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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 had lunch with another woman

999 replies

pizzaandcats · 11/12/2020 20:19

Today my DH had a day off work while I was at home working (he gets a day off in the week if he is scheduled to work a weekend). He told me a few days ago that he would going out for a meal with some old work friends today. He also mentioned a little while ago that they were planning a team secret santa but then hasn't mentioned this since to say who he chose or that he was buying the gift (stay with me this will all be relevant in the end).

When he got back from the meal today he had a wrapped up present from his secret santa and told me it was from "A" (a woman he works with). I asked who he'd picked and he'd also coincidentally chosen "A".

When I asked who was at the meal he said it just ended up being him and "A" but that he did see some other people from the team before hand (I don't understand how he saw them before hand at a restaurant but they didn't stay for the meal. I didn't ask though as I felt like I'd quizzed him enough at this point).

Basically I am feeling uncomfortable about the fact that he went out for a meal just him and another woman and exchanged christmas presents. I just feel like he's been pretty vague about how it ended up being just the two of them and its quite a coincidence that they both chose each other in a secret santa too. Is my mind running away with me too much or is the situation very weird?

I also had to ask today what he bought for her as his present and usually he would just tell me or ask my advice on what he should buy.

OP posts:
Beefcurtains79 · 13/12/2020 12:27

Also that bullshit about how if he was ever going to have an affair, you’d be the
first to know, how dare he.

I imagine you had no idea that he had such a capacity for deceit, that can be quite a lot to deal with when you realise that someone you trust implicitly can, and has, lied to your face repeatedly. Be kind to yourself because it’s a shock once you realise this. I’m so sorry xxx

strugglingtomakesenseofitall · 13/12/2020 12:34

Sorry to hear all that, sounds like he's in denial his head has been turned, but I suspect no more than that. He needs to be open and honest about what is going on, and please don't blame your 'insecurities', he knows that he was out of order, hence hiding it all. Hopefully it's chance for growth and improved communication.

BigFatLiar · 13/12/2020 12:36

You know you're not going to trust him, is his the future you want?

ladymuck111 · 13/12/2020 12:37

I'm sorry OP. He thought he was clever enough to spin you a tale and you would believe him. The fact that you have kept on at him has left him in the position where he has had to tell you. Unfortunately he still thought drip feeding you information was enough. I'd be pretty sure there is more that will come out now you've lost your shit.

BigFatLiar · 13/12/2020 12:37

This not his

bluebell34567 · 13/12/2020 12:51

i think he got bored at lock down.
he wanted to try different waters.
he is sneaky, stupid and a very cheap lover with 8pounds for a necklace for a present.

Chickenwing · 13/12/2020 12:53

I'd ask to see the diary in his amazon orders page. If he was having an affair with her he would have got her something better than a diary.

Let us know what gift she has got him as well!

Chickenwing · 13/12/2020 12:54

Oh mumsnet hadnt loaded the rest of the thread so please ignore my last comment. Sorry OP.

BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 13:16

So sorry op. There's likely more to this. I bet he panicked while showing you his teams messages that he'd forgotten to delete something. I hope you get to the bottom of it

WhenPushComesToShove · 13/12/2020 13:19

So from work colleagues (plural) meeting and secret Santa gifts to a prearranged lunch for two, personal (albeit shite) presents, a walk together to see the Christmas lights and many lies, gaslighting, minimising and deleted messages. He didn't tell you as he KNEW it was wrong. If the boot was on the other foot and you had secretly met a male work colleague and done all the other stuff, he would be seriously pissed off. Personally I wouldn't start a family with this man. You deserve better

C0NNIE · 13/12/2020 13:21

IIRC the Op has been TTC for a while now. Which will make it even harder to deal with this emotional / maybe physical affair.

Flowers
Badoukas · 13/12/2020 13:28

His bungling and absurd behaviour makes me wonder if he wanted it to all come out.

BlankProfile · 13/12/2020 13:31

So here's been on a date with gifts and told repeated lies about it. There're probably more lies - it's unlikely you caught him out first time. So sorry, OP.

BeTheHokeyMan · 13/12/2020 13:33

Sorry op but your husband is a prick. He obviously deleted lots of messages before he offered to show you them and then still ran through them not letting you look properly? I'd be contacting her /her partner to be honest. I'm so sorry that you are having to deal with this shit at this time of year and also while actively ttc too. Flowers

neonjumper · 13/12/2020 13:41

So sorry OP.

He really has put you through the wringer.

If he had just come clean immediately and been open and transparent from the start , the relationship might have been salvageable. This would have shown some remorse on his part .

Instead you've had to ask and ask and he has drip fed you information , which has meant each discovery has been painful all over again .

He has made out you were unreasonable for asking , making you double guess you're own judgement ... this is the worst part of it . This is supposed to be someone who is supposed to care the most about your feelings but he has put another woman's feelings above yours and made you doubt yourself .

You need space away from him so you can process this. He cannot be near you whilst you are processing this ... he has shown that he is priority and will try to gaslight you into minimising the situation.

Go home , tell him to pack a bag and to give you space .

neonjumper · 13/12/2020 13:43

Be clear on this ... this is an emotional affair at the very least ( that is as much as you can be sure about ) .

He has effectively been dating someone else whilst in a marriage to you .

alecguinnessgenuineclass · 13/12/2020 13:44

What a twat. The lies are the worst thing. Bad enough that he arranged a private lunch and Christmas presents with a woman he's been messaging for months. But the continual lies, the downplaying, it's so deceitful and massively disrespectful.

neonjumper · 13/12/2020 13:51

Oh and it was me that said about the Xmas lights in London as an example that my younger work colleagues do this , taking in the Xmas lights , when they're newly dating !

