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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Need some balance- cheating.

147 replies

couldbebetter · 14/07/2010 19:19

DP and I have been together for quite a few years and have young children. I am pregnant now. DP has been acting strange lately and I dont know if Im taking things out of proportion or seeing things that arent there.

It started about a month ago when Dp went out for a friends birthday and came back at 5am. This is really unusual for him as he usually gets tired/ fed up and gets back at about 2am at the latest. I called him that night several times as one of the Dc's seemed really unwell. He didnt answer. When I asked him why so late and why he hadnt answered the phone he said that he had left his phone in his car because he didnt want a bulk in his pocket. He was late due to some big run around dropping friend off that lives quite far. I felt suspicious( he always keeps his phone with him) but dropped it.

A week ago Dp said he was going out. When I asked with who, he got cagey and said " a friend." I asked for the name. He said someone I didnt know from his college days. Then gave me a name a had vaguely heard of. He said he was going to pop in. When I asked more he said he had planned to go with friends that I do know but he hadnt mentioned them at first. He could have said he was going out with the friends I know and I would have thought nothing of it. He went out that night and then came back late even though he was just "popping in".

I had a look at his googlemail-it was signed in and saw a message from a girl I had not heard of. It didn't say anything incriminating but it was a very recent message and I know he usually deletes messages- apparently but he keeps all the boring ones. He must have seen that I had looked and logged out of google but didnt confront me. He now keeps it logged out.

Today he said he had to take a friend to a&e at 6pm apparently this friend has back pain. This was all arranged at 2pm in the afternoon. I asked why 6pm if he needs to go to a&e surely he would need to go straight away. Said friend was at work/ noone to take him/ parking issues etc.later he said friend had taken himself to a walk in clinic.

I picked up his phone earlier to ring my phone - couldnt find it, and he seemed a bit panicked and asked what I was doing.

He keeps taking his laptop to the bedroom late at night after saying he is going to sleep- we have a computer in the sitting room. He has spelt his name differently on facebook and I cant think of a reason for that. He has pictures of our children although on a private setting but nothing to explain who they are and no mention of him being in a relationship. his page is private Im not really a face book user but I was curious so I asked to be invited on he took a day before accepting and then there was nothing really on his page at all.

My instinct is telling me that something is going on but I have absolutely nothing to go on just situations that could possibly be explained. Im not a paranoid person. I have never thought any previous partner was cheating on me or been hurt by a past experience. I feel like Im going mad at the moment. There was a similar experience in both my previous pregnancies weird reasons for going out/ going to see his family/ protective of his phone/ leaving room to take calls etc. I confronted him and he seemed quite genuine in his denial and I believed him. I dont know if its pregnancy hormones creating things or there is a pattern of behaviour.

Sorry I know most of this is rambling. Im not possessive or jealous. I dont cross examine him every time he goes out he can go where he likes with who he likes I only ask questions when he becomes cagey or says things that dont quite add up. I can see no reason for him to be so cagey.

OP posts:
couldbebetter · 17/07/2010 15:37

SO I confronted him. I didnt accuse. I said it was unacceptable to stay out so late and not be contactable he agreed and apologised- great.

Then I said I felt he was behaving suspiciously and asked him why he would tell me where he was going he said that he doesnt like to be answerable to anyone. I asked him specific question about what I had found- the girls birthday. he said he thought I knew it was a girl so I asked why so cagey said some rubbish about just popping in not definitely gong etc. I then asked why he didnt say where he was going yesterday when I know that he knew he said that he didnt know they were definitely going tickets etc. I said I had checked his text and he knew. I knew that he knew which also means he could have deleted before he gave me access. I asked why he hadnt confronted me if he knew I was snooping he said that he wanted to see that I would find nothing. I pointed out that if he already knew he would have deleted anything incriminating. I told him that I cant live with him being so closed that I need him to be so open for us to continue. He did some round about the bushes and decided the answer to our problem is to buy some more furniture together.

