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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

My husband left but is always in contact... im so confused

71 replies

Sar28 · 09/05/2019 01:08

We have been happily married for 11 years and then my world was torn apart. Last summer my husband began to get close with an old colleague he worked with. He said they were only friends but thiernmessaging became very frequent and he began to change and we would argue (something we never did before).
At the end in November my husband said he wanted us to split he said his head was all over the place and there was no one else. He said he loved me but the spark had gone. He said he would look for someone else to live after Christmas. We told family and close friends, my husband told people he loved me but the spark had gone, he we are good friends and you never know what could happen in the future. We had lots of conversations and continued to live with each other. In December he went on a night out with a couple of people( one being the old work colleague) and came back early hours of the morning. He confessed to kissing her and he said he felt bad, he was very remorseful. He told her it was a mistake and block her number. We had Christmas together including his son. After Christmas things we were getting on better but still having some arguments. Then he found somewhere else to live in the February. He got the keys on mid Feb on a Friday but didnt move out until the Sunday. It was like he was dragging his feet.
He moved out but we continued to see each other all the time and text, we even had a visit to see his brother for the weekend. When we got back we said we try to have a few days apart to see if he missed me. It last all off 1 day, the next day he broke the no contact. He texted and said he picked the phone up 1000 times. We agreed that the no contact wouldnt work and carried on. We were spending lots of time together and still being intermate. There were times we would be great then we would argue as he would act strange and i would begin ti question ( git feeling something wasnt right). In the March my husband said he had something to tell me, he had been speaking to this other women since January and he thinks he is in love with her. He said they have ended things and they hadn't slept together. She is also married with children and is very flirty with men, last year she slept with a guy a work.
My hb said he felt bad and felt i deserved to know, he said he was mainly call and texts but they would meet up on occasions for food with other old work colleagues and times on their own. He said it was so up and down and they constantly us to fall out. He said it was a strange thing but it had ended. I was so hurt i took my rings off and threw them. I asked him loads of questions which he answered them all.
After that night we talked lots and he said he wasnt sure if they would remain freinds as they are part a group of friends and it could be awkward. They werent talking and thugs became improved between us but there is the issue of broken trust. Then he rang me from the gym to say she had got in contact with him to be friends but he then realised she was playing games with him again and he told her husband everything. He said he had enough of her mind games and he realised it was an infatuation not love. He said he now hopes he could put this behind us. He felt bad how he treated me and hoped we could still be friends. Over the past few weeks we have been getting on well with the odd arguement over her but mainly good and he has stopped over loads. We have been out with friends and last week we went out to the cinema and tea, he even mentioned the word date.
Over the past week or so she has tried contacting hb which he has told me about and showed the blocked call log.
The yesterday morning before work he packed up his xbox, i asked him ehu and he was taking it home as he needs to spend some time there. He hasnt slept the last couple of nights but has still seen me. He said we need to have some space and concentrate on our close friendship. He said maybe see each other a couple of times in the week and maybe a friday and Saturday at the weekend. I asked if he was talking to her again and he said no. He said he isnt talking to anyone. I ahe notice he is on whats ap more frequrntly and when i mentioned it he blocked me saying im questionhis phone usage which isnt going to help.
Its so hard friends and family keep asking if we ate back together or keep making remarks like it would be so much cheaper have one place instead of two.
We have had a talk tonight and he says he want to remain good friends and doesn't think getting back together now is the right thing to do. He says he doesn't know what the future holds but the friend basis is a good place to start.
I'm hurt but i love him, i don't know what to do for the best. Any advice would be really welcome

OP posts:
Halo84 · 09/05/2019 01:25

Sorry, but it sounds to me as if the other woman wasn’t serious about leaving her husband. If I were to place money on the situation, I would bet she told him she wasn’t ready to leave her husband, and he retaliated by calling the husband.

I also think that if he’s moved out, he really isn’t committed to you right now. Only you can decide if the relationship you have is one you can live with, or work on with the 50/50 chance he decides to come back.

