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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

I feel like he has cheated

760 replies

Loveontherocks100 · 16/12/2019 10:45

Please bear with me because this is quite long, and probably seems very stupid, but I really really can’t get over my husband lying to me/convince myself he didn’t have at best an emotional or worst a physical affair. Let me preface this by saying he works VERY long hours 8-10pm average so always at work. We have 1 baby and 1 on the way.

3 years ago he told me a (young, pretty) colleague at work (we are now 30 for context), had baked him a cake especially for him as he was moving Desk. He was teasing me that she fancied him. I thought this was quite inappropriate of her/an overreaction to a colleague (he’s her direct boss) so asked him to just shut it down. He said he did.

A year later I found an exchange of emails BY ACCIDENT (which I posted about at the time) where she asked if he was coming for drinks and he effectively said he was very sad he couldn’t because I was pregnant. Poor him. She replied “no risk no fun” and there was a great deal of winky emojis and all fairly inappropriate. Given the cake incident I was displeased and said I wanted him to stop indulging in flirting with a colleague he had said fancied him. A few months later he said she left the team for another one.

9 months later I basically find out (not from him) that she has been working for him all along. They sit near each other. He has repeatedly lied to me about it. He has been going for drinks with her and (supposedly) other colleagues. Going to nightclubs with her (and other colleagues) and lying about it whilst I’m at home with our baby.

It’s been months since I find this out and I just can’t get over it. It probably seems so small and stupid but I had to DRAG the information out of him with irrefutable proof. He just denied denied denied then said “oh I didn’t remember” blah blah blah and now I am just convinced in my mind they must have slept together at least once or kissed or flirted.

I don’t understand why else the flirting emails, the cake, the lies!?!

Am I insane?

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Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 17:27

I am hoping that therapy provides some answers. At least in Monday I will get a feel for how it will be/if it seems worth continuing. Otherwise need to just cut it dead.

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Gemma1971 · 19/12/2019 17:27

That kind of lie is like a fuck you to the person being lied to. I think he is one person at work and "out with colleagues/friends" and another at home. I would not trust him as far as I could bat that bloody golf ball, and it would not be far.

He must get a kick out of lying to people. I think he lies to you and then watches for your reaction. But to mess about with his PREGNANT wife's mental health. That would send me ballistic. I bet if you think back, there will be other times where his "facts" did not add up.

One of the hardest things for me after being with an abusive liar was the mindfuckery perpetrated on me, the gaslighting, denial, pushing it all back onto me and often telling me I had imagined him doing or saying something. I run a business which is very pressured and can be super stressful and he KNEW how hard I worked but he chose to fuck with my mental health nevertheless.

Dangerous.

MurrayTheMonk · 19/12/2019 17:52

It's just such a stupid and pointless lie. Which then makes you wonder what else he lies about it and around it all goes...

Tiring I would imagine. And deeply unattractive.

ThePawtriarchy · 19/12/2019 17:59

No risk, no fun sounds like a repeated in joke.

Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 18:02

Maybe it is a repeated in joke! And he has lied about it. At this point who knows. Literally anything could be the truth.

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Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 18:09

He apparently thought telling me she fancied him would “be amusing”. So amusing for us because I’m so cool and chilled, but a colleague decorating a bloody golf ball would send me up the wall?! What the fuck.

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JustASmallTownCurl · 19/12/2019 18:16

He apparently thought telling me she fancied him would “be amusing”.

Right. OP. He's an absolute cunt.

What are you doing thinking of trying to salvage this? He's horrible!

Please set the example for your little ones that people should not be treated this way. That couples shouldn't belittle and humiliate each other.

You deserve better and your children deserves a better blueprint for relationships.

Don't let this wanker sap the life and confidence out of you.

He has literally just told you that he told you something hurtful because he found it funny. Come on.

HundredMilesAnHour · 19/12/2019 18:35

This is an extract from an article about patholigical liars (link to full article below). It sounds a lot like your husband, don't you think? The misleading and keeping you confused part especially:

"It is important to keep in mind that there are pathological liars who quite frankly just cannot help telling so many lies. It is almost like an automatic impulse for the liar. Their world is much different from our world. But there are also liars who are gratified by telling lies, are good at it, and do not regret anything they have ever said. These individuals are “skillful” liars who attempt to evade and harm everyone they come across in their lives. In fact, these liars would meet diagnostic criteria for antisocial personality disorder (or sociopathy). These sociopaths also tell truths in ways that give incorrect perspectives. In other words, they tell the truth in a misleading way to cause people to view things in an incorrect fashion. Such individuals enjoy and get much gratification from keeping you confused and believing their stories. It is the experience of watching a “victim” run through the maze of confusion that gives gratification to most liars."

blogs.psychcentral.com/caregivers/2014/09/6-subtle-characteristics-of-the-pathological-liar/

Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 18:47

He supposedly thought we would BOTH find it amusing that she fancied him although they spend 80 hours a week together.