I told him that I want to know where he is going when he goes out, him not to be attached to his phone, full access to facebook and couldnt understand why he hadnt given it. He then went stroppy did it and asked me sarcastically if I was happy now. While I have found nothing from looking his answers have not reassured me either. nor has his attitude about facebook. he is currently sleeping on sofa. Am thinking to ask him to leave maybe permanent maybe temporary but so that he can think whether he actually wants the same things I do.

In his one and only defence I can think of his family used to be terribly intrusive when he lived with them so maybe he is always on the defensive out of habit but that doesnt help me feel I can trust him.

OP posts:
ladylush · 17/07/2010 15:41

well done couldbe - hope you feel better for confronting him.

ladylush · 17/07/2010 15:43

Oh and he is answerable to you - as you are to him. That's what happens when you are in a relationship - and particularly one where you are about to have a child.

ladylush · 17/07/2010 15:44

Just noticed you already have dc and are about to have another. Nuff said!

helicopterview · 17/07/2010 19:29

Let's assume for a minute there's no OW, and everything that's worried you recently can be completely innocently explained.

He may be feeling defensive now and wrongly accused.

However, he is also at the very least behaving selfishly and without sensitivity to the fact that you are effectively housebound in the evenings with your lack of babysitting.

If the roles were reversed would you be going out til 4am, without any communication about where you were or when you'd be back? He's taking you for granted.

I assume he was tired and hungover the next day? So you had to cover for him, when you'd have liked some support.

I think he needs to look after you. You are pregnant and in need of more, not less from you dh.

Tell him what you want (but given that he may be pissed off, do it gently)

Get some babysitting and go out together.

Octobrrr · 17/07/2010 19:35

Hi there couldbebetter, I hope you're alright. I think confronting him was a good thing to do, even though the end result sounds as though it's left you as confused as ever. Do you have any family near you, or that you and your DC could stay with for a few days? I say this because I think space could be exactly what you need. In my situation, living with my DP was like a pressure cooker - I ended up staying with my DC and parents for three weeks which gave us both time to get our heads sorted, then we met up in a neutral place (DC stayed with my parents) and spent a day talking through everything. Me being away gave DP the chance to realise that he'd been taking me for granted, and vice versa. It was a horrible three weeks, don't get me wrong, but it was what we needed to re-evaluate our relationship and give us the space to work out what we wanted - which as it turned out was the same thing, to sort things out and move on stronger. Time apart doesn't have to mean a separation. If you can't get away, then maybe explain how you're feeling and perhaps he could stay with family/friends for a few nights...?

Keep your chin up xx

rupert22 · 17/07/2010 20:10

I think i would have snooped for longer before confronting him. The comment that he doenst like being answerable to anyone? Are you anyone? What an insulting remark. And i doubt he would be happy if you went out till 5 and didnt answer calls and left him holding the baby.

Surely his social life should have calmed down a lot now he has a young family?

couldbebetter · 17/07/2010 20:28

No he wasnt hungover- doesnt drink. He did sleep until 9 but then got up to help with the kids. He knows the deal with that that he doesnt get out of childcare because he chose to stay out late.

Octobrr I do still feel confused. Whilst in some ways he has a very genuine reaction to be asked if something was going on, but at the same time he answers questions in vague way that doesnt really answer anything. Getting stroppy about the FB was also odd - he was funny about giving me the same access as his friends which doesnt say much for our relationship. I have spent this afternoon thinking through my next move whether I push for a short break or permanent one. Practically speaking Im not actually sure that a short break is possible because of the DCS routines and there is nowhere for us to go. If its a permanent one I would ask him to leave and just have to get through the disruption and work out how to do it alone.

I am so scared of being alone with 3 kids especially with he extra needs of one. I find it hard to cope with both of us here and we only have 2 so far. In general Ive never had a problem being on my own and always been very independent but I think the prospect of being alone for a very long time if not forever, very lonely.

