Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Should I contact the other Woman

308 replies

Summeronmymind5 · 01/11/2020 06:26

Hi all I've never posted a dilemma before and I am desperately seeking others advice about whether or not to make contact the the woman who had an affair with my husband. Most problem pages/self help books seem to suggest this is a bad idea and that blame should fall to husband. Believe me when I say I am not clearing my husband of blame. However most seem to come from the assumption the the betrayed partner has the following reasons for getting in touch or meeting
A) A morbid curiosity to find out what they look like/more about them
B) Do something rash/revenge
C) 'Telling off'
D) Find information to clarify facts

A & B do not really apply to me - I had previously, briefly met the woman and it's not in my nature to be rash (in fact it's been around 2 years since I found out about the affair).
As for reason C- I won't pretend part of me wants to 'lay in to her' but again I'm above swearing/name calling. I'm usually a very non-confrontational person so I feel it maybe useful to call someone out on behaviour which they ultimately knew was wrong and hurtful (also to give some context I was pregnant with a second child, she too was married with two young kids--and yes again I'm aware my husband acted like a pig).
As for D - clarifying facts - yes I know she may not tell me anything, and if I ask her she has a gains a certain power - but frankly I don't know if I care. If I start from the place that I don't trust my husband (experience has taught me this) but maybe any evidence such as confirming the last day they slept together would he useful? She's the only other person that can do this.

Finally there's a last reason I would want to get in touch which never seemed to be mentioned in the books/online advice; to simply ask her to consider what she has done and to ask her not to shatter other relationships in future. That the next time she feels like cheating she chooses a single guy to do this with.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

OP posts:
WouldBeGood · 01/11/2020 21:39

There’s no point though. If she had a shred of decency she wouldn’t have done it.

LondonCrone · 01/11/2020 21:57

Hi OP, like you I gave my husband another chance after an affair. Like you, I thought I was modern and above it all and that we could work it out.

We didn't.

Unfortunately or fortunately, maybe I got to a point where I realised that I had been thinking about him and her and what they did for me for a year. Constantly. And guess what? It was boring. I had better things to do with my life.

I hope you get there, too. In my experience, there is no going back. I hope you realise this sooner rather than later. I'm not speaking from a point of bitterness; I'm happy I was married, I think I chose well, and I've come to terms with how it ended. I just didn't want my whole life to be consumed by someone else's choices.

You won't get the answers you want from her, and you won't get them from him. Because what you probably want what I wanted was for it not to have happened.

But it did.

As my stepmom said, today is day one. How will you use it?

Onthedunes · 01/11/2020 22:42

@ShebaShimmyShake

I agree it matters not a jot if she actually does decide to divorce him but meanwhile suggesting if she does go down that route with her husband, it would get back to ow and screw with her peace of mind, oh god hubby will find out, my reputation etc, the list goes on....

This lady is poleaxed in her grief and will have hard decisions to make.
She must feel as though she had to go to war and she needs some minor victories along the way.

Personally I'd be far worse but then I'm no bleeding heart liberal.

ShebaShimmyShake · 01/11/2020 22:57

[quote Onthedunes]@ShebaShimmyShake

I agree it matters not a jot if she actually does decide to divorce him but meanwhile suggesting if she does go down that route with her husband, it would get back to ow and screw with her peace of mind, oh god hubby will find out, my reputation etc, the list goes on....

This lady is poleaxed in her grief and will have hard decisions to make.
She must feel as though she had to go to war and she needs some minor victories along the way.

Personally I'd be far worse but then I'm no bleeding heart liberal.[/quote]
It would only get back to OW if OP or the husband decide to tell her. If OP does want to play head games by threatening to tell the husband, which I really don't recommend, there are far more direct ways to do it that would at least own the action rather than relying on a gossipy grapevine (and you may be seriously overestimating how much people in their social circles care about all this and how much energy they would devote to spreading it around). Anyway, OP knows about the affair and has decided to stay so far, so it's not beyond the realm of possibility that the same thing has happened in the other marriage too.