He is Now saying it was cruel and he is sorry.

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Hilda44 · 19/12/2019 18:47

Does he lie to anyone else OP or just you?

lisag1969 · 19/12/2019 18:56

Just lay down some ground rules and stick to them. Like not saying out late. Going clubbing ect. He has work commitments yes. But if it's not entertaining clients or the boss there is no need for it. X

Gemma1971 · 19/12/2019 19:01

Lisag he is not a child. Children need rules. Adults know better. You should not have to tell an adult how to behave correctly.

This is not on OP, HE should know this!

Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 19:01

Tbf he lied to his mother saying he would propose to me at some point in a year. And then proposed the next day. And then lied to me and told her she knew.

Created large fucking problems, that one.

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Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 19:02

The thing is I don’t want to lay down rules. He should be able to go for work drinks without me wanting to tear my hair out because I don’t know if he’s with a female colleague he has lied to me about repeatedly! I should trust him to do whatever, like I always have. But I don’t. He’s really ruining things for me and he’s ruining things for himself.

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HundredMilesAnHour · 19/12/2019 19:19

He is Now saying it was cruel and he is sorry.

And this is another lie, isn't it? He's not sorry. He doesn't care that it's cruel. He was happy to upset his wife and potentially put the career of a colleague at risk. Just for his entertainment.

Op you seem to be a really lovely person but I think you need to get you and your DC away from this man. He won't change. I don't think he's capable of changing. He'll just pretend for a while but it'll just be another act to keep you with him. The facade will crack again, and keep cracking. If you won't do it for yourself, do it for your children. Having this man as a father will seriously fuck them up.

peachypetite · 19/12/2019 19:21

Oh OP how long have things been bad for?

Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 19:29

Honestly, I have always thought things are fantastic. We have had problems with the in laws etc but they are nasty bastards, not DH’s fault (except the engagement lie).

But now I see this long list behind me of shitty, shitty things. Phone being off at Christmas parties whilst pregnant last time and stumbling in at 3am after saying he’d be back at 10. Trying for DS after being told I would probably be infertile, getting pregnant soon after marriage and his shocking reaction “my life is over”. We were bloody trying for a baby! All these fucking, fucking lies. I don’t even really know what to say, frankly. I’m just ashamed of him and I’m surprised at myself it’s like this has suddenly snuck up on me after years of this and that. Thinking everything was fantastic, feeling happy.

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Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 19:32

Flying to Miami on a team building work trip when I was 8 months pregnant. He didn’t have to go but pretended he did, said he couldn’t get out of it, but later turned out he could. Not saying he should have, but it was like a fun work holiday for everyone to unwind and I was quite heavily pregnant and would have rather he stayed if possible.

Having a business trip which involved flying first class to America for two meetings and refusing to help me with newborn in the night because he would be SO tired from the travelling, even though I was on my knees.

He’s just a selfish prick really. I always put him first, and now I see that has been stupid.

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Gemma1971 · 19/12/2019 19:38

"Trying for DS after being told I would probably be infertile, getting pregnant soon after marriage and his shocking reaction “my life is over”. We were bloody trying for a baby!"

OMG OP, that is just VILE.

My ex went ON AND FUCKING ONNNNNNNN about me getting pregnant so his son could have a brother and sister. When I DID fall pregnant, he was so uninterested, told me to "have the baby in England" (we were long distance), did not come when I miscarried and was more interested in whether I could "lend" him money.

PaulHollywoodsSexGut · 19/12/2019 19:42

Men who do this hate women.

I truly believe this to be the case.

There’s a decent chance you could be shackled to a sociopath or a narcissist but my guess is you’re with a misogynist.

You, his mum... does he have any sisters he’s headfucked?

Hilda44 · 19/12/2019 19:45

It sounds to me as if he is mentally ill.

Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 19:48

@Gemma1971

Oh my god that is AWFUL!!!! I am so sorry to hear of your loss too.

Yes I think he is a misogynist - especially given disgusting way he talks about women with friends.

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RockingAroundTheXMasTree · 19/12/2019 19:51

Been reading along in the background and wow, @Gemma1971 is totally spot on with each and every comment. FFS, why are some guys such total arseholes? So sorry you’re having to deal with this OP (and everyone else who’s been there too, it really is shit...)!

Gemma1971 · 19/12/2019 19:54

Sadly I have been there and got the tshirt....

Loveontherocks100 · 19/12/2019 20:00

I really did not expect the wealth of Fantastic advice, support and solidarity I’ve received on this thread. Thank you so much xx

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