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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?

OP posts:
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Mummyzzz044 · 22/01/2020 10:22

I would approach her. Call her out on it

Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 15:44

Hey everyone. Appreciate people have been checking in and I’m sorry - I stopped checking the thread as, predictably, I decided to make a go of things with DH after the positive couples counselling and the colleague saying nothing had happened. He also told his boss about the situation so supposedly they do not have to work together/it is an explanation to his office about why he is no longer going to team drinks or events (pre lockdown anyway). Things have been fine, for the most part. I occasionally get upset and have wobbles thinking about why he suddenly started running/shaving his pubic hair around that time and hasn’t bothered with either of those things since this all came out in the wash. But mostly it’s been fine.

Something has happened today which has made me think. DH has been a lazy shit today re parenting and, now that I am 7 months pregnant, I am tired and I finally had enough when I was trying to play in the garden with him and DS and he just fell asleep/decided I can do all the parenting alone like I do all week whilst he does what he wants, as usual.

I told him I was going inside and went in.

Here’s where it gets weird. He has had a HUGE overreaction to that. Following me around asking what’s wrong, what happened. I said I need space and will discuss when DS is In bed. I literally meant just to have a serious discussion about our responsibilities and him helping more. But he is obsessively messaging me now from the next room begging me to ask what’s wrong and now I am freaking the fuck out about WHAT HE THINKS I HAVE FOUND?! I would have thought it was obvious I was annoyed he was falling asleep and not helping me, as we had discussed it repeatedly today.

I am now 99% sure there is more I have yet to uncover re this woman or any other woman because his reaction is not normal in the least/smacks of someone who has been caught (when he hasn’t). I’m not really sure how to proceed.

OP posts:
mamato3lads · 02/05/2020 15:55

Hi OP Flowers

That sounds like a very obvious panic reaction. The behaviour of someone will a guilty conscience I would say....

I would say "what do you think I want to talk about? I'll give you just this one opportunity to be honest".

Windmillwhirl · 02/05/2020 16:05

You could call his bluff and tell him if you have any real hope you need 100% truth now and if he doesn't provide it you are over. It's a gamble though. He may still decide to give away nothing.

Longwhiskers14 · 02/05/2020 16:12

It does sound suspicious. I'd be tempted to front him out as mamato3lads says. Just reply, "What you got to say for yourself, then?" and see how he reacts.

MizMoonshine · 02/05/2020 16:17

Call his bluff.

When the little one is down to sleep, sit him down and tell him he knows exactly why you're pissed and that you're giving him a chance. He tells you the whole truth now and you move forward as a couple, cards on the table, or he can lie and pack his bags.

He should come out with it on his own, given his reaction today.

Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 16:46

It got worse as he then came and offered me his phone and work phone (I did NOT ask). I accepted them. He then tried to take them back, repeatedly “no need
For you to see it will stress me out”. I said as he had offered I would of course want to look. Back and forth “I at least want one of them”. then when I wasn’t looking took them both back.

Shady as fuck

OP posts:
itmusthavebeencoffee · 02/05/2020 16:49

That sounds reaaaally dodgy, please listen to your instincts OP. You know something's happened, so does he. I agree with the others – call his bluff, give him one last opportunity to come clean. This isn't fair on you.

Windyatthebeach · 02/05/2020 16:51

Just tell him you know everything and he has to tell you his side of things...

Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 16:54

@Windyatthebeach

He’s not that type of liar. I’ve caught him out that way before so he’s onto it. He will literally braZen it out even when presented with evidence. Like when I said she said they kissed (she didn’t it was a bluff)... I got “maybe we kissed? I honestly cannot remember that in the slightest she would need to say when and where maybe she means a peck I just don’t know”.

Fuck me

OP posts:
Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 16:54

Thank you everyone for supporting me again even though I was an idiot

OP posts:
itmusthavebeencoffee · 02/05/2020 17:04

You're not an idiot, you wanted to give the father of your children a second chance. He sounds incredibly manipulative but also really stupid at the same time, sorry.

mamato3lads · 02/05/2020 17:14

You're not an idiot OP, you tried when many would have walked away. Gave another chance when many would not have.

