a little music and dance.

He sulked for the next couple of hours, though was back to something like normalcy by the time the last couple who stayed back (not the ones from the old neighbourhood) to chat and share silly stories, tea and some laughs before leaving. But for me the afternoon felt spoilt

I am not sure what my question is I think the main one is Am in AIBU to feel I was trying to do something nice for him , to show him I was more secure now or I trusted more and to feel like I was made a fool of again. Or was he somehow in the right.

OP posts:
Thundertoast · 28/06/2026 22:59

Why did you invite someone who you'd lost touch with, who you thought your husband had a crush on?? Werent they surprised at the invite due to the lost touch? If you still felt the need to prove how secure you are to your husband, then your marriage surely isn't in a good enough place to be holding a big party to celebrate?

Tel12 · 28/06/2026 23:01

You invited her!?

nomas · 28/06/2026 23:04

He sounds like knob, you don’t need to prove anything to him.

I would forget about pleasing him and think about whether you want to stay married to such a petulant dickhead.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:04

Tel12 · 28/06/2026 23:01

You invited her!?

Well yes, as H for 4 years now has , everytime the topic of old neighbourhood friends, came up reminded me how I 'got all suspicious over nothing' and I know he never relaxed here and seemed to enjoy events with the new group as much as with the old group as he takes a lot more time than me to warm up

I geniunely thought we were past the silliness, I had overreacted 9 years ago and it would all be fine now .....I am still trying to understand how yet again it went wrong

OP posts:
Isittimeformynapyet · 28/06/2026 23:04

I could only just follow your story, I think.

Yeah, just weird to have invited her.

Createausername1970 · 28/06/2026 23:05

He shouldn't have gone off from the BBQ, that was a rude to everyone else.

From what you describe it sounds like he might miss other male company and wanted to catch up with an old friend.

I was expecting you to say he was with the female.

He was wrong to do what he did though, and I would have been annoyed too.

MaCheCazzo · 28/06/2026 23:07

So if there was a scorpion outside your tent would you ask it in for a chat, a coffee and an attempt to find some common ground or would you leave it the fuck outside where it belongs and is 99% less likely to sting you?
your whole party sounds arse about face and naively conceived tbh.

Isittimeformynapyet · 28/06/2026 23:08

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:04

Well yes, as H for 4 years now has , everytime the topic of old neighbourhood friends, came up reminded me how I 'got all suspicious over nothing' and I know he never relaxed here and seemed to enjoy events with the new group as much as with the old group as he takes a lot more time than me to warm up

I geniunely thought we were past the silliness, I had overreacted 9 years ago and it would all be fine now .....I am still trying to understand how yet again it went wrong

"seemed to enjoy events with the new group as much as with the old group",

Surely he did not enjoy the new group? Your writing is not easy to follow.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:09

Createausername1970 · 28/06/2026 23:05

He shouldn't have gone off from the BBQ, that was a rude to everyone else.

From what you describe it sounds like he might miss other male company and wanted to catch up with an old friend.

I was expecting you to say he was with the female.

He was wrong to do what he did though, and I would have been annoyed too.

I think with most AIBUs , people want confirmation they are in the right, I am actually still reeling - he was wrong to overreact (I really was just calling him to take his plate, agree in retrospect clearly I could have let him eat or not eat, but I had not even noticed he was talking to her, there was a big group talking all together in a circle, while I was helping the last few latecomers plate up.)

Why the fuck does he think I would call her just to make a scene. I dont know if part of me wanted her to also see that the insecurity which she clearly saw, was just a blip in otherwise long and enduring marriage. But the reverse happened if anything

Also my older DC who almost always sees eye to eye with me said ' was it just wanting drama that made you invite her mum'

If it was H asking something like that, I would move past it, but DC asking it .....
Did I just call her for drama, that period of time was one of the , if not the most, worst in my life and i wanted a repeat?

OP posts:
wishfulthinking25 · 28/06/2026 23:11

You made a rod for your own back by inviting her

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:12

Isittimeformynapyet · 28/06/2026 23:08

"seemed to enjoy events with the new group as much as with the old group",

Surely he did not enjoy the new group? Your writing is not easy to follow.

Sorry he seemed to always enjoy more with the old group, I meant

The new group has more ppl from the same part of the country as me, and likewise I suppose for him with the old group

When they were leaving, she and her husband, I actually said pls do include him in your cycling group like you used to, as he still misses the old group - Would I say that if I was still insecure. He has struggled to make new friends here and often mentions that I with my suspicions spoiled the old group camaraderie where he had similar hobbies etc

OP posts:
MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:14

MaCheCazzo · 28/06/2026 23:07

So if there was a scorpion outside your tent would you ask it in for a chat, a coffee and an attempt to find some common ground or would you leave it the fuck outside where it belongs and is 99% less likely to sting you?
your whole party sounds arse about face and naively conceived tbh.

:-(

I keep wanting to prove to myself that I am not scared of scorpions and each time in fact, I get stung and left crying ....

I do not know what I was trying to do now

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 28/06/2026 23:14

Also my older DC who almost always sees eye to eye with me said ' was it just wanting drama that made you invite her mum'

That is extremely telling.

You invited a woman you’d considered a threat to your marriage to your anniversary party, to show her how strong your marriage is. You didn’t just invite people for food, there were couple challenges like singing which presumably you thought you and your husband would win and you could show her how irrelevant she was?

