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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

Contacting the OW

151 replies

user1471855583 · 22/08/2016 11:01

A few months ago I found out that DH had been having an affair. Our marriage was in trouble l and I understand the reasons why, and we have both worked really hard on our marriage, been to Relate etc and our relationship has massively improved.
However I still have huge feelings of RAGE towards the OW - I have never met her but I expect to bump into her at some point as she is relatively local to us. I am pretty sure she has been stalking me on social media - I have blocked her on everything but before I blocked her on instagram she was doing this weird thing of mimicking my posts and hashtags. DH is no longer in touch with her but I don't feel like I can move on completely until I have confronted her. I don't feel like I can let go of my anger until I have done this. My friends all say that this is a bad idea and that I should just move on. Has anyone who has been in a similar position done this, and has it made things better, or worse?

OP posts:
legotits · 22/08/2016 11:37

Sorry to be blunt lass,

Your DH is a liar and a cheat.
She might be one as well, we don't know and the only person who can tell is a confirmed liar and cheat.

How many of us have heard the old 'separated but for financial ' 'living together for the kids' 'we keep discreet separate lives' shite?

You decided to work together to fix it.
Does he discuss it with you or are you banned from mentioning it?

user1471855583 · 22/08/2016 11:40

No am not banned from mentioning it. I understand the reasons why he did what he did but the betrayal of me and my DC was horrific for me. We are working to fix what went wrong in our marriage in the first place.

OP posts:
tosto · 22/08/2016 11:41

I have thought that tosto - she has been treated badly too. But then she engaged in an affair with a married man so really couldn't give a fuck about how she feels

I don't blame you but use that to help you let go of the rage towards her because the only person it's harming is you. I'm sure she's fully aware that you will hate her - telling her is not going to help and opening up a dialogue with her WILL bite you on the arse (if you don't want to know a version of events other than your H's) because you will hear some things you really don't want to.

plutoisnotaplanet · 22/08/2016 11:42

Have you got a really good friend you can trust with anything?

If so, write the letter and address it to the OW. Post it to your friend with details of how to contact the OW. Tell friend to tell you she HAS forwarded on your words to the OW and never speak of it again.

Schrodinger's OW. You neither know, or don't know if the OW has really read your words. If this helps, then you know for sure that the motivation for your contacting OW is to "get things off your chest" and was motivated by a desire for closure. If it doesn't help, then you know this was never your motive and in fact, what you really want is to gloat that you got the "prize" and she didn't.

An alternative way to do this is to write the letter as a MN post and post it. For all you know, OW is a MN'er and will read it, but you don't know that for certain. You'll probably never find out if OW has read your post or not, again, Schrodinger's OW and the effect is the same, you'll at least discover what your true motivation for wanting to contact her is.

I don't think this is your problem though, I personally think your anger is misdirected. You've decided to work on your relationship and stay together, but to do that properly you have to forgive your husband fully, not just re-direct your anger to the OW instead because it's easier than facing the fact your husband cheated on you. Until you can forgive him, you'll always want to direct your anger at OW and if you feel like that will never go away, you probably can't forgive him.

Good luck OP Flowers

legotits · 22/08/2016 11:45

Good that's the way forward.

He did it, he promised to be faithful and he strayed.
Be angry at him, he can change his behaviour.

It's too tempting to direct anger at OW she almost always gets dumped, Fucks back off where she appeared from and everything goes back to normal.
Except normal is no good because you are back at square one, he hasn't changed.

[Flowers]

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 22/08/2016 11:49

You've displaced your anger onto OW so you can pretend to yourself that it is all going to be fine with DH.

You haven't stopped being angry at your DH. He only had the affair a few months ago, so how could you possibly have dispersed all the anger already?

This might be a job for a counsellor. Have you had any counselling (just for you, not couples) since you were betrayed?

Stevefromstevenage · 22/08/2016 11:50

If I thought it would help you get through this time I would be all for it. However I don't believe you will feel any better after you have raged at her so you will get nothing out of it. Write down the emotions you feel and I can guarantee 90% relate to your DH and you are shifting these into her to get through this.

I am sorry this happened and I hope you get to close it out soon. Flowers

adora1 · 22/08/2016 12:01

Get real, your anger is totally misplaced, she owed and owes you nothing, you didn't have a relationship with her, it's your OH who shat all over your life but I do get you feel anger towards OW but it's a waste of your energy and I also would remember there is always two sides to a story, especially when talking about an affair.

FreeFromHarm · 22/08/2016 12:04

Because you want to let her know how much she has hurt your family , you will probably find, she is hurting , hence the hashtags and posts...let that be enough.

