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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:
Clarabell77 · 29/06/2026 05:49

i couldn’t live with this sort of high school
level drama and are anniversaries not celebrated by the two people involved.

AutumnLover1990 · 29/06/2026 05:56

Bit weird that you invited her,when the move was a good time to cut all ties with this woman. That's the big mistake here.

TrishM80 · 29/06/2026 06:04

I don't understand why some people on this thread are still blaming the husband.

He literally did nothing wrong, just refused in partake in the OP's bizarre cabaret!

ChaToilLeam · 29/06/2026 06:10

You're nuts to have invited her. You were testing him and he saw through it.

Idratherhaveafishsupper · 29/06/2026 06:11

MonicaGeller010203 · 28/06/2026 23:28

Song planned indeed was the Beckham's version of Islands in the stream !

This just gets worse! I am cringing on your behalf.

Woodfiresareamazing2 · 29/06/2026 06:12

Just for a moment imagine your H has been telling you the truth about his lack of feelings for this woman.

It sounds like you have made her a focus for any dissatisfaction with your H for 9 years.

Despite this you have invited her and her family over a few times , and been to their home too.

At your party today he was talking to her (perfectly normal, she's one of several guests), and you called him away.
He has got annoyed with you because he thought you were doing it deliberately to split them up because of your jealousy of her.
Not an unreasonable thing for him to think given the background of your jealousy and accusations.

He is then, understandably, not going to be in the right frame of mind to sing a sappy duet with you (did he ever really want to?!).

It sounds like he then just took himself out of the way to avoid any dramatics.

You were hoping to recreate the fun of a previous party where, apparently, couples each did a sappy dance. But sometimes the vibe just isn't there when we try to make it happen again.

I hope when you wake up today you will be in a better frame of mind to properly consider everything.

What actually happened 9 years ago?

Does your H still run the club, and is she still involved?

Have you had a mostly happy marriage?

Is your H generally loving and supportive?

Are you happy with yourself?

What, if anything, would you change about your life now?

Good luck OP, and I hope your hangover isn't too bad.

AtlasPine · 29/06/2026 06:13

TrishM80 · 29/06/2026 06:04

I don't understand why some people on this thread are still blaming the husband.

He literally did nothing wrong, just refused in partake in the OP's bizarre cabaret!

Don’t think I agree with this. He presumably agreed to her organising the party to include the songs etc and to invite the woman.

Having said that, it does sound like the drama has been kept alive for years and jealousy has had a place in this marriage for years both ways. The OP is getting a bit too much of a kicking though while she’s been spiralling and maybe needs sober time to reflect before deciding calmly where the future lies for them. The relationship doesn’t seem very harmonious wherever the actual truth lies.

SweepSqueaks · 29/06/2026 06:20

TrishM80 · 29/06/2026 06:04

I don't understand why some people on this thread are still blaming the husband.

He literally did nothing wrong, just refused in partake in the OP's bizarre cabaret!

I know, that’s what I was thinking. I’m not saying it’s great to go for a walk in the middle of a party but there was tension there which an according to the OP’s own daughter is something that the OP courts and he removed himself. And not for the whole time as the op says he also avoided her!

I wouldn’t like it if my husband called me over to eat like I was a young child. Or set up a scenario where I was to perform a duet to show a woman I haven’t seen for a decade that my relationship was good.

MissyMooPoo2 · 29/06/2026 06:22

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

Should have left it alone, OP. Inviting her was so weird that I can see why he thinks you were having a go - it looks like you were setting him up to fail. Now she’s back in contact with him!

MissyMooPoo2 · 29/06/2026 06:27

3luckystars · 28/06/2026 23:22

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?

Edited

No, we haven’t all played these games!!

Dontwearmysocks · 29/06/2026 06:29

TrishM80 · 29/06/2026 01:55

Arranging a party so you could do a soppy duet with your husband in front of a woman you're insanely jealous of has got to be some of the most toe-curlingly, cringiest shit I've ever heard.

No wonder he fucked off for a walk, I don't blame him!

Hard agree…

Thepeopleversuswork · 29/06/2026 06:34

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.

