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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

message from new wife of ex-SO from years ago - what to do?

420 replies

CleverCatty · 27/04/2021 12:40

I've received a message from someone I don't know personally but I do know she's the new wife of an ex-SO of mine from almost 20 years ago! Not spoken to him for years as it all ended a bit badly and we had a fairly good relationship whilst we were together, didn't live together but we were both immature in our 20s and had a few squabbles.

We were together for 2 years then I met my DH (now divorced etc blah blah).

My ex-BF isn't on FB or other social media and a mutual friend of ours who sees them sometimes out and about mentioned ages ago that his wife was on FB and one night I FB stalked and found them. Just had a brief flick through open photo albums, saw it was of ex-BF but left it at that. I was pleased he'd settled down now and had kids and they both seem happily married so I thought good for them and also both our lives have moved on. I'm happily technically single now but dating someone nice for a couple of months which I think is going somewhere.

Anyway - I found out after we broke up that he cheated on me whilst we were together, I didn't think he had - but he told me after we broke up, just confessed and blurted it out and I was quite hurt about this. He would always ring me on my mobile to check I'd got home ok after a night out with my friends but I knew he was checking to see what I was up to. His DF apparently cheated on and physically abused his DM throughout their marriage and he told me this upset him and affected him as they divorced when he was 10 and he had to attend a family court.

So basically the message from the new DW (they've been married I think approx 8 years) is:-

"Hi - hope you don't mind me messaging you. Hope you are ok. I understand you and XXXX dated a few years ago. take care. XXX (her name)"

Anyway what would you do? Reply? Not reply? I don't wish to open up a can of worms or really get into a convo with her.

OP posts:
tortoiselover100 · 28/04/2021 04:45

Do you think maybe he's abusing her (people often subconsciously replicate their parents behaviour even if they don't want to). Maybe she's wondering if he was abusive to you and wanted to ask you but sent that message to test the waters?

BlackCatShadow · 28/04/2021 04:47

It's possible that he's lied to her about things in his past and she wants to check.

MikeWozniaksGloriousTache · 28/04/2021 06:51

I really don't want him ringing me up shouting at me which I fear he may do if I speak to her.
Why have you have her your number then? I mean, if he doesn’t do social media wouldn’t it be safer for everyone to keep conversation limited to that then block her? If she is unhappy with the answers you give her she may pass your number on to him. I hope she doesn’t obviously but it’s always a possibility.

lothermand · 28/04/2021 08:03

@Butwasitherdriveway I don't need educating, I was in an abusive relationship and know what I need to look out for, so don't insult me please.

@me4real I know this too.

Thank you both for feeling I need educating, I don't. I've dealt with abuse, and I've had friends/family in abusive relationships that I've 'educated'.

If the OP wants to get involved (again) with an abuser, she can contact the wife and tell her all she knows, he can then find her (again) and give her more problems IMO.

If you cannot spot unhealthy behaviour in a relationship, you need to get professional help, not stalk exes on SM for their 'evidence'.

I dumped my last partner, for behaviour I wasn't happy with, It would've been enlightening to have had background info on him, but would I contact the ex? No, I'm afraid I wouldn't.

Sweetpeasaremadeforbees · 28/04/2021 08:15

It's possible that he's lied to her about things in his past and she wants to check.

All sorts of things are possible, it's possible he's still an arsehole, it's possible she's suspicious of you for some reason, who knows?

But I can't see how her contacting someone about a relationship from 20 years ago can help in any way. I went out with a bloke I met at Uni for 5 years and looking back he was a bit of a dickhead and I was low priority for him. He and his wife are friends with a mutual friend on FB and I would hope he's grown up in the 30 years since I last saw him! The person I knew then is a different person to who they are now for better or worse and the wife knows him far better than I ever did.

So I wouldn't get involved.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 28/04/2021 08:23

@Tistheseason17

I'm not sure how your relationship with him 20+ years ago can help unless she thinks he's cheating with you!
I'm not saying the man is an abuser but if he is in some way it's likely that his relationships would have a pattern isn't it?

Seems pretty believable to me that the current wife might want to know more of his history if she knows enough details to find long ago exes

Butwasitherdriveway · 28/04/2021 08:25

[quote lothermand]@Butwasitherdriveway I don't need educating, I was in an abusive relationship and know what I need to look out for, so don't insult me please.

@me4real I know this too.