Marshmallows2 · 13/12/2020 13:54

This makes me so angry I'm so sorry @pizzaandcats you sound lovely and don't deserve any of this. Whether or not there is an actual physical affair it could be emotional. I personally wouldn't be happy with my other half meeting a female friend for lunch buying her presents etc. The fact his lies are slowly unravelling just gives you more reason not to trust him he seems to be shitting it and accidentally letting things slip by trying to cover his story. I think he knows dam well what he did was wrong hence he wasn't completely honest from the get go. Sounds too cosy to me. What would her bf make of this I wonder? It's a tough call for you maybe spend a few days away or better still tell him to go away for a bit you need time and space. Sending you CakeWineGin

MiddlesexGirl · 13/12/2020 13:57

The shite gifts (which may just be in jokes) aren't necessarily the only gifts.

Newwayofthinking · 13/12/2020 14:06

Get the emails back, has he been texting, whatsapping too?

LittleBeee · 13/12/2020 14:24

Oh @pizzaandcats, I'm so sorry you're going through this. I don't have much to add here as it's mainly been said, but this drip feed for you must be incredibly hard. You must be constantly wondering 'what next'?

It reminds me so much of my exh (note ex) - the drip feed over YEARS about an innocent 'work friend'. From simple coffees at work and other 'innocent' meets, it ended up with him admitting to sleeping with her in OUR BED (and even that was the tip of the iceberg). But apparently that was okay because he'd changed the sheets afterwards. And he still made damn sure that I felt like the crazy one.

Regards the seemingly-innocent gift he came home with from her - there may be another gift(s) that he hasn't shown you? Something he left in his car, or fit in a pocket, or he hid well away - or left at the office. The glass engraving wording isn't exactly innocent though, is it, depending on what the 'inside joke' is? And if a 'work meet with a few colleagues' has now changed into a 'date-style meet for two with thoughtful gifts exchanged' it makes me wonder what else there is. I'd be thinking their 'lunch' was actually food ordered into a hotel room etc etc. But I admit, I'm old, jaded and don't trust anyone now.

The necklace... I know most people don't like it, but perhaps he chose it to suit her 'style'. There were plenty of other sunflower necklaces available, but that one was just a bit 'different'. To suit an 'in joke' or 'intimate moment' they've shared - or an outfit he's seen her in. I bought one of those diaries once for a dear female friend... it was a very personal gift and totally different in intention to a bog standard 2021 appointments diary. Not cool here. What's she going to write in it, memories of their illicit encounters so they can look back over the years and laugh at how they got away with it? And I'm not sure you stated how much the chocolates cost... I've been given a five quid box of Ferrero Rocher... and I've also been given a selection of individual handmade chocolates from a chocolatier (the latter from a guy and costing a whole lot more than a fiver).

Showing you the messages... I had this. Skimming past bits he didn't want me to see, making me feel crazy for even asking. By the time we got onto his phone, it was virtually blank. Everything deleted. Your 'D'H has now had plenty of time to erase the evidence. Have you seen his whatsapp, texts, Messenger etc? But the moment has passed. There won't be anything there now.

The upshot here is - if it feels wrong, then it IS wrong. To me, it's clear he's making you out to be the unreasonable one by even questioning his intentions. Damn you for forcing out these 'innocent' details from him. My guess is that he's trying to either give you enough info to 'appease' you and get you off his back (and if he gives you something you DO feel uncomfortable about then he's happy to take a slap on the wrist for that and get away with the rest of it), or he's trying to minimise his own guilt in his head as he knows he's crossed a line. Or both.

What did I learn from my cheating exh? That I was too passive, I never found my anger (well, I did, but I didn't use it in the right way) and I wish wish wish I'd contacted the OW (one of many, actually) and also any of their partners. I wish I'd kicked him out about fifteen years before I did. And I WISH I'd not believed his bullshit when my gut was screaming at me he was lying. That was the main thing... the lying. It stripped me of my ability to make the right choices for me, because any decisions I made weren't based on the truth. Thinking of you, OP.

Dullardmullard · 13/12/2020 14:30

Take your time on what you want to do here there is no rush at all. This is your life after all.

Do not engage him as he’ll just lie again. Just tell him you know he’s having an affair at least own it and ask what he’s going to do about it going forward.

He’ll have already phoned her to prime her if you contact her please don’t as it’ll just upset you further.

Hugs to you

S111n20 · 13/12/2020 14:56

Could you get in touch with her partner ? See if he knows they’ve met.

lunalulu · 13/12/2020 15:06

I knew those colleagues mooching round the shopping centre in Santa hats then not having lunch were bogus. 🥺

Look, it seems to me like he realised it was a bit more than banter and he's now telling you about it, but thinks the fallout from you totally reading all the exchanges will be damaging, especially now he's fessing up and never speaking to her again.

I'd rate this as mild on the EA scale. One can never be certain whether it's got physical, especially if they've ever didn't any time alone together.

It hasn't gone on that long and now it's being confessed.

I'd give him hell, set up some totally non negotiable terms, and keep him, enjoying probably a more open Xmas because of it (and better presents).

I don't think this is enough to end a marriage.
I do think it's a wake up call and needs immediate action and some work.

Many spouses have a wobble. Many marriages carry on the stronger for having resolved it. Give him some credit for. opening up (not least because if you don't, he will hide stuff in the future).

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