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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

Was this an emotional affair or grooming? Sorry long

7 replies

Catzeyess · 13/10/2014 10:24

I have always felt really guilty about an ow type 'relationship' I had when I was about 14/15 and I have never really spoken about it.

When I was 14/15 I used to volunteer at a kids summer camp and one of the main leaders who was around 23 was quite good-looking. I had a crush on him although it was kinda like someone fancies a pop star. I had never had a boyfriend or kissed anyone, although a lot of my friends had, and I was very innocent.

Anyway he started to come and chat to me after the kids had gone and would ask me loads of questions and was a really good listener, I knew at this time he had a fiancé but was flattered by the attention. It was all quite innocent to start with although I soon became infatuated. At the end of the week he gave me his number and email address and said I was a really good friend and could we keep in contact. My best friend said he was being creepy wanting to be friends with a 15 year old but I thought she was jealous.

We continued emailing/msning/phoning etc all year and our conversations got increasingly more sexual. He was suppose to be getting married and yet he was saying stuff like we should meet up before and I wish I could invite you to the wedding, I could marry you instead.

They got married and this continued and I sarted feeling like it was innappropriate and he said ah we are just friends, my wife knows about you and she is fine with it, relax! I cannot believe she knew about the sexual conversations we used to have! Or the ones where he said he wanted to marry me and me have his babies!

We eventually did meet up although my friends who I am eternally grateful for, made sure we met up in a park while they were roaming around and not a hotel 'just incase' we chatted he held my hands and said he said had never felt this way about anyone before but I was so young and it was wrong, he tried to kiss me but all I could focus on was his wedding ring and how wrong this was I felt really quite uncomfortable at that point, I said I feel bad for your wife and then left although not without him giving me a lingering hug.

To my shame we continued to talk for 3 years although I would change the subject when he tried to talk about sex - although he still tried and made comments about how I was so special to him. I never agreed to meet up again. I used to text him when I felt down and he was massive ego boost. I don't think I ever thought I loved him though, was flattered but in my head thought I don't want to be with someone who could do this to his wife.

At 18 I got my first b/f and emailed him saying we can't email anymore it's unfair on my b/f he still tried but I ignored him, he emailed me 3 years later to tell me his wife was pregnant and he wanted to let special friends know! I am so cross/guilty with myself that the only reason I ended it was because I had a b/f not because he had a wife!

I know nothing physical really happened (although I'm pretty sure it would have if I had let him/we didn't live miles apart) but I feel so guilty that I was the ow and was involved in an emotional affair! Reading these boards had made me feel so guilty at how his poor wife felt and that I am horrible person to be involved in something like that, that at 15 I should have known better, and I feel like I almost did but it was so addictive. I felt completely sucked in. Once I stopped talking to him I actually felt nothing but relief and actually started to get some healthy confidence. My b/f was amazing and we had so much fun together and I thought why did I put up with this other guys sloppy seconds!

But there is a part of me recently that thinks maybe he was grooming me? I'm not sure if it makes a difference but I think it would make me feel a little less confused about the whole incident and help me make peace with myself if I knew either way.

Sorry this is so long! Thanks if you have managed to read all of this!

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/10/2014 10:36

You were a kid. Kids are deemed to be too immature and not emotionally equipped to engage in sexual relationships which is why there is an age cut-off. That means all the responsibility lies with the adult. In this case the adult was a sleazy cheat who, be under no illusion, was angling to make the relationship physical. You were therefore not an OW, you were a victim of a manipulative man. Grooming is an emotive word but it seems entirely appropriate in this case.

ThirdPoliceman · 13/10/2014 10:41

You were a child and not an especially worldly wise one, don't dwell on this.
You were clued up enough to know not to get physically involved and had good friends to advise and mind you.
This is what growing up is all about, getting into sticky situations and then getting out of them. Hopefully without having suffered harm or indeed causing any.
He does sound a bit of a predator, young too but still old enough to know that at 15 you were far too young to have the type of relationship he seemed to have wanted.
You were not an OW, by the way, you were a child and then a very young impressionable young adult. You were entitled by your youth to make mistakes, you learned and moved on. And your "mistakes" were from a place of innocence and inexperience not malice and self interest.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/10/2014 10:42

He abused his position of trust at this summer camp completely and I would state that you were groomed by him. This to him was about power and control; you were targeted.

It is NOT your fault that this happened to you. The fault here is all his and his alone.

SelfLoathing · 13/10/2014 10:43

Firstly, I don't think you have anything to feel guilty about. God! You were 15 years old when this started - so young and so vulnerable. But more importantly you didn't do anything - you didn't even kiss him. I am trying to break out of an OW cycle and am much older and really hate myself - because I've actually had sex. Here, the man is the one behaving badly not you.

Secondly, was it grooming? If grooming is defined as befriending a child with the ultimate aim of lowering boundaries to attain sexual gratification, sounds like it to me. It definitely sounds like this was a man who wanted to have sex with you and was hoping to persuade you at some point.

I'm sorry you are feeling bad - but really you never did anything wrong. OK, maybe you could have stopped all contact but you were so young. A relationship begun on a grooming/unequal footing will never be equal. He was in the power dynamic position and abused it.

JimmyChoosChimichanga · 13/10/2014 11:24

Cats how long ago was this? Do you think he is still in a position where he access to children? Your experience (for which you are not to blame by the way) is unlikely to be a one off and he may, at 23, have been starting as he meant to go on. Would it be worth investigating online to see if you can find out what he's up to nowadays? You may not want to get involved of course.

Catzeyess · 13/10/2014 14:05

Thanks for your responses - gosh I really didn't have a clue at 15! Tbh I'm not all that worldly wise now! Mumsnet is opening my eyes! Lol

It makes me feel a bit better that most of you think I didn't do anything wrong

OP posts:
HumblePieMonster · 13/10/2014 14:33

No, you didn't do anything wrong. You (and your friends) acted responsibly.

It does sound as if he was grooming, and he might be doing it still. You're not responsible for his actions, then or now.

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