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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

Partner cheating?

42 replies

Pinkyponk36 · 15/11/2016 08:11

I have two Young kids with my partner. Before we had children we were only together about a year, and it came close to finishing when he went out to a work do, and had a female colleague who I knew he fancied a bit stay over night in his room. He told me cos I used to work at his workplace and he said it was innocent and didn't want me to hear about it via gossip etc. At the time I didn't really, truly believe it was wholly innocent, inconsistencies in what he said etc, but he's maintained it was, and I thought ok, give him a second chance. Ten months ish in to our relationship, we moved in together, and I got a new job with shifts. He was p*ssed about it, feeling left out, and he told me one night he was thinking of sleeping with other women. Red light. I stalked his email/texts etc, and he had indeed been flirting about, but nothing concrete. I felt bad for stalking, fessed up and he was like, angry at me for invading privacy and I felt bad about it. Found he'd been skyping one person, because I wanted to Skype my friend and logged on as him. I didn't check chat history cos was not au fait with the tech, and then I asked him about it and he got uncomfortable. Next time I logged on he had deleted their chat history.

So more of the similar over the years, I stalked maybe 3 or 4 more times, and felt very bad about it! Always found flirty stuff and membership to swinger sites. I always had this niggling instinct I couldnt trust him in this respect. One day I asked him if he still sees colleague who he shared the hotel room with.... His reaction was a flash second of bemusement and slight panic, as he said 'yes....what made you think about her.'

Ever since he responded like that I knew instinctively sthg was up. So on three occasions since over the past 2 yrs I've checked up on him via texts/emails and managed to check his work chat. Found out the following:

  • He had arranged to go out for her birthday drinks and told me he was actually going out for someone else's leaving do. His texts in the morning were to this woman he shared hotel room with. She actually had t gone to her birthday drinks and he was texting her to ask where she was and ensuing flirting occurred
  • one night he didn't come home, then arrived home in the morning saying he'd missed the last train home back from London and had slept in London on streets
  • found on his work chat function hotel room woman was his favourite contact and there was plenty of seriously flirty chat
  • in initial discovery of work chat (described just now) I didn't read it all properly cos my heart was pounding etc. I have since logged on and read it properly......

Here are the details: lots of flirting, and it shows they have been meeting up for professional meetings, and he took her out to the pub for lunch and paid for it and he most certainly didn't tell me about this. I worked out it happened 5 days before my birthday last year and I remember my last birthday with him was totally awful. He bought me an obviously last minute birthday prez, a book. Which he obs swiped after picking up a book he'd ordered in for his work colleague, which he told me about, hotel room woman maybe? And he was so disinterested in me and a selfish rse, resentful it was my birthday and we had fights. But 5 days before he has been taking this btch out for lunch? Wtf

I now have no trust in him and pretty much have arrived at decision to break up with him in the most constructive and low impact to our kids kinda way. I couldn't sleep a wink last night. I checked his phone, he has just signed up to an adult swinging site, stating he is looking for women and couples. I worked out from his date of signing up he did this on a day when I was taking our eldest to a party. Did he do this whilst looking after the younger one?! Eurghh.

I understand some couples are more relaxed about flirting and Internet porn etc, (who exactly are they though?! Lol) but I am quite a normal person who until now felt passionately in love with her man, only wanted to do him, and I don't do any flirting beyond the very normal spontaneous stuff such as smiling at a handsome chap In a shop or similar....

I would greatly appreciate people's opinions on this, especially those who have uncovered cheating before? I think I'm on the right track.... Do you think so?

OP posts:
HuskyLover1 · 15/11/2016 15:32

Hmm. I went through exactly what you describe, minus the Swinger site membership. You are most definitely NOT over reacting. I was with my ExH for 20 years (married for 17). Around 16 years in, I was told by a friend, that he had tried to sleep with all of my friends. It was devastating, but sadly true (I asked my friends and they all verified). At that time, past events that I swept under the carpet, resurfaced in my mind. Like the time he was staying over at a friends in town, but didn't actually sleep there (slept at a female colleagues instead - all innocent apparently) and I realised the little things he gaslighted me about, were probably not innocent after all.

A few things I can say that might help you....

I stayed a further 4 years (2 kids and scared to leave), and I can tell you, that even though he knew that I knew, what he'd done, it continued, every time he had a drink the same behaviour resurfaced. So, I'd say that your H is unlikely to suddenly stop these ingrained behaviours, especially if you "let him off" this time.

My ExH also told me (years previously) in a row, that he would sleep with other women (I swept that one under the carpet, as a throw away comment in a row....but seriously, now that I look back, that was a stupid under-reaction)

Regards the violence....if you decide to leave him, be prepared for this to escalate. I also had been subjected to a rare push/kick....extremely rare, however, when I was leaving him, he assaulted me twice in a much more serious way. I mean how dare I leave him? Men who are so entitled, cannot conceive that you are leaving them, and that they have lost control.

If you are concerned about finances when splitting, be aware that you are entitled to half of his pension - but you get that in cash. So, once you've sold the house and paid of the mortgage, whatever equity is left, you are entitled to a larger chunk of the cash, if his pension pot is bigger than yours.This was my saving grace. Get a good Sol to draw up a separation agreement. You are also entitled to "economic recompense" (more extra money) if your career took a back seat to care for the DC, and his career was unaffected.

