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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

Female friend won't meet me?

125 replies

Pollypocket89 · 07/10/2021 16:17

My dh has made a new ish friend, maybe in the last 2 months or so. I keep saying to him I'd like to meet her and she apparently keeps saying no. She's dropped him off from work before and driven straight off. Is this weird? It seems strange to me

OP posts:
HundredMilesAnHour · 07/10/2021 18:32

That's quite the drip feed OP. Maybe you should have been more honest about your situation in your opening post so people could have supported you and advised you more appropriately rather than wasting everyone's time with a tiny fragment of the situation.

Pollypocket89 · 07/10/2021 18:43

I didn't particularly want advice on the rest of it though, so not a drip feed. I answered a question that was asked, I wouldn't have gone into it otherwise. I got answers on whether or not it was strange not to meet her so thank you to those who have replied

OP posts:
2lsinllama · 07/10/2021 18:48

@Pollypocket89

I didn't particularly want advice on the rest of it though, so not a drip feed. I answered a question that was asked, I wouldn't have gone into it otherwise. I got answers on whether or not it was strange not to meet her so thank you to those who have replied
But is this thread about you or a friend? Genuinely confused now.
youvegottenminuteslynn · 07/10/2021 18:49

@Pollypocket89

I didn't particularly want advice on the rest of it though, so not a drip feed. I answered a question that was asked, I wouldn't have gone into it otherwise. I got answers on whether or not it was strange not to meet her so thank you to those who have replied
It's very relevant though OP because it means the motivations behind it and your preoccupation with it should be seen through a different lens than in would be in a healthy, stable couple.

Do you know in your heart of hearts that it doesn't have to be like this? That relationships don't have to have this toxicity that has been caused by his previous behaviour?

You could be happy, healthy and secure with someone else. Or by yourself.

Being with this bloke is eroding your self esteem and that is damaging for you as well as the kids involved.

toocold54 · 07/10/2021 18:55

I think it’s really weird you want to meet her. My own daughter has friends that I’ve never met before and I wouldn’t ask to. I don’t think my mum has ever asked to meet my friends before and definitely not my partner.

Why do you need to meet her? Can he not have a friend without you being friends with them too?

Lolabray · 07/10/2021 19:01

Yes it is weird. Perhaps she feels threatened or doesn’t want to engage for some reason

RantyAunty · 07/10/2021 21:05

Why don't you message her yourself and ask her to come for dinner sometime?

I suspect he's never asked her.

Onthedunes · 07/10/2021 22:00

Polly, I remember some of your threads and through much of them it has been your hypervigilance and pain showing through.

Now that is not uncommon, when someone betrays you it's impossible to heal when they continue with the same behaviour. You must be thinking "tell me something I don't know."

At present you are trying to obtain some sort of control over another crap situation, you must be worn out with all this detective work, it's no way to live, but you love him.

At this stage in the game, you should be beggining to see your whole life will be like this, you cannot control him.
Is he a very attractive man, who has women falling at his feet?

So much harder than having an average looking bloke and couple this with your increasing insecurity and lack of trust, it must be like a living in hell.
Your confidence is shot, he has destroyed it, relationships are not a game to win, who is the better looking, who is doing the best at winning within the relationship.
They are meant to lift you up, make you feel safe, secure and wanted.

This man is making you feel like a loser and nobody should make you feel like that. You have children, you feel you need to depend on him but he is taking advantage of that.

He really isn't a nice person, you are, you are better than him, you don't create pain for him intentionally, he does and never will he change.

You could keep catching this lathario time and time again but nothing will change.
Your mindset has to change, to expect better for yourself.

MsDogLady · 08/10/2021 01:24

Hi Polly. I was on several of your threads about the previous OW. I’m very sorry that your H is again crossing boundaries, but I’m not surprised.

No matter how many times you expressed your discomfort or he was spoken to at work about their inappropriate relationship, he was determined to maintain their connection and refused to distance himself.

Now he is developing a new flirtation, and there are additional red flags. New woman. Mentionitis. Over-frequent contact outside of work. Meeting 1:1 for drinks. He already interacts with her at work, so there is no appropriate reason for them to carve out so much private contact.

If all were innocent, they would be happy for you two to meet and would make it happen. Lunch, which you’ve already invited her to. Or she could step inside during the drop off to say hello to you, the new baby, and your other child. They are putting a lot of energy into each other, but you are being excluded.

This is deja vu, but will you allow it to play out the same way? He pushes boundaries, but you are hesitant to express discomfort because it might be an innocent friendship. When you’ve had enough and do confront him, he stonewalls and won’t make any changes, and you are left feeling constantly unsettled.

There are currently red flags flying all around but you are merely ‘curious.’ Polly, please don’t put yourself through this again. Flowers

Babyghirl · 08/10/2021 08:54

@Pollypocket89
So sorry your going through this mind game again.

It happened to my friend he husband befriended a woman from work but he had the cheek to bring her to their house for lunch as my friend know her, but my friend seen then touching hands and that from the kitchen window while she made them lunch.

She was ascared of what was to come and let it slide till one day she had enough packed her bags and never looked back, turns out they where having a full blown affair and her exh is still with the other woman to this day.

My friend went on to meet an amazing man and has lived the high life of holidays and cruises and they r best friends.

