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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

He’s still in love with her isn’t he?

37 replies

Darkismyknight · 11/11/2020 17:51

We have been together 20 years but he had just broken up with his fiancée before we met. She suddenly ended things and moved away to be with someone else. I know he was heartbroken. A few years ago I discovered he was still messaging her regularly. They all seemed fairly innocent messages but they were about every bit of his life, our child, his boss, everything. There were no plans to meet or anything but they were messaging a few times a week minimum. I was furious and insisted that he stopped and he seemed to. Today I realised they’ve been messaging again. On the face it’s quite innocent chat, but he always mentions a bit about her that he really fancied. We are not in a good place. Lockdown has been very hard, yet logistically it would also be very hard to break up. I don’t know what to do - ignore it and hope it blows over? She isn’t in the country so it’s not like he can actually see her. Or accept that he will always have a weak spot around her. It doesn’t feel fair.

OP posts:
yourestandingonmyneck · 11/11/2020 22:05

"He always mentions a bit of her that he always fancied" - what's that?

puddled2 · 11/11/2020 22:09

Sorry op but there is obviously strong feelings still there

Suzi888 · 11/11/2020 22:16

Don’t have anything particularly useful to add, but it’s an awful way to be treated. He’s lied to you repeatedly and doesn’t seem to care about you.
What is the point of these messages, where is it leading, from his point of view?
I agree with PP he’s living a fantasy, he probably knows he is.
I’d be furious, I couldn’t live like it, he would have to leave.

MsDogLady · 12/11/2020 00:21

...but he makes me feel like I’m the unreasonable one.

OP, your feelings and boundaries are valid and reasonable. For years he has been secretly channeling his emotional energy, time and attention into his former love. In doing so, he has created distance between you and damaged your marriage/partnership. He is not going to agree that his actions are inappropriate. He clearly intends to continue this EA, so he is minimizing and shifting blame to make you back off.

You must decide where your line is. He brought another woman into your marriage. He lied by omission for years and lied when agreeing to cease contact. You do not have to tolerate a situation that makes you feel unheard, disrespected and devalued. I would send him away, at least for a while, so that you can process this. It sounds like he needs to feel the loss of you before he will take you seriously.

RantyAnty · 12/11/2020 00:28

You seem pretty unhappy in the marriage.
What is stopping you from ending it?

Stillfunny · 12/11/2020 00:36

My DH started messaging and talking to someone he used to know , although she lived abroad. She did come back to UK to visit and yes , he hooked up with her.
Worse still was realising that she was told details about MY life , saw pics of MY house . Felt so deceived
and betrayed.
Married people have no business having secret special relationships outside of the marriage. Just not acceptable, especially when it upsets you.
He is on his way out now.

Lifeisforalimitedperiodonly · 12/11/2020 00:58

Be firm. He has to drop contact.

Charles and Camilla is what this reminds me of.

TheSandman · 12/11/2020 01:20

How would you react if he told you to stop talking to someone you had been friends with for 20 years?

1forAll74 · 12/11/2020 01:52

I don't know why some women get uptight about their partners staying in some kind of contact with a a female from years ago. Its' quite natural in some cases. You would surely know if something was amiss, but some people don't just throw people from the past on the scrapheap.

Dullardmullard · 12/11/2020 02:01

And the cool wives are out I see.

He said he still fancied her ffs this isn’t innocent. It’s an EA

Time to lay it on the line now and set your boundaries and stick to it and if that’s mean splitting so be it.

Suzi888 · 12/11/2020 07:20

Hahaha! The cool wives! That made me laugh. She isn’t a ‘friend’ she’s someone he clearly fancies and cannot let go of. It’s not a friendship it’s an infatuation and she probably enjoys having him around whether she actually wants him in that way or not.
I agree with @Stillfunny this special relationship has no place within your marriage. Plus you say he is miserable with you, that must hurt so much.

“You would surely know if something was amiss” yes he is being miserable with the OP and they aren’t happy, for whatever reason. His concern should be with his bloody wife for god sake, not some ex flame! Confused

MacbookHo · 12/11/2020 07:26

Are you married, OP?

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