Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Has anyone got through an affair and stayed together ?

175 replies

jimmijam · 07/09/2014 20:17

Just wondering, I know couples who've survived and those who haven't.

Was it a full on affair or one off?
How long have you been together (so far) since? And are you happy in that relationship?

Or , did you try & it didn't work ? Why didn't it work?

Thankyou
X

OP posts:
Stuckinastorm · 21/09/2014 18:27

I've been feeling really worked up about them working together again (she's on a 6 week holiday, returning in 2 weeks) & know I'd be much worse when she's back. I told him to get a transfer to another store until a new job comes along- would be doing same job/ hours/ money just not with her. Wouldn't take any effort from him other than asking his boss and saying why (they already know the situation anyway) he won't do it, can't see why I couldn't cope with / am worried about him working with the 'pretty' girl who he loved and ttc with! ... Also making me think although he applied for jobs he had no intention of actually getting one. I said if your job comes 1st then I'm done. He saw the message at 2pm, finished work at 3 pm and no reply. At 5 pm I said ok then collect the kids at x drop then back by x on x (his days off )- no reply, I sent a ?- nothing. And yes his phones working fine.
It's over. It hurts like hell
:'(

Stuckinastorm · 21/09/2014 18:29

He'd never make me happy. He's ugly. 18 years older than me, never had any money, never been particularly romantic, never opened up to me.... Wtf did I ever see in him and why did I want him back?! Can see I mean jack s^*t to him, yet he meant the world to me. :'(

heinrichvonkleist · 21/09/2014 18:50

Would you class looking at pornography and / or email flirtations with other women cheating?

Is a one off fling easier to forgive than a longer term affair?

Stuckinastorm · 21/09/2014 20:01

I wouldn't mind him looking at porn- we've even watched it together before... I've never minded a bit of flirting in the past as previously I thought I was the one for him...
This was a full blown affair.

BloodontheTracks · 21/09/2014 20:14

oh jeez, stuck.

get out of there. seriously.

18 years older?

you're free! free!

Stuckinastorm · 21/09/2014 20:34

:-)

CatherineofMumbles · 21/09/2014 20:34

OP - My DH had an affair, and we got over it and stayed together, and am very glad we did.
Our marriage had been awful, both pressured at work, we barely spoke, and tbh, I really felt I didn't care if we split up.
The I had one evening a message on FB form OW DH telling me about the affair. MN was amazing - I had never been on the relationships area before, but gave me the strength to deal with it. (I don't want to link with it and read it, but it may still be there, it was 26 or 27 November 2009... and my temp username was something like Shocked!!). When DH got home, I gave him a hard time, acted like it was all over. We discussed it, and he said he didn't love her, wanted to stay with me. we talked about all the stuff I had not been prepared to discuss before.
He finished with her that day, we both made a massive effort.
And we came thru it. We don't have the perfect marriage, but in our case we were both at fault, and I can honestly say that 5 years later, it doesn't hurt. (took maybe a year, 18 months for the hurt to subside)
I am in contact with OW new partner Grin through work, and I really don't think about it now. I work in education and had some contact recently with OW DD because of some issues with her school, and again, really didn't think of OW.
YMMV, but it can be okay - I think we are stronger now as a partnership, and I am definitely stronger for having faced the abyss, but survived...

Stuckinastorm · 21/09/2014 20:34

The ow is 25 years younger than him! She would have been 13 when our eldest was born!

Stuckinastorm · 21/09/2014 20:36

Glad to hear it Catherine! Thankyou for sharing :-)

Whattodooooo · 28/09/2014 16:40

Hmmm. Have been reading with interest. DH OW messaged me when I was 39weeks pregnant to tell me about their affair - I rang him and he was on his way back from her house having ended it. The physical side and the inappropriate messages lasted for 2 weeks and there were 3 kisses, they slept together once, after he'd been to her house to end it (did well at that didn't he!)
He was great while I was still pregnant and we had an amazing birth and I felt really supported. He then became distant and distracted and admitted to me that he missed ow - their friendship rather than the rest of it. I told him numerous times he needed to man up and fight for me. Then we went away and I got an email back from relate saying about how both partners need to be in it 100%. There was one evening where he'd been out to talk to a friend and I believed then that everything would be ok- the friend messaged me and DH came back like his old self. However, it's not continues in that vein until I told DH it was over. He's been much better since, but I'm not sure if it's too little too late- I've been so badly hurt and he didn't even think I was worth fighting for until he knew he could actually lose me. Head is messed up.

Stuckinastorm · 28/09/2014 21:48

#whattodoo# I'm still going around in circles here. Between rose tinted glasses, don't know what you have til it's gone, once a cheater always a cheater, everyone makes mistakes.....
Always wanted to be an easy choice treated like a princess etc. how at this point do they not fight for us if we really do mean that much to them?!
Is your man putting up the fight now?im waiting each day to see what happens. His ow is back from her 6 week holiday soon.....

Whattodooooo · 29/09/2014 17:47

Well, we've been talking about it a lot. He is better. I just am in limbo, I don't know what to do. I guess thinking the same stuff you are!

Stuckinastorm · 29/09/2014 18:40

Good days, bad days....
Deep down I think he's a waste of time, but when he holds me.... But then another man could hold me like that and treat me much better than dh has over the years, & recently.
When I got with him I paid off his debts& sorted out bills etc, money's been ok since never in debt.... Since he left he's got a loan, brought a new gas guzzler with expensive tax (there was nothing wrong with the economical car he had), booked himself a lone holiday- self catering but no money left for food while he's there! Idiot! It's our ds's birthday soon then Christmas and with his car tax due in October.... Stupid man! He's 46years old with responsibilities but does not act like it.
I get so many words they pull me in, but same as all these years - never acts in them these always an excuse. He's expecting everyone around him to put in the effort and make the changes while he does his usual not changing a thing or putting in any effort... He doesn't deny this either.
Part of me secretly wants someone else to come along and sweep me off my feet & show me there is a better way/ life/ example for me & the kids.
The rest of me wants desperately for him to really truly realise what he's done and needs to do (not just say it but actually mean it) to make me want to be with him all the time.

