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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

Help with possible cheater... 🙏🏻

48 replies

imissgin · 31/01/2020 15:01

Hi so a bit of background first,

I met my partner 2 years ago whilst at work. I was single he was in a non-committed relationship. We got together things moved pretty fast. Fast forward and we have a 5 month old DS.
He’s always been hugely possessive. I’ve had to change email, phone number and he’s blocked a lot of people from my Instagram. I’ve had to delete facebook and snapchat. If I do much as glance in the direction of another man I get accusations of me fancying him and I want him. He wanted me to cut of my best friend and this caused endless rows. I don’t return his behaviour. If he wants to go out with friends I encourage it, I want him to see I trust him so he should trust me, I literally say stay safe and have fun. He keeps his phone hidden a lot and takes it to the toilet all the time. I didn’t think much of it, usually I hear him watching videos on performance cars and know he sometimes uses going to the toilet as a bit of an escape. I don’t got through his phone. I know his unlock code but not any passwords and have honestly never felt the need to snoop.

So a few days ago it was late and DS was asleep. I was googling something on his phone from my phone IYSWIM. So I had both phones in my hand. As I’m googling he receives a message on Instagram from a girl whose name I don’t recognise. The message said “it’s not that bad”. He looked a bit sheepish and said he didn’t know her. I still had the phone in my hand at this point so I replied “whats not that bad?” I said if it’s just a random then she’ll reply accordingly. I clicked on her profile and they both follow each other. I asked about this and he just parroted the same line about not knowing her and it must’ve been a random add. At this point he declares he needs the toilet (despite going only about 10 minutes before). He snatches the phone from my hands and takes it to the toilet. He comes back 10 minutes later and I asked if there was a reply. He says “yeh she said it was a mistake and I deleted the messages.” Why would he delete the messages if it proved it wasn’t anything. I also asked him this and he said he just did it without thinking.
So I thought this was a bit fishy. I asked him to block her on Instagram as she might be trying it on and I didn’t trust her. (Yes I know I sound as bad as him now but I wanted to see his reaction). He pulled a face and said he was sick of being interrogated about to and she didn’t need blocking. I pushed it again and he did it in a huff. Although he did ask if he could just unfollow rather than block. I asked him to block and he got pissed off about. Anyway the next day I ask if he’s got her on Facebook. He said no but I had to ask him to speak up as he was mumbling. Almost like if he ever got caught he could deny saying no. He said no clearly and promised me and again I got the whole Guilt trip about not trusting him. This was in the morning. We go out and about take DS swimming, pop out around town and come home. I decided to text my best mate who said they’d see if they could find anything on Facebook as I don’t have it. (Something didn’t sit right). About 7pm on the evening he send me a screenshot of this girls Facebook. She’s change her profile picture that same day at 7am and he’s gone and liked it!
I suspect they know each other from work. His employer has asked him to do nights recently. I used to know all the other colleagues at his previous place of employment and can’t think where else he’d know her from.
I’m guessing he’s messaging her on Facebook now but I’ve no way of knowing.
So do I confront him now with what I have? He’ll deny everything and there’ll always be a sense of doubt that I was being paranoid and overreacting and threw everything away for nothing. Or do I wait to try and find more evidence? If so how? He never leaves his phone unattended. Ever. I thought about confronting him with what I had then demanding his phone and sending her a “test message” if you like from his profile.
I don’t know what to do Sad. Ideally I’d like more proof but struggling with how to come up with it. He’s not the type to confess even if I push him.

OP posts:
beckywiththeshithair20 · 31/01/2020 15:13

If it looks like shit and smells like shit....it's usually shit.

They often say that people who are doing wrong themselves will be super paranoid and untrusting of their partners. Projecting his lack of morals onto those around him. Look, nobody can tell you for sure if he's cheated but the messages definitely look fishy. More importantly why is he controlling you? Telling you who you can and can't talk to? In an adult relationship you should be two equals, not one telling the other what to do...especially when he's doing the exact same thing himself. What a hypocrite.

Put your foot down. Don't let him walk all over you. You are not his property.

Windmillwhirl · 31/01/2020 15:21

Your relationship is really unhealthy. He's definitely lying but that's not the main problem. Why are you accepting such bad treatment. He's controlling your life!!

Beansandcoffee · 31/01/2020 15:27

To be fair he hasn’t changed as you mention he was in a non committed relationship when you met him so it sounds like he had an affair with you. Sorry.

