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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

DH lied.

335 replies

ireallyshouldntbesurprised · 14/07/2022 20:24

DH has form for lying, he’s lied about tiny, insignificant things over the years, but he’s also lied about some big, shitty things too.

Each time he’s caught in a lie, I remind him of just how much I detest being lied to, he apologises and we attempt to move on - but it of course nibbles away at my trust each and every time.

Today, DH had meetings in London. I was told last night the meetings were a ‘big corporate spiel lasting from 9am to 5pm’. Anyway, I checked our tracking app that we have on our phones shortly after lunchtime, to see that DH wasn’t where I thought he would be (the HQ office), but was instead, in some random bar in a different area of London.

I messaged DH an hour or so later, asking him how he was getting on etc. He told me it was fine but a bit boring. I then asked him if his meeting was being held in the usual place and he stopped replying.

He got in this evening and I asked him what time the meeting ended up finishing, and if it’d been held at the HQ, to which I was told ‘yep, normal place, we finished up around half 4, was supposed to be 5 but they rushed through a couple bits so we could duck out a tiny bit early’.

Now, I can see from our app that he left the building where the meetings are held shortly after 2pm and was in a bar from then, until he left to get the train at around 5:30pm. When I asked him if he’d stayed and had any drinks, he told me that ‘once the meeting was finished, they left the HQ and he had one quick pint before getting the train’. I also asked him if the blokes from work were staying ‘out out’ for drinks after the meeting, and he told me they were apparently heading to a certain bar in Shoreditch. Well, I checked the app, and lo and behold, that bar that his colleagues were supposedly heading to ‘after’ DH had left, was in the fact, the bar DH had been sitting in for three hours.

For what it’s worth, the apps we use are never wrong. They might show you’re stood a few metres from where you actually are, but it would never show you as being MILES away from where you are, if you see what I mean. I can also tell when DH is lying by the level of (false) details he gives in answers.

I haven’t yet told DH that I know he’s bare face lied to me, but I am seething. He knows my stance on lying. He knows that above all else in life, I’m always, always going to be more mad about a lie than something he may or may not have done. It’s the lying. I can’t stand it. I don’t care that the meeting finished early. I don’t care that he sunk a couple pints in the midday sun. What I do care about is the fact he seemingly thinks so little of me, that lying about stupid shit is like a second nature to him.

Would you confront your DH if you knew he’d so breezily lied to you?

OP posts:
Bunty55 · 14/07/2022 23:12

OP He lies because he gets away with it every time. There is nothing to stop him from lying as he does not care what you think. Maybe you should actually do something about it.
My partner once told me a lie and I caught him out. It was stupid and it has never happened again. It was not anything bad but all the same it was a lie and it was quite significant in relation to a situation he had no control over.
At the time I was shocked, but I had to also think about my part in this thing and we sorted things out. (he was not where he said he was, but was at work - I drove past and saw his car)
Your husband is behaving like he is your teenage son. Until you find out why he lies, nothing will change. I would not tolerate it.

RedCheese · 14/07/2022 23:20

DH and I also have had the tracking app for safety reasons for years. I used to get sent out, on my own, to God knows where, to meet God knows who, when working for a charity organisation. The only safety check they used to do was ask the person’s GP to tick a box on a piece of paper to say if the person I was visiting was ok to have a home consultation with the charity, oh, and they also gave me a rape alarm. Anyway, the app was a safety thing I came up with so dh would know my location. I no longer do that job but we still have the tracking as it’s handy when it’s needed. It means we know when to put dinner on (when commuting) and what’s going on if one is late home (stuck in motorway traffic usually).

Fenella123 · 14/07/2022 23:23

The tracking thing isn't necessarily odd - I and my DH can see each other's location, and very handy it is too. But neither of us has ever lied to the other.

That seems to be a feature of your DH's personality. Up to you what you do, it's your life, but if you were my friend and left because of this, I'd be very understanding!

Sunnytwobridges · 14/07/2022 23:23

MolliciousIntent · 14/07/2022 20:30

When you get to the point where you're stalking your husband using GPS, your marriage is over.

This. once you go there, you will never trust him again and to me that's the end of the relationship.

FortniteBoysMum · 14/07/2022 23:23

I would want to know what his trying to cover up.

Sunnytwobridges · 14/07/2022 23:28

I just read some of your updates. I think he was avoiding coming home to help you out since you are sick. which says a lot about him and how he feels about you and your dcs (and none of it good) imho.

Catlover1970 · 14/07/2022 23:28

Im just wondering why you’ve have three kids with this lying waste of space?!

ireallyshouldntbesurprised · 14/07/2022 23:28

FortniteBoysMum · 14/07/2022 23:23

I would want to know what his trying to cover up.

