Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

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

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:
lunalulu · 13/12/2020 15:07

If they've ever spent any time alone

peboh · 13/12/2020 15:09

@lunalulu

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).

I'm unsure if I've missed it, but I don't think he's mentioned anything about never speaking to the colleague again.
pizzaandcats · 13/12/2020 15:14

@lunalulu I get what you're saying but he actually didnt open up did he? Every new bit of info has been "everything" until the next little bit. How can I ever know what else there is that he hasn't told me? I'm in limbo, stuck between knowing he's done wrong and crossed the line but not know how far he's gone. He'll never admit that, he knows exactly what my stance on that is and there are no second chances. I'm very black and white on this after the last relationship. He's not admitted to anything more than hiding a meeting with a friend and telling lies - still not exactly divorcable is it? Where the hell do we go from here SadSadSad

OP posts:
BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:15

@lunalulu

If they've ever spent any time alone
This could have been going on for years... probably halted slightly due to COVID. Like a previous poster has suggested I would suspect they actually met at a hotel and ordered food
pizzaandcats · 13/12/2020 15:16

@peboh @lunalulu no he hasn't mentioned never speaking to her again. He actually said of he does we could all go (this was yesterday before he admitted to more) but still?!?!?!?!

OP posts:
BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:16

Only because he's lying repeatedly and this escalating rapidly

BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:16

[quote pizzaandcats]**@peboh* @lunalulu* no he hasn't mentioned never speaking to her again. He actually said of he does we could all go (this was yesterday before he admitted to more) but still?!?!?!?![/quote]
Could be saying anything to make himself sound innocent

peboh · 13/12/2020 15:18

Mentioning you all going is essentially him saying 'look I'm totally innocent' and honestly it makes it all even more shady to me. Why on earth does he think you'd want to get together with the pair of them.

BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:19

[quote pizzaandcats]@lunalulu I get what you're saying but he actually didnt open up did he? Every new bit of info has been "everything" until the next little bit. How can I ever know what else there is that he hasn't told me? I'm in limbo, stuck between knowing he's done wrong and crossed the line but not know how far he's gone. He'll never admit that, he knows exactly what my stance on that is and there are no second chances. I'm very black and white on this after the last relationship. He's not admitted to anything more than hiding a meeting with a friend and telling lies - still not exactly divorcable is it? Where the hell do we go from here SadSadSad[/quote]
Can you check the bill? Via his bank statement? If he says he paid with cash can you see the withdrawal? If there's no trace he may say she paid in which case you'd know it was no restaurant.

TallTowerFan · 13/12/2020 15:20

@pizzaandcats , it's completely up to you what your dealbreakers are , if this situation is one then that is that. If you want to work through it then that's also your decision.

As a pp has said , take your time and work out what is best for you long term. Not him , not pps. Just you.

Take care opFlowers

Catmaiden · 13/12/2020 15:20

It IS divorcable, if you feel you can no longer trust him.
Even if he hasn't had sex with her, he's still paying the attention, care, presents, time, laughter he should be giving to YOU, to another woman
For me, that would be the end, tbh.

BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:21

And I actually do think it's divorce-able as I wouldn't be able to trust him after this and would be insulted from all the lies and drip feeding. He's also gaslighted you, you know there's more in his teams messages, sometimes you don't need the physical proof of cheating to know it happened and there's a lot of shady info from him that still doesn't make sense

pizzaandcats · 13/12/2020 15:21

He told me that it was a case of go up and order your own food then eat outside. They both apparently paid for themselves. We have our own bank account eqch along with our joint account and we are long past me insisting on seeing evidence now. I just feel spent

OP posts:
litterbird · 13/12/2020 15:22

Where the hell do we go from here?

Good question. Frankly, its all a piece of crap for you. I am hoping with a little time he will see the error of his ways, either fess up to everything, clear the air and move forward, or you will have to accept his indiscretion for now and just keep your beady eye out to see what else might be going on. He's been rumbled, he will go underground now if it is anything other than work mates. Oh, what a load of tosh and I am angry for you, this is just such shoddy behaviour for you to deal with and I am so sorry.

peboh · 13/12/2020 15:22

@Catmaiden

It IS divorcable, if you feel you can no longer trust him. Even if he hasn't had sex with her, he's still paying the attention, care, presents, time, laughter he should be giving to YOU, to another woman For me, that would be the end, tbh.
This. All of this. You get to decide what is the deal breaker in your marriage, nobody else. Whatever you want to do is acceptable, and valid.
BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:24