Minor victories? Just how combative is this? And who's the enemy? Husband was responsible for his marriage, not anyone else. I'm not denying the pain involved (two years is nothing) but there would be something malicious and deeply unpleasant in trying to engineer the same consequences for OW that you choose not to impose on your own partner. Even more so if you try to manipulate the grapevine into doing it for you. Trying to wreck OW's marriage won't save OP's and may even be the final straw for it, or might just make any resulting divorce nastier than it has to be. Who wins then?

I don't really understand the reference to a "bleeding heart liberal". I infer that you think it's somehow weak not to try to take passive aggressive, gossip-mongering swipes at someone else's marriage when your husband shits on yours? I probably won't convince you otherwise, but let's just say I don't agree, and I don't think it's a path to happiness either.

AliceMcK · 01/11/2020 22:59

I would have done it at the time. Two years has gone by, unless there is a reason your paths are going to cross or your going to be in regular contact with her, I wouldn’t make contact at this late stage. Completely different if you came face to face with her.

Onthedunes · 01/11/2020 23:46

@ShebaShimmyShake

I understand your point of view entirely, its just some people have a different point of view.

I always think society can be pretty hard on the aggrieved wife, suck it up, stiff upper lip, don't be vengeful be forgiving.

And I also believe her husband is the enemy at the moment, he'd be no friend of mine.

I mentioned nothing about gossip mongering only the ow being informed, yes your right stating nobody cares but op does.
The woman got away scott free.

Affairs are devastating and unbelievabaly unfair her husband and the ow set up this new construct of how people should behave.
Normal etiquette doesn't apply.

What should the op do, start yoga , see a councillor curl up in a ball and take antidepressants ?

She sounds like she wants to take the power back, shes had two years to think about it and she don't sound too forgiving !

serenegiraffe · 02/11/2020 01:25

@Summeronmymind5 sorry that happened to you op, hope things work out for you 💐

ShebaShimmyShake · 02/11/2020 08:00

[quote Onthedunes]@ShebaShimmyShake

I understand your point of view entirely, its just some people have a different point of view.

I always think society can be pretty hard on the aggrieved wife, suck it up, stiff upper lip, don't be vengeful be forgiving.

And I also believe her husband is the enemy at the moment, he'd be no friend of mine.

I mentioned nothing about gossip mongering only the ow being informed, yes your right stating nobody cares but op does.
The woman got away scott free.

Affairs are devastating and unbelievabaly unfair her husband and the ow set up this new construct of how people should behave.
Normal etiquette doesn't apply.

What should the op do, start yoga , see a councillor curl up in a ball and take antidepressants ?

She sounds like she wants to take the power back, shes had two years to think about it and she don't sound too forgiving ![/quote]
What should the OP do? Keep it within her own marriage, with the only person capable of fixing or destroying his commitment to her. Decide what SHE wants to do without pegging her happiness on what happens to some outsider who isn't committed to her. Not take the risk of communicating with said outsider who really isn't at all likely to give her the answer she wants and is more likely to make her feel even worse somehow. Not try to deflect from the real problem, her husband, by trying to bring about consequences for OW that she doesn't want to impose on her husband.

Yoga, counselling and antidepressants if recommended sound like excellent options because they come from a place of self care, which OP needs, rather than a place of trying to punish someone else who never was your problem to start with. It's actually very telling that you think trying to get back at OW through gossip (which is exactly what you gave as the reason for naming her in any papers) is a better solution than these.

What you and some others don't seem to understand is that pegging your recovery and happiness on punishing OW is the exact opposite of taking back the power. Au contraire, it makes it impossible to recover on your own terms, but only as long as something bad happens to her. It gives HER the power, especially given it all finished two years ago. That's not long to heal from heartbreak like this, but it is definitely a long time to hold out for something bad happening.