He's playing mind games with you, emotionally abusing you and it will never end. Please do it for yourself pack his bags tell him to go and started rebuilding your life again, cause its never going to end with him there will always be someone in the back ground.

gingerlyme · 08/10/2021 13:40

Once there was a colleague of dh.
I had never met her, but she kept talking to him on Twitter every night after work.
It got to the point I said I think we should invite her over. He said no too.
So. The tweeting didn't stop. So I tweeted back saying you do kno he's married don't you.
That night he slept in the spare room.
This was years ago. But I guess what I'm saying is trust your gut instinct. If your dh colleague ignore you, when you meet, or doesn't want to meet you. I think that should ring alarm bells.

Pokske · 08/10/2021 14:06

Why would you like to meet her ? She works with your husband and gives him a lift. They chat a bit, but why would you want to be part of that ?
I think this woman has enough to do and is not interested in meeting the spouses of her colleagues. I know I wouldn't be either.

MsDogLady · 11/10/2021 00:39

Polly, I am very concerned about you. As your other thread got derailed and pulled, would it help you to share exchanges on this one?

DeeCeeCherry · 11/10/2021 01:43

MrMrsJones
A new friend
Meet 121
Talks about her all the time
She doesn't want to meet you but has met other friends
They text outside of work
I bet she is young and pretty because it won't be Margaret who is 50 and works in admin will it?*

^This

Im amazed by the number of pp's rushing to say it's OP in the wrong but perhaps they're also like this with their married co-workers. Or they're cool with their H making female friends randomly + meet ups + mentionitis as they're scared H will kick off or leave if they make a thing of it, I suppose.

Anyway OP your H is also a troublemaker, putting into your mind that she doesn't want to meet you. I doubt hes even told her you suggested meeting.

You're married to him, are you afraid to have it out with him? Tell him hes out of order and unprofessional and you're not putting up with it.

However I dont think he'll stop unfortunately, he's already trying to get together with her and as they work together you wont know what they're ip to

MsDogLady · 11/10/2021 02:15

DeeDee, it turned out that Polly’s H admitted cheating with this OW. Polly started a new thread, and but it got derailed and was pulled. Perhaps she will want to reach out on this thread.

BunnytheFriendlyDragon · 11/10/2021 02:25

Generally speaking it would seem weird to ask to meet a friend or colleague of a partner.

TasteTheMeatNotTheHeat · 11/10/2021 05:29

Sounds like your DH fancies this woman and doesn't want you to meet her.

Aprilx · 11/10/2021 05:54

@Pollypocket89

Custarddreaming, is that how it appears? I invited her for lunch
You honestly think this is normal? It is not normal to invite a new colleague’s spouse for lunch. She probably thinks you are weird.
MsDogLady · 11/10/2021 07:16

@Pollypocket89, if you are still reading this thread, I wanted to address a question that you asked today on your other thread that was deleted.

You asked how your H, who has now admitted cheating, could want to stay friends with OW while working on your marriage. The answer is: he can’t. Any private contact outside of work = a continuation of the affair. He has feelings and weak boundaries for OW, so any continued interaction would be highly disrespectful to you at this devastating time, and would certainly sabotage any attempts at reconciliation.

I don’t believe that you have the full story. He initially told you he’d known OW for about 2 months but hanow admit

MsDogLady · 11/10/2021 07:59

Sorry…
but he has now admitted he has known her longer. If you consider that his infidelity encompassed the pre-affair flirtation—>EA—>PA, then this has been going on for 3-4 months or longer, probably since shortly after your baby was born. That is a multitude of betrayals that he could have stopped at any time.

I also think it’s likely that they’ve had more physical contact than what he’s admitting to, as they have been on drinks dates and alone in her car. I would also assume that they take alone-time at lunch.

I hope you got some sleep and that you will send him away for a while so you can think. Personally, after all he has done, I wouldn’t be able to stay in the marriage. Plus, watching him pine over OW would be too much to bear. You and the children deserve an emotionally safe home, but I don’t believe you will ever have that with him.

GreyGoose1980 · 11/10/2021 08:42

If it was just a lift and texting occasionally outside work and drinks with a group of people then no need to meet her. However he’s mentioning her a lot at home, going for one to one drinks with her and had her picture on his phone. Based on this I’d want to meet her.

GreyGoose1980 · 11/10/2021 08:46

Just realised it wasn’t a specific saved photo on his phone - either way I’d also want to meet her.

user911 · 11/10/2021 18:19

Op has stated that the truth has come out
The P has admitted to it being more and that our fears were all correct

The thread was deleted as quite painful for Polly

She is understandably upset so I don't think she will return here for now

DeeCeeCherry · 13/10/2021 02:16

MsDogLady
DeeDee, it turned out that Polly’s H admitted cheating with this OW. Polly started a new thread, and but it got derailed and was pulled. Perhaps she will want to reach out on this thread

Oh dear. No surprise there, at all. I hope OP has someone she can reach out to in real life for support.

Scrolled up and noted he's done this kind of thing before. I hope she dumps hjm. Silly, giddy disloyal man that he is

GreyGoose1980 · 13/10/2021 08:26

Just read the updates above OP. I got a bit confused as didn’t see the other thread/ threads. Just wanted to say that I hope you are as okay as is possible. Stay strong - you are better off without him, though appreciate that’s ‘easier said than done’ in the early days of a break-up.

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