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Worst story of cheating - but have I over stepped?

261 replies

CUniverse · 15/12/2020 23:56

This is a very long story, I will start with the back story as condensed as possible.

I became pregnant after 1 year whirlwind relationship with someone I split up my previous relationship for. I was living Amsterdam at the time where he is from, but moved back to the UK 6 months in.
When I found out I was pregnant, I stayed in the UK, and he was saving money to move with me and we were due to live there.
He arrived when I was 6.5 months, everything was great and we were happy. It turned out though that the 3000 euro he had supposed to have saved for us and baby, he gambled away on online poker so he came empty handed. I funded everything.

Slowly, he started to become recluse, and disappeared after work instead of coming home so that he could find places to play poker, in casinos or online.
When I discovered this, I tried to urge him into GA, he went a few times, but eventually he was suicidal and depressed so I recommended he return back to the Netherlands. Our daughter was 1 by this time.

He went back, and after 3 months decided that he wouldn't return back to the UK, he hated it and missed his friends and family. Therefore the plan was to move there with our daughter. We did this, but it took me a year, long story.

He promised he had stopped gambling and was in a good place. Within weeks of arriving he went straight back into gambling, and also speaking to other women. During this time he was emotionally abusive and even struck me 3 times. I had an abortion because of how badly he treated me. The final straw was the fact that he slept with someone one random night, so I broke it off.
I was determined to stay in Amsterdam but eventually would find somewhere else and move out into my own place with my daughter, then suddenly he found a new girl, one week after I broke up with him on tinder. He told me he was in love with her instantly and that he wanted me and our daughter to leave the house for a week, so that she could move in and work from our place for a few days. This was within 3 days of meeting this girl on tinder. I refused to allow this, and he verbally abuse me to the point where I had to flee the country with our child. He knew we were leaving but he didn't care.

Within 6 weeks, he had broken up with the tinder girl and was begging from to come back, saying that he was depressed and didn't know who he was back then and wanted to give us another go. Of course I objected. For a whole year he tried everything, gave up gambling, became selfless instead of selfish and really showed me he was ready. So I told him I would consider returning mostly for our child.

By May 2020 we were locked down together in Amsterdam and I was working from home there and became pregnant. We were happy about it and he thought it was just what we needed to finally cement the return of our relationship.
I was reluctant to put a label on us though and said I needed time, because I was traumatised from what happened between us before. Especially the physical abuse. But he really seemed like a changed man, and in fact, he had a terribly childhood, so we put it down to that, and he said he would get therapy to address his issues.

In August we went on vacation everything was wonderful, and by September, something changed.

I went back to London for a couple weeks and I sensed something was off. I asked him outrightly, if he was seeing someone else while I was in London still.
He told me no.
I arrived in Amsterdam a week later, and checked his phone while he slept. It was almost completely clean, except he left a tiny piece of evidence, along with blonde hair all over the house and I managed to get a confession out of him after pressing him for a few days.
He had met the girl 3 weeks earlier and was sleeping with her. He told me he did it because I wouldn't go publicly official to our friends and family with him. He felt neglected and stressed after a year of trying to get me back.

I made up my mind there and then that I would get my revenge for him doing this too me again. In addition, he slept with her without protection and slept with me too, before the confession thus putting my health at risk which I couldn't forgive.

This is where it gets twisted.

I told him id forgive him and stay, for the sake of our kids and that I loved him. This was a lie, I was just plotting how to get him back.
Things went great the following weeks, I was acting the part of loving and forgiving girlfriend very easily. At some point I caught him on WhatsApp with the girl ( he had told me they had cut contact). She was pursing him, crying etc.. saying she was in love with him and heartbroken that he had too end it with her.
I took a huge step evading his privacy after this and I managed to install his WhatsApp on my laptop, so I was practically spying on every convo he was having. Eventually I told him he should meet up with her one final time and end it because i had to travel back to the Uk and I didn't want him to see her while I was gone.. or more like, I wanted to test if he would, knowing I would be able to see their convos.

When they met up he came back and asked me if I would consider a 3 way relationship with the two of them. Me being the primary. I told him I would consider it when returned from London.
Of course I had no intention to do so, but just wanted to see this girl face to face, (sick I know) so we all met up, discussed things, and well it was painful, but at the end, I told them they were not to see one another while I was away and I would consider the 3way after I had the baby.

While I was there, I was still connected to his WhatsApp as I mentioned and saw they had met 3 times. Which he lied about to my face.

Upon returning though, he ended it with her and said he wanted to focus on his family. Due to the fact that he met up with her while I was away, again displaying how little he respected me, I was driven even further by seeking revenge, so much that I didn't let on that I knew anything. So all these months of knowing what he has been up to, he is none the wiser.

