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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

Odd message

157 replies

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 09:59

Apologies, this turned out way longer than I thought it would.

A few weeks ago DH went round a friends house to watch some football and a rugby match, when those concluded him and the friend went into town. He asked me if he could go and I said yes because he’s had a shit time recently with a close relative passing away, DH hadn’t really been out for the past two years because of Covid-19 and because I gave birth to our daughter just before it all went to shit in 2020.

I should mention that DH’s friend is physically disabled, you’ll see why in a minute.

Whilst they were out DH was in regular contact with me, sending me photos as they basically went on a pub crawl, he was pissed but in a good mood. At about 12 he messaged to say they were making their way home, the cab was dropping the friend off first and then he’d stay in the cab to come home. Sure enough within half hour he was home, I was awake anyway so we were talking whilst he was drinking water.

It became apparent that at some point the friend had placed DH in a difficult position, the friend wanted to go into a strip club, DH said no way and the friend said you haven’t got to have a dance, just help me in and I’ll buy you a beer. So DH grumbled, said okay and helped him into the building, friend brought him a beer and he sat with his back to the stage, facing the bar.

DH is not a prude and neither am I, he was however not comfortable being there and he made it clear to his friend so in the end they both left and got the cab back to their respective homes. I understand his friend put him in an awkward position but DH is not the type of person who would abandon a drunk friend, disabled or not.

However this is where it gets odd, whilst I’m sitting there with DH I get a message from my ex SIL, she walked out on my BIL three years ago and none of us had spoken to her since. I could tell from the messages that she was absolutely hammered but she accused DH of getting a private dance in the strip club, she was in there with a party and saw him. I relayed this to him and he was really confused, he said no he didn’t have a dance, they both sat there having a beer and DH then said to his friend come on let’s go home. He said yes a few of the girls spoke to them both but as soon as it became obvious they didn’t want a dance they’d move on.

DH can’t lie to save his life, even more so when drunk and I believed him however I wanted to be sure. I didn’t respond to ex SIL but in the weeks since I’ve checked his bank account and the joint, his wages get paid into the joint account anyway, there’s no activity on his account and every payment from the joint account is legit, he did take some cash with him, only £100 that he’d got from selling something and he came back with £20 and some loose change, the £80ish is accounted for, £20 to his friend for drinks at his, (proven as his friend sent him a Deliveroo screenshot before he left to go round), £20 on cab to get home and £40 in town, bearing in mind they went in 5-6 different bars/pubs I’m amazed he came back with £20.

His behaviour hasn’t changed, he didn’t mope around the next day, he got on with stuff and playing with our daughter, he felt a bit rough but he didn’t moan.

I don’t understand why ex SIL sent what she did, there’s no proof, no suspicious transactions, his friend would not have paid and he even asked DH for beer money. I wonder if she’s angry that none of us have spoken to her since she left and saw an opportunity.

I don’t know what to do, I’m 99.9% sure now but is that enough?

OP posts:
SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 13:47

So the order was DH got home, grabbed a drink and started to tell me about his night, he got up to where his friend asked him to help get him in a building, at that point I assumed it was a inaccessible club, my phone pinged with the message from ex SIL, I said oh ex SIL has messaged me, he said oh really, what does she want at this time of night?

I relayed the message to him and said is this true, he was stunned and said yes it was XXX club, he didn’t see a party of women but there was no point denying he was there, however he categorically denied having a private dance. We then went through the club part of the night out in detail and I left it until the morning, it was the same story in the morning so I decided to wait and see what the bank details said in the week.

Yes some of the dancers spoke to him and his friend but they’d be shit dancers if they didn’t.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 07/03/2022 13:50

It's this whole drip feed of helping him get into a building.

If he was telling you the full story of the night he'd tell you his friend pressured him to go to a strip club.

He wouldn't be dancing around the story - completely omitting the discussion they had - if he was intending on telling you the full story, because he'd have been explaining why he went there.

girlmom21 · 07/03/2022 13:51

Did he actually say "there's no point denying I was there"?

Shesmyperson · 07/03/2022 13:51

@SaintJavelin

Once again, he didn’t know that ex SIL was in the club, if he did his acting whilst pissed was best actor Oscar award worthy.

You’ve now made me question where he was sitting so I’ll see if there’s any pictures of the club interior online.