It sounds like a bit of a spectacle. I don’t blame him for catching up with an old man friend. He was rude to walk away but I think he knew what you were up to and absented himself from the show.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:15

AnneLovesGilbert · 28/06/2026 23:14

Also my older DC who almost always sees eye to eye with me said ' was it just wanting drama that made you invite her mum'

That is extremely telling.

You invited a woman you’d considered a threat to your marriage to your anniversary party, to show her how strong your marriage is. You didn’t just invite people for food, there were couple challenges like singing which presumably you thought you and your husband would win and you could show her how irrelevant she was?

It sounds like a bit of a spectacle. I don’t blame him for catching up with an old man friend. He was rude to walk away but I think he knew what you were up to and absented himself from the show.

It was her husband the person he went off on a walk with

OP posts:
MyArtfulGreySloth · 28/06/2026 23:16

That whole thing is just weird. You shouldn’t have invited her.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:18

AnneLovesGilbert · 28/06/2026 23:14

Also my older DC who almost always sees eye to eye with me said ' was it just wanting drama that made you invite her mum'

That is extremely telling.

You invited a woman you’d considered a threat to your marriage to your anniversary party, to show her how strong your marriage is. You didn’t just invite people for food, there were couple challenges like singing which presumably you thought you and your husband would win and you could show her how irrelevant she was?

It sounds like a bit of a spectacle. I don’t blame him for catching up with an old man friend. He was rude to walk away but I think he knew what you were up to and absented himself from the show.

I invited her to show her how strong my marriage is?

I wish I could deny this completely but... there was that in small part too ....

NO I didnt want to win, but I thought he was going to proudly and affectionately sing 'our song' with me because we did stuff like that last year with our new group and everyone had fun , the other couples too......

OP posts:
outerspacepotato · 28/06/2026 23:18

You were unreasonable for inviting her.

Let those sleeping dog crushes lie.

Createausername1970 · 28/06/2026 23:19

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:09

I think with most AIBUs , people want confirmation they are in the right, I am actually still reeling - he was wrong to overreact (I really was just calling him to take his plate, agree in retrospect clearly I could have let him eat or not eat, but I had not even noticed he was talking to her, there was a big group talking all together in a circle, while I was helping the last few latecomers plate up.)

Why the fuck does he think I would call her just to make a scene. I dont know if part of me wanted her to also see that the insecurity which she clearly saw, was just a blip in otherwise long and enduring marriage. But the reverse happened if anything

Also my older DC who almost always sees eye to eye with me said ' was it just wanting drama that made you invite her mum'

If it was H asking something like that, I would move past it, but DC asking it .....
Did I just call her for drama, that period of time was one of the , if not the most, worst in my life and i wanted a repeat?

You have quoted me, but your post bears no resemblance to what I said?

I think, somehow, you have raised an astute DC.

Arregaithel · 28/06/2026 23:20

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:14

:-(

I keep wanting to prove to myself that I am not scared of scorpions and each time in fact, I get stung and left crying ....

I do not know what I was trying to do now

sounds like you were testing him @MonicaGeller010203?

3luckystars · 28/06/2026 23:20

That’s very strange behaviour from you.
What were you trying to prove?

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:21

Createausername1970 · 28/06/2026 23:19

You have quoted me, but your post bears no resemblance to what I said?

I think, somehow, you have raised an astute DC.

Sorry your post was sympathetic in that, he was rude to walk off for almost the rest of the post lunch activities planned ( well non activities)

So I just responded to it with more of my rant

OP posts:
3luckystars · 28/06/2026 23:22

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:18

I invited her to show her how strong my marriage is?

I wish I could deny this completely but... there was that in small part too ....

NO I didnt want to win, but I thought he was going to proudly and affectionately sing 'our song' with me because we did stuff like that last year with our new group and everyone had fun , the other couples too......

Oh right, that is really cringe about the song, you were trying to show that he is madly in love with you and you are so happy. So you invited someone he fancies along to see it.

we have all done that, planned things that turned out differently than expected but you were really playing with fire there.

Does he still like her?

Pansykavalier · 28/06/2026 23:23

I’m sorry, but this whole party was ill conceived, slightly cringe, and it all blew up in your face.

You are trying to put a genie back in the bottle. This will never work. The love and the trust has gone, and he doesn’t seem to care.

Time to grab the nettle and decide what you REALLY want to do with the rest of your life.

Wagyue · 28/06/2026 23:24

I'm sorry OP but it seems celebrating a marriage with him was not a great idea.

Your eldest made a very strange remark and suggests as a child they know far too much which is really unfair, that would be my biggest concern.
Your child should not be aware of this.

I cannot fathom you asking this woman to your gathering.

Never invite her again.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:24

Arregaithel · 28/06/2026 23:20

sounds like you were testing him @MonicaGeller010203?

Edited

If that is what I was trying to do (but I SWEAR what I thought at the time I was doing was merely acknowledging that it was just my imagination 9 years ago, and I had seen it for what it was, just my silly imagination, all fine here now, nothing to look at etc)

then he failed the test by refusing to sing with me, even though he knew I had it planned the whole week, and walking off - I felt so humiliated because they all knew I had planned the afternoon different to what ended up occurring (just sat around and had a girls chat, even though we are not in the same girl group)

OP posts:
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