Husband having emotional affair - what to believe and how to move forward

[Dazedandconfused2013]

I confirmed my suspicions on Saturday that my DH has met someone. He met her 2 months ago at a conference, and says she is just a friend who is great fun and he can talk to, as they are both unhappy in their relationships. He claims they are just friends, and she is encouraging him to stay with me as we have one young DC and I'm in my last trimester with DC2.

However, they spent the night in her hotel room when they met ("talking, nothing happened"), skype/text during the week as her DP works away Mon-Fri, travelled abroad to where she lives twice to visit (I was away with our DS on one occasion, I assume he told me he was on a business trip the other time). They send each other gifts too, including souvenirs from his business trips (he normally doesn't bring me and DC any), and he has bought books to learn her language.

He has agreed I can talk to her, to confirm they really are just friends, however we will see if this happens. I don't have a problem with him having female friends, and I told him if he had been honest I would have welcomed her into our home. But I feel this behaviour is more like early stage relationship than friendship. I also resent the lying, secrecy and the fact that he taken days off work and spent a lot of money visiting (must be at least £400), rather than spending them with / on his family.

From my POV, if we are to save our marriage, I need to be fully convinced they really are just friends and get complete transparency from him in the future. We do have other issues, but I do think they are things we can overcome if we both work on them and are honest with eachother.

So, here is what I would like to know...
Could you believe they really were just friends, even after talking to her?
What questions would you ask her if you were me?
Would I be unreasonable to demand they stop their friendship? (He has indicated he may not be willing to).
Has anyone been in the same situation and been able to rebuild the trust?

[ZombieMojaveWonderer]

You say he has hinted that he would be unwilling to give up the friendship which means you've already lost him.

[Anniegetyourgun]

Besides which, the most attractive woman in the world can't steal a husband who doesn't want to be stolen.

[MissScatterbrain]

Telling her to bog off can backfire - OW may feel compelled to fight for him.

[TurnipCake]

I wouldn't confront her. They've probably already got their stories straight and she'd most likely tell you what you want to hear while you win the title of crazy harpie wife.

[MistAllChuckingFrighty]

Bad move.

[Flora5]

I actually think you should contact this woman. Tell her how you feel, especially as you are about to have another baby. Tell her you are being undermined and feel emotionally abused by her friendship with YOUR husband and tell her to BOG OFF and leave you both alone. You are a couple and she is unwelcome by half of it.

[MissScatterbrain]

Came across this link about minimising and lying on another thread

Stay strong Op.

[BlueSkySunnyDay]

Someone I know got his wife and his friend to meet - friend gave the wife loads of assurances regarding how their relationship was platonic etc etc. Honestly not worth the effort - he left his wife and ended up living with his "friend" in the flat above me.

He is behaving unreasonably - either he sorts himself out and treats you and his family with respect or I would tell him you are unhappy and the marriage is over. Men can be such prats.

[MistAllChuckingFrighty]

Those are good first steps, Dazed. Knowledge is power. I would get your financial situation locked down ASAP, this bloke sounds like a Fucking Romantic Idiot that would throw his family under a bus to chase after his own "personal fulfillment"

[Dazedandconfused2013]

Thank you all again. I know I would be saying the same if I read my own post. I have been though all emotions from rage to despair, feeling like a prize idiot, wanting to hurt him as much as he has me and wanting to find a way through for our children. Working very hard not to do anything rash, and in that I include anything which legally I am not allowed to (like locking him out physically). Also conscious we somehow have to remain civil whatever happens, for the DCs.

I am getting my own personal account and seeing a solicitor for advice.

Skye, I will get a copy of the book. Thank you.

[skyeskyeskye]

dazed - the very fact that your H has hidden all of this from you, means that he knows that it is wrong. My XH did the same, changed passwords, secret email account, kept his phone on him at all times, even slept with it.

I am so sorry that you have discovered this while you are pregnant. Your H should be supporting you, not investing his emotions in another woman.

This woman is more than a best friend. There is a great book "Not Just Friends" by Shirley Glass, that is usually recommended in situations like this.

Your H cannot remain "friends" with this woman. He needs to cut all contact with her. If he can't do that, then he has a problem.