Haffiana · 31/01/2020 15:43

You are so far down the mad, confused rabbit hole of an abused woman's mind that you think your problem is whether he is cheating and whether you can get 'proof'. Of course he is cheating because he has zero respect for you and quite certainly he doesn't actually like you anyway.

You actually know he is cheating. Deep down, you know. The mad rabbit hole bit is that you imagine that if you could prove it to him it would make a difference. Make him listen to you, realise what he has got, value you...

He owns you, which he does like about you. That is why he love-bombed you and got you pregnant and in his control after a very few months. I bet he made you feel special. This is one of the biggest relationship red flags, all that love-bombing and rushing btw. Google it.

The REAL problem is that he has completely isolated you, stopped you seeing your friends and has you creeping around on eggshells trying to get him to acknowledge you and make you feel special again. Maybe you imagine that his abusive control means he loves you?

You do know that a loving partner who cared for his partners happiness, a man who even just liked his partner a little bit, would want her to have friends and to enjoy her life. You know this deep down. You know this because you wish it for him. So why do you think you are so worthless that you don't deserve it?

You have nothing to throw away, and everything to gain by leaving. Don' waste your life being a sad little shadow of the woman that you really are. You can leave simply because you wish to, because your relationship is a small, squashed unhappy thing.

CoffeeCoinneseur · 31/01/2020 15:48

You know that “non-committed relationship” he was already in when you got together with him.

He’s in another one, this time it’s with you .

HopeYouStepOnALego · 31/01/2020 15:49

For a start I'd put Facebook and Snapchat back on my phone - he has no right to tell you to delete them, or to block people from your apps. Then I'd password protect my phone so that he can't delete/block anyone/thing.

His behaviour sounds more than suspect OP and I'd trust him as far as I could throw him.

Pumpkinpie1 · 31/01/2020 16:01

Who told you he was in a non committed relationship? Was it just an excuse he used to justify cheating?
It doesn’t sound as if he trusts you, maybe because he isn’t trustworthy himself? I think I would be making sure he really is working nights because he doesn’t sound like he is being honest with you

YasssKween · 31/01/2020 16:06

This is such an unhealthy toxic relationship.

Do you really want your son to grow up thinking that this is how a man treats a woman? Really?

You both sound very young so I appreciate you may not have had much experience of relationships (genuinely not patronising you, it's the same with everyone learning as we go) but this is categorically not normal.

The toxicity has crept in to you too now. His treatment of you means now you're mirroring it and being untrusting and on high alert. He sounds like a fuckboy, not a father.

Do you really want another 10/20/30 years of this? And your son to model his future relationships on this one?

You don't need to wait for physical proof he's cheated on you to appreciate this isn't healthy, break up and coparent separately instead of having such a toxic environment.

myBumJuiceSmellsLikeRoses · 31/01/2020 16:53

Hang on, so he can use facebook but you can't?

Is it in case you publish your relationship status, or photo's that include him so other women know he's not single????

Kittykat93 · 31/01/2020 16:56

Who gives a flying fuck if he's cheating? That is not the worst thing in this relationship. You are not allowed to look at men or speak to them. You aren't allowed friends. You aren't allowed social media.

It really baffles me seeing what some people will put up with in a relationship. He is abusing you op. And he will probably be abusive towards your ds as he gets older too.

YasssKween · 31/01/2020 16:58

Who gives a flying fuck if he's cheating? That is not the worst thing in this relationship.

Can you see this OP?

mamato3lads · 31/01/2020 16:59

Listen you dont need to do this.

You dont need proof
You dont need to investigate
You dont need to worry about him denying it

You KNOW what he's doing. You've seen it. Do you need to convince yourself of something you've seen with your own eyes ?? Come on.

Hes cheating on you...or is at least trying to .
You're not helpless here! You know what hes doing, fuck "proving" it to him...HE KNOWS.....hes the one doing it.

Leave him. Tell him why. When he denies it, let him deny it and still leave him.

Unless you want a life of mistrust and misery that is.

I'm sorry OP, stories like this only end one way , take control Flowers

notanurse2017 · 31/01/2020 17:00

What's a non committed relationship?

TheHouseWithTheBambooDoor · 31/01/2020 17:01

He sounds dreadful. He's abusive OP.

Ispywithmycynicaleye · 31/01/2020 17:04

Lol re-read your opening post and ask yourself is him possibly cheating actually your problem?

