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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:
xsamix86 · 07/03/2022 15:22

All this 'you sound controlling' is just bs. If I want to go out I ask my partner if he minds. This is because we share our lives and what I do impacts him and vice versa! Someone needs to look after our DD after all, and it is also a courtesy. I also message him throughout to let him know where I am, and so he knows I am safe. He doesn't ask. I also send him pictures. He doesn't ask for those either! If I decided oh I'm just going to go out, and not let him know or contact him the whole time I am pretty sure he would be worried about my safety, the same as I would with him!
I would be inclined to ignore the ex SIL. You have checked and nothing seems suspicious, I would just put it down to sour grapes at this point and move past it. It is odd, but you can't predict human behaviour. You DH has been open and honest with you and that's all you can expect unless something else comes up in the future.

Orchidsonthetable · 07/03/2022 15:28

If I decided oh I'm just going to go out, and not let him know or contact him the whole time I am pretty sure he would be worried about my safety, the same as I would with him

I think there is a mid ground between asking permission and saying nothing?

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 16:17

I would be inclined to ignore the ex SIL. You have checked and nothing seems suspicious, I would just put it down to sour grapes at this point and move past it.

she walked out on my BIL three years ago and none of us had spoken to her since.

A rather slow burn case of sour grapes lol.

She left, she wasn't left. She apparently made no contact since, did not act in any malicious or shit stirring way (or presumably op would've mentioned it as relevant), kept herself to herself, hot on with her life, but now she's seen a man she knows has a wife and baby at home in a lap dancing club with his mate, not obviously on a stag do ...thinks it's shit and his wife should know; she's a malicious shit stirring, fucked up crazy woman.

My question would be more .... what did a woman who's "open minded" enough to be frequenting (probably a male oriented strip club) on a night out ...... see that caused her to feel op should know her h was in there? Seems unlikely she'd be shocked/indignant on op's behalf at merely seeing him in there, cradling a drink and trying to not be rude but stay out of it all.

TabithaTittlemouse · 07/03/2022 16:19

She’s shit stirring.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 16:21

She specifically said he'd had a private dance; if he was only sitting and staying relatively out of things, would she have even bothered messaging (?)

She's either mistaken or he's lying.

It sounds like he wasn't even going to tell op being in one, and his excuse for having to go in is bullshitty.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 16:23

@TabithaTittlemouse

She’s shit stirring.
No wonder so many men get away with so much lol.

And no wonder do many ppl never whistle blow on anything.

girlmom21 · 07/03/2022 16:27

She specifically said he'd had a private dance; if he was only sitting and staying relatively out of things, would she have even bothered messaging (?)

But she didn't text until at least half an hour after he'd left - so did she see him talking to one of the women who work there then looked again half an hour later when he'd disappeared -aka gone home -(if she was very drunk it's easy to lose concept of time) and put 2 and 2 together and made 5?

For all we know she could have left her marriage for a similar reason so assumed the worst.

I think the husbands dodgy but I don't 100% trust the SIL intentions

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 16:29

@SaintJavelin

Well I’m not sure what else I can do, I’m not blowing up my marriage when there’s no evidence.
With a small baby, it's probably not a great idea to blow up your marriage even if you ever get evidence.

As I said, even if your ex sil communicated with you again; its probably just be her word against his. And both were drinking/drunk so ...

All I know is I would view your h with a hefty dose of skepticism from now on, maybe he's not quite who you think he is or how he portays himself.

He didn't need to be in that strip club (where things can easily happen that your partner would be hurt & uncomfortable about), even if you dint buy a private dance. I find the friend's disability excuse rather scummily manipulative.

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 16:30

@girlmom21

She specifically said he'd had a private dance; if he was only sitting and staying relatively out of things, would she have even bothered messaging (?)

But she didn't text until at least half an hour after he'd left - so did she see him talking to one of the women who work there then looked again half an hour later when he'd disappeared -aka gone home -(if she was very drunk it's easy to lose concept of time) and put 2 and 2 together and made 5?

For all we know she could have left her marriage for a similar reason so assumed the worst.

I think the husbands dodgy but I don't 100% trust the SIL intentions

Possibly.

(And there are any no of reasons she didnt text immediately. She was in the middle of a night out).

Tamworth123 · 07/03/2022 16:31

A v unpleasant position to be put in op, sorry.

Best of luck.

haaaaaaalp · 07/03/2022 16:38

I don't think you're controlling at all. My h always makes sure it's alright to go out, as would I as someone has to look after dd (and potentially hold the fort the next day too). He also loves to send me photos of his night, with no expectation from me.

TooWicked · 07/03/2022 16:38

“I simply had no choice but to go to a strip club because of my disabled friend you see, and I would have told you about it if you hadn’t already heard it from someone else first - honest, and I sat with my back to the stage and my eyes shut tight the whole time, there was a column in the way and everything!!!”