My mind has been in overdrive thinking that something is amiss. The meeting that he went to last month which was held in the same place - he wore a nice shirt, smart trousers, nice shoes and took along one of his 'fancy' coats. During his usual working week, he wears smart trousers and a shirt etc, but today, for a big corporate meeting, he wore a shirt, jeans and trainers Hmm

I know in reality what he wore means absolutely nothing and I shouldn't ruminate. But, I can't help it.

OP posts:
CinnamonJellyBeans · 14/07/2022 23:30

You tracked your husband while you knew he was at work? The post-meeting drinks still counts as "work" you know. No wonder he has to lie to you.

Pkwio · 14/07/2022 23:33

Plenty of my friends in very healthy relationships have their partners and children on tracking apps. Totally normal behaviour for some families. I don't do this with my DP but we will often share locations via WhatsApp so we know how long the other will be.

That aside OP, you do need to confront him but you also need to decide what you are going to do longer term because, as you say, he does this a lot.

I wouldn't put up with being lied to.

PyongyangKipperbang · 14/07/2022 23:34

ireallyshouldntbesurprised · 14/07/2022 23:28

My mind has been in overdrive thinking that something is amiss. The meeting that he went to last month which was held in the same place - he wore a nice shirt, smart trousers, nice shoes and took along one of his 'fancy' coats. During his usual working week, he wears smart trousers and a shirt etc, but today, for a big corporate meeting, he wore a shirt, jeans and trainers Hmm

I know in reality what he wore means absolutely nothing and I shouldn't ruminate. But, I can't help it.

Actually it says a lot.

He probably didnt even think about it (as he wouldnt notice or care what you are wearing so why would you notice or care what he is wearing....this was a thing with my lying and cheating ex) but when our instincts are tuned in even the tinest thing can scream out that something is wrong.

No one would dress like that for a big corporate day meeting, they just wouldnt.

He is up to something.

Sorry.

Phobiaphobic · 14/07/2022 23:34

I share your revulsion to lying, OP. Once I know someone has lied to me, I don't believe another word that comes out of their mouth. I had a husband who told a lot of casual lies. Unsurprisingly, he's now my ex.

KettrickenSmiled · 14/07/2022 23:39

CinnamonJellyBeans · 14/07/2022 23:30

You tracked your husband while you knew he was at work? The post-meeting drinks still counts as "work" you know. No wonder he has to lie to you.

This is some stonking DARVO bullshit.
Are you the husband. @CinnamonJellyBeans?

www.banyantherapy.com/darvo/

SRS29 · 14/07/2022 23:42

Oh OP you know the reality.....you're being mugged off by a tit of a so called husband...see it...call it...get out of it...ffs this is 2022 not 1922 🙄🤦‍♀️

Cantbeliveyoufakeit · 14/07/2022 23:42

Honestly OP I wouldn't bother confronting him, instead I'd use my anger to start manoeuvring myself into a position where I could leave him. Even if that needs considerable time, to retrain/get a job etc, everything I did from now on would be based around getting ready to leave. He doesn't think of the two of you as a team so it's time you operated under the same rules, think only of yourself and DC and your future away from his lies.

1VY · 14/07/2022 23:45

ireallyshouldntbesurprised · 14/07/2022 21:39

@BornIn78 I guess the bottom line is, I'd like to know whether people that tell lies about pointless things (and the big things, actually) are capable of change?

And do they lie because they simply don't care about the impact it has on their spouses? Is it just a personal gain, type thing?

Given that I'm vehemently against lying, I struggle to understand why people do it over trivial things. I guess bigger things I can almost understand because they might be afraid of the repercussions/hurting their spouses or whatever. But to do it with small things? Why? How does it benefit them or the relationship?

Yes he can change . But no he won’t change, because the way things are works well for him. He enjoys it, it’s a control thing.

That’s why people are saying don’t confront him. Not because it’s ok for him to lie to you. But because HE DOESNT CARE what you think or feel.

You know he’s a liar. He knows he’s a liar. You are willing to stay with him despite his lies. So what’s the point ?

I have been you and my advice is to put your energy into an escape plan. I know it’s not easy with young children.

TheTeenageYears · 14/07/2022 23:57

You didn't need to track him to know if you could call him, you could have messaged him. If you sending a message saying "still suffering with D&V can you please come straight home as soon as the meetings finish rather than going for drinks after" and can't trust him to do that or justify why that can't be the case you really would be better off on your own. I can't abide lying either but you know he does it about small and big things. It's never going to change.

MadKittenWoman · 15/07/2022 00:09

pinkymurder · 14/07/2022 20:49

I don't agree with you here.

