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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:
DallazMajor · 28/06/2026 23:41

Play stupid games; win stupid prizes.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:42

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.

This is how I am feeling but I am trying not to act on that and to see how I just set myself up to fail here....

Feel like such a fool

OP posts:
AbzMoz · 28/06/2026 23:43

So the party was last week and you’re still reeling about it? How have you been acting tk each other in the meantime?

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:43

So all of you agree then that the crush was not my imagination, I was playing with fire calling her again, he acted bizarre as he loses his head around her, etc.

But that means he has gaslighted me for 9 years

OP posts:
MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:44

AbzMoz · 28/06/2026 23:43

So the party was last week and you’re still reeling about it? How have you been acting tk each other in the meantime?

It was today , but thought too outing to say so as too specific

OP posts:
3luckystars · 28/06/2026 23:44

Well he is hardly going to admit he likes her to you is he? Of course he would lie.

Trust yourself x

Passingthrough123 · 28/06/2026 23:45

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:43

So all of you agree then that the crush was not my imagination, I was playing with fire calling her again, he acted bizarre as he loses his head around her, etc.

But that means he has gaslighted me for 9 years

No, I don’t agree. If he was going to lose his head over her this time, it would have been here he took off for a walk, not her husband. You’ve manipulated a situation for no reason.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:46

AnneLovesGilbert · 28/06/2026 23:34

Be a man and leave who? You?

Yes, if he cant sing a duet with me in front of her, then just go be with her ahole

sorry not you anne, him

OP posts:
MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:46

Fucking hell.....

OP posts:
BettyJoanPerske · 28/06/2026 23:48

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:43

So all of you agree then that the crush was not my imagination, I was playing with fire calling her again, he acted bizarre as he loses his head around her, etc.

But that means he has gaslighted me for 9 years

I don't agree, no. It doesn't sound as if he was avoiding you because he carries a torch for her, it sounds as if he was annoyed at you for testing him. Even if he had fancied her nine years ago, it is highly unlikely that he would still be thinking about her after all that time.

BettyJoanPerske · 28/06/2026 23:49

3luckystars · 28/06/2026 23:44

Well he is hardly going to admit he likes her to you is he? Of course he would lie.

Trust yourself x

OP is a very strange person. If this is real, I could well imagine it was all in her head.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:49

outerspacepotato · 28/06/2026 23:18

You were unreasonable for inviting her.

Let those sleeping dog crushes lie.

He has been insisting for 9 years that there was nothing there though

Who does that, lie consistently for 9 years,

OP posts:
KilkennyCats · 28/06/2026 23:50

What on earth were you playing at, inviting her?
It’s bitten you right on the arse and you have no one to blame but yourself.

Passingthrough123 · 28/06/2026 23:50

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:46

Yes, if he cant sing a duet with me in front of her, then just go be with her ahole

sorry not you anne, him

How old are you all, out of interest? Because you sound young and judging the state of your marriage on a karaoke performance is a bit daft. If you have been happy in the years you have been in the suburbs, isn’t that more important?

KilkennyCats · 28/06/2026 23:50

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:49

He has been insisting for 9 years that there was nothing there though

Who does that, lie consistently for 9 years,

It’s been a topic of conversation for nine years? Confused

Crinkle77 · 28/06/2026 23:51

Couples games? I'm sorry but I imagine most people, particularly the men would find that excruciating. No wonder they bailed.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:51

BettyJoanPerske · 28/06/2026 23:48

I don't agree, no. It doesn't sound as if he was avoiding you because he carries a torch for her, it sounds as if he was annoyed at you for testing him. Even if he had fancied her nine years ago, it is highly unlikely that he would still be thinking about her after all that time.

But he kept saying he misses the old group

Is it inconceivable I actually felt secure enough to call her and let all of them just be friends like pre pandemic

I did not notice he was talking to her when I called him for just a minute to take his plate before i closed everything up

FFS

OP posts:
DallazMajor · 28/06/2026 23:51

Were you planning on singing “Jolene”?

I don’t believe this story is real.

Wagyue · 28/06/2026 23:52

He may or may not have a crush on her, whatever.

He sounds like a twat.
Like he was a twat 9 years ago too.

He's no prize OP.

I would be thinking about do you really want to be married to such a tit.

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:53

KilkennyCats · 28/06/2026 23:50

It’s been a topic of conversation for nine years? Confused

Yes how I overreacted and ruined his good friendship with her family for nothing

In fact I did not ruin the friendship ,and when she knew I was cringing over his crush, she still trusted me to leave her kids with us on many sleepovers while they moved (same neighbourhood) and got their new place sorted

I think I am done with DH and this marriage

OP posts:
Corvidsarethebest · 28/06/2026 23:53

OP, you have said yourself you are spiralling.

Have you been drinking at this event? I don't feel like your perceptions of the situation are quite right.

He and you have unresolved issues from the past, and they flared up again. It doesn't sound like she was particularly interested in him today, and he went for a walk with his old friend, which was not ideal, but he just body-swerved the stress that was building.

All your fantasies about singing couples songs and appearing so in love to others are quite odd.

I once had a bbq go like this, I offended my husband in what seemed to me a trivial way, it blew up and he more or less ignored me for the rest of the party. It was awful and I had to hide how upset I was from the guests- I did such a good job, they didn't leave for hours! We got on fine in most other situations, parties, and alcohol, don't always bring out the best in each other.

There's no reason to collapse your marriage, nothing has happened, some old wounds from the past have resurfaced. You were in error inviting them as it reopened them up even though there was nothing much in it, and he was in error reacting to the whole thing.

Have a sleep, get up, start getting on again, put it behind you. Don't have couples parties that stir up trouble.

professionalcommentreader · 28/06/2026 23:53

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:43

So all of you agree then that the crush was not my imagination, I was playing with fire calling her again, he acted bizarre as he loses his head around her, etc.

But that means he has gaslighted me for 9 years

No, you sound weirdly obsessed with this woman, why?

Arregaithel · 28/06/2026 23:54

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:43

So all of you agree then that the crush was not my imagination, I was playing with fire calling her again, he acted bizarre as he loses his head around her, etc.

But that means he has gaslighted me for 9 years

No, I don't agree with you @MonicaGeller010203

He may very well have had a crush on her but he's been married to you for over 20 years and after you'd moved away from this couple he's probably never mentioned her again?

Could it be that he took the woman's husband on a walk because your behaviour was bizarre and it's you who loses your head around her, as you're looking for signs of something inappropriate?

There must be more going on here than just this woman, if, you are prepared to throw a 20 year marriage away

thebustonowhere · 28/06/2026 23:54

My thoughts are, and I don’t want to be unkind but it’s going to sound harsh, is that you invited them to see your new home, your upgrade, your new circle of friends and how great you’re doing and how you’ve moved on. I can’t think of a reason why you would invite someone that made you feel insecure in the past.

Bumcake · 28/06/2026 23:54

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:46

Yes, if he cant sing a duet with me in front of her, then just go be with her ahole

sorry not you anne, him

Go and be with her ahole? Blimey.

i believed all this until you over-egged the duet.

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