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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

Would you consider this cheating???

95 replies

999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 24/12/2011 14:03

This is an issue that has played on my mind for a long time.
Reason being is that I don't think I can describe it as "cheating" but in my heart it still feels like he did.
So honest opinions please.
We had broken up in January, my decision.
I had previously come out of a bad relationship and he wanted to move too fast at that point.
We met up a few times in jan feb and march, probably once a week for either dinner to see a film or he would drive me to work ( he always asked me I never asked him )
We had a kiss in February where I thought I could make it work but a week later broke it off again.
I went on holiday in april with a friend to clear my head and whilst there I called him and said the time apart had made it more clear it wasn't going to work.
I saw him twice in may, once for his sisters birthday party ( she asked me to go shes only 16 so I went ) and once when my brothers baby was born he came with us to meet him.
I tried constantly to be positive and there were days that went okay an I'd start to think it could work, we had a few hand holding moments etc but then at the end of the day he would ask me to be with him etc and I couldn't give him that.
I realise I shouldn't have kept meeting him but I wanted to love him like he kept telling me he loved me.
He would ring and text me all day everyday begging me
To see him.
Well, in June he decides a holiday is what we need, some time alone just us, to see if my mind changes.
I agree, I'll pay my half.
In June we go out for the day and it was like something suddenly switched.
I wanted to be with him, it was like I fell in love with him all over again.
For the next month things couldn't have been better, little trips away, he got my initial tattooed on his neck as a surprise ( not chavvy by the way although a little rocky I guess! )
Well then I find a message from a girl sent in feb.
I wasn't snooping, he asked me to find a message from his brother in his phone but had obviously forgot to delete it.
It referred to a night they'd spent together so I went mad.
I had asked him the day we had got back together if anything had happened with anyone else, he said no, he loved me and never wanted anyone else.
He actually welled up when I asked him.
Anyway he admits that they slept together, a friends with benefits type thing a few times in march and again in June, the last time being the day before we for back together! Although he said after yet did it she didn't seem that interested in it happening again and was quite distant etc.
Well, he had slept with her on the same day he had booked the holiday for us, other nights he had dropped me to work he had then met her after.
So he had condoms ready in his wallet in my company which makes me feel sick.
He says we weren't doing anything sexual, that we wasn't together, that no matter how much he wanted to be with me it wasn't happening so he turned to her to try and get over me.
He thought if he could sleep with someone else ( he hadn't slept with anyone else before me ) that he would be able to cancel the holiday and tell me where to go, that I'd hurt him enough.
He had also carried on talking to her after we for back together, 4 times
In 3 weeks although she did know we were back together an they didn't meet up again just spoke on the phone although I'll never know if he would have carried on sleeping with her if she wanted to, although my head says he wouldn't have got the tatoo and told her about us of that was his plan.
Why he kept talking to her is beyond me, it was always him ringing her.
He says because when they started speaking again ( the night I broke up with him he called her, she was ex of his friend so they had met a few times the year before when he was with him friend ) that she had listened to his problems for 5 months ( even though they were sleeping together by this point ) so he was just telling her how happy he was that we were back together.
If she had been more up for it on the last occasion would he have been so quick to tell her?
Who knows.
He was telling me he loved me everyday, cried, begged booked the holiday in hope that it would help my mindset and we would be together.
So why sleep with her?? And especially after you decide to pay for a holiday?
Anyone??

OP posts:
999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 25/12/2011 18:59

Thanks for all your opinions

OP posts:
999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 26/12/2011 13:30

I have taken what you've all said on board.
I know if it was someone else I would be saying the exact same thing as all of you.
I know my thoughts and feelings aren't rational and some of my anger is at myself for not sorting my head out faster and none of this would have happened.
All my "what ifs" don't really stand for much, I'll never know the answer to these questions so it's pointless worrying about them.
The facts are he wanted to go on the holiday in hope I woul hangs my mind but as one of you said he didn't know of it would change anything, didn't even know if I'd go by the time it got to it although I still think it wa stupid to book a holiday in an attempt to work things out at the same time as trying to get over someone!
But it's not cheating and I know that.
Thanks for all your help, I needed some straight talking and I certainly got it!
Have a lovely boxing day!

OP posts:
izzywhizzysmincepies · 26/12/2011 16:08

I still think it was stupid to book a holiday in an attempt to work things out at the same time as trying to get over someone

There you go, honey. It's as I've said. Love can make us do some very stupid things.

He couldn't get over you. You couldn't get over him. And you've got 2 little dc to prove it!

Happy New Year to you all and have a great life together.

perceptionreality · 26/12/2011 16:21

So.........you expected him not to see anyone else while you messed him about trying to figure out what you wanted.

How selfish. You were not in a relationship because you were not prepared to give him that commitment! But it sounds to me like you wanted him to be moping around waiting for you whether you wanted to be with him or not.

Of course it wasn't cheating.

Mulledbee · 26/12/2011 16:27

Glad you're feeling better. That's a nice way to start 2012. :) All the best.

lisaro · 26/12/2011 16:31

You need help. You led him on, and now you're jealous because he found a bit of happiness elsewhere. You really need to hear this; Leave this poor bloke alone, he's better off without you. Get some help to control your jealousy. Stop being pathetic repeatedly looking for answers you're not going to get from normal people and finally - GROW UP.

lisaro · 26/12/2011 16:32

Sorry - missed the last page of this somehow. Good on you for taking on board what's been said.

AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 26/12/2011 17:03

I hope you are feeling a bit more peaceful within yourself, 999

Have you had a chat with him ? One to say "let's put this behind us, and look forward to 2012 with our babies" ?

Could you kick start more honesty between you ? You seem to have been at cross purposes recently. That is no good at all for the little ones x

TheLightPassenger · 26/12/2011 18:44

Thank you for taking our opinions on board with such good grace. Hope you have a happier 2012 with your partner.

999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 26/12/2011 19:13

Lisaro :
Thanks for your comments even though they were quite hurtful.
I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to read and reply to this.

Izzy :
You are right, he clearly wanted the chance to have the holiday with me to see if it could work out but at the same time wanted it to end once and for all as I was making him feel like crap.
He still says he would have come on the holiday in hope I would change my mind if he hadn't managed to get over me but is honest with the fact that if sleeping with her or if he had met someone else who he really likes and got on well with he would have cancelled the holiday.
He hadn't even applied for a passport when he booked it so I guess this backs up what he says.
It's very selfish of me to have expected him to just wait not knowing what was going to happen, he even texted me on the nights they met so I guess he was always hoping for my mind to change and when it did he was over the moon, I could see that.
Just wish he didn't carry on speaking to her then I wouldn't be wondering if he would have continued but then he told her about us so that's not really logical anyway!

Mulledbe :
Thankyou :-)

AF :
He acknowledges he has lied for an easy life but that it makes this a million times worse.
He says he couldn't tell me when asked about her as he didn't want me to think badly of him or that he hasn't cared for all those months and lose the chance he had.
He says he will do a lie detector to prove that he's never cheated when we've been together, that he told her about us being back together, that he never met or asked to meet her after we got back together, that he's never looked at dating sites and that he will happily not watch porn if I'm not comfortable with it and maybe I can send him some pics ( he e )
A few weeks ago I would have jumped at the chance of a bloody lie detector but now I realise thats not the answer.
I have to trust him and take his word for things.

OP posts:
AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 26/12/2011 19:24

yes, you do

if you want to be with him, you do

now stop this silly talk of Jeremy Kyle styee interventions and enjoy your babies with their father

by being so (hyper)vigilant about this stuff, it doesn't change matters

if he lies to you again, if he uses porn, if he cheats....it will be his own choice

you really have very little control over it

AnyFuckerForAMincePie · 26/12/2011 19:24

stylee

Zombi · 26/12/2011 19:53

I understand why you felt betrayed by his lying about it but, as you've grasped, he didn't cheat. Lies are the worst for destroying trust. I understand the lie but I don't condone it. I hope you can move forward from it now that the truth is out.

I think he maybe sent you looking for a text from his brother as a means to lead you to the truth because holding onto the lies you tell just eats at you if you're any kind of decent.

999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 26/12/2011 20:06

I know, the best thing he could have done was embark on this sexual relationship with her but just not book the holiday

OP posts:
999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 27/12/2011 14:58

You've all been great, really helpful :-)
I shouldn't have behaved the way I did and maybe this was a little wake up call for me who knows x

OP posts:
HairyNigel · 27/12/2011 17:22

I'm going to go against the grain and say I'd be pretty pissed off if I was you. He was free to sleep with whoever he liked but he should have been honest when asked. To be fair though you really shouldn't have messed him around that much.
Maybe im old fashioned but if it was my ex dp saying he still loved me I wouldn't expect him to sleep with anyone else. I don't understand how you could sleep with someone other than the person you love.

All of this is irrelavant now though as so much time has passed, it should have been sorted out then, not now.

I reckon you need a good think, can you get over this and the other problems in your relationship? If not then I think it's over :(

999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 27/12/2011 19:30

Hairynigel :
You're right in that sense however his answer to that is yes he lovede
But he was being told constantly that I couldn't see it working, that I don't feel there was a strong enough "connection" so what was he meant to
Do other than try to get over me?
He said he wanted to go on the holiday to attempt to change my mind and he knows he should have EITHER waited for the holiday to come and go and if nothing changed then move on OR tell me he wasn't waiting aroun any longer then sleep with whoever.
The confusion comes from how he acted however as we weren't together he didn't cheat and this is the point I've struggled with for such a long time.

OP posts:
HairyNigel · 27/12/2011 21:17

I really think you need to make a decision 999. You either have to get over this or end the relationship for good. How long ago did this happen by the way?

999HELPMYPUDDINGSONFIRE · 27/12/2011 23:51

2009,
I know it's ridiculous to be like this now, 2 kids later but my thoughts about it seem to have worsened as times gone on

OP posts:
BecauseImperfect · 01/01/2012 23:37

999 I just saw your other friend. Is your friend you? I just noticed the dates on the posts. 24 25 26. Throughout Christmas you were on here posting. Does that not make you feel sad?

Go to the gp. Get help with all these thoughts. Then make next year a great Christmas either with or without him. Don't waste your life away.

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