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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

Dh previous flirting has ruined my confidence

7 replies

Anon403728 · 26/07/2020 20:05

My husband flirted with his sister in law a few years ago, his brothers new girlfriend at the time. ( their now married and have a child)
Honestly at the time I’d let myself go a little and she stepped on the scene, incredibly gorgeous, slim tall with long hair and piercing blue eyes. She is striking to say the least. I got on well with her at first but she started to ( what I noticed) stare at my oh a lot and pay him a lot of attention when she was around us and the family. We went to a bar one night and the two of them were at the bar, they were chatting and laughing and I admit I got jealous. I noticed for a few weeks every time we were all together if I couldn’t find my husband somewhere (eg party, family gathering, pub) guaranteed I’d turn around and he’d be anywhere she was. Last straw for me was at a wedding I’d really put the effort in with my appearance and again couldn’t find my oh the whole night then I did and himself the sil and brother were chatting away. It got to a point where I went a bit mad at my husband over this and he was adamant he didn’t fancy her 🙄. I knew he did I could see by the way he looked at her and a gut feeling. Anyway fast forward to now I lost weight and started looking after myself, found my oh stopped being up her arse at every gathering. I noticed she seemed to like the attention and would go out her way to touch/laugh at my oh. I don’t mind I only minded when he did it.
I just can’t get over it in my head though, every time we are going to see them I feel I am in competition I have to look my best and even if I do it’s not as good as she looks. I still feel insecure in myself, before all of this I had confidence and trusted my oh but after it feels like I can’t and I’m always worried he’s going to cheat with her. I sound absolutely mental I know!
Sometimes I cry about it, that’s how down it made me, for years my oh looked at me like I was the prettiest thing he’d seen then all that happened and it just feels like he doesn’t find my attractive anymore.
I don’t know how to get over it, and I’m always paranoid I’m not good enough and he compares us.

OP posts:
RossGellarFan · 27/07/2020 08:07

Bumping for you x

SandyY2K · 27/07/2020 09:00

Sometimes being very friendly can look like flirting with the opposite sex.... it was his brother's GF... do you really think anything was going to happen.

He may have just liked her as person (friendly confident and outgoing( and making her welcome to the family... she was also probably seeking acceptance into the family and trying to get to know your H.

If he was so flirtatious with her did his brother not notice or not mind? I think when one is lacking confidence in themselves, these things can feel a lot worse.

From what you said, he'll always like taking to her... if she wasn't good looking you wouldn't have an issue with it...

barryfromclareisfit · 27/07/2020 09:21

Your husband and sister in law are horrible, cruel and probably on the look-out for a shag. Does that help?

Are you going to stay with him until there is proof-positive he's cheating (he might just be hoping)? Are you going to be his 'lesser-woman', the one who is ok for looking after the children and doing the housework, and for sex if nothing else is available?

You are doing the 'pick-me dance' and if things don't change you might be doing it for the rest of your life. Telling yourself you're not good enough, fighting to be as attractive as you can to a man who was supposed to have committed to you 'for better, for worse'.

Oh, and you know he's a liar. You know he fancies her, but he says he doesn't.

If he's checked out of your relationship in his head, why is he still living with you? I'd be wary of believing he was committed to being your husband, after this behaviour, which seems from what you have said to have gone on for years.

So, that's all bad stuff. What's more positive?

You're looking your best. Focus on that. You look great and that's good for your confidence. Congratulate yourself.

Do you have children, property? Do you have an escape plan? Are you earning? Does he think you're so dependent on him that you have to put up with whatever he does? Can you change any of this, to your own advantage?

If he's having or looking for sex elsewhere, it isn't your fault, it's his.
No blame attaches to you. And it isn't the other woman/women's fault - he knows he's married and what his commitment should be.

Can you get some counselling to work on your self-esteem? Sounds like you're worn down by this and some therapy might give you a shift in perspective.

Good luck. You shouldn't have to feel bad. Give it up. They're in the wrong, not you.

MMmomDD · 27/07/2020 09:51

OP - remember the fairy tale where the woman goes ‘Mirror, mirror on the wall...’
It’s a cautionary tale.
If your self esteem is based on being the ‘prettiest’ woman your H sees - than inevitably this would happen. And one day someone younger will be around and and your will notice and so your H will also see that there are younger and prettier women out there.
(Just like there are younger and hotter men in existence)
However.
This isn’t what a marriage and commitment is based on. You will get less prettier and older. So will he. Marriage is about more than looks.

Look. He may have been overly nice to her. She was his brother’s new gf, and I presume she was nice to him trying to fit into the family. And she is possibly a nice person as well. Of course he noticed that she was pretty. Just like he (and everybody else) notices attractive people around us.
None of that means that he was up to anything. But it does mean that you need to work on your self esteem and self worth and not base it only on your looks. And make peace with the fact that there are people that your H might find attractive and that doesn’t need to threaten your relationship

Zenithbear · 27/07/2020 10:08

Whether you are or not your oh should make you feel like you are the hottest, prettiest woman in the room. He sounds like he couldn't care less even when you look your best and you feel unworthy and ignored. It's not a minor issue imo. Do you want to stay in this relationship that destroys your confidence?

Delbelleber · 27/07/2020 10:31

Lots of mixed opinions in the replies.
Personally I'd find that a difficult situation to get past. It would always be in the back of my mind jibing at me.
Only you can tell if you are able to get past these feelings or if you need a relationship break. Obviously it's not easy leaving someone you love and the life you have together but you will need to find a way to get over these feelings otherwise.
I think he was a dickhead.

Corner1234 · 28/07/2020 14:31

You know those men who make you feel like you're the prettiest thing they've ever seen? And they marry you because you are the prettiest thing they've ever seen? Well, when you get a bit older you can tell whether you've been married to a narcissist or not by the way they look at you. The non-narcissist will still look at you in the same way, not 'cos you're the prettiest anymore but because he loves you as a person. The narcissist will not look at you in the same way because he's taken you off the pedestal. Harsh but true. Hope you've got a non-narc xxx

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