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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

20 year affair (on/off)

24 replies

kentish1980 · 16/09/2019 15:47

I fully expect to be roasted on here, and definitely need to give my head a wobble
20 years ago I met someone who I fell for pretty quickly. I found out following this that he had a partner, and (very stupidly) continued to see him. I have no doubt he was using me in the beginning, I was at his beck and call, I think he knew he was under my skin, and was basically his booty call. I terminated a pregnancy also during this time. This went on for a few years, until he moved away. Before this, we would have regular contact via email and would often message several times a week.
After he moved away we would contact each other occasionally and meet if he was occasionally in my area (just to talk, and usually kiss). I met someone a few years later, which was a whirlwind, and we had a DS. I kept in occasional contact with this man, although nothing sexual in it. I always thought of him, however focused on my family. He also had a DS with his partner around the same time.
I met this man during a night out several years ago. He suggested going for lunch. This didn't materialise,and I found myself thinking of him as before. I decided then to cut contact. He then messaged me to say that the thought of not seeing me again kills him, and that he thinks of me all the time (which he still maintains). I was hopeless about him from then, as i was as before, and felt that maybe it was meant to be. We see each other when we are able to.
I tried to break it off with this man, but appeared genuinely upset. When I tried to speak to him about it being over, he kept trying to put the conversation off. He later said that he wanted to 'give it a go' with me around this time.
I have asked him how he feels about me, however says that we need to spend a longer period of time together (rather than a couple of hours) as feels we know each other well in one way, not in the other). I take from this that he wants to have his cake and eat it for as long as possible.
I absolutely do not want to split either family up..I just wish I didn't feel this way. I feel awful about what I am doing to his partner. It does not feel that my partner and I are in a relationship as such..we are more like housemates. He is an amazing dad and deserves to have someone to give him what I can't. We have spoken about splitting up previously, which he agreed to, however it didn't materialise, so it seems we are just plodding on for now. There is no intimacy. I would love to forget this man all together, to concentrate on my family, it seems impossible after all these years.

OP posts:
Cleopatrai · 16/09/2019 15:51

By 20 years, if he wanted to be with you he would know. He clearly doesn’t.

CandyLeBonBon · 16/09/2019 15:54

Block. Delete and walk away.

hellsbellsmelons · 16/09/2019 15:55

I take from this that he wants to have his cake and eat it for as long as possible
Yep!
You are not stupid OP.
You already see this yet you continue.
You either concentrate on your marriage with counselling etc...
Or you give your poor DH a chance to find proper happiness with someone who is not a liar and cheat.
Separation didn't materialise because you didn't follow it up.
See a solicitor.
Sort out house and money and access and separate!
It's daunting but you need to let this poor man go.
Then do some work on yourself!

BumbleBeee69 · 16/09/2019 16:00

By 20 years, if he wanted to be with you he would know. He clearly doesn’t.

Your a standby bootycall. Block him Flowers

Oldbluecarpet · 16/09/2019 16:02

Fuck that OP.

I got to 5 years in a similar situation. Was literally besotted with the guy but he was abusive. I finally managed to break contact last yea and have never been happier. I don’t know what the fuck I was thinking.

ScreamingLadySutch · 16/09/2019 17:35

You deal with it like any other addiction:

you go cold turkey. Delete, block, stop all contact.

The minute you get back in touch? It is like picking up the fag, the syringe, the teaspoon. You are back at the beginning again.

Hopoindown31 · 16/09/2019 18:02

Seriously OP, what have you been doing for the last 20 years?

SlightlyMisplacedSingleDad · 16/09/2019 18:42

You seem to have difficulty taking responsibility for your own actions, OP. When you tried to break it off, he seemed upset, so you didn't. You decided tongo no contact, butbhe got in contact, so you didn't. You talked about splitting up with your partner, but it never materialised, so you didn't.

You don't have a 20 year affair by accident. Those are decisions that you have made - whether by action or absence of action. Time to own your own decisions, and own your own life. Stop waiting for other people to decide it for you.

Ginger1982 · 16/09/2019 19:00

I have no sympathy for you.
When he contacts you again ignore, delete and block.
Your family deserve better than a wife and mother moping over another man.

kentish1980 · 16/09/2019 22:01

Thanks all for taking the time to reply..I know you are right

OP posts:
Blankspace4 · 16/09/2019 23:39

I have been in a similar place. Not for as long. But long enough. This man is using you for his own self esteem and entertainment. I know because it’s happened to me.

Move on, take each day at a time. Once you’ve made the decision to cut him out of your life, maybe for the sake of your DC it’s worth trying to make the effort with your partner. If you’ve emotionally checked out and been seeking attention elsewhere, with the other man, you probably haven’t done the relationship justice.

itsmecathycomehome · 17/09/2019 03:33

You have compromised your own happiness and marriage, and the happiness of your dh and ds, in pursuit of a man who clearly and obviously sees you as nothing more than a booty call. That is truly sad, just awful. Twenty years of your one life, wasted and tainted by this situation of your own making.