A couple of days ago he said he told her things (like wanting s baby with her) just to tell her what she wanted to hear so he could get sex....
So is he telling me things just to get back in the house with the kids & a reign on money?
Hmmmm....

Whattodooooo · 30/09/2014 08:40

I don't know if I'm being a mug- surely you don't do that to someone you love? And obviously the trust and the beauty of our marriage is gone. But I still love him. Argh!

Stuckinastorm · 30/09/2014 19:13

Yup.
I go from- this could make us stronger, improve the things we were missing.. Now he knows how much he had.
To
How could he, I obviously meant nothing like as much to him as he'd meant to be, he had no respect for me, what's stopping him from doing it again- if I take him back is that like saying it's ok for him to do what he did?

How's about you? Would you like to talk a bit more about your situation?
I've told everyone and anyone who'll listem but more recently I've been more picky about who I tell.

Darkandstormynight · 30/09/2014 19:56

Dh had an emotional affair with someone he met on a sex website. The whole thing lasted a few months, on the night he went to meet her for the first time he had massive regret and told me about it. No sex was involved, but touching was.

We were in therapy for several months together, then we went to therapy several months apart with different therapists. At the time, we had been married 13 years. It's been over a year since it has happened, we'll be married 15 years in the spring.

We are together but there were tons and tons (and tons) of stipulations. HE had to be the one to initially seek us counseling. HE had to agree to full disclosure of all texts, emails, anything at any time that I could have access to, ask him about, look at without his knowledge, etc.

I do love him, and I do know he loves me. He from the beginning took 100% of the responsibility, admitted guilt, told me everything I wanted to know, asked forgiveness, etc. etc. That seems to be (after knowing of several other women that husband's had affairs) the common denominator - that the person having the affair admitted guilt, was committed to the relationship, and Worked to make that happen.

Deep down I do trust him, it's the more superficial trust issues that are hard on me still. For example, deep down when his text goes off I know it isn't some woman, but I will still ask who it is and what they wanted, etc. That got to be more of a habit, I'm sorry to say. I have forgiven him, but have not forgotten certainly. He knows that if ever anything remotely resembling another woman comes into the picture, that I will divorce him. So if he does do it again, he would be really just be making the decision to get divorced from me.

Do I hate him still, yes, definitely sometimes. Do I love him still? Yes, definitely all the times. Are we thriving? No, not yet. But are we surviving? Yes, we are. Hopefully some day surviving with become thriving. But really, trust is hard, Very hard to regain once it's broken like that.

Cricrichan · 30/09/2014 20:30

Not for me. I tried once but couldn't.

I get people being tempted and having a crush but to go and meet and have sex with another person and lie and go back every night to your spouse - nah. Can't forgive or respect that kind of attitude.

If the person conducting the affair had really tried with their spouse prior to starting the affair then maybe but that's not usually the case.

The man on here whose wife started going to the gym and then started doing what he suspected her of doing - what kind of warped logic is that? ? Why not try to woo her and spend more time with her instead of having an affair? ?

Whattodooooo · 30/09/2014 20:47

I've barely talked to anyone because I don't want people thinking less of me or him. Thing is, he slept with her once, then panicked. Then went to end it the next day, so I know that it wasn't a long drawn out affair, they had a long friendship which became inappropriate for 2 weeks. We've had yet another chat tonight in which he's admitted that he's struggling with his guilt over what he's done to me and that's why he sometimes isn't quick to hug etc. I guess we take it from here and hope that someday we can get better?

Stuckinastorm · 30/09/2014 22:35

#whattodo sounds like counselling would be a great place for you both?
We had one session, learnt nothing we didn't already know then realised counselling is pointless for us because I can't move in while he still works with her & counselling won't change that.
But for you it may help?

Whattodooooo · 01/10/2014 08:14

Yeah, I think it would. The problem is having a 1 month old and a 2.5yo and hubby working shifts! We've had one email consult from relate so I guess we need to reply.

Stuckinastorm · 01/10/2014 08:59

Yes we had that trouble. They do telephone consultations too. Our local relate doesn't do email ones. They're often open late too, good when the kids are in bed :)

Jan45 · 01/10/2014 17:43

Maybe I'm a bit of a cynic, but reading the above just makes me think, no, this is what the man has told you, that doesn't necessarily mean he is telling you:

the truth
what really went on sexually
how long for
what he felt for the OW

You will never really know that, as for the trust, you can never regain the trust, you may forgive and even at times forget, but don't kid yourself that you will ever have 100% trust again, that was broken, it might be glued back but you can't replace the trust.

Not dishing anyone that stays and works on the relationship but honestly, I just don't believe you can ever completely trust that person again - that doesn't mean you can't stay together and thrive but it must be a hell of a lot of work.

Whattodooooo · 01/10/2014 17:56

This is true. But I have her version of events as well which tallies with his.

Whattodooooo · 01/10/2014 17:58

She sent me a very detailed message and screen shots of their messages to each other. I've also had his close friend message me to tell me about their take on the situation which is the same.

Stuckinastorm · 01/10/2014 18:30

#jan I agree, trust will never be 100% again, there will / would always be a niggling doubt there.
At the same time, based on everything I feel I would have that doubt about any partner

New posts on this thread. Refresh page