[daiseehope]

Hello OP, very sorry for your troubles. I think I would end up causing a major scene and either crying horrendously or punching her if I looked for the OW, maybe not a great idea. Can you arrange to see a solicitor if he will not leave. By instigating "a breather" for yourself you are not ending it. He ended it by having an affair. His heart is elsewhere, I'm sorry to say. Would an ultimatum be a good idea? It would sort it one way or the other. Tell him to stay somewhere else and sort out what he wants, or just change the locks. If he uses it as an excuse for a little holiday then there's your answer. I always think that sharing emotions is closer than sharing bits, but I'm odd xxxx

[LuciusMalfoyisSmokingHot]

would he being doing all that if his "friend" was male?

[clam]

OK, so even if this was a male "mate," would you be happy about it all?

[bragmatic]

He's told her you know. They've already got their stories straight. He's way ahead of you.

'bout time you got mad, I recon. Seething mad.

[HerdyHerdwick]

No point in talking to her.
He will tell her that they're busted as soon as he possibly can. They'll synchronise their stories.
Then what follows if it's the usual script is that he will wind down contact with her for a while, until the situation has cooled down somewhat. by that he means until you've stopped 'harrassing' him for information.
Often they tell their wife that they've cut all contact with OW and frequently this is a complete lie. Even if they have cut contact they fully intend to resume when it feels safe to do so.
It is in both their interests to deny at this stage, therefore he will minimise and admit to only the bare minimum. Like 'we haven't had sex'.

Sorry this is happening to you.

[Joysmum]

One thing I know for sure, if my hubby's best mate was in another country, he wouldn't go abroad to visit him twice in two months.

[LuciusMalfoyisSmokingHot]

Hes having an affair, get some dignity and kick him out, you dont need this shit while your preparing to have another child.

He'll leave you not long after the baby has arrived, after all who wants to be the cunt who dumps his pregnant wife.

[MistAllChuckingFrighty]

She will lie to you. They will have cooked up some cock and bull story similar to the one you already seem on the verge of swallowing. Your beef is with your cheating husband, not her.

[Thisisaghostlyeuphemism]

There is nothing she can tell you that you don't already know.

He is focusing on another woman instead of you and your kids. He is spending money on her instead of you and your kids. He is spending time with her instead of you and your kids. He is even learning her bloody language.

why is it so hard to believe that you deserve more in a relationship than what this liar and cheat is giving you?

[Dazedandconfused2013]

Thank you for your messages. I haven't just posted and run - I wrote it after another sleepless night churning over the information and possible outcomes, and then had to get up with DS1. I have a lot to do today, but will be checking in when I can to read your responses.

You are pretty much all saying what I think. I did ask him to leave, but he returned last night and we had a very long conversation. I was convinced he was having full on affair, but he has put some doubt in my mind.

I'll try to respond to the questions you have asked. I found out initially not by snooping but just little things which suggested he was hiding something (changing passwords, closing tabs whenever I approached him on his computer/iphone), and things from this country kept popping up and I found the presents in his suitcase when getting the laundry, and instead of him giving them to me they disappeared and I did then snoop and found them in his briefcase. When I confronted him, he admitted to the rest (the hotel, the flights).

I do feel, as someone said, it might be a case of turning this back round on me so I feel I am the one responsible for ending our marriage and splitting up our family.

I have several reasons for wanting to speak to her. Firstly to test DH, because most men would not want their DW to speak to their mistress. Secondly to see if she tells me the same as him, because I feel I am driving myself mad wanting to know. Thirdly, and maybe this is wrong, I want her to have to face up to her part in this, if as he said she is aware of my situation (her partner does not know). And finally because somehow I feel it will give me some sort of closure, as I am driving myself mad wondering what is true, although of course it might make things worse.

Thank you again for your opinions and sympathy.

[IfIDontKnowAndYouDontKnow]

Sorry you are going through this OP. I would be devastated.

What do you think, deep down?

The line would of been crossed for me when he lied and flew to another country to see her.

[sparklysilversequins]

I don't think it really matters whether he had sex with her or not, he's having a full blown affair, certainly on his side anyway. I would chuck him out immediately.

[clam]

But really, I mean come ON. What man will go away to stay with a woman he clearly has feelings for and not shag her if the opportunity arose? The only answer to that is one who is faithfully invested and committed to his own marriage/relationship, but it doesn't sound as if your bloke is.
Sorry.

[clam]

Does it actually make any difference if they've had sex? If you knew for certain they hadn't, would you feel any better about the amount of thought, effort and money he's putting into this relationship, which appears to be at the expense of your marriage?