RosemaryHoight · 09/05/2019 01:32

Don't trust this man. He is trying to keep you nice or happy whilst not wanting to be with you.

FreshAprilStart · 09/05/2019 01:32

Oh Op. it looks like he is using you as a buffer of comfort as he transitions into single life and meeting someone else.

Sorry Thanks

Sadiesnakes · 09/05/2019 01:38

He's got one foot in and one foot out, hasn't he op?

They are back in contact and he's not being honest with you at all. He's telling you what you need to hear to keep stringing you along.
He's enjoying having his cake and eating it, being married yet being single and you are allowing him take the piss, over and over, stop doing the pick me dance.

You need to call it quits right now, tonight. Tell him you are no longer interested in his lies and deceit and you are worth so much more. Pick up your self respect and move on.

RantyAnty · 09/05/2019 03:58

Don't be me. My exH did exactly this shit.

I let him string me along for 2 years.

He also wanted to be close friends, didn't know what he wanted, lied about "friends". He is using you in case he doesn't find someone else.

Let me say it is a cruel thing to do. There is no chance of you healing or moving on with his one foot out the door and throwing crumbs that maybe working things out.

The best thing would be to lawyer up and file for a divorce yourself.
Tell him to get his things out of your house in 7 days and then block him everywhere and go no contact.

I wished I would have ripped the bandaid off with my exH when he first started this. I would have been much further along.

Musti · 09/05/2019 03:58

What a pathetic piece of shit. That man doesn't give a fig about you. Please stop letting that vile man call the shots and go in and out of your life constantly. End it and find happiness elsewhere.

blackcat86 · 09/05/2019 04:14

This man is stringing you along and you are currently hanging on his every word because he knows what you want to hear. You only detail what he wants and you're overly invested in his love life. What do you want? Decide what you want, tell him and he can either get on board or chip off. I bet if you said to him you want an exclusive relationship he would drop you like a ton of bricks. This level of contact isn't healthy. Stop treating yourself so badly. You're worth so much more.

purplepears · 09/05/2019 04:18

Wants his cake and to eat it too.
He's keeping you as an option whilst he prioritizes himself.

NoYo · 09/05/2019 04:32

My ex did similar with me. He's playing games and trying to keep you sweet in case his new life doesn't work out, he probably thinks he can come back to you.
Don't enable his behaviour, hard as it will be.
Tell him you need some breathing space to decide what you want.

category12 · 09/05/2019 05:35

Stop accepting this behaviour. You're letting him have the security of your love and sex, while acting like a single man. It can't be doing your self esteem any good.

You can't trust him, he's cheated on you and left you, and you seem prepared to hang on at any cost, but he won't value you because you're selling yourself so short.

End this charade of a relationship, stop letting him have it both ways.

Horsemenoftheaclopalypse · 09/05/2019 05:57

he we are good friends and you never know what could happen in the future.

What the actual fuck???
You are married not casually dating...!

he said he had enough of her mind games
But it’s fine for him to head wreck you?
What he actually means is he thought he had a better option but actually he doesn’t Sad (poor him!) so actually can you still cook clean and provide sex? Angry

he showed me a blocked call
This could be ANYTHING from “you have a book of mine please return it” to “stay away from me you awful man”. You only have his word (which you can’t trust) that she is “chasing” him

Do not trust this man
He will very likely cheat on you again and just cause you even more stress and misery
Please read chumplady

DarklyDreamingDexter · 09/05/2019 06:10

You're letting him have his cake and eat it. Everything he wants is on his terms and you seem to feel you have to accept it while he strings you along. Horrible, selfish man. The best thing you could do is cut contact to an absolute bare minimum, about functional issues only. Let him see what he has lost. While you are still letting him have everything his own way, he will continue to treat you like dirt. Find some self respect and cut ties with this man. He is no longer your friend, let alone your husband. He's a selfish twat who is hedging his bets while he decides what he wants and doesn't give a shit about you or your feelings. You are only extending your own heart break by accepting the crumbs he throws you.

