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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

Discovered best friend having affair

72 replies

lcl · 01/10/2016 09:39

I will try to keep this brief. Basically my best friend has told me she's unhappy in her 11 year marriage and they had a chat agreeing to give it 6 months. That was about two months ago. Anyway I didn't think they were right for each other ( night before they got married I asked was she sure about it) her mum did the same , however they have my goddaughter together and they seemed pretty ok. He's had to work away this past year and half in the week. Anyway I supported her with this and hoped they might work through it but was behind her if she decided to separate. Last week changed everything because she told him she wanted to separate ( without giving it the 6 months ). She blurted it out when he came home with a watch for her as a belated anniversary gift. I've now found out she sleeping with someone else. I'm really upset that she's made this decision with someone else involved. I can't get my head around the fact she's essentially having an affair and really her husband didn't have a proper chance of rectifying things as there's emotions involved with this other guy. He's told her he loves her and she feels she is falling in love. She hasn't made this decision with a clear head in my opinion. Am I being totally unreasonable , I know this happens and I know that staying in an unhappy marriage is not right but I just wish there wasn't someone else in the picture. At the end of the day surely the child comes first and she should be honouring her vows enough to separate before getting involved with this other man?

OP posts:
merville · 02/10/2016 12:57

She didn't tell you before because she knew you'd be (justifiably) critical and she'd be pushed to make decisions, like separating from her husband, before she felt ready. She wanted to continue the cheating without judgement/inconvenience etc. I wouldn't take it personally, she'd have lied by omission to any relative/best friend just the same.

As for now; what a delightful couple they sound - cuckolding her husband in his family home with his child asleep near, while he's away earning to pay for presumably half or more of the venue. And I agree 100% on your opinion of a man who would do that - maybe it'll all turn out wonderfully for her in future ... maybe not.

Many men are happy to shag cheating wives but not quite so happy to make a cheating wife their wife/partner; underneath it all they still judge her & often discard sooner or later. Highly hypocritical but no-one ever said people aren't hypocritical.

She may need your support in future so I'd take a philosophical view of everything and just offer the support when needed without getting too involved.

dudsville · 02/10/2016 13:06

You sound very involved, invested in their marriage. I can't work out whether this is a good thing or a bad thing so my comment is pointless really. If you live in a close knit community, then other's opinions help to maintain whatever social standard is at question. However, that kind of thing can also be the basis of maintaining control over another person's life to an unreasonable degree.

user1471470055 · 02/10/2016 13:54

FWIW OP - I totally understand that you feel a little disappointed that your friend who you want to trust and admire has entered into something that does not reflect well on her and could have very bad repercussions for her relationship with her STBX and there is a child involved . And I agree with you that she probably isn't thinking straight. You sound like a good friend who doesn't want to see her friend go about things in totally the wrong way. Where posters do have a point is that there isn't too much that can be done now - the train has left the station and you probably need to think about being there for her when she gets to her next destination. Good luck.

Gabilan · 02/10/2016 15:34

With regard to alleged double standards - sometimes on here it happens, yes. However, I think more often what happen is an appreciation that these situations are not symmetrical. It is still the case that the majority of "wife work" and child care is done by the woman (in a hetero relationship). It's why it's called wife work. More often than not, it's the woman who is the SAHP. Not always, no, but often.

Thus when men have affairs, it tends to be them working outside of the home, meeting a young, attractive colleague who hasn't had children, moaning that their wife doesn't understand them anymore, and doing the dirty because they reject or feel left out of family life. in that situation, the sympathy tends to be with the woman, because she may well have given up her most youthful and vital years to have a family which the husband, in having an affair, effectively rejects.

When a woman has an affair, it is often (but not always) a form of escape from drudgery or even cruelty. Women are socialised to be people pleasers in a way that men generally aren't, so they'll put up with a lot of crap and make choices that are not right for them in order to please others. Their affair is an escape, perhaps before they feel they've given up the best years of their life to someone who may not appreciate it.

No one, or at least very few people, would condone an affair. But they might well view a woman having an affair with slightly more sympathy because they understand the complex motivations behind it.

It's not double standards - it's recognising that the situations are not symmetrical. You can't simply gender swap and cry "sexism" unless you've thought about whether the situations are indeed parallel. The friend is wrong to have an affair, but let's face it, we've all messed up at some point, even if not necessarily in that way.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 02/10/2016 16:55

When a woman has an affair, it is often (but not always) a form of escape from drudgery or even cruelty

So men be.

You are just trying to excuse people behaviour.

Your post is full of stereotyping.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 02/10/2016 17:01

*so can men be.

mothermother · 02/10/2016 17:08

i can't believe what i'm reading here hahahaha a man overspend in his food shopping to let his wife have a rest and people call him stupid and are so appaled at what he has done (a one off!!) yet on another thread woman cheats on her husband and you should support her?!

i wouldn't. and i wouldn't be friends with someone of that character!

mumsnet really is bonkers

Gabilan · 02/10/2016 17:24

Your post is full of stereotyping

More generalisations spelled out and recognised as such than stereotypes. If you look, I've made it clear that these things are often, but not always the case. Short of writing NOT ALL MEN FFS there wasn't much else I could do to make it clear that I was looking at common scenarios, not all scenarios. I'm trying to understand the behaviour rather than excuse it.

i wouldn't be friends with someone of that character!