OP posts:
Winetimeisfinetime · 17/07/2010 20:48

Sorry to hear you are having to deal with this, especially whilst pregnant. I wonder if his evasiveness could be to do with money rather than an OW ? You said he has a secret credit card couldbebetter, that he claims has a zero balance, could he be gambling ?

rupert22 · 17/07/2010 22:06

I'm even more perplexed to discover he doesnt drink!

Why would a grown man, a family man, want to stay out in pubs and clubs till 5am, not drinking, not doing drugs, not seeing ow, not gambling? What is it that he loves so much about his boys nights out?

couldbebetter · 17/07/2010 22:07

No definitely not gambling. He is very against it as he has a family member who has gone really downhill with massive debts etc.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 18/07/2010 13:59

Rupert, I am confused too

What the hell is he doing then ?

helicopterview · 18/07/2010 16:02

Like Rupert and AF, wondering how he stays up til all hours, not drinking, not gambling.

Does he use any drugs, as far as you know? I'm thinking cocaine, for late night energy, and possibly impact on his spending? Would you be disapproving? Would he feel the need to hide that from you?

couldbebetter · 18/07/2010 18:16

definitely no drugs 100%- doesnt even take weed. He has only stayed out that late twice hhe goes out with single friends that do drink and I think they encourage him to stay out late.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 18/07/2010 19:21

they "encourage" him ?

How ? By holding a shotgun to his head ?

couldbebetter · 18/07/2010 19:31

Not force encourage. Anyway he knows its unacceptable and has agreed to always take his own transport out so he can leave when he pleases at a time we have both agreed is reasonable- (usually he takes people in his car or gets a lift with someone else).

He apologised yesterday for his attitude and said of course he will be open in future. He said that he would delete fb if I wanted. I said that its not necessary Im not bothered if he has FB or not just as long as he is not secretive about it.

OP posts:
rupert22 · 18/07/2010 19:34

I hope i am wrong couldbe but i think you missed a trick by confronting him. This is the guy who doesnt like being answerable to 'anyone' and now he is all apologetic i dont buy it.

couldbebetter · 18/07/2010 19:47

rupert I found nothing through any of my snooping- no dodgy emails, no dodgy text or calls, nothing on face book, nothing in his shirt or trousers or shoes, the girls I was suspicious about turned out to be friends I even checked his pants fgs . He was where he said he was, with the friends he said he was with. I have to come to the conclusion there is no-one else or he is bloody good at hiding an ow. Either way if I wait I would still find nothing.

I still have my eyes and ears open but Ill wait and see how this being open goes because if he closes up again Im out because its not a way to live.

OP posts:
Cretaceous · 18/07/2010 20:03

Is he having some sort of crisis, but doesn't want to tell you, as you are pregnant and doesn't want to worry you? Long shot, I know.

Was the A&E visit for him? It was a strange excuse. Or is he worried about his job? Or about the new baby?

couldbebetter · 18/07/2010 20:11

I think he freaks out a bit each time I get pregnant- all the responsibility etc. maybe a crisis of independence who knows.

I freaked myself out by finding a piece of paper in his jeans pocket with "mary stopes" written in his pocket thinking "who the is getting an abortion?" but then I remembered he went to the doctors to ask for a vasectomy which mary stopes does.

OP posts:
couldbebetter · 18/07/2010 20:12

I know he has been stressed at work - talk of restructuring etc.

OP posts:
motherhugger · 24/07/2010 22:42

if it was a 'confrontation' i'm not sure the conversation would have had the right atmosphere to sort things out.

it sounds like you both need to clear the air in a more constructive way. if people feel like they are having a go at them, then they are more likely to be defensive/stroppy. i've not tried it myself, but 'relate' sound like the sort of organisation that could help here.

on balance it doesn't sound like he's cheating, but he's not happy with the relationship atm. neither are you, so you both have an incentive to make things better.

i don't think you should place too much emphasis on marriage as a contract that you hold someone to - like the t&cs in a business contract. if you love each other than you should be able to find a way to be honest with each other and make each other happy.

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