Well he was shocked because he wasn't planning on you finding out was he? Or at least hadn't got you to believe the story he was going to tell you.

The fact that he didn't openly tell you until after the text is a pretty big drip feed.

Now you are looking for photos of the interior etc.

Ita cleat you don't trust him and you may very well be right, not to.

But not sure why you are trying to paint this picture of this amazing innocent man that you completely trust, when that isn't the case at all. At least be honest with yourself.

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 13:53

@girlmom21

Did he actually say "there's no point denying I was there"?
No that was me thinking it, sorry I didn’t expect to be typing about this.
OP posts:
girlmom21 · 07/03/2022 13:54

@SaintJavelin don't apologise - I just wanted to be sure of what he said. I know your head must be spinning

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:02

The only thing you can do is clarify what you ex sil saw.

With the caveat that it might become a her word against his situation, and if he's lying, he may well just try to stick to his story til it eventually blows over (because he knows you're not going to want to end a marriage over it, with a baby involved to boot, so youre highly motivated to doubt her or accept it, hard line or not).

If your ex sil has no real history of shit stirring etc during her stint in the family or since she split from bil, I'd doubt she'd just suddenly become a shit stirrer 3 yrs later. He probably just thought his behaviour qas wrong, knowing you have a baby at home etc. The best case scenario is she was mistaken about him having a private dance.

On that front, I have seen "private" dances happen to the side of the main club vand visible, rather than in private rooms/booths.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:03

*She probably just thought

cosmicbabe · 07/03/2022 14:05

What would be your actions if he did have a private dance? What good will it be to you knowing this or not? How will you use that information?

Hellodarknessmyoldpal · 07/03/2022 14:05

Op if he said his friend wanted help into 'a' building then he wasn't planning on telling you it was a strip club. Honestly the amount of detail about the reat of the evening but leaving out the type of club is suss then describing where he was sitting in relation to bar, pillars and dancers seems like he is maybe overcompensating. That doesn't mean he did get a private dance though (nor do i belive that lack of evidnece in his bank statements means he didn't either) he may just have preferred you not know he was in a strip club altogether. If you had a good enough relationship with SIL and want to know more just reply and ask her what she saw. It's possible they are both telling the truth but just interpreted the situation differently.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:05

Anyway, what shocking luck he has; the one-time he was in a lap dancing club, without having told you yet (and only because his friend with a disability couldn't apparently get door man help to enter & exit) .... ex sil happens to see him Hmm

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:30

he did take some cash with him, only £100 that he’d got from selling something and he came back with £20 and some loose change, the £80ish is accounted for, £20 to his friend for drinks at his, (proven as his friend sent him a Deliveroo screenshot before he left to go round), £20 on cab to get home and £40 in town, bearing in mind they went in 5-6 different bars/pubs I’m amazed he came back with £20.

Just noticed this, for the sake of argument

His friend could've paid its only 20 quid or less - as a thank-you for accompanying him or whatever.

Plus it's not hard to absorb 15 or so quid within the above esp if they were already well oiled from drinking watching match.

Or he could easily have had a 10 or 20 on him from somewhere.

ToiletPoster · 07/03/2022 14:36

He's either:
1)a man who is so terrified of you thinking that he enjoys seeing topless women that he goes to a strip club and makes a concerted to not view a square inch of exposed skin so that his mind and soul can remain pure for you, or
2)he's not that type of man, but will lie to attempt to convince you that he is.

I don't know which is worse tbh but the latter is more common. All you can be fairly sure of is that he didn't spend his own money on a private dance.
The level of scrutiny he's under does sound a bit weird and controlling too.

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 14:39

I’m blocked by ex SIL.

Just been on the club’s website, dances start from £30!

They also have a virtual tour of the interior like Google Maps street view, I had no idea such a thing existed but anyways there’s a fucking pillar on the right hand side of the club near some seats.

I have no idea what to think, just going by the evidence rather than anything else it all adds up in DH’s favour, there are a few iffy things such as him lying by omission until I received the message from ex SIL.

Yes he could have said no to his friend and I think he will in future but I’m going to leave it unless something else crops up.

OP posts:
girlmom21 · 07/03/2022 14:43

Has she blocked you since she sent the message?
She was probably being a drunken twat if so, unless your husband has been in touch and told her to back off but it doesn't sound like he's the kind of person to do that or she's the kind of person to accept it.