You know what to do but appear too pathetic to do it, and I can't imagine it will stop until he stops it.

Please (belatedly) do right by your dh and release him so that he can find someone who deserves him.

Cheeseandwin5 · 17/09/2019 13:48

You mention your DH and DC as an after thought and instead seem to immerse yourself in the role as victim. I would be interested to know what your status was 20 years ago and when you got together with your DH. Saying you are like housemates doesn't give you an excuse to carry on like this. Infact its probably your attitude that has lead to this.
Your OM probably also sees himself as a victim- cheaters always have someone else to blame for their actions.
If you had any moral compass you would be honest with your DH and either split up or work at it, but I think you will carry on moping around acting hard done by whilst the real suffering is felt by your DH and DC and the OM's DW and DC.

kentish1980 · 17/09/2019 15:26

Thank you. I was single when i met both other man and partner..very into going out/drinking, which i no longer do.
Im going to break the affair off the next time I see him..it will be hard, but definately the right thing to do. I will discuss with my partner our future, and hope to work on this. I'm not sure whether it is best to come clean (for him, not me)

OP posts:
Theredjellybean · 17/09/2019 15:38

I do have sympathy for you OP, having been in similar but not identical situation.
I my case we did eventually leave our marriages and did end up together and we are very very happy.
But the years when we were not supposedly contacting each other, trying to work on our marriages, were hard. Both of us failed at some point to keep nc.

Many people believe that if a man or woman really wants to he with you they will do anything to make it happen. I think this is simplistic, many people do not leave to ve with someone else however unhappy they are and how much they love the other person.
Life is not a romcom and love does not always conquer all.

However in your situation you don't seem to have any definitive commitment from this man, and he is right you don't know what being together would be like.
Unless he is talking about a plan with timelines for you both to leave your spouses and how the logistics will work, etc etc.. Then sorry you need to draw a line under it.

Ginger1982 · 17/09/2019 16:02

Why wait until the next time you see him? When is this likely to be? Surely you'd be better off just messaging him now and putting an end to it. My feeling is that if you see him you'll just get suckered back into continuing as you are.

kentish1980 · 18/09/2019 14:23

Thankyou for your responses. I would lile to do it in person as it seems too big a thing to do by telephone/text..just need to he strong

OP posts:
DiscontinuedModelHusband · 18/09/2019 16:10

OP - you won't do it in person.

It is pretty clear that he can easily talk you round in a short time.
He'll feed you just enough to get you to change your mind, then it'll be back to how it always is.

Don't give him the opportunity.
Take back some control here - you're a grown woman!

Notcoolmum · 18/09/2019 16:28

Absolutely no need to break off in person. This isn't a committed relationship. Text him you have finally come to your senses. Delete all your messages and block him. Have a cry. Take no contact hour by hour and then day by day. This is not a good relationship and you can't see how you feel about your actual partner whilst hankering for a false future with a man who has treated you as an easy option for 20 years!!!

Ginger1982 · 18/09/2019 17:42

"I would lile to do it in person as it seems too big a thing to do by telephone/text.."

You're just making excuses now.

MashedSpud · 18/09/2019 17:48

You only want to see him again but you won’t break it off.

If a man wants to be with you he would do anything to be with you, regardless who gets hurt.

You’re just his booty call when his wife doesn’t feel like it.

Your DH deserves better.

Packit · 19/09/2019 05:16

Let me tell you my story.
I got married and 5 years later started a full on affair with a man I still see now (30 years). I had kids, dh and I moved area. So I saw him a lot less. 10 years ago I also started seeing other men. 4 years ago I went cold turkey and saw nobody. 2 years ago I met an amazing man by accident who moved heaven and earth to be with me. I am now getting divorced, and I can’t explain the relief I feel from not having to cheat, sculk around and lie to my stbex as I’ve never been happier. My new man knows all about my long term affair and all the other affairs.

I would say do the right thing and stick with the man you really want to be with. You will be far happier in the end.

ShatnersWig · 19/09/2019 08:10

If this was a male poster, you'd have been roasted alive. Rightly. You've got away very lucky in this thread, OP.

Get some self respect.
Leave your partner and allow him to find someone who treats him with the respect he deserves.
Get some counselling to work out why you've behaved like this over such a long time before even remotely considering dating some other poor bastard.

hellsbellsmelons · 19/09/2019 09:15

Yes it's best to come clean with your partner.
He deserves to know the kind of person he is with.
He can then choose to either stay and work on things or to leave (which he should do)
This should be HIS choice.
He needs to all the facts to make a decision regarding his own future.

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