Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Found out I'm the OW. So unhappy.

50 replies

Dtnlyst · 19/11/2018 21:50

I reconnected with an acquaintance from university. This was in April. We're 45, both divorced with 2 teenage DC each. We barely knew each other at university but had a good friend in common. He added me on FB in February and 8 weeks later we started chatting via messenger about a shared interest (I'd put up a status about it). It was innocent and friendly at first but then we realised we had loads in common and also became emotionally close, discussing our divorces, problems, feelings. Chats became more and more regular and turned sexual in September, with him saying I'm his fantasy and he thinks of me constantly. The messages have been both loving and sexual, with him commenting on my intellect and humour as well as my looks.

He lives 30 minutes away. He never suggested meeting and I was nervous about meeting (low body confidence, find intimacy hard) so I didn't suggest it either. I enjoyed the online thing, the buzz. My marriage had been dismal and joyless and I really liked fancying someone and being adored, and feeling like a heady teen falling in love.

Recently I've been debating suggesting a pre-Christmas drink. I feel sort of ready. Today, I saw a close friend and told her. She was excited and keen to see what he was like so she looked him up on Facebook on her phone and on his profile it said "in a relationship with Jane Smith".

Shocked..we were both stunned.

This status is not visible to me. It's obviously been hidden from me. I logged in just now using my elderly dad's account and can see "in a relationship with Jane Smith" via dad's account too.

I've been duped. More digging (her profile isn't private) shows they've been together 16 months but don't live together, she has 2 teen daughters. Jane's most recent status refers to booking a holiday with him for Easter with all the kids. She's posted lots of stuff about him but since talking to me, he never referred to her on FB or tagged her - he's airbrushed her for my benefit it seems - the last time he liaised with her in any way publicly on FB was April. We've exchanged hundreds of private messages and he's mentioned loads of relatives and mates but never her.

Should I challenge him about this emotional affair or ghost him? I'm tempted to ask him out just to see what he says. No idea what to do. Was with my ex husband from 1996-2017 so am so inexperienced and out of the loop. I want nothing more to do with him but it's playing on my mind and I'm so disappointed, I was psyched up to meet and maybe start dating. I really thought he liked me very much.

OP posts:
N0b0dysMot · 20/11/2018 07:58

I didnt know it was possible to hide relationship status from a selected person. Mind boggling.

Dtnlyst · 20/11/2018 08:01

Thanks everyone. Woke up feeling gutted.

He's definitely still with her - her very recent status updates bear that out. I need to stop myself from constantly checking today. I've muted him on messenger (our only form of communication). Last night he sent me "I wish I was with you, can't believe someone like you is interested in me" which I've ignored (he's sent this kind of thing before, it's like he's infatuated).

She seems nice too. I am sympathetic because she obviously thinks he's genuinely keen on her. I dunno, maybe he is but he just lost his head over me.

OP posts:
NotANotMan · 20/11/2018 08:07

Well, he does like you, but he's also a coward and a selfish, entitled man who thinks he has a right to relationships with two women because he wants to.
This is a cautionary tale against relationships getting too intense in the online realm. People can (and do!) reinvent themselves online and compartmentalise - what happens online doesn't feel real in a way. So if you start feeling like something is developing online it's always vital to meet in person ASAP and bring it out into real life.

You're sad now but this is a lesson that you can make connections and you are ready to date! Try and take the positives from it.

SassitudeandSparkle · 20/11/2018 08:54

I dunno, maybe he is but he just lost his head over me.

Sorry OP, but he hasn't done this at all - you haven't even met up yet! He sees himself in a relationship with someone else. You're seeing this as more than just messages and it's not - sorry to be harsh.

Thankyounext · 20/11/2018 08:58

He has led you on and I can understand why you are hurt. On the other hand you have never met and he has never suggested meeting. That in itself should have set off alarm bells. If he was genuinely interested in you he would have been desperate to meet up within a couple of weeks.

gamerchick · 20/11/2018 09:10

Just send him one message.

Tell him you know he's attached to Jane xxxxx and you're very disappointed in him. If he continues to message you then you have a bunch of screen shots to send to her to tell her what a scum bag her bloke is.

He'll leave you alone then.

Then block him, stop torturing yourself. He's in it for the buzz that's all.