My parents have been married for 50 years. They've both had an affair. It was shitty and they made mistakes. But, they are both good people. I'm not sure how many other ways there are to say that affairs are bad but that good people sometimes makes mistakes. Or, the OP's friend may on balance be a bad person making a mistake. But the OP's the one there so only she can really work that out.

Joysmum · 02/10/2016 18:27

Yes I judge, but good people can do bad things and it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person through and through.

But yes, bad things should have consequences.

GeorgeTheThird · 02/10/2016 18:37

My friend had an affair. I was pretty sure she was doing and was lying to me. I found it really hard.

SandyY2K · 02/10/2016 18:40

Looking forward to these sort of responses next time a female poster says they have found out their DH is having an affair.

^^^^^^^^^^ Me too.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 02/10/2016 20:16

I was looking at common scenarios

No, you were excusing behaviour.

Ragwort · 02/10/2016 20:31

It's not double standards - of course it is, how can you be so naive?

Plenty of men and women feel used, under valued and taken for granted in their relationship - does that mean that if a woman has an affair, 'well, that's OK because her DH should do more round the house' but if the man has an affair, 'that's totally wrong, he should be at home with his wife who does everything for him'.

The usual, sensible 'advice' on Mumsnet is - if you are unhappy with your relationship, talk it through, try counselling and if it really doesn't get any better make arrangements to separate amicably and only then start a new relationship.

PastoralCare · 02/10/2016 22:16

1984

TheLaundryLady · 03/10/2016 06:31

Agreed ragwort but it's a little late for the sensible advice in this scenario - that horse has long since bolted

Fanofjapan · 03/10/2016 06:44

I think you've given a lot of specific detail here that could make you and the situation identifiable in real life.

MorrisZapp · 03/10/2016 09:44

It's not double standards. Of course anyone coming on here having found out their husband is cheating will get loads of support/ outrage on their behalf.

But if a man said my best friend married the wrong woman, I said so at the time but he went ahead regardless. He's now told his wife their relationship is over, and in the meantime I have found out he's seeing someone else....

Do you really think everyone would be up in arms over the cheating?

I don't. And I also dont think that the mn advice of split up before you start a new relationship is genuine either. When people do actually do this, and start a new relationship shortly after, this is slated just as much as cheating is.

PigletWasPoohsFriend · 03/10/2016 09:55

He's now told his wife their relationship is over, and in the meantime I have found out he's seeing someone else

It's called having your cake and eating it.

Whatever way you look at it it'seems cheating. The DH still is getting hurt as does any 'innocent party' in these situations.

Saying they just 'aren't the one' etc is a copy out.

MorrisZapp · 03/10/2016 10:19

Well it's not great is it. Ideally, people in less than satisfactory relationships would end their relationship before seeing someone else. But this is slated on MN too. If the other person already exists and the married person feels attracted, then we're already in a home wrecking situation.

The only 'right' way is go back to the days when marriage literally was for life, and nobody can leave without facing social ignominy. I see that as very regressive as I think people should be able to leave their relationship whenever they want, for whatever reason they want.

As an aside, I have a friend who's husband left her because he wasn't happy in the relationship. There absolutely wasn't anyone else involved. She said it felt even worse to her, that her dh would rather be alone than be with her. There just is no nice way to be left.

TheHoneyBadger · 03/10/2016 10:55

the point is we're not addressing the victim or perpetrator of an affair here and the responses are about friendship and being a friend not about adultery.

the reality is friendships have to withstand people doing things you don't agree with (if friendship is important to you and you value friendships as worthwhile relationships that you want to endure in your life). being a friend, requires working past things and negotiating boundaries etc. that's what respondents are mainly commenting on here.

if the poster was the person cheating or the partner being cheated on they'd be receiving totally different responses. this is a thread about friendship, not marriage.

MmmCuriouSir · 03/10/2016 14:25

It sounds like the husband is well rid of her but I don't think you should be so involved. Let her get on with it and support her or her OH if or when you want to.

lcl · 03/10/2016 14:38

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time out to write on here. This has been my first thread and it's been really helpful. So here's the update... For my own sanity and our friendship I have explained my concerns and disapproval. I'm the sort of person who puts their cards out on the table and doesn't tip toe around a problem. This resulted in a bit of a heated row ,as you'd might expect, but as I do not want to end our long friendship based on this bad decision I'm taking a step back from it all. I'm no longer the sounding board for this and I don't want to discuss her marital issues nor her marital affair. I'm going to let the dust settle. I've really felt heart broken for the child and the husband here ,however as many of you have correctly pointed out its not my business and it's her problem to sort out.

We have really been far too entwined in our lives and it's made me realise that maybe that's not a good thing. So at least I've had my say, she's had hers and she knows my disapproval of the situation but it's totally her decision and her bed to lie in. I'll be there for her when she needs but right now for the health of our friendship I'm taking a big step back. You can only offer advice but she's too far involved emotionally with the OM so whatever I say will go in one ear out the other. Im over being hurt about her not telling me because her reasons for that are obvious.

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