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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

Husband's affair - I'm completely broken, please help

445 replies

Janeysbroken · 18/03/2013 20:16

I found out last week that my DH of 22 years has been having an affair. It was with a woman he met online who is also married and ten years younger than me. I found out when her husband knocked on our door at midnight and told me, in a rage. Our 20 year old son heard everything and is inconsolable. When the husband had gone my DH told me he'd already finished the affair a few weeks earlier, he was drunk and it meant nothing. I was shocked and angry and unbelievably sad but he works away a lot and it's something I'd always feared. He swore it was the first time he'd been unfaithful in the 24 years we've been together.

The next morning I was burning up with anger and asked him to leave. I went out. He then phones me to tell me the OW has turned up at our house wanting to apologise and is demanding to speak to me. I was so livid I went home and grabbed his phone and called her. I told her he wasn't leaving, neither was I and he was drunk and she meant nothing to him. What followed has broken me.

She was obviously enraged by this. And told me the truth. He loved her, he hasn't finished it, had been meeting at hotels for four months, he said she was love of his life. Thousands and thousands of FB messages. To cut a long story short me and DH ended up driving down to their house that night as both me and OW needed answers from DH.

We all talked for almost two hours. He admitted he loved her, had told her she was love of his life, best friend and soulmate. He'd told her that morning that he loved her but couldn't leave because he has nowhere to go. He'd bought her presents. Talked to her almost constantly on FB for months. Said he was unhappy, I'm boring, our sex life is rubbish. But because i now knew he told her it had to stop and he's staying with me. She was crying and devastated. He'd told her we were just friends now and he hasn't felt anything more than friendship for me for over a decade. He was clearly besotted with her. And she with him.

I was having panic attacks. Can't eat. Want to kill her, him, myself. She showed me a FB message where he called me a boring twat. I thought we'd had a lovely day that day - we'd even had sex. He took her to a hotel the day after.

She refused to stop contacting him. Threatening to tell our 19 year old daughter (who still doesn't know) and his boss, which would get him sacked as he took her to hotels on fake business trips on expenses. I made it clear he couldn't ever speak to her again and was feeling physically like I might die. She then texts to say she's pregnant. Her husband phoned going mad as he says it's impossible it's his, it's my DH's.

My DH is, to his credit refusing to speak to her and has told her to have an abortion and never contact us again. Her husband phoned pleading for him to speak to her as she's slashed all her arms with a razor over the guilt of having to face an abortion. But I've told him I'll kill myself if he speaks to her again. Our son hates him. Our life is shattered and I'm destroyed.

I can't bear to think he loved her so much. It was plainly obvious. He claims not to now and I know he isn't in contact with her. Could he really have fallen out of love with her in the space of 24 hours? They'd just come back from a hotel when her husband found out and came to our house. I don't know what to do or think. I'm grieving and love him. I'm 48 and don't work or drive. I have nothing without him. He's my life. Please, please help me.

OP posts:
ike1 · 19/03/2013 17:13

Janey....hugs lovely.

NinaNannar · 19/03/2013 17:13

do we know the baby is his?

AnyFucker · 19/03/2013 17:13

< applause for MrMeaner >

You should comment more on here, MrM. I find your posts to be fair and considered.

Chubfuddler · 19/03/2013 17:14

Your children aren't children. They're adults. He's just biding his time.

Kick him out.

AThingInYourLife · 19/03/2013 17:15

He really doesn't love her.

If he loved her he would not be refusing to talk to her just so you wouldn't kick him out.

He wouldn't be demanding she had an abortion.

He knows that if she has the abortion on Thursday there's no way back to her.

She's disposable.

The reality is worse than what you want to imagine.

Thisisaeuphemism · 19/03/2013 17:17

Oh Janey, how awful. He has to go.

You're 'watching him like a hawk' - fuck him. He is so in love with himself he'll say anything to anyone.

ike1 · 19/03/2013 17:18

I think the OP is gathering strength ...as she says ...once the shock, the vomitting and panic attacks subside (I lost 2 stone in 3 weeks) I have faith that the OP will be getting rid....

ZolaBuddleia · 19/03/2013 17:19

"He sent OW a text the morning after I'd found out saying that I was threatening to kick him out - which I had - but he had nowhere to go and to just give him time to persuade me to let him stay and I was watching him like a hawk and not to contact him for a while."

This is the bit that proves he's only out for himself.

Keep gathering strength Janey!

AnyFucker · 19/03/2013 17:19

Trying to pin this despicable man's thoughts down is like trying to nail jelly to a wall.