The current situation is that he wants for sure that I move here permanently to Amsterdam once baby is born (in London) with our other child and we buy a new house, and start a fresh... however, of course, there is no way in hell I can do this after all this deceit. I cannot believe how badly I have allowed myself to be treated.

So, because I told him I had forgiven him, I was finding it impossible to go back on my word without admitting that I was spying the whole time. So I have been creatively (insanely) thinking of other ways out... of ways that will allow me to break up with him and him not having any power to force me to stay.

One night, after not checking his actual phone for a long time, I saw he had a dating app installed on his phone, but only once. after 6 consecutive days of checking, I didn't see it anymore. But I initially did check his phone because he was acting weird again all of a sudden.
So, I decided to re install the app I saw while he slept, and then I saw he was speaking to multiple women for 6 months, but had not met any of them. This inspired me to make a fake profile, with photos of a friend of mine he doesn't know.
He matched with my profile and is planning to meet up with this girl on Friday ( I am going back to the UK tomorrow for Christmas)...

Now, if you have gotten this far you may think this is the craziest story ever (and I have missed some crazy bits out)...and may be thinking I am insane for staying and more insane for spying...however, when you're with someone who won't let you go, it is so so so very hard to get out. Especially as his family are all so adamant that I give him chance after chance, and he guilt trips me constantly with his issues and tells me I am the only person who can make him happy. I know I have over stepped by spying on him this intensely, but, I became desperate. It has been a horrible few months being pregnant and dealing with all these revelations that I have made myself privy to by having so much access to his privacy.

I expect to be scolded and told how wrong I am and that I have overstepped, but, for the first time in months I finally feel like I can throw this at him (planning to meet the girl on the app) and he will accept that I can no longer stay with him after this and give in. I don't know how I will expose the fact that I know he has planned to meet a girl, but at this point, I just need to get out.

OP posts:
CUniverse · 16/12/2020 11:14

@BuntysTwinkle thank you, wishing you a happy Christmas also. It is so crazy how opening up about this secret has made me feel so much lighter.

I hope settling goes smoothly too. For now the only worry I have left is that he is joining at Christmas, he will arrive after we do and doesn't plan on returning until baby is born in the UK. However, I am going to email him to break things off. What do you think I should do about him wanting to be there for the birth regardless? Imagine if he accepts that we are over and I won't come back with him, but just asks to stay with us in the UK until baby is born, or at least come back and forth, should I let him?

OP posts:
naturalyoghurtmuncher · 16/12/2020 11:22

This would make a great plot for a novel or movie. Sorry but it would.....

liverbird10 · 16/12/2020 11:23

You sound like a child.

KindnessCrusader · 16/12/2020 11:25

This is not good behaviour. Worse from him, but pretty poor from you, too. I'm sorry to be so blunt. You need to leave him, return to the UK and put your children first. Revenge doesn't matter. Get yourself to a point where you are so content with your life that you don't even think about him enough to consider getting your revenge.

netstaller · 16/12/2020 11:28

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SuePreem · 16/12/2020 11:29

I'm glad you're getting out. This sounds v familiar to me sadly. I think the fact you had children with this man means you need at last to put them first.

This man is a serial cheat - he does not love you. Stay away from him, block him, and get on with your life.

AdelaideK · 16/12/2020 11:34

You don't sound anywhere near grown up enough to have a child. This is so weird and probably fake but on the off chance it is real you need to take a long hard look at your life and think about your child instead of loving this ridiculous drama.

duckinatruckwithmuck · 16/12/2020 11:49

People are worried about the 'poor children' because they've got parents who are continuing to make poor choices at their expense. Get to the UK and stay here. Confide in your midwife about your relationship and she might be able to signpost you to relevant agencies who can support you in staying strong and not falling into the mess you've found yourself in. As for the rest, you cheated on your ex partner with your current partner and now he's cheating on you- it's called Karma. Learn from your mistakes and don't do this again.

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 11:58

@AdelaideK and @liverbird10
Charming the pair of you. My life aside from all of this with him since September is great. And loving ridiculous drama, no you're wrong. I love my peace, I am a joyful and fun loving person. These months have been hell, no love of drama involved thanks.

OP posts:
CUniverse · 16/12/2020 12:03

I didn't cheat on my ex @duckinatruckwithmuck

I broke up with my ex, for this guy. We were friends for a while before starting a relationship as I was helping him through his childhood issues.

My daughter is loved and well looked after, as my son will be. I live in the UK, and am returning to the UK. The biggest reason I spent so long here initially was because of lockdown, it enabled me to spend so much time with him after so long and I was wooed back into the family dream. I think without lockdown, I would have not opened up the possibility of engaging in a relationship with him again. My mistake entirely.