DerRosenkavelier · 20/11/2018 09:14

This sucks.

And you’re not really the ‘OW’ in the normal MN sense. You are just a victim of a duplicitous bastard.

Tell him you know. Then block him.

SuperSuperSuper · 22/11/2018 16:44

My frIend went through something like this very recently - he had airbrushed his gf from social media. It's not your fault so don't be hard on yourself.

He may well like you and have you on a pedestal but that's no excuse for treating her like this. He's no catch.

PotteryGirl · 22/11/2018 16:49

Call him out on it...how dare he, what an arse.

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 22/11/2018 16:54

Please stop torturing yourself.

As others have suggested, send him a msg sending regards to Jane, then block him on everything, will help you resist the temptation to look.

Loopytiles · 22/11/2018 16:54

Sorry you’ve been treated like that.

Jane Smith deserves to know that her bf is cheating on her. I would ghost him and message her to inform her of the facts and send her screenshots of some of the messages.

PaulHollywoodsSexGut · 22/11/2018 16:57

Cut this wanker dead.

Giving him an explanation is more than he deserves.

BatF1nk · 22/11/2018 17:04

Don't play silly games like some suggestions here

Simply tell him you've discovered he's in a relationship and that that's not your bag so you'll be dumping the cosy chats immediately. I see no harm in telling him that you're considering informing his girlfriend if you are

Apart from that - just tell him you know and stop contact

ZenNudist · 22/11/2018 17:09

I agree with @Loopytiles

greendale17 · 22/11/2018 17:11

Jane Smith deserves to know that her bf is cheating on her. I would ghost him and message her to inform her of the facts and send her screenshots of some of the messages.

^I would do this

Thebluedog · 22/11/2018 18:26

I think I’d message him something along the lines if ‘I’ve booked a holiday over Easter next year at #insert name of the holiday he’s booked with Jane# them suggest you, him and Jane catch up for drinks - then block him.

He prob had no intention of meeting up and was enjoying the attention, which is all good and well, if all parties are aware of the situation .

LightningOne · 22/11/2018 20:27

Be glad you found out before you started meeting up with him in person or worse, got physically intimate with him.

If I were you, I'd ghost him without a word. If you let on about the Jane thing, he'll just hide it better with others in the future AND at least this will be a bruise to his ego as he'll have no idea for certainty why you left and while he may suspect it's the Jane thing, he'll never know for certain and the self-doubt will bug him.

LightningOne · 22/11/2018 20:28

Yes and tell her of course too - easily with screenshots of the messages between you and him sent to you, especially any where he's claiming to be single or heavily hinting at it.

NotTheFordType · 22/11/2018 20:41

Personally I'd start making soppy public posts about him, making sure he's tagged. Make sure he's excluded from the posts so he won't know until Jane asks him WTF he's playing at...

Katgurl · 22/11/2018 21:13

Please don't take the advice to publicly embarrass yourself. You will be painted as a stalker fruit loop.

I would send him one message saying you have realised he's in a relationship with Jane Smith, you are disgusted at his behaviour, feel very sorry for her, have not yet decided whether or not to send her screenshots and to please not contact you again as you have no interest.

And please do not indulge any fantasy that he is acting out of character because his feelings for you are so strong. This is his character. You deserve better.

Pebblesandfriends · 22/11/2018 21:20

You deserve better. Jane Smith deserves better. I'd tell her. Stop her wasting her life. Him I wouldn't waste another second on. Let her tell him why he's not heard from you.

Butterymuffin · 22/11/2018 21:33

Send Jane Smith the screenshots first. I like Katgurl's message but if you say you're thinking of telling her, I bet he'll jump in first and tell her some crazy woman's been stalking him on Facebook. She deserves the truth. Then tell him he's a liar, you don't want to be with a liar, and block.

Lozzerbmc · 23/11/2018 07:40

I agree with PP that its better to find out now before you had met, although I can appreciate your shock and hurt. Poor Jane she ought to be told in a nice way about him. You both deserve better

RestingBitchFaced · 23/11/2018 12:54

He's not infatuated- otherwise he would want to meet up with you. And your not the OW, you are not in a relationship with him. Tell him to piss off and block him. Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it's the truth

AtrociousCircumstance · 25/11/2018 14:36

What have you decided to do OP?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page