Btw, I was in a relationship with a needy possessive controlling person like you. Stayed for 13 years and slowly it got worse and worse.

He made you delete your social media
Wants to stop you seeing friends
Constant accusations (while he of course can do what he wants)

Exactly what fun and enjoyment do you get out of the relationship???

I left my ex, best thing I ever did!! My new DP encourages me to go out, even offered to watch DC so i could take my DM to Las Vegas for a holiday.

But anyway, yeh I'd say he is cheating, or at least trying to. Hypocritical little shit.

NurseButtercup · 31/01/2020 17:12

I agree with what everybody else has said.

Don't put any energy into confronting him or trying to provide proof he will deny everything.

Put your energy into taking back your life and rebuilding your independence. If you want Facebook/Snapchat/ Instagram etc on your phone then install them.
Don't tell him what you're doing and definitely don't ask him if he'd ok with that.

Reconnect with your friends and start socialising with them.

Ideally my advice would be to make plans to leave but I don't think you're anywhere near ready to do that.

imissgin · 31/01/2020 17:26

I’d love to say you’re all wrong but I can’t. The mad thing is I’d be saying all the exact same things to anyone else, I’d probably be screaming it.
When I first saw him I classed him as way out of my league. I think that I was desperate to please him. By the time I realised how much I’d changed and not in a good way it was too late and little one was on the way. I don’t come from a broken home and my parents are very much happy and still together. I’m just desperate to give that to DS. I’ve tried really hard to improve things and things have eased up since I went on maternity leave however I dread going back to work and fear all the progress I’ve pushed for will be undone.
Our DS is on his Instagram but not Facebook. He’s hidden his relationship status too. And I don’t feature on any of them. I have one picture of us as a family on my Instagram but my account is private with a limited audience.
I realise cheating isn’t the only problem here but it’s just the cherry on top of the cake I suppose.

OP posts:
yesterdaystotalsteps123 · 31/01/2020 17:32

Google "the dominator the freedom programme." Watch some videos on narcissistic abuse by Angie Atkinson. Read why does he do that by Lundy Bancroft. Educate yourself about abuse and toxic relationships. Make a plan. Be careful. Abusers hate to lose control over you and their abuse escalates. He has all the signs he could physically hurt you and intimidate you. Contact women's aid for advice when you are ready to escape the abuse. It's not a relationship. It's abuse. He's not a partner. He's a perpetrator of abuse

Deadsouls · 31/01/2020 17:38

Even without reading the whole cheating social media stuff, the first paragraph describing his possessive and controlling ways; making you do x, y and z, is enough to show that this is an toxic and unhealthy.

All the rest is relationship drama. That should be enough to make you end this thing.

BobbyBlueCat · 31/01/2020 17:41

"I don’t come from a broken home and my parents are very much happy and still together. I’m just desperate to give that to DS."

Well, you're not 'very much happy' and although it's not in the traditional sense, it IS most certainly a 'broken home'. It's well and truly fucked.

The best thing you can give your DS is a respect of women and show him that only you can make a situation better.
Get out. Before your kid grows up and turns in to his dad.

Sharkyfan · 31/01/2020 18:05

he was in a non-committed relationship
When you together.

No kidding it was non committed! 😂
Wonder if she knew that?

Seems like he’s doing the same again

Sharkyfan · 31/01/2020 18:07

And yes agree that his controlling and possessive behaviour is enough reason to leave. I know it’s sad for your DS but it I’m really is better for him if it’s now than in a few years

category12 · 31/01/2020 18:24

I don’t come from a broken home and my parents are very much happy and still together. I’m just desperate to give that to DS.

You already can't give your ds that, because you're not happy and this relationship is dysfunctional. Instead you're showing your ds a relationship where the man controls and bullies and subjugates the woman, and she puts up with it and is crushed under.

Do your child the favour of showing him a mother who takes no shit and rocks it on her own without an abusive shitbag.

Fluffycloudland77 · 31/01/2020 18:30

Of course he’s cheating on you, why else would women be contacting him.

Pumpkinpie1 · 31/01/2020 18:41

You are out of his league! You’re too good for him!
Do you want your child to grow up thinking that women are objects to abuse, control and walk over?
That’s what. Is happening at the moment but it’s not too late to undo the damage.
It sounds as if you have parents who love and support you. Why are you afraid to trust them and ask for help. Walking away from an unhealthy toxic relationship shows strength not failure
You can do much better than this charade and so can your child x

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