However....some people said it then and I always say it...if you let him get away with it once, what's stopping him thinking you won't forgive him again?

He's so manipulative and a fucking idiot too.

NorthernFloral · 02/05/2020 17:24

I’m new to your thread and its history but I’m sympathising now op.
I have been going though hell since January after finding out about an emotional affair but the biggest problem I think I have coming to the end of lockdown (hopefully) is that I don’t trust dh with my feelings. I’ve come to see that I think that’s bigger than anything else I might unravel or am trying to forgive.
A partner being so careless with your emotions is huge and i’m not sure I can spend the rest of my life knowing this with my dh.
My mum is dying and my Dad has been so devoted to her. That’s what I want from older married life but I don’t think I’m with the right man for it now.
Think about how much life you have in front of you and try to think of you want to spend it with someone you know has your back.
It sounds to me like you might be constantly wondering where his loyalties lie

Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 17:28

@Northernfloral

I am so sorry that you have experienced something

OP posts:
Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 17:52

Posted too soon! I’m so sorry you have experienced something similar/ devastating to your marriage. I agree with you about the lack of trust about your feelings. It’s impossible to see someone fully in the same light once you think they have been careless with your heart. I honestly feel like every excuse that comes out of this man’s mouth is from “excuses for dummies”, but he continues to insult my intelligence by persisting with it.

I am so sorry to hear about your mother x

OP posts:
famousforwrongreason · 02/05/2020 18:01

Oh poor you op. Fair play for giving it another chance. The shaving pubes thing is utterly depressing if it’s not something you asked for or if it’s not something he did for you before.
His paranoia now is ringing alarm bells for you yet again. You don’t sound stupid at all but very wise.
I guess this is the point where you decide how you want to live the rest of your life.

MizMoonshine · 02/05/2020 18:02

You're not an idiot, OP, he is.
Throw his arse out and tell him to come back with the truth or not at all.
If he will just brazenly lie to your face, scare him.

Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 18:03

He says the phone anxiety is because he’s SO anxious in case I find something (he can’t think what!) innocent and twist it....

I honestly don’t know how this person thinks I’m so stupid. This isn’t even something I wanted to discuss - I was annoyed about his shitty parenting and somehow it has devolved into this due to him shitting his pants in an obvious way.

OP posts:
Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 18:05

He’s also maintaining he said he kissed her as he thought it’s what I wanted to hear and he thought I would have kicked him out again unless he said it.

How does that make any fucking sense. I can’t believe I fell for it. I was just so desperate to get back to normality. But with some distance it’s fairly clear it’s not true. Likewise how he said he fancied her and then retracted it.

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StayinginSummer · 02/05/2020 18:09

Have been there. Forgave, and then he cheated again. What a cheap awful woman too I have to say. Saying ‘no risk no fun’ to a man whose wife is pregnant?

I think there is something abusive about a man who cheats while his wife is pregnant. It’s pretty low. My Ex did too. He never hit me or acted horribly, he was a stand up guy, top job, well respected. But to cheat on me when I was pregnant? Something deeply wrong there I think.

I trust my instincts 100% now.

famousforwrongreason · 02/05/2020 18:12

They all say the same fucking thing. Makes me so cross. So many beautiful and loving nurturing women. I don’t understand why they think it’s ok to treat us like this. If you can’t be faithful don’t have a relationship. There’s plenty of women who want no strings sex or fwbs, why con the women who want something more?

Becomingbatshit · 02/05/2020 18:19

@StayinginSummer

I’m
So sorry - what a pig. I agree with you, it's so disgusting. It really makes you feel like you’re just some sort of orifice they needed to satisfy a need and need replacing whilst out of order temporarily. Awful.

Loveontherocks100 · 02/05/2020 18:23

@Becomingbatshit

That’s exactly how it feels!!!!

@StayinginSummer

Horrible how many women have experienced the same

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GatoFofo · 02/05/2020 18:35

He definitely thinks you are on to him, which means that he is definitely hiding something. If he won’t come clean (I’m guessing sexting the girl at work or another one) then you have a binary decision: can you live like this, or not, for the rest of your life? Can you ever trust him? Does he respect you?
If you can’t live like this, the younger your child is when you split, the less the impact on their mental health.

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