OP posts:
isadorapolly · 16/12/2020 12:04

@CUniverse you can’t blame them, they’re only going off what you have said in your own words.

You do sound childish.

You need to do as many others have said and move back to the uk and block him. possibly file a police report about the abuse. He was happy to kick you and the baby out for a girl he’d known a matter of days so don’t let him make you feel sorry for him.

gracefull · 16/12/2020 12:07

I recommend you read a couple of books on developmental child psychology to get an understanding of why everyone is so concerned about the well being of your children in this. Given you have a psychology degree this will be light work and a lot of concepts should be familiar to you.
The boy who was raised as a dog will be a good one for you, as will the work of Dr Gabor Mate, a lot of which is available on YouTube as interviews. One of the most important things for children to develop is the emotional stability of their parents, which from your posts seems to be an area of difficulty for both of you. Whether you think they are being impacted or not, research suggests they are. You cannot always see the consequences of unstable homes on children when they are still children, but it becomes very apparent in adulthood. Your unborn child also, raised cortisol levels in pregnancy can have negative impact on the development of an unborn child.
I am not criticising you in making these suggestions. I sympathise with your situation and have seen how these type of relationship can warp a persons perspective. Your priority should be protecting your children and giving them the best start in life possible rather than plotting this revenge, which has the potential to spiral out of hand into a stressful situation, which neither of your children need. I agree with other posters it would be highly beneficial for you to seek professional help to support you through processing these very traumatic experiences. I am glad you are leaving and wish you well.

Moon90 · 16/12/2020 12:24

He doesn't love you nor does he respect you, it's obvious he's a narcissist who wants his cake and eat it, leave him and don't go back with this time as you will only be teaching your children it's okay to let a man treat you like this, move back to the UK , only speak to him if it's about his children if he changes the subject tell him outright that you aren't interested in what he has to say unless it's about the kids as his personal life in none of your business, when he gets bored and tries to con you into a relationship again just tell him straight that you will no longer be his again, one day you will meet a man that is actually normal and respects you enough to not treat life like a chess game.

Dontletitbeyou · 16/12/2020 12:24

What do you think I should do about him wanting to be there for the birth regardless? Imagine if he accepts that we are over and I won't come back with him, but just asks to stay with us in the UK until baby is born, or at least come back and forth, should I let him?

You tell him due to the situation and your very reasonable fears for your well-being , it is not possible for him to come over to stay with you in UK , therefore he cannot be present at the birth . That’s on him , if he had behaved in a half decent way he wouldn’t be where he is now . If he demands to be there he will have to find somewhere else to stay , I wouldn’t let him stay with you under any circumstances whatsoever . I dont see the problem , I certainly don’t see you owe him anything , whether he’s the father of your DC or not , considering his behaviour . You say he’s always been a great father to your Dc , utter bollocks, great fathers don’t treat their DC mother like a dog .
Honestly, just get your shit together, and act like a responsible adult . It seems that you’re looking for problems and excuses , rather than taking charge and telling him how it will be from this point on . Once he comes over and stays with you in UK , he’ll be almost impossible to shift , and I just don’t think you have the resolution to make him go . Get legal advice and get this twat out of your life for good , for your DC sake if nothing else .

justilou1 · 16/12/2020 12:28

I would exclude him from the birth as he is not your partner. He is going to have to accept that he has no role to play in the intimate moments in your life and doesn’t get to impose on every “family” moment from now on either. (Otherwise you may never be able to move on.) The sooner he accepts his new role as a single person with two kids in the UK, the better. (I suspect he will do so remarkably quickly)

CUniverse · 16/12/2020 12:29

thank you @gracefull

I appreciate your comment. And yes of course my children will need stability, which my daughter as far as her father in concerned, she has not had this. The biggest dilemma in this is that he is from another country and being able to create a stable relationship between the two of them has not been easy considering how our relationship went, but I did my best to do so when we lived apart, and how else could that be done without having to travel back and forth?

Going forward, I will be cutting the monthly travel from my end, and hopefully he will be committed to calling on FaceTime as he has done in the past, along with visits when possible for him. I cannot get more stability than that sadly. I truly hoped when we I got pregnant that this second child may have changed things, because all the signs where there because he really seemed totally changed and kept it up for a year. He was celibate and cut out gambling. So I thought there was hope and I held onto that for the sake of my family. Everything was fine for more than 18 months total until me discovering he had cheated in September.