If you want to do more snooping, be aware that even if he has opened tabs in Incognito Mode, he might not realise that the search tab still predicts what sites he wants, going by past searches. So, for eg. he has searched previously for Swingers.Com, if you put an S in the search tab, that will come up as a suggestion. So you'll know he's searched for it. This is how I found out that my ExH had been on Adult Friend Finder, which is a sex hook up site. dirty fucker I literally went through and typed every letter of the alphabet into the search box.

He could also be on that site, or Ashley Maddison or Illicit Encounters.

Fwiw, my Exh went on to have another serious relationship (lived together) and he did the same things behind her back. Leopard/spots, and all that. He's now 50 and all alone. Although he's out most weekends, most likely stalking for women (uugh).

I am happily remarried now and the difference is remarkable. No cheating, no secrets, no sexting other women. Ironically, my DH is ten times better looking than ExH. He thinks that my ExH had "small man syndrome" - always looking for female affirmation, because he was a weedy short man, lol. DH is 6ft 3 and needs no such affirmation. Just a theory of course...

You could do so much better than this. You deserve to be with someone who you can trust. I'm so sorry you are going through this. Flowers

Hidingtonothing · 15/11/2016 17:24

Just wanted to say I hope things go the way you want them to tonight Pinky, please take care of yourself, as Husky says violence can ramp up when they realise they're losing their grip on you. We'll be here if you need some support afterwards, I'm thinking about you and cheering you on to a better life for you and your DC Flowers

Pinkyponk36 · 15/11/2016 17:41

Thanks Icestar, that means a lot ✌xx

OP posts:
Mix56 · 15/11/2016 17:44

Beware:
He will deny, he will say you are mad, nuts, unfit mother, he will say he will get custody of the children, he will throw all & every kind of bollox at you, & if that doesn't work he will probably cry & beg.
Promises to change are hot air, he will offer to go to relate etc.
Just tell him too late. tell him you are over him & he is a fake. tell him to leave. (if he refuses, do not sleep in the same bed/bedroom.
When he goes, be ready for feeling miserable, doubt yourself, panicked

Tomorrow, make an apt at CAB find out your rights, you are not married? Do you own your property, who is on the deeds? tenant?

ddrmum · 15/11/2016 18:18

Pinky , just to echo what everyone else says, Get rid and be careful. It is highly possible that he could get physical towards you.I'd also visit the GUM clinic to make sure he hasn't passed anything on - sorry. You have the audacity to call the shots & tell him to leave - he won't like that at all! I thought an assault was unlikely, but within weeks of a counsellor asking me if I thought he would hit me ( I didnt), he had. Don't be afraid to call the police if you feel at all threatened. There's some great advice here. Best of luck and here's to a beautiful future Flowers

SoTheySentMeA · 15/11/2016 19:53

I seriously have no idea how you've managed to ignore/overlook this for so long. You need to get down to the Gum clinic, asap! He's clearly cheated, but he's also been doing swinging and who knows what else - even more people involved in his infidelities so that widens the risk of infection considerably.

You can split amicably. However disgusting and despicable he's been, however angry you are, you can rise above it by reminding yourself you are almost free. The insecurity, anxiety, and jealousy, the nights alone and finding out a new horrible detail every few weeks, the constant disappointment. You are about to be free of it all.

Let us know how your talk goes, DON'T let him talk his way out of it.

ohforfoxsake · 15/11/2016 20:01

Good luck tonight

Horsegirl1 · 15/11/2016 20:47

Hope u r ok op ? He sounds revolting. Cant believe you have put up with this for so long . Please get out and find some happiness xxx

Pinkyponk36 · 08/05/2017 14:56

Thanks Mix56, ddrmum, SoTheySentMeA, ohforfoxsake, and Horsegirl1 for these messages which I did not see when you had posted them a few months ago! I'm very inexperienced at mumsnet, so I didn't see these.

You are very supportive. I'm still in situation, but now making one last ditched attempt at counselling and if it doesn't 'work' will be finishing the relationship.

OP posts:
tallwivglasses · 08/05/2017 15:49

You never bought those prawns did you? Wink All credit to you for having a last ditch attempt but give it time limit for God's sake!

Isetan · 08/05/2017 17:16

He's cheated on you multiple times and despite this being your relationship history, you're still waiting for him to be someone different. This last chance is just another opportunity for him to do more of a number on you.

Good luck but this last chance should at the very least be in tandem with getting your ducks in a row. It really is time to stop waiting for him to be the man he never was.

AnyFucker · 08/05/2017 17:30

Seriously ? You are still getting mugged off by this sexually incontinent creep ?

Deary me Sad

Lemonnaise · 08/05/2017 18:01

You've already given this man your permission to walk all over you/cheat etc. Why on earth do you think he'll change? He'll just get better at hiding it. Good luck anyway, I hope you manage to break free when you're ready.

c3pu · 08/05/2017 18:10

LTB.

Your only mistake is not having done it sooner! He was on swinging sites? That should have been evidence enough to end it.

number1wang · 08/05/2017 18:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Pinkyponk36 · 08/05/2017 22:45

Thanks guys! Thank you for your very frank responses! That is exactly what I need right now. Xx

Yes, I do feel like a plonker for staying with him, but I really just don't want to fck everything up for my little kids. But yes I know if I stick in a crappy situation that is also bound to fck them up.

I intend to leave if this counselling does not benefit the situation.

Tallwivglasses, lol! No, I didn't buy those prawns, but I actually have got some frozen Prawns in the freezer at the moment..... ;-)

OP posts:
Pinkyponk36 · 08/05/2017 22:46

I just feel like such a dick for having kids with such an untrustworthy arse. I wish there was a manual on this.

OP posts:
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