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DH's inappropriate texting. What do you think?

182 replies

Somethinglady9 · 07/02/2017 23:23

DH and I used to live in Paris and we own a flat in Paris and we have tenants - a young woman who is probably late twenties and her boyfriend. (I am early 30s and DH is 40.)

DH went on business to Paris last week. He checked on our flat, checked the tenants were happy, organised some repairs and went to his business meetings. We have had these tenants for five years and DH had always dealt with them, so he has the relationship with them.

He got back tonight and as soon as he came through the door said he wanted me to read a wats app conversation he'd had with the female tenant so that he and I had "no secrets." Turns out the female tenant's boyfriend was away the whole time he was there, so they had, had a couple of drinks together.

So the wats app conversation was a follow on from their drink. Apparently she was having problems with her boyfriend and had confided in him about it. He had told her that he was missing us (me and the DC) so it was a sort of mutual drowning of sorrows and a follow up to their chat.

Then there was another meeting organised with her, DH and mine and DH's good friend who visited him there for a few days. So there was the organising of that drink, times, places, literally a blow by blow of the minutae of what they are doing. "Getting dressed now," "on my way," "just leaving the gym have to have a shower." Hardly formal tenant/landlord conversation but not inappropriate. Then presumably they have the drink with mine and DH's mutual friend.

Then later that night she wats apps again"are you up?" Etc "it was good to talk to you about my problems." Anyway this turns into a full on counselling session where DH is telling her she's young and good looking and could meet someone better. This is arguably, also interspersed with him sending her pics of our DC and saying how much he loves his family.

Then it gets to a point where she says "just come over. I've got booze and cocaine." From what I can see DH turns her down - "I'm too tired, sorry. Besides I think if you want to save your relationship it's probably not the best idea for you to be inviting men over like that." Then from the looks of things she's called him crying and they've had a phone chat with her begging him to come over.

Then back to wats apps - and this is the bit I'm having trouble with - he says "drink some water, go to bed, touch yourself if you can't sleep! Goodnight xxx"

Then even later that night (early hours of the morning) she sends a picture of her cat, Which DH responds to (apparently he LOVED her cat when he visited her flat, to be fair, DH loves cats,) the chat continues all night until the morning and they are sending each other pictures of what they are eating for breakfast, the places they are going, what they are thinking (now unrelated to relationships just general "banter.")

And it ends today before he got on the flight.

I said, obviously this is inappropriate. I'm not going to leave you over it but it's inappropriate and you have to acknowledge how it is inappropriate and then we can move on. He also can't explain why he told her to touch herself. He says it was just a joke.

He is now annoyed with me for not having the reaction he expected. He said he thought I would find it funny (?!) and he is sulking and saying he wishes he had deleted it and not been so honest.

DH has a very low guilt threshold so I know he showed it to me out of guilt despite what he says. But now I am feeling a bit confused and conflicted. DH wants to forget about it as quickly as possible (of course.)

What do you think I should do from here?

OP posts:
velourvoyageur · 08/02/2017 21:22

'Touch yourself' sounds to me like he's flirting but not had any physical contact yet. Very awkward flirting.

And to answer the poster who said something like it's normal to have affairs in France - that's utter tosh, completely untrue and insulting. It's no more normal that it is in the UK. French people have empathy like anyone else - and it is a question of empathy, not culture. In fact after reading MN Relationships & having many in-depth conversations (inc. drunk/etc) with French people, I'd say out of this ridiculous sample, UK couples are the the most unfaithful! (I.e. really no cultural difference to be seen here at all.) I remember very clearly a conversation I had last summer with a bunch of fellow interns I had a while ago where they were pretty horrified that people think of French people like that - and these were branchés, young, open-minded folk. Move on from your Colette and Les Mandarins maybe?

Zoflorabore · 08/02/2017 21:24

My mind is thinking this- how did the woman know that the husband wouldn't go absolutely mental when she mentioned cocaine, it's still his property and all that but I think it's probably because they both had it the night before for her to say it so casually.

Just my opinion, I agree with pretty much everyone on the thread and think that if this wasn't a big deal then he wouldn't have mentioned it at all, he has crossed many professional boundaries and has been complicit in her taking drugs in his property.

There will be much more to this story I think though sincerely hope not.

Joysmum · 08/02/2017 21:25

SandyY2K I completely agree

SuperFlyHigh · 08/02/2017 21:27

velour I agree with you re the French and affairs!

I have a few french friends in UK, parents have a holiday home in SW and trust me although sometimes light flirting is allowed a full on affair would be met with outrage by many of the French there and here!

In fact my closest French friend here, when she discovered her French lodger was seeing a boyfriend who was probably messing around (the lodger was fine with the messing around) the closest French friend was quite shocked by the unfaithfulness of her lodger!