Maybe all the additional information he gave you was to try and reassure you because he thought you'd be upset with him, see also: the lying by omission. You know him better than us and you think he's telling the truth.

I guess it's a good time to have a conversation about boundaries and red lines.

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 14:48

@girlmom21

Has she blocked you since she sent the message? She was probably being a drunken twat if so, unless your husband has been in touch and told her to back off but it doesn't sound like he's the kind of person to do that or she's the kind of person to accept it.

Maybe all the additional information he gave you was to try and reassure you because he thought you'd be upset with him, see also: the lying by omission. You know him better than us and you think he's telling the truth.

I guess it's a good time to have a conversation about boundaries and red lines.

Yes between messaging me and me going back to message her today she’s blocked me, at one point she wishes me luck with the situation and I’m now thinking it’s so obvious she was shit stirring.
OP posts:
Hen2018 · 07/03/2022 14:49

I’m guessing he went into a strip club of his own free will and quite possibly had a private dance.

On reading on what he’s enduring in his marriage - good on him!

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:51

I’m blocked by ex SIL.

Tbh I'm not surprised, since you didn't answer her for weeks now/ignored her.

She's probably angry/washed her hands of you.

Shoot the messenger situation..

As above, 30 quid .... It's not a big amount of money, hr could have got it elsewhere or his mate could have paid. Or he could have have a cheaper table dance and your ex sil described it as a private dance.

girlmom21 · 07/03/2022 14:52

@Tamworth123

I’m blocked by ex SIL.

Tbh I'm not surprised, since you didn't answer her for weeks now/ignored her.

She's probably angry/washed her hands of you.

Shoot the messenger situation..

As above, 30 quid .... It's not a big amount of money, hr could have got it elsewhere or his mate could have paid. Or he could have have a cheaper table dance and your ex sil described it as a private dance.

I think it's pretty strange to block someone if they don't respond when you tell them something that could tear their world apart.

SIL would have no right to be angry.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:52

I’m now thinking it’s so obvious she was shit stirring

Not remotely obvious.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 14:54

SIL would have no right to be angry.

I can see how someone telling someone something they think they should know, that they feel is unfair to them .... would get angry and exasperated at being ignored and presumably disbelieved.

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 14:59

Well I’m not sure what else I can do, I’m not blowing up my marriage when there’s no evidence.

OP posts:
BornIn78 · 07/03/2022 15:04

Went to a strip club, gave you a blow by blow account of his night but omitted the strip club part, until your SIL dropped him in it, then went into great detail about where he sat in the club with his back to the action and a pillar obstructing his view.

Aye right. Hmm

He’s telling you the bare minimum, what he thinks he can get away with. If it weren’t for your SIL he undoubtedly wouldn’t have even told you he was in a strip club in the first place.

Orchidsonthetable · 07/03/2022 15:07

I think just let it go now op. This is what you want to believe and this is what he wants you to believe. It’s hardly likely you will get hard proof, which would be a picture of him having a private dance and I think you know this.

Yes his behaviour is very suspect, but it is what it is.

For me, actually I’d not be deeply bothered by my husband getting a private dance whilst pissed on a rare stag night, id not like it, but I’d let it go, I’d be extremely upset about him and his mate just going there one night like a pair of pervs to get their rocks off, getting one, and then what’s worse, lying about it, but if they did go for that, then lying about it would be the go to position.🤷‍♀️

H4ppyC4mper · 07/03/2022 15:08

Honestly op, I disagree with so many of these posts. I didn't read it as you being controlling or not trusting of him at any point.
My partner and I sometimes keep in contact with eachother if one of us is out. It's just what we do, nothing mistrusting or controlling from either side and I think it's actually nice he's thinking about you here and there.
Ofcourse you'd check a few things out because.. If you didn't and he had actually did it... Nah, you did the sensible thing and dug around a little instead of going irrationally batshit crazy on him.
It's an awful predicament you're in but tbh, if nothing else has bothered you in general, I'd write the SIL off. It will be hard but if you're wanting to move forward, I'd literally ignore that she ever messaged and just reiterate how you'd rather he didn't put himself or you in this position again.
His friend put him in an awkward position. I wouldn't be super happy with him (the friend) if he wanted him to go out again but, your husband definitely needs to be firm if he springs another controversial idea on him again.