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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

Does this look likely to be an affair?

40 replies

Hillbilly5 · 12/01/2017 17:39

My son in law has allegedly been working away from home on a number of weekends. He rarely contacts my daughter when he's away. He had told my daughter about a work colleague that he is 'friends' with and making very openly complimentary remarks about her and told my daughter that she is very unhappily married. He has openly showed my daughter pics of them together along with the woman's daughter which made them look like a family. He has told my daughter on a number of occasions about days when they have met up together outside of work at the weekend, one occasion she brought her 3 year old son along. There have been nights he had been due to arrive home but never turned up. My daughter has checked his phone records and they are constantly calling and texting one another, on most days being the first and last person they speak to each day. On one particular occasion he told my daughter he was meeting this woman for the afternoon and then dinner. My daughter later found a hotel receipt for that night with her husband's name and Mrs Xx Xx on it. After tackling him he said he had stayed with another guy colleague at the hotel and the hotel receipt was a misprint, then the story changed and he said he stayed on his own. Then he changed his story and said he was working that day. She found out that the place he said he was working wasn't even open so we know that's not true. They Skype one another and my daughter has found messages where they call each other 'babe' etc and end with numerous kisses. My daughter feels totally betrayed. She has always been very trusting....Stupidly so and so he has been playing her for a mug seemingly.
I just wondered if other people would be equally suspicious about what is going on? And would you be inclined to alert the other woman's husband to what our suspicions are as she has been taking their child to meet him as well? Just wanted an objective viewpoint on the situation.

OP posts:
PollytheDolly · 12/01/2017 20:39

I wouldn't bother with gathering evidence. I'd kick his sorry arse out yesterday.

frieda909 · 13/01/2017 08:44

I will preface this by saying there's a chance I'm overidentifying with this thread, but it sounds SO familiar and I think he may be doing something very similar to what my ex did. It sounds very much like an emotional affair and I suspect that his constant mentioning of her is his way of keeping his conscience clear. He'll think that as long as he keeps telling his wife things, then he's just being 'honest' and she can't complain.

My ex came home raving about his new 'friend' at work in a way that made me very uncomfortable. At first it was 'no of course I don't fancy her, I'm allowed to have female friends aren't I?'

Then it was 'OK yeah I fancy her a bit, but you know I'd never act on it'.

Then 'If I were single I'd definitely go for her but I can't, can I?'

This went on and on until we eventually broke up, at which point he got together with her in a nanosecond. And he still acts like he deserves a big shiny fucking medal because 'nothing happened while we were together' and 'I was really honest with you'.

hellsbellsmelons · 13/01/2017 08:56

Ahhh... the 'hiding in plain sight' affair.
Of course it's an affair.
Get all the 'evidence' you can.
Although if you are in the UK then you don't need anything to call an end to a marriage.
She needs to kick his arse to the curb and very very soon.
I'd be packing his bags right now.
Get round there and help her if you are close enough.
Put them outside and text him to tell him to collect them and then fuck off!

And yes, tell the OW husband. He probably already has an idea about it but your confirmation will stop him torturing himself further.

He's a massive dick-head and your DD will better of without him.
It won't feel like it now but she will and you know that from what you have written.
Be there for her.
Make sure she keeps herself hydrated and her sugar levels up. (sugary tea and ice-lollies got me through)
Once she truly confronts this the shock will set in and she'll need all the help and support she can get.

You sound like a lovely supportive mum. Don't let your DD be treated like this for a minute longer!

HerOtherHalf · 13/01/2017 09:04

Be careful about going ahead with telling the other woman's husband. You have good reason to believe that she is "very unhappily" married and that could well involve domestic abuse/violence. Regardless of the impact this likely affair is having on your daughter, do you really want to put this other woman at potentially serious risk? What do you think telling her husband would achieve anyway other than a bit of revenge?

jeaux90 · 13/01/2017 09:34

Ditto what herother said. Absolutely not your call to tell the OW's husband. You have no idea about her situation.

Niskayuna · 13/01/2017 09:54

It's an affair. He probably thinks he's being ever so clever by being 'open' about it - "Oh she's just a friend, I'm allowed FRIENDS aren't I, you're not going to be CRAZY are you?" but he's just hiding it in plain sight.

Tenshidarkangel · 13/01/2017 12:30

Your poor DD. I'm inclined to agree. He's doing it in plain sight. Think that's even more disrespectful to be honest. :(

user1484313858 · 13/01/2017 14:38

I'm sorry to say that sounds like blatant shameless cheating... so sorry

category12 · 13/01/2017 15:12

Why wouldn't she be able to get a divorce without them confessing? Unless you're in another country?

But in the UK, she can. She can divorce him for unreasonable behaviour if nothing else. The divorce courts here are not particularly interested in proof of adultery: it makes no difference to the settlements, and they advise against naming a co-respondent generally as it slows things down and gets messy.

He's certainly cheating on her.

scottishjo · 13/01/2017 17:25

I agree it sounds as if he's having an affair and not bothering to hide it. So selfish and disrespectful. I would tell the OW's husband, he's probably being lied to too. As for 'she's unhappily married' - really old line, she's probably telling her husband the same thing about your SIL

ItsyBitsyBikini · 13/01/2017 17:30

It's an affair. The worst, most brazen cheaters try and cover it up by mentioning the person constantly in the hope you won't get suspicious. My exh did this, is now married to the woman he had an affair with and still cheating.

Tell Dd to kick him out and tell him she knows about his affair. The hotel receipt is the biggest piece of evidence but all in all the whole think screams affair.

I hope your daughter can get through this with your support

FurryLittleTwerp · 13/01/2017 17:50

He's just covering his arse with all the blurb.

I suppose it might all be perfectly innocent in a pig's eye

Sad
Ellisandra · 13/01/2017 18:29

As others have said, if she's in the U.K. she can divorce him any time she likes, for Unreasonable Behaviour.

Examples might include:

  • lying about who he was sharing hotel rooms
  • spending disproportionate amount of time in text/phone communication with another woman

Even if it wasn't an affair (and it is) you could certainly cite as an example spending excess time with a friend to the detriment of the marriage.

Don't waste time looking for evidence, just get rid of the pig.

TreeTop7 · 13/01/2017 21:03

She should petition for divorce (using form D8) citing Unreasonable Behaviour.

She's lucky to have you.

I wouldn't tell the husband. Don't complicate things.

Evilrhooo · 14/01/2017 00:55

I've never said definitely an affair before. Really sorry but it does look really obvious. My second ever LTB. Good luck xxx

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