It doesn't matter. It makes no difference. He has changed his mind to suit the level of disclosure that has occurred, like I change my knickers in a week.

He will change it again. Then again. You will never be sure of him again, Janey. This is what you are left with.

Ormiriathomimus · 19/03/2013 17:20

"I think the OP is gathering strength ...as she says ...once the shock, the vomitting and panic attacks subside (I lost 2 stone in 3 weeks) I have faith that the OP will be getting rid.... "

Exactly.

OP's H loves one person. Himself. The rest of you are collateral damage. Twat!

Orchidlady · 19/03/2013 17:22

This is one of the most horrible posts I have read here. My god what self entitled cock this man is. I am so sorry you are going through this janey I am sure soon the anger will take over and give you the strength kick his sorry pathetic ass out.

AnyFucker · 19/03/2013 17:23

ike, I think you are right

Figgygal · 19/03/2013 17:27

He doesnt love her but more importantly he doesn't love you either.....op cheats like him are not worth keeping!!

Get strong to fact your marriage to this idiot is over I feel for u and ur children!!

NinaNannar · 19/03/2013 17:31

I'm still marvelling what you do if you have no job and can't drive.

The blokes an arse. Bin him and start the rest of your life :)

pleasestoptalking · 19/03/2013 17:31

I'm really sorry you are in this horrible and devastating situation.

I don't know how yo

AnyFucker · 19/03/2013 17:33

Nina , OP has raised her children and worked at PT jobs. Not sure what you "marvelling" at.

sarahjaye · 19/03/2013 17:33

If he could afford to run a mistress, he can afford a flat share. Shame he's owned up to fraudulently swindling his employers out of hotel expenses, they might have agreed to foot the bill for a few nights. I do feel for you Op, a friend of mine is going through a remarkably similar experience and having much the same reaction and feelings as you.
Be strong, be brave...

pleasestoptalking · 19/03/2013 17:35

sorry!

I don't know how you feel or what I would do in a similar situation. I would hope that I would be able to scrape together the dignity I had left and ask this man to leave.

Think about what message you are sending your children about what is acceptable in a relationship and what they should be prepared to put up with. What advice would you give your daughter in this situation?

You can ask this man to leave. You can live a happy life without him. This could be the making of you. Having him in your life is not making you a happy woman with a good sense of self worth.

Badvoc · 19/03/2013 17:38

Janey.
Your children are adults. They will cope.
It's time you looked after yourself.
Not driving is not the end of the world.
And jobs can be found.
You have friends.
You still have the respect and love of your children.
You will get through this and come out of the other side stronger and happier than you could ever imagine.
My sil has just moved in with her lovely bf after 6 years of utter heartbreak and depression following her marriage break up.. Her dh did the same thing after only a year of marriage. With a friend if hers. She tried everything to keep him, even changed jobs but it was all for nothing.
Til the OW dumped him of course.
Then he loved her again.
Funny that.
Please please believe that you can be happy again without this poor excuse for a human being in your life.
You can.

Badvoc · 19/03/2013 17:40

Nina.
Op has been raising kids and doing p/t work.
What's so strange about that!?

Owllady · 19/03/2013 17:41

god this is awful :( I hope you are okay x

you can bet your life this is not the first time though, it's just the first time he has been caught.

MadAboutHotChoc · 19/03/2013 17:42

No one is saying that OP should have any sense of responsibility for this OW's predicament.

What we are trying to say is that OP's H need to feel the consequences and not be shielded from facing up to his responsibilities. OP needs to get angry with him.

Op really needs to put herself first and get real life support.

AnyFucker · 19/03/2013 17:46

Frustrating, ain't it, MAHC Smile

I think we all want the best for OP, though.

Hopingtobehappy · 19/03/2013 17:47

MadAboutHotChoc good post, I was just about to post something similar.

The OP does not owe the OW anything, of course she doesnt, but her H does, and he is the one that should be facing up to it and doing something about it.

I promise you OP, if you do the right thing now (i.e. encourage him to face up to his responsibilities) you will feel better about yourself in the long term.

Dont see it as you 'helping the OW' see it as you helping YOURSELF.

AnyFucker · 19/03/2013 17:51

HTBH, I totally agree and have been saying the same thing over and over

Everything OP does now should be for herself

And, IMO, that means making sure she is beyond reproach when she looks back at these awful few weeks with the benefit of hindsight

The only people who should have regrets here are the cheating fuckers. Bringing yourself down to their level will not help you, nor soothe your peace of mind.

Peace of mind is priceless IMO.