We don't tell betrayed spouses not to be vengeful because we are being horrible or don't appreciate their devastation. We say it because a) it is so likely to backfire when OW could potentially tell OP terrible things or just ignore her b) it places the healing foundation in the wrong place, which should be self care and focus on the actual partner and c) it can indeed turn you into an awful person, even if you were wronged initially. Someone on here told us the other week about her sustained campaign of harassment and vengeance against OW and it was striking how many people, on MN of all places, thought she sounded totally hateful and began to think her husband might have had good reasons.

Sorry OP, I know you haven't mentioned most of this.

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 08:09

I always think society can be pretty hard on the aggrieved wife, suck it up, stiff upper lip, don't be vengeful be forgiving

God I don't think anyone is saying suck it up or be forgiving!

But I do think that focussing on revenge or 'getting back' will keep OP hurting and keep the wounds alive. She needs to shift her focus away from OW and to herself. I speak from experience, not from an affair but from, what I found, a far more devastating event. Focussing on my anger and bitterness and the unfairness that this person wasn't hurting when they had near destroyed me, just kept me trapped in the event and unable to come to terms with it and move on with rebuilding a good life for myself. God, I feel so much better now that I have largely let go off all that anger and have now built a pretty good life. Its taken years and been hard, but living with anger and bitterness wasn't really a liveable alternative.

Onthedunes · 02/11/2020 15:36

I firmly believe if there are no repercusion or punishment for the affenders both of them will do it again.

Be a good little wife and get over it, don't make a fuss.

It seems to me the op isn't letting go of the hurt and resentment and is seeking justice.

I support her in her right to be angry, even if its taken her two years to get to that point.

Anordinarymum · 02/11/2020 15:42

@Summeronmymind5

Hi all I've never posted a dilemma before and I am desperately seeking others advice about whether or not to make contact the the woman who had an affair with my husband. Most problem pages/self help books seem to suggest this is a bad idea and that blame should fall to husband. Believe me when I say I am not clearing my husband of blame. However most seem to come from the assumption the the betrayed partner has the following reasons for getting in touch or meeting A) A morbid curiosity to find out what they look like/more about them B) Do something rash/revenge C) 'Telling off' D) Find information to clarify facts

A & B do not really apply to me - I had previously, briefly met the woman and it's not in my nature to be rash (in fact it's been around 2 years since I found out about the affair).
As for reason C- I won't pretend part of me wants to 'lay in to her' but again I'm above swearing/name calling. I'm usually a very non-confrontational person so I feel it maybe useful to call someone out on behaviour which they ultimately knew was wrong and hurtful (also to give some context I was pregnant with a second child, she too was married with two young kids--and yes again I'm aware my husband acted like a pig).
As for D - clarifying facts - yes I know she may not tell me anything, and if I ask her she has a gains a certain power - but frankly I don't know if I care. If I start from the place that I don't trust my husband (experience has taught me this) but maybe any evidence such as confirming the last day they slept together would he useful? She's the only other person that can do this.

Finally there's a last reason I would want to get in touch which never seemed to be mentioned in the books/online advice; to simply ask her to consider what she has done and to ask her not to shatter other relationships in future. That the next time she feels like cheating she chooses a single guy to do this with.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

They had an affair so 50% of the hurt you feel is his fault and the rest is hers. Tell her husband because he is living with a cheat, and show your husband where your backbone is, but before you do that inform him of what you have done and wait for the reaction which is exactly what you need to see before you dump him.
blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 15:50

Tell her husband because he is living with a cheat, and show your husband where your backbone is, but before you do that inform him of what you have done and wait for the reaction which is exactly what you need to see before you dump him

Yeah, do this without caring one whit about the impact of her children
That will show that you are so much of a better person than her, I mean she was awful - she just did what made her feel good without caring about the impact on others. Not like you, eh?