FatOldBag · 08/02/2017 21:30

So he told his friend about her making a pass at him? But that wasn't part of his initial disclosure to you? How many more things is he going to "remember"/offer up over time? I'd want the whole truth (was going to say a blow by blow account, but... anyway), and immediately not over a few days or weeks. Also is he sorry he did/said those things, or is he just sorry/regretful that he was (partially) honest about it. If it's "I'm sorry I even told you" then I'd tell him to fuck off tbh.

Allthebestnamesareused · 08/02/2017 21:49

Re the voice messages - why has he recorded himself saying things. Surely any recordings would be her leaving him messages.

A recorded "message" from him to her saying it Is inappropriate to approach him etc is surely something he has manufactured for show Confused

Only1scoop · 08/02/2017 21:50

I also don't get all this recorded message thing....

Hrre · 08/02/2017 21:55

He's crossed so many boundaries. I agree it's damage limitation he's getting to you first win a minimised "confession" before the truth gets back to you any other way.

Insanely high and intimate levels of conversation for a landlord and tenant. I would go batshit over this I can't believe you're not! It's al there laid out in front of you!

There was no awkward situation- ask yourself if a man had acted towards you in the way the tenant aced towards him, how would you have responded? He's a flattered old fool and I suspect there has been some physical contact. Can't imagine many blokes I know texting an acquaintance: "getting dressed", "having some chips", "leaving now". It's so fucking suspicious OP!

AnyFucker · 08/02/2017 22:19

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Only1scoop · 08/02/2017 22:28

The 'getting dressed' running commentary etc then contact all night. Oh and now he's told his friend 'she came on to me'
Hhhhmmmm

AnyFucker · 08/02/2017 22:34

The tone of the "running commentary" is of that between two people that have been very intimate.

jobanana · 08/02/2017 22:42

Anyfucker I really wish I'd never told you anything at all about my life. It's horrible that I can't give my opinion anywhere without some referring back to my life and their entirely superficial understanding of it. Please don't. No help to the OP at all.

Naicehamshop · 08/02/2017 22:42

I think it could be "hiding in plain sight", as others have said.

Only1scoop · 08/02/2017 22:43

Quite

Prior to this particular visit

jobanana · 08/02/2017 22:43

And. Think if he really was having an affair then the last thing he'd have done was to show her all this. Of course he wouldn't have. I think it's too simple to say he's bad. Too stupid.

AnyFucker · 08/02/2017 22:46

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SparklyMagpie · 08/02/2017 22:49

When I originally read this, I'd already thought it's probably gone further an he'd shown you the messages to cover his tracks.

Maybe it's just me ( I don't think so ) but I don't believe him at all, it's too intimate for my liking. The pictures of breakfast etc, that may be something I'd do with someone I'd recently started dating or had relations with. not with a tenant, he's crossed the line and again I've said my stance with the touching up comment reply, he's left that open, I couldn't trust him making another trip.

Not slating you OP on the drugs front, it's just something I wouldn't want to know my tenant/s was dabbling in.

But to me it all seems too fishy,and I'd really look into why he told you and shown you the messages.

I appreciate not everyone would feel the same way I do with this, but no, gut feeling on this is there's more to it.

Hope whatever the outcome you're ok OP xx

LivininaBox · 08/02/2017 22:51

The bit that makes me most suspicious is when he replied to the cat picture. And then continued the convo. Why would he do that? A normal reaction would be to think oh FFS and just pretend to be asleep.

As a minimum, he has been emotionally unfaithful, no doubt about it. He was leading her on and enjoying the attention. Sorry OP.

SparklyMagpie · 08/02/2017 22:55

jobanana is the simple route so hard to believe? I've had men try that with the hopes that " why would anybody make it so obvious?!"

People do take this option, but usually backfires. You're posts come across as defending him ( could well be the case )
I won't bring up your posts but a pattern emerges with you and your take on things

I do agree with AnyFucker in her replies.

Would you be completely happy if your partner/husband did this with you?
It wouldn't spark any alarm bells off? Or would you put it down to a bing boiler? Genuine questions I'm curious to the answers

SparklyMagpie · 08/02/2017 22:58

Eurghhh obviously have been watching too much cbeebies for my phone to change bunny to bing although bing boiling wouldn't be seen as bad in my eyes sigh

Sweets101 · 08/02/2017 23:06

The words mountain and molehill spring to mind tbh.

SparklyMagpie · 08/02/2017 23:21
Hmm
RedDwarf4 · 08/02/2017 23:32

Why are the women on here so quick to normalise and try explain shit behaviour?

Seriously what massive crack pipe havd you been smoking?!

You're not helping the OP. Whether he's shagged her or not there's something dodgy going on and the slippery fucker has given you a snippet of info, probably as he knows one of them will drop him in it fully sooner or later.

Christinayangstwistedsista · 09/02/2017 06:48

I think " slippery fucker" pretty much sums it up

HelenDenver · 09/02/2017 07:15

RedDwarf, very few posters have supported the DH