Thank you both for feeling I need educating, I don't. I've dealt with abuse, and I've had friends/family in abusive relationships that I've 'educated'.

If the OP wants to get involved (again) with an abuser, she can contact the wife and tell her all she knows, he can then find her (again) and give her more problems IMO.

If you cannot spot unhealthy behaviour in a relationship, you need to get professional help, not stalk exes on SM for their 'evidence'.

I dumped my last partner, for behaviour I wasn't happy with, It would've been enlightening to have had background info on him, but would I contact the ex? No, I'm afraid I wouldn't.

[/quote]
Sorry to hear about your experience but you should know most abuse does not begin at the start. Clare's law exists for a reason.

WeAllHaveWings · 28/04/2021 08:28

I would have acknowledged the message and found out what she wanted, but no way would I be having a conversation, telephone or otherwise, with her and discussing a relationship 20 years prior.

A simple, it was 20 years ago, we were young and didn't work out is sufficient. If she starts a conversation about any sort of abuse or bad behaviour, interrupt her and tell her you don't understand why she is telling you this, your relationship with him was 20 years ago and she should speak to her own family/friends or a help line/woman's aid if needed. Don't become her counselor.

Pyewackect · 28/04/2021 08:36

Delete it.

notthemum · 28/04/2021 08:41

Not sure what this obsession with looking up exes is. One side or another they are an ex.. Don't facebook stalk them. Just leave them to it. Whatever it is. Not your monkeys. Not your circus. However if you in any way feel that you must know what is going on in their lives these days then that is your decision.

As I think a pp said, I might send back and say "Hi, whilst didn't exactly mind you messaging I was surprised. Xxxx and I dated for a while in our twenties. As you can see that is a considerable time ago and obviously we have both moved on. I think the best place for the past is firmly left in the past. .

aiwblam · 28/04/2021 08:43

Good luck op. Unfortunately for her, her situation is more complicated than yours as she has kids with him. Although she could leave him (if it turns out that there are serious problems), she’ll still have to deal with him for another decade.
I’d try to tell her the truth, but underlining the fact that it was a long time ago.
You could also tell her that you need to block her for your own sanity and also ask her to delete the message you sent her.

That said, she must fe desperate if she’s contacted you.

VeganCow · 28/04/2021 08:49

I don't understand this, why would anything you have to say help her? If he is being a bastard to her, the fact that he could also be a twat to an ex won't help her case, she either leaves or stays.

expat101 · 28/04/2021 08:49

Another point is don’t assume it’s her. I had this conversation going on messenger with neighbours wife and then he went through her SM stuff one night when she was in the shower.

I realised after a few sentences it wasnt her at all. Became abusive and mean.

bangheadhere40 · 28/04/2021 08:51

How odd...interested to see what she says

lothermand · 28/04/2021 09:02

@Butwasitherdriveway I agree absolutely with your statement, it doesn't start in the beginning, well actually it probably does, but is so subtle it's undetectable.

NewlyGranny · 28/04/2021 09:09

Of course it will help her to know that he was abusive 20 years ago to a former partner! If he's gaslighting her - and he will be - it will be to manipulate her into believing he's a great guy and all his nasty behaviour is her fault. It's textbook stuff!

The knowledge that he's been the same abusive person to every single ex could be the very thing that breaks his hold on her. I wouldn't think you'd need to be a survivor to grasp that, but perhaps you do. 🤷🏼‍♀️

BreatheAndFocus · 28/04/2021 09:11

I think you’re doing the right thing speaking to her, particularly as she has children. Never underestimate how abusive men can hide the extremes they’re capable of, and lie and lie.

I thought about contacting my ex’s old partner once but the thought she’d block me or think I was weird put me off. I was desperate to know things and have more detail because I was being gaslighted.

You’re being kind speaking to her. Keep an open mind and say upfront you’re speaking to her in confidence.

toocold54 · 28/04/2021 09:41

But I can't see how her contacting someone about a relationship from 20 years ago can help in any way.

I was thinking that too as we are all completely different to what we were like 20years ago so even if he is an abuser now it doesn’t mean he was back then.

I am wondering if she thinks there’s a child he’s not told her about or if his parents told her about something traumatic happening around the time and she wants OP view on it before she brings it up or something. I don’t think it will be about him cheating/being abusive.

Justilou1 · 28/04/2021 09:50

Or she knows that they both have mutual friends in common and this is a way to find out more about his relationship behavioural history and OP is the logical (and possibly only) one to ask. She was either very desperate or very brave to reach out like that. Maybe both?