I will be seeking help for myself, I am definitely in need of it, because I feel utterly traumatised by my experiences with him. All the hate I suppressed from the trauma of him hitting me those times, once even stepping on my head, started to dissipate because he truly made me believe that those 6 months of hell with him came from a place that wasn't his fault and was driven by addiction. I was sceptical, even though I did see the changes, but eventually of course I gave in. I felt sorry for him, because of his trauma and truly believed things could be different.

OP posts:
Lougle · 16/12/2020 12:38

"I will start with the back story as condensed as possible."

You didn't really mean that, did you? Grin

Mamanyt · 16/12/2020 12:48

I have just re-read this entire thread. I suppose what I have to add is, in the end, the best revenge is living well and happily. No amount of plotting, planning, or damage you might be able to do will hurt like moving on, not looking back, and making a wonderful life for yourself and your children. You all deserve it.

Baileysandcream · 16/12/2020 13:20

I've read the entire thread twice and am stuggling to understand some of the timescales and contradictions.

And yes you are right, he doesn't make me happy. Even though we can have really happy times, he is so very damaged and unhappy within himself, that he bullies me and makes me miserable for even caring about him. Her constantly pushes me away but refuses to let me leave. It is exhausting.

All the hate I suppressed from the trauma of him hitting me those times, once even stepping on my head, started to dissipate because he truly made me believe that those 6 months of hell with him came from a place that wasn't his fault and was driven by addiction.

My life aside from all of this with him since September is great.

You say you've achieved a psychology degree since you've met him, I assume that you picked topics to specialise in in your final year that had the most relevance and interest to you and your life. Yet you seem to be ignoring anything you would have learnt that would help you to understand that a) you personally cannot fix or heal him and b) your desire to hurt him and get revenge could really only damage you, more than him.

NO you absolutely shouldn't let him stay with you in the UK and be present at the birth if he wants to be. Once you get back to the UK, you should start a new life with as little contact with him as possible.

From everything you've said, if this situation is real and not just a "plot" as you often refer to it, I would imagine he'd be quite happy to remain in Amsterdam, shag around, gamble and do coke to his heart's content.

Leave him and all the drama behind in 2020, look into getting some therapy for yourself and make a fresh start.

MrsVogon · 16/12/2020 13:21

I don't understand how people can 'spy' using Whatsapp. When you log in using a PC, it displays an icon on the phone that the Whatsapp account is linked to...so not very covert at all.

This is where I stopped reading sorry OP. A lot of it sounds very fanciful and elaborated, possibly made up.

FenellaVelour · 16/12/2020 13:22

I would be prepared for a legal challenge once he’s realised you’re gone. If he does this, please see a family law solicitor ASAP.

sammylady37 · 16/12/2020 13:34

I feel so sorry for the children involved in this shitshow. Who is looking after their interests?

PheasantPlucker1 · 16/12/2020 13:42

SammyLady would you say that to every mother who has been cheated on?

Its a shitty situation, OP has admitted that but there are many, many women living with partners and husbands who have been unfaithful, or abusive assholes. That doesnt make them bad parents. Especially not for seeking advice on how to separate or move on.

youvegottenminuteslynn · 16/12/2020 13:44

Whatsapp wise all he needs to do to see you logging in is go in his settings, one click away from his chats... so he may well already know. See pic I just did on mine. Gives locations too.

I echo other posters in saying I am concerned about the effect this has on your children. You made the choice to have a child and then more children with this man and it's deeply concerning that despite claiming to have a psychology degree, you are arguing that your child isn't affected and that you aren't obsessed. Obsessed doesn't mean obsessed with getting back with him, it means you're fixated on him to an unhealthy degree that is taking up disproportionate time and energy. You can't deny that surely.

Example of you not focusing on the kids - with all the energy spent and plotting you've done to exact revenge etc, you could have met with a solicitor and asked for help putting together a clear plan of how to move on from this man, including all possible information about what you need to do to ensure custody and avoid accusations of parental alienation / abduction etc.

You should also have investigated what to do re police involvement as his violence towards you needs to be reported to help your case when it comes to the children.

You need to disengage from the drama you are clearly addicted to and start being an adult and putting the kids first from now on.

And as I say, you can't secretly be logged in to someone's WhatsApp without it showing in their settings so you need to consider that he may know you're doing it. Angering a man who has already shown himself to be violent and volatile isn't a very sensible thing to do.

Worst story of cheating - but have I over stepped?
sammylady37 · 16/12/2020 13:49

@PheasantPlucker1

SammyLady would you say that to every mother who has been cheated on?

Its a shitty situation, OP has admitted that but there are many, many women living with partners and husbands who have been unfaithful, or abusive assholes. That doesnt make them bad parents. Especially not for seeking advice on how to separate or move on.

No, but I would say it to any mother who was playing the ridiculous games the op is playing and plotting revenge etc as a priority instead of making the children the priority.