Its very odd that you have chosen to dig up some ancient sleight involving a woman who your husband may or may not have had a crush on and turned it into some psychodrama a decade later. Its impossible to know how he felt about this woman but dredging it up again like this was never going to end well. It feels like you are struggling to deal with this: fair enough but this was not the right forum for it. If it’s still an issue in your marriage maybe counselling was the way to do it.

Its disturbing that you have chosen to involve your children in this. It suggests you have extremely poor boundaries.

As for “couples games” and “our song”, words fail me. If I was there I would have made my excuses and left then and there due to the cringe factor. Why do you want to rope other people into this?

pinkdelight · 29/06/2026 06:37

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

This is nuts. My DH and many others I expect would rather die than sing cringey duets in front of a bunch of their wife’s friends to prove their love or whatever test you’ve turned this into. The whole party sounds too much esp for a man who you know isn’t as sociable as you and isn’t into this group like you are. And then to invite this woman into the mix is madness. Even your kids can see it.

As for begging them to take your DH cycling now…. What are you on??? Stop interfering and tempting fate, and let him have some choices. I’d much rather go a walk with a friend than play silly games (on both levels). Why not just have a meal on your anniversary instead of concocting such shenanigans and then blaming him for not doing everything you want.

GirlFromMontmartre · 29/06/2026 06:37

The games are killing me off with cringe. Actually picturing my own husband if we rocked up to a party and realised this was expected of us…

Sparkletastic · 29/06/2026 06:38

How do you feel now you’ve sobered up OP?

CloudyWithAChanceOfCustard · 29/06/2026 06:40

Sounds to me like you initiated some kind of perverse test, to see what he/she would do?

I mean…it’s just bloody weird if you OP!! Why the fuck would invite her…just why??? 😖🤦‍♀️

keepswimming38 · 29/06/2026 06:42

Weird that you thought it appropriate to invite her tbh. I think you brought this on yourself in a weird masochistic way!

pinkdelight · 29/06/2026 06:46

And i hope you’ve got over the “I’m going to make him regret this” vendetta. Stop feeding this drama or split up if you dislike him this much. Shows how fake the duet would’ve been that you can flip to such bitterness rather than accept your mistakes, make up and rebuild. Hopefully you’re feeling more mature this morn and aren’t plotting some unnecessary revenge.

CaesarAugusta · 29/06/2026 06:48

It does feel to me that you have blown this up way beyond what actually happened. I suspect it's little more than that your husband did think you had deliberately called him to get him away from this woman without any valid reason, and then decided that the safest thing was to go off with one of the blokes. The notion that going for a walk with a man means that he is having an affair with that man's wife, or wants to, is just bonkers.

AuntCatherine · 29/06/2026 06:48

I also echo that you were crazy to invite her. Nothing good was going to come of that. You decided to stay together despite the perceived threat 9 years ago. The only option, if staying together, is to eliminate the threat. Never invite it to a bbq.

rigatonichira · 29/06/2026 06:59

I am cringing very hard 😱

ColinOfficeTrolley · 29/06/2026 07:00

That you're actually using the Beckham's sham of am marriage as some kind of flag to pin your hopes on, says everything.

Honestly, you guys are done.

Even your child knows it.

You're going to wake up with a thumping head, beer fear and a sense of regret.

Take this time to really really think about what you 'planned' for this awful, toe curlingly cringefest of a party and think to yourself, is this where you really want to be?

The comparisons to Friends, copying the Beckham's etc., are so fucking bizarre.

Take a deep, hard look inside yourself.

SaskiaWatkins · 29/06/2026 07:00

Sparkletastic · 29/06/2026 06:38

How do you feel now you’ve sobered up OP?

I imagine the hangxiety is insane this morning, and warranted (if this thread is true)

rigatonichira · 29/06/2026 07:01

Idratherhaveafishsupper · 29/06/2026 06:11

This just gets worse! I am cringing on your behalf.

😭

Lugol · 29/06/2026 07:01

This whole party sounds stressful.

What the fuck is the Beckham's version of Islands in the Stream?!

Surely there is only the Kenny Rogers and Dolly version?

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