Well it’s original, I’ve never heard that one before, I’ll give him that at least.

Readytopop2022x · 07/03/2022 16:40

If my ex SIL text me to say my husband had a lap dance your damn bloody right I'd be doing some digging! How did she know he was even in the strip club? So the fact that she knew he was there, I'd be checking!

Orchidsonthetable · 07/03/2022 17:11

@Readytopop2022x

If my ex SIL text me to say my husband had a lap dance your damn bloody right I'd be doing some digging! How did she know he was even in the strip club? So the fact that she knew he was there, I'd be checking!
Exactly. And he didn’t say until the sil told on him. Of course he knows the layout of the club, he was in there. It would appear that she was more honest than him.

But I don’t think the op wants to pursue it further, so it’s irrelevant.

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 18:14

So DH came home earlier, I've been stewing on this all day and he knew something was up. I told him that I'd like to check his messages, I've never done this before and DH raised his eyebrow in a quizzical way before giving me his phone.

Nothing immediately jumped out so I opened the conversation between him and his friend and scrolled a few weeks up, this is not word for word but it was the Sunday after the night out.

F - thank you for a lovely night out mate, it was great to see you
DH - no worries buddy, you're not going to believe what happened when I got home
F - what? is everything ok?
DH - I think it is but ex SI saw us in XXX
F - fucking hell, you didn't tell me she was there
DH - i didn't see her mate [laughing face]
F - so how do you know she was there?
DH - she messaged SJ saying she was there and that I'd had a private dance
F - what? that's fucking bollocks, what the fuck, why would she say that?
DH - I know mate, got a bit of aggro when I got home and I told SJ the truth
F - mate I shouldn't have put you in that position, I know before when you were out with me and [redacted] you went home when we said we were going in XXX
DH - [laughing face] yeah and I won't be helping you get in there again, call [redacted] in future
F - i will mate, let me know if you want me to message SJ

The rest of the conversation is about football and waffley bollocks.

I gave DH the phone back and he shrugged his shoulders whilst saying I told you the truth, I said yes but ex SIL has blocked me so I can't ask her can I?

I feel some posters want him to have had a dance.

OP posts:
Shesmyperson · 07/03/2022 18:19

Oh amazing. An entire conversation that backs up what he told you in the first place. Such good luck on your dhs part.

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 18:24

So my DH is still lying then?

OP posts:
RelentlessForwardProgress · 07/03/2022 18:35

Oh. dear. me.

To some people, a husband going to a lap dancing club and / or having a private dance is a deal breaker in a relationship, to others it isn't. Its entirely up to you where that boundary lies.

But this level of lying/manipulation/gaslightling is pretty full on and unlikely to be a one off. Its not his fault, its the SIL for being a shit stirrer. Its not his fault, its his mates for being disabled.

I mean, do you think it would occur to a normal person to argue that getting spotted in a strip club is evidence of good character on his part? Really? who uses someone else's disability as a get out of jail free card like that.......its just......grim.

I hope you are OK. I don't envy you, especially with a young baby. Flowers

isthismylifenow · 07/03/2022 18:51

You're tying yourself up in knots about this OP. And it happened weeks ago. Accept that you are never going to know which one is lying. Although you could contact ex sil by another means if you really wanted to hash it out with her.

I think you need to try to move on from this now.

longtompot · 07/03/2022 18:52

Does dh and his friends usually chat like this after a night out? If they do and this is normal, then I would say he isn't lying. But if this is out of the ordinary for him and them, then I would be much more cautious.

Norwolf · 07/03/2022 18:55

@SaintJavelin be careful because you sound like you have a good thing going with your marriage. Not everyone will want to see you happy, and after all you have written, you would know best how to handle everything.

People (on the internet esp) will be quick to judge. Don’t give ur husband grief over something that’s been put in your head which to be honest has no way of being 💯 provable. That will do more damage than good and you’ll be at the center of it all.

Be careful of the many whispers

SaintJavelin · 07/03/2022 18:57

@longtompot

Does dh and his friends usually chat like this after a night out? If they do and this is normal, then I would say he isn't lying. But if this is out of the ordinary for him and them, then I would be much more cautious.
Yes, even if it's just a thank you for a good evening, see you again kinda thing, they message fairly often, every 1 - 2 days having a catch up, moan about football or Boris etc so nothing in that message jumped out at me.
OP posts:
Easylay · 07/03/2022 18:57

I’m sure he sat with his back to the shoeHmm

BlindGirlMcSqueaky · 07/03/2022 19:06

You sound massively controlling to me. Either you believe him or you don't. Trusting someone is not something you do after you've spent ages searching for evidence that they're lying.

Shesmyperson · 07/03/2022 19:14

@SaintJavelin

So my DH is still lying then?
I have no clue.

Neither do you. You need to decide wether you trust and believe him....or not.