MrsIsobelCrawley · 28/04/2021 10:14

This woman is married to him for years. You went out with him for two years twenty years ago.

Now this woman wants the benefit of your wisdom and insight?

A likely story.

Frymetothemoon · 28/04/2021 10:16

@Eruss

Not rtft yet but if you were having a nose on her page then you will come up on her suggested friends list.
I wonder if that's why DH's ex keeps popping up as a suggested friend for me? I'll check my settings
Colourmeclear · 28/04/2021 10:22

I would probably message back to say you're happy to talk through any concerns that she might have but don't feel it appropriate to share your experiences. That way she is giving you information not the other way around.

ClarkeGriffin · 28/04/2021 10:40

She's obviously got some concerns so I'd speak to her personally. Not fair to just let someone else have to deal with him forever, although surely his behaviour must have appeared before marriage and two kids.

CleverCatty · 28/04/2021 10:44

UPDATE

I rang his wife this morning but withheld my number and we were on the phone for approx 1 hour. She was quite friendly to me but guarded about some details, as you would be I suppose and I was the same with her. She told me when she met him, he was in his mid 30s and they shared exes details and he mentioned my name and another GF he'd had when he was younger, it seems he hasn't had that many serious relationships before they got married. Funnily enough he didn't badmouth me to her but did say we were young and argued a bit but also had a good relationship at times and had some nice holidays abroad which we did have.

What has now happened is I'd come up as a friend suggestion to her on FB a while ago and she noticed my unusual first name and was slightly curious about me but as my profile is locked down she couldn't see much so she left it there at the time. I told her my relationship history (been married, divorced no kids etc) and that I was seeing someone now and therefore no threat to her which she seemed ok with. She has noticed that since the pubs have reopened recently and people can drink outside that he's been out with his mates a lot more again and she's concerned there's another woman in the picture. She told me that he's been on furlough for some of the lockdowns (I think first part) and now works from home as does she but he may be returning to the office soon. Her main reason for contacting me now was last summer when people could go out and drink etc and meet she noticed he was doing this a lot - he said he seeing friends and/or work colleagues mostly at the end of the day or in afternoons. She'd heard another woman who I know of and met once or twice had joined this group who used to work with him and apparently they had a fling together after he left the company (years ago).

His wife told me he also came home very late from being out a few times (say early hours of the morning) and once overnight back early morning. and this carried on up until Christmas but recently restarted.

She asked me straight out if he'd ever cheated on me and I told her what I'd been told by him but said that this was the only occasion I knew, as far as I was aware. She was quiet when I said this.

She also mentioned that he had a tendency to be emotionally abusive to her but had never hit her and asked if he'd done the same to me and I agreed yes, he had done, I didn't elaborate. I did say he may have changed and matured over the years as many of us do.

We both agreed that he likes a Stepford Wife type partner, e.g. one who cooks, cleans, etc for him and him doing little in return but she said she has got him to do more housework since they got together as she didn't want to be like his mum who did everything.

I did ask her what she wanted to do now, and she said she wasn't sure. She said they've got a mortgage and kids together etc but she said she was going to do a bit of digging etc, she thinks she knows his phone and ipad passwords and then go from there.

I told her I was speaking in confidence to her and I did ask her to please not mention my name if she spoke to him and I actually told her if she wished to speak to me again then I'd be happy to do so but I didn't want much else involvement or for it to get dramatic.

She did mention meeting me for a coffee and I said if she was prepared to meet half way distance wise then yes I could do this but I'd bring a friend with me and suggested she do similar. She has a friend who lives not that far from me so we may do that.

The one thing she did mention to me why she was contacting me was she knows his friends but says they're all tight knit and keep each others secrets - even the wives. She says she gets on with them but feels like there's a gap between his friends and her friends. She also mentioned to me she'd seen the mutual friend of ours in a beauty salon the other week but just to say hi to and exchange pleasantries which presumably has jogged her memory to message me.

So I suppose we'll meet up.

I don't really want to get too involved in their lives or they in mine but happy to have listened to her and she said thanks for listening to her talk and her concerns and she told me I was kind for doing so as some people wouldn't do this.

OP posts:
littlepattilou · 28/04/2021 10:46

Sorry to go off topic slightly, what is an SO? I have seen this quite a bit on here this week, 'my SO,' and 'my ex-SO...' What's a SO?

Thanks Smile