I do a lot of cycling including commuting, and have needed to cycle home often in the dark.

DH does a lot of hiking, sometimes solo, and his group all have Google maps their wives and their group leader.

For the above reasons we both feel better being able to check where the other is at times.

Also very handy to know how long til I get home for DH if he's doing dinner, if I have a 50 min cycle ahead.

And if the weather is terrible where he's hiking I like to be able to check his little avatar is moving about.

No historical cheating of distrust anywhere in our relationship. It's just convenient to have each other on maps.

This. DH, adult DS and I can track each other on Find My. Really useful, especially on holidays when doing separate things, when meeting up somewhere, checking someone got home safely, etc. Not odd at all. If you're not lying about what you're up to, there's no issue.

CJsGoldfish · 15/07/2022 00:18

Yes, I know, his life 'doesn't change much' even when he does lie - but does he not care that it erodes my trust? Is not easier to be honest, deal with a momentary fall out that will swiftly pass, rather than lying, getting yourself in to shit and massively angering your partner?
Why would that be 'easier'? There are no real consequences when he lies. So you get 'massively angry'? Obviously you 'get over it' if you are still around and life continues on as usual. Clearly it is an acceptable trade off to him doing what he wants 🤷‍♀️

Tell him you know, don't tell him you know. Nothings going to change for him either way. I am curious as to why you didn't send a "please come home, I'm really unwell" text though. Surely that was a more sensible option than 'tracking' him and just 'watching' him?

Leoismybae · 15/07/2022 00:21

This is dead in the water on both sides. He's lying constantly and you're tracking him down. I know lots of people here are insisting it's normal, but if my boyfriend was tracking me on the phone, I think I'd actually find it quite invasive and I wouldn't be happy. Doesn't seem a very happy relationship.

KettrickenSmiled · 15/07/2022 00:23

Leoismybae · 15/07/2022 00:21

This is dead in the water on both sides. He's lying constantly and you're tracking him down. I know lots of people here are insisting it's normal, but if my boyfriend was tracking me on the phone, I think I'd actually find it quite invasive and I wouldn't be happy. Doesn't seem a very happy relationship.

Can you not read?

It was OP's husband's own suggestion to install the tracker app, so your opinion & preferences do NOT justify you attacking OP like this. It is not her fault that her H is a compulsive liar.

oakleaffy · 15/07/2022 00:42

ireallyshouldntbesurprised · 14/07/2022 20:34

@MolliciousIntent I actually had a genuine reason to check what he was up to today. I woke up this morning throwing up combined with diarrhoea - didn't take the DC's to school today because I didn't want to chance needing the toilet en route. So, I checked the app around lunchtime to see if he was out grabbing food, so that I could phone him and let him know I was still feeling really ill and ask him not to stay out having drinks once the meeting had finished at 5.

It was then that I saw he was no longer in the meeting and was instead having drinks rather than coming home to the woman who was vomiting while looking after our 3DC.

Poor you..It's hard looking after one little one when one is vomiting ...never mind 3.
What a dick.
Sadly my ex husband was a liar as well... and did end top having an affair.
Lying I think came easily to him.
His parents never challenged him.

His 3rd wife also says the lies really get her down, too...So they never change,
Pants on fire til 90.?

silentpool · 15/07/2022 00:43

My ex-husband lied a lot and lied by omission too. Those little lies turned into very big ones in the end. Dishonesty is a character flaw and I think you need to decide how much you are willing to put up with.

madasawethen · 15/07/2022 00:46

I hear your anger and frustration.
You're hoping that one day he'll stop being a liar plus actually care about you, not just when it's convenient for him.

Many men are like that. They don't really see their spouse as a person but rather an appliance to serve them.

From what you've said, he's been a liar the entire time. You went on and had 3 DC with him. You hate lying, but you tolerate it from him. He knows you're not going anywhere. He has to be nice for a little bit and act sorry and then go right back to doing whatever he wants to do.

Like a PP said, sadly, you either LTB or put up with it.

Rainbowqueeen · 15/07/2022 01:13

OP I think the best thing you can do right now is focus on yourself and putting yourself in a position where you can leave if that’s what you decide to do. He will not change.

Get to grips with your financial situation. Look for work or into retraining. Work out what you would be entitled to as a single mum. Build up your support network. Focus on getting your DC to be independent and helping round the house. Same with your DH. He also needs to be more involved with the DC when not at work. These things you can change. The lying you can’t change That is up to him.

It bothers me that you had to keep the DC home from school because you were ill. Why couldn’t your DH get them ready and phone someone to take them - I appreciate he probably wouldn’t have been able to take them but surely he could get them ready.