Cambionome · 09/05/2019 06:28

Bin him off! He is treating you appallingly - absolutely don't let him behave like this towards you.

CodenameVillanelle · 09/05/2019 06:34

He's having his cake and eating it too. He's keeping you around for emotional support, sex and whatever else he gets from you whilst staying nominally single so he can pursue this other woman. He's being extremely cruel and unfair.

marmiteontoastplz · 09/05/2019 06:36

What a selfish arse he is. Talk about 'keeping your options open'. Agree with others tell him it's over. Put yourself in control

crimsonlake · 09/05/2019 06:41

Please see sense and stop allowing him to manipulate you and use you. Take back control and tell him you want a divorce, do not put up with these games he is playing as you will never move on.

UnicornDust9 · 09/05/2019 06:42

He's having his cake and eating it too. He's keeping you around for emotional support, sex and whatever else he gets from you whilst staying nominally single so he can pursue this other woman. He's being extremely cruel and unfair

^ this.

He’s treating you like an absolute mug! Tell him to do one! Why on earth are your standards so low! You can do better!

ShinyShoe · 09/05/2019 06:42

The best thing you can do now is cut contact. He’s utterly disrespectful so at least get some respect back. Make him realise what he’s lost. He doesn’t want you. He’s mucking around with other women and the only reason he would come back is if the other woman didn’t want him. He’s told you he’s in love with someone else. Time to act on those words. Get rid and sharply.

OceanViewSentosa · 09/05/2019 06:47

Do you have DC?

If you don't then cut him off right now. This man is treating you appallingly and you deserve better. Who the hell does he think he is? He is making you do the pick me dance whilst he tries and works out exactly who he wants. It seems like neither you nor the other woman are good enough for him in his eyes and he wants to dangle you both on a string and keep you on pilot light.

You don't need him. What you do need is to built up some self respect and resilience against tw@ts.

bigbadbadger · 09/05/2019 06:52

What a cruel man. He has left you to pursue another woman but is keeping you tagging along. Bin him harshly now. Block him, set yourself free.

scratchyfluffface · 09/05/2019 06:56

He seems to be having his cake and eating it - the thing that struck me reading your post is that it is ALL about him and what he wants. He wanted to split up, he wanted to break contact, he wanted to reinstate contact etc

You need to either break up properly or get back together properly, living in this weird semi relationship will ultimately break you (particularly as he seems to have created it so he can see other people but still have you dangling in the background)

StickOfRhubarb · 09/05/2019 07:03

You shouldn’t be confused about what he us doing and why he is doing it because it’s a ‘tale as old as time’. So classic, he is almost using a script.

He’s saying and doing every little thing that a man who has had an affair says and does. He’s not brave enough to just leave you. He wants to keep you on the sidelines for comfort.

Springwalk · 09/05/2019 07:14

Op this man does not care about you at all.
He had treated you very very badly. He certainly is no friend of yours!
He has cheated on you
He had fallen in love with another woman
He has shattered your relationship with him
Broken your trust
And now he is stringing you along just in case things fall through with the other woman.

And you still close friends with him??

Get his stuff out today. Change the locks. Call in the in the lawyers and file for divorce.
He is playing you, he has no respect or love for you. He is just looking after himself. You need to be able to heal and move on, and this will never happen as things stand.

Sar28 · 09/05/2019 07:17

Thank you for all your comments.
My mistake is I keep remembering him for all the good times we have had and I all the good things. I know I have my faults but don't think i should be treated this way.
Its like he is a different person now. He use to make me feel so loved and special, now my head is all over the place.
How do I find the strength to move on?

Im so scared. I love his company and we get on great but I also know this is tearing me apart and it isn't right. I What is the best way tomove forward and coping? I have days were i break down in tears and find it hard to cope

OP posts:
SignedUpJust4This · 09/05/2019 07:31

He wants to fuck about whilst still using you as a safe back up. He is not a nice person. This is beyond cruel. Harness your anger and kick him out.