Pisssssedofff · 22/08/2016 12:12

I did and got two written apologies, lots of answers to questions that helped me decide to leave him. Maybe I would have concluded that anyway but I left those two women with no doubt whatsoever the implications of their actions and I'm pretty sure they won't do it again. He will but whatever not my problem now.

emilybrontescorset · 22/08/2016 12:24

I understands our anger op I really do but I have to agree with other posters in that it is misdirected.

Can you not speak to your dh about IT?
Does he sit and listen?

Your dh is a liar and a cheat.

It is entirely your business if you want to stay with him and try and make a go of things.

However you can dip a skunk in perfume and call it a puppy as much as you like, but one day the perfume will wear off and it will be back to being a skunk again.

user1471855583 · 22/08/2016 12:24

You all speak a lot of sense, thank you. We have had counselling together and I have also had counselling by myself. I know I need to forgive my husband properly and doing that will make the feelings towards her go away. Am working on forgiving him - which I know I need to do if I want to stay with him, if I can't then I think I need to leave - but it is fucking hard. TBH there are still some days when I want to tell him to fuck off, take the DC and move out and am not saying 100% this will not happen in the future. Will not be contacting her though.

OP posts:
user1471855583 · 22/08/2016 12:27

haha Emily that made me laugh! I know he's a liar and a cheat which is probably why I'm so angry. It feels like dealing with a bereavement cos every day it hits me again and again. I will try and speak to my DH - was thinking of writing him a letter actually - to put down how I feel so he can read it in his own time which would take the emotion out of it and allow me to say everything I want to say calmly and concisely.

OP posts:
adora1 · 22/08/2016 12:27

Understandable OP, I'd feel like that too, he's lucky he is getting a second chance.

Tiggeryoubastard · 22/08/2016 12:38

You're transferring your anger at your husband (who sounds bloody vile, by the way) onto her. Why are you making an effort to keep him? He lied to both of you. He's a contemptible twat. Surely no man is better than a cheating scumbag like that.

Hidingtonothing · 22/08/2016 12:43

My pride wouldn't let me contact her in your shoes OP, it gives her too much credence, makes her important and I would want her to know she is insignificant to me. Find another outlet for your anger and concentrate on rebuilding your life and your self esteem first and foremost, my marriage would be secondary to that to be honest and quite possibly irreparable but that's a decision only you can make OP. Dignity would be integral to me rebuilding my self esteem though and contacting the OW would do more damage than good in that department so I definitely wouldn't do it.

kennypppppppp · 22/08/2016 12:43

i was almost in your position and i would DEFINITELY have spoken to the other woman. no idea what i would have said, etc., but that's how i felt at the time.

if you were the the one having an affair then i'm sure your lover's wife would probably want to speak to you at some point too. - obviously you're not the one that's had the affair, but if you/a woman/etc!, had had an affair with a married man then i'd DEFINITELY be expecting a conversation from his wife.

kennypppppppp · 22/08/2016 12:44

oh - have just read that you're not going to contact her. so ignore my message!!

Pisssssedofff · 22/08/2016 12:45

Here's the thing it's all very well wanting her to know she's insignificant to you .... But she doesn't know that and in my experience that's just not how they think ... You're insignificant to her until you hold up a mirror and show her what she's done

neonrainbow · 22/08/2016 12:49

Sounds like she's in a better place than you. You're still stuck with a cheating twat.

Hes done it once, he will do it again. Hes the problem, not her.

magoria · 22/08/2016 12:49

Any contact you make towards her will give her the satisfaction and knowledge that things are not 100% right in your life.

That will be a massive boost to her a d she won't give a shiny shit how any of this has affected you or your DC.

The best you can do really is serene grace (and a pitiful condescending look if your paths cross).

That will be your best revenge.

Daenerys2 · 22/08/2016 12:49

Be careful - my affair has just ended and I'm the OW. If his partner contacted me I would be telling her that he is STILL messaging me and asking to meet. You may not like what she has to say. I wouldn't be holding back if she came at me.

TheLegendOfBeans · 22/08/2016 12:49

If you do what you'd (understandably) like to you risk her going crying to your DH about what a horrible person you and and thus reinstating contact between the horrible pair of them.

Ineversaid16 · 22/08/2016 12:51

It's transferred anger. It's easier to feel anger at her rather than your husband. It's your husband who has done wrong.

Pisssssedofff · 22/08/2016 13:00

The satisfaction and knowledge things aren't right ? She's been sucking her husbands cock, I think she knows that already 🙄

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