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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

Is my H cheating? Please help!

71 replies

SearchSquad · 13/05/2012 12:20

I have been married for 5 years and have a 3 years old DS. We moved to the UK 1.5 years back following H's transfer within his organisation. H works in international sales and tours 3-4 days a week. I am a SAHM right now.

For a long time now I am feeling disconnected with H. Nothing specific, just a gut feeling that something is off. Around the same time I found myself lurking on relationship threads on mumsnet.

Today morning, while searching something on his laptop, I came across several searches he made while in Brussels looking for prostitutes, strip clubs and massage parlours near his hotel. I confronted him and he dismissed me by saying that he was simply curious and it doesn't mean anything. He also blamed me for being interfering and wrecking his relaxed Sunday morning.

He says that it is just a regular guys thing and there is nothing unusual about him seeking this information.

H spends a disproportionate time watching online porn, even I would say, at the expense of our normal sex life. We have had several bitter arguments about this and he knows my views on this, but continues nevertheless.

Even on the eve of our anniversary (we had booked into a resort), when I was trying to have a special time with him, he sat away and continued to fiddle with his laptop.

He also has this habit of compulsively lying and can be very manipulative and sneaky when he wants to be. Every argument we have ends up in me apologising and making up even if I am the one who has been offended.

Please advise what I should do now? How do I establish whether he has been having sex with prostitues? Is my marriage over. I don't have any close friends and family in England and there is no one I can turn to.

Right now I am shaking all over and can't stop crying. And my H is in the other room accusing me of being melodramatic and spoiling our family time.

I just feel so alone. I don't even have enough money to book tickets and go back to my parent's home which is in another country. Please help!!!

OP posts:
GoPoldark · 13/05/2012 20:06

He doesn't want any more out of you, it's not that

He's just a nasty, entitled, selfish shit who thinks that he can do what he likes. It's an extra for him. And because he doesn't respect you one iota, there's nothign standing in his way, nothing that would prevent him from just acting exactly as he likes.

There is no good future with a shitty, manipulative taker like this.

Lueji · 13/05/2012 20:07

It's not you, it's him.

RandomMess · 13/05/2012 20:11

It's not you, it's him (just in case you didn't believe Lueji)

dondon33 · 13/05/2012 20:16

It's not about you being unattractive, it's about him being a pig, it's HIS fault NOT yours. Don't in any way blame yourself for this.
Adult friend finder is way way above "porn" level. I would log in to see what he's been doing, it will show you any messages between him and others, as I explained in an earlier post, it's quite easy to do.

I know you don't want to know but it's better to find out sooner rather than later. xx

AnyFucker · 13/05/2012 20:35

again, this is nothing to do with you

this is about his own inadequacies

that a RL, attractive, full-blooded woman wasn't enough for him

he is pathetic, and flawed, and even if you had dressed up for him nightly and given BJ's on tap, he still would have done this

this is not a respecter of women

he doesn't deserve a relationship with a good woman like you...I hope you will make that very clear to him

Charbon · 13/05/2012 20:36

It isn't you at all!

Your husband is a sexual inadequate who cannot sustain a real-life relationship with a thinking and feeling woman who has opinions and sexual needs of her own, so he is attracted to depictions of women being degraded and appearing to enjoy it. Of course these are real-life women who unfortunately have to give the appearance of enjoying what is being done to them because they won't get paid. Because so many of them have entered the porn industry after abusive childhoods, sadly they have been trained to think that this is their only value to society.

You are the strong and authentic person in your relationship and he is the loser.

I sincerely hope these revelations have strengthened your resolve to get out of this relationship. He just isn't worthy of you.

RabidAnchovy · 13/05/2012 20:54

Get yourself checked out at the sexual health clinic, then get away from this lowlife.

SearchSquad · 13/05/2012 20:57

Thanks for your reassuring words. H and I ended up having another big argument just now. Initially he was being very dismissive and telling me that I am just letting my imagination run wild. And what he has done is typical male behaviour and he hasn't gone ahead and acted on his fantasies.

But then within two minutes he agreed that he has a problem and that if I will stand by him he will seek counselling. He has even written a letter outlining all this and given it to me as a written proof of his intentions.

Such a quick turnaround is making me suspicious and I think he knows I am on to something.

H can be astonishingly manipulative and charming when he wants to be. I suppose that is what makes him good at his sales job.

When I got married to him, I was a virgin with no experience or relationship whatsoever with any other man before. And he seemed like a breath of fresh air after the repressive men in my community.

It is only now that I can look back and think that I took a lot of things he told me at face value. I believed him when he passed on his actions as the typical male behaviour.

I have a lot of thinking and planning to do (esp. regarding my financial situation) before I can really take a step ahead. Why did things have to turn out this way :(

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 13/05/2012 21:06

Please stop having sex with this man

He is very probably risking your sexual health

MadAboutHotChoc · 13/05/2012 21:06

You are right to be suspicious - the quick turnaround is a ploy to shut you up for the time being.

Stay strong x

MadAboutHotChoc · 13/05/2012 21:07

You will find it useful and probably reassuring if you saw a solicitor or CAB about your financial rights - so tomorrow, do make an appointment.

SearchSquad · 13/05/2012 21:08

And yes, although I don't have any physical symptoms of any infection, I will make an appointment tomorrow for the STI check up. I really want to punch my H now.

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 13/05/2012 21:10

he would deserve it, but don't do it

go quiet now, don't engage with him any further

get your sexual and financial help checked out

and make your plans to leave this lowlife

PorkyandBess · 13/05/2012 21:12

My husband does not watch porn and I would not have married him if he did.

tribpot · 13/05/2012 21:32

If he is so willing to admit he has a problem, wouldn't he seek counselling on his own merit and then see if he could win you back, rather than make you staying a condition of getting the counselling in the first place? This 'conditional counselling' seems like he's setting you up for a fall - is he suggesting relationship counselling, rather than personal counselling for himself?

His rapid turnaround suggests he is frankly pooping his pants about what else you might find out.

SearchSquad · 13/05/2012 21:46

He is suggesting personal counselling though I have my doubts whether he will follow through.

Yes, I will sort out my finances immediately and seek professional help if I have to. That is most important.

I don't know how things will turn out. However for the sake of my DS, I will ensure that never again in my life will I be as financially vulnerable as I am today.

OP posts:
tribpot · 13/05/2012 21:53

If you hang around, I would imagine you would 'discover' (in other words be told) that the counsellor thinks it's just you overreacting and everyone uses adult 'friend' finder sites.

Hope you can get a picture of your finances tomorrow and that the STI check isn't too awful.

mummytime · 13/05/2012 22:11

Do also try to get some advice, your local CAB maybe a good place to start. Certainly get advice on your right to stay in the UK if you split and want to.

Sallyingforth · 13/05/2012 22:31

If he is genuinely so keen to convince you he will change,

  1. Get him to cancel the porn subscriptions and show you proof.
  2. Get him to have an STI test too. If he's done nothing wrong with these prostitutes, he has nothing to fear.
Charbon · 13/05/2012 22:36

The first response you got tonight was the real character of the man. He was trying to get you to buy this story that this is how 'most men' behave.

They do not.

The second 2-minutes-later version was a complete act in order to save his own skin. He is hiding something big and I would guess it is real-life infidelity and probably buying sex at that.

bejeezus · 13/05/2012 22:54

Hmmm.be wary of counselling with him. He sounds quite manipulative. It is my understanding that counselling with a manipulative partner can leave you more confused and oppressed and give him more ammunition and leverage

I dont have any experience of counselling, but mediation was like that for me.

He might be successful in getting counsellor 'on side'

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