ShebaShimmyShake · 02/11/2020 15:51

@Onthedunes

I firmly believe if there are no repercusion or punishment for the affenders both of them will do it again.

Be a good little wife and get over it, don't make a fuss.

It seems to me the op isn't letting go of the hurt and resentment and is seeking justice.

I support her in her right to be angry, even if its taken her two years to get to that point.

I don't think anyone on here has denied OP's right to be angry or to bring about consequences to her husband...and it doesn't matter, for her, if OW does it again. It matters only if husband chooses, again, that he's going to be the one. She can shag every player in the Premiere League and their brothers, it's nothing to OP unless her husband makes the choice to be part of it. If you have to rely on others staying away for your partner to be faithful, what's the point? If a married person propositions someone and is faithful only because they were refused, they've still betrayed their spouse.

Married people are responsible for their commitments.

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 15:53

They had an affair so 50% of the hurt you feel is his fault and the rest is hers

100% of the hurt you feel is his fault. She had no ability to make him do anything he didn't (enthusiastically) want to do. All of the responsibility for him fucking someone else is on him. All of it.

WokesFromHome · 02/11/2020 16:02

and your ultimate revenge is actually holding the card that could destroy her marriage.

Yes to this. Personally I would try and destroy her marriage back by making sure her DH had as much info as I knew. You don't owe her anything. I'd dump DH too.

ShebaShimmyShake · 02/11/2020 16:06

If OP tells OW's husband in vengeance, which I don't recommend, how is she likely to feel if he decides, like her, that it isn't worth serious consequences and stays with his wife?

It's really quite odd to try to engineer consequences on the OW that you don't think are worth imposing on the husband who actually betrayed you.

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 16:06

I find it really unedifying that adults will gleefully talk about destroying children's families out of spite or a misplaced sense of justice.

You will hurt children to punish a woman for saying yes to your husband.

That is seriously fucked up. Your husband's are responsible for the hurt you feel. Stop making kids collateral damage because of the pain caused by your husband's choices.

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 16:07

It's really quite odd to try to engineer consequences on the OW that you don't think are worth imposing on the husband who actually betrayed you

Well said!

Bluntness100 · 02/11/2020 16:09

I honestly didn’t know so many folks were so in favour of “punishing” people. It appears a lot of people think this way, and that desire to “punish” supersedes every single bit of common sense or decency.

Anordinarymum · 02/11/2020 16:12

@Bluntness100

I honestly didn’t know so many folks were so in favour of “punishing” people. It appears a lot of people think this way, and that desire to “punish” supersedes every single bit of common sense or decency.
Well I expect it's because OP has been punished for doing nothing wrong maybe ? I get your logic though
WouldBeGood · 02/11/2020 16:12

The pain of the betrayal and the destruction of my children’s lives was so fucking horrendous that I really really wanted those who had caused it to suffer.

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 16:13

I agree Bluntness. I understand the impulse, but Jesus, let yourself have a revenge fantasy, then work on moving forward with your life. People will be shit to you and hurt you. Don't spend the rest of your life obsessing about these people. The person it hurts is you. You are the one emotionally disfigured by it.

WouldBeGood · 02/11/2020 16:14

I’m not proud of that nor do I think it’s admirable, but I wished for her life to be a miserable hell so she could know how I felt.

It’s not even like me, but I struggle to explain jyst how it all destroyed me.

Onwards and upwards and I’m better now!

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 16:15

The pain of the betrayal and the destruction of my children’s lives was so fucking horrendous that I really really wanted those who had caused it to suffer

So despite knowing the pain caused to your children you would be prepared to cause other innocent children to go through that?

Your husband caused it. Take it out on him.

blindinglyobviouslight · 02/11/2020 16:17

Good for you @WouldBeGood

I do know how it feels to hate someone that much, as I said upstream, I've been there. That is why I know how damaging it is to feel like that and how important it is to move on from it - or it will destroy you.

Swipe left for the next trending thread