@pizzaandcats

He told me that it was a case of go up and order your own food then eat outside. They both apparently paid for themselves. We have our own bank account eqch along with our joint account and we are long past me insisting on seeing evidence now. I just feel spent
I would be spent also. It doesn't matter if they stayed in a hotel unless you're intending on trying to work It out. I would want to see it for proof if I had any intention of staying with him but I think in this case asking him to see it would open a whole nuther can of worms and you'd still come to the same conclusion
YoniAndGuy · 13/12/2020 15:25

[quote pizzaandcats]@lunalulu I get what you're saying but he actually didnt open up did he? Every new bit of info has been "everything" until the next little bit. How can I ever know what else there is that he hasn't told me? I'm in limbo, stuck between knowing he's done wrong and crossed the line but not know how far he's gone. He'll never admit that, he knows exactly what my stance on that is and there are no second chances. I'm very black and white on this after the last relationship. He's not admitted to anything more than hiding a meeting with a friend and telling lies - still not exactly divorcable is it? Where the hell do we go from here SadSadSad[/quote]
No he hasn't opened up.

There is no positive aspect from the point of view of looking at his behaviour.

He has deliberately gaslighted, tried to 'hide in plain sight' by being 'open' about certain elements to put your mind at rest, lied to your by omission about everything, then 'come clean' only about exactly what he thought you'd find out anyway, at every stage. The latest will of course have been frantic email/message deletions before showing you. All messages after September deleted. So that's presumably how long it's been going on.

It is absolutely classic affair behaviour (whether emotional or sexual) and the fact that he's 'so not the type' is sadly, from reading a billion threads on here, absolutely TYPICAL.

It is worth noting that his initial 'hide in plain sight' technique (how long has he been doing that, I wonder??) - for example, the bumbling back home with her present in his hand, the being casually 'upfront' about her being a friend, the lunch etc... you do realise that the only reason he would have thought this approach would work is because he knows you actually aren't insecure or jealous and would be fine with the concept of a perhaps slightly vague 'meeting...lunch...secret Santa' with another woman? Ponder that... if you were the jealous insecure person he'll now explain is the reason why he 'had to fib' - then he would have had to have hidden it all in the first place. So Bull Shit to that.

It was simple bad luck really that this unravelled, along with a tiny bit of overconfidence in the amount of 'vague' you would swallow.

Yes, it's divorceable. You can't trust your husband to tell you the truth about his involvement with other women. Which is pretty much game over for what marriage is supposed to mean.

Many a stupid and ever so slightly unfaithful man who 'never meant it to get that far' has fucked up his marriage by doing exactly this. Because you've hit the nail on the head - you now know he won't admit how far he's gone. Game over. When you know there is a 'far' to have gone... that's over the line.

NotaCoolMum · 13/12/2020 15:27

@lunalulu

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).

Are you actually for real? 🙄
YoniAndGuy · 13/12/2020 15:27

I guess you could boil divorceable down to - if you are not able to trust your husband because he tells lies -you can stay in the marriage, sure - but it'll be a worthless marriage and the corrosion of that fact will make both of you miserable.

BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:29

@YoniAndGuy you now know he won't admit how far he's gone. Game over. When you know there is a 'far' to have gone... that's over the line.

*

Wow that's actually a very profound statement. I'll remember that forever

Erinaz · 13/12/2020 15:29

I would find out the place for the team meal he was having and ask the the venue the number of people booked from his company for xmas meal that time and day. It does seem odd .

BigBaublesGalore · 13/12/2020 15:30

@Erinaz

I would find out the place for the team meal he was having and ask the the venue the number of people booked from his company for xmas meal that time and day. It does seem odd .
You haven't read the full thread... he's already confessed it was booked for just those two
SantasNoReal · 13/12/2020 15:32

This guy is only admitting to as much as he feels he needs too. I’m sure I’m not the only one reading this thinking there’s more.

YoniAndGuy · 13/12/2020 15:33

You need to retrieve messages and emails.

Do you have any idea how to do that? What phone/email etc? Perhaos someone here can help?

No fucking around - you now need to find out whatever you can of the information he has tried to hide from you so that you can assess things for yourself.

The truth could actually be anything from a long-running childish pair of twats flirtation that they've both been getting off on, to a full blown sexual affair.

By the way, I certainly wouldn't have any faith in a work rota he's shown you.

BlueJag · 13/12/2020 15:37

I've been for lunch one on one with male colleagues many times. I'm not sure if my husband has but I really don't mind. I've also gone one on one with female colleagues I even shared a room with one. Unless he has given you reason to be concerned I wouldn't worry.