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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

He’s cheating isn’t he? Or is he?! Help

103 replies

Topicsdujour · 11/01/2024 17:43

Obviously I know no one can tell me, just want some opinions please.

DH and I have been together 14 years, married 10 and have 3 young children together. Our relationship for the most part has been great. He truly is my favourite person and I love him very much. He’s considerate towards me, a great Dad and hands on around the house.

About 4 years ago when I was heavily pregnant with our 3rd child I found some messages on his I pad. We had been going through a very rough patch. I got pregnant with DC3 when DC2 was only 3 months old and DC1 only 3 years old. My husband works away a lot and I don’t have any family nearby so I was struggling a lot and it resulted in lots of arguments. I was on the I pad one evening, and came across some messages that were synced to his phone. I never really used the I pad and it came as a huge shock. They were very flirtatious and inappropriate messages to his work colleague, though it was clear in the messages nothing had actually happened between them. Though maybe only because they didn’t get the chance?
It was a dark time in our relationship and we had to work really hard together to move past it.
The last few years have been great, however, the messages to his colleague have always been in the back of my mind.

DH works in a the sporting field (management side) and also enjoys playing the sport recreationally. For ease I will just say it is golf. A few weeks ago DH took our eldest son to a day out playing golf. When they came back, our son explained they had spent the day with his female colleague and her daughter. The female colleague (not the one he text years back) is a professional in this field so when I questioned my husband he said she was offering her time to give our son a bit of training. I felt a bit put out that he hadn’t mentioned her being there to me at all but didn’t really say anything.
Fast forward to this week and he’s at a golf event for work. Staying away in a hotel. He briefly mentioned who he was going with…. All guys.
I was on Facebook today and saw my husband had uploaded a picture at this event, with this female colleague! Along with one of the male colleagues he mentioned.
It all seems a bit weird that she seems to be on the scene a lot more. The more I think about it the more suss it seems… I realised that the gym he goes to religiously is not far from where she lives. I did a little Facebook stalking and on one of the pictures she is wearing my husbands woolly hat.

I called him and just lost it with him and asked if something was going on. He obviously denied it to the ground. He was incredibly apologetic for not mentioning that she was going to be there. Said he could completely understand why I felt suspicious and offered to leave the event and come home to talk about it. That’s what makes it hard, he’s so…… reasonable. It’s just my gut is telling me something is up.

What do you think? I know he would never admit to it and I don’t have any evidence. I did wonder why he would upload a picture to Facebook knowing I could see it, however he knows I don’t use it, only occasionally for marketplace. I asked about the hat and he just said she was freezing so he leant it to her.

Argh, I just don’t know what to do. Has anyone been in a similar situation?

OP posts:
adriftabroad · 11/01/2024 19:30

Oh, well there you go.

sunglassesonthetable · 11/01/2024 19:30

The loudest alarm here was him being so reasonable and offering to come home when challenged. Innocent people are usually livid and extremely angry when their integrity is questioned. It's the guilty ones who try to be understanding and reassuring. That's my experience anyway . The hat is weird. It's too late now but acting ignorant whilst evaluating and looking out for evidence might have been better.

This. This This

Jl2014 · 11/01/2024 19:32

The hat thing is a red flag. I would never wear a hat of a colleague. It’s much too personal. I would if I was sleeping with them.

It’s impossible to say if he’s cheating. Not a great situation either way. On the text messages from before- people can make mistakes and actually learn from them. If you have decided to move past that then you must genuinely do so. You can’t keep casting it back up as this will ultimately erode the relationship.

adriftabroad · 11/01/2024 19:32

She absolutely has an agenda.
Ex:her faceook post with hat.

SausageAndEggSandwich · 11/01/2024 19:40

They're very comfortable with each other for people you didn't know were even friends OP.

I would be feeling very miffed about the lying by omission/convenient coincidences. Very miffed indeed.

I don't think it's coincidence. Anyone who has a little bit of a flirt, feels that little frission of excitement has a choice about what they do next. An instinct to hide something even if it's innocent, is not healthy to a marriage.

Madamlulu · 11/01/2024 19:41

Whenwasthis · 11/01/2024 17:50

The loudest alarm here was him being so reasonable and offering to come home when challenged. Innocent people are usually livid and extremely angry when their integrity is questioned. It's the guilty ones who try to be understanding and reassuring. That's my experience anyway . The hat is weird. It's too late now but acting ignorant whilst evaluating and looking out for evidence might have been better.

I don't agree with this either. I think this is exactly how an innocent person would act but a guilty one would be defensive and try to turn the blame on you.

I would say you do need to talk about this a lot and work together as a couple to 'protect your marriage' but try to work with him. The truth would eventually come out anyway but he may very well be innocent in my opinion and the more work he does to accept your worries the better

HalloumiGeller · 11/01/2024 19:48

It doesn't sound to me like he's cheating, however due to the history you mention I can understand why you're worried. It definitely sounds to me like you still have trust issues which haven't been addressed in your relationship. You don't really have any choice but to accept his word that he hasn't done anything, but I'd be warning him that if I find out he's lied it would have drastic consequences!

Pieceofpurplesky · 11/01/2024 19:53

The hat is her telling you she likes you H and has one over on you. She knew your DS would tell you and you would look her up.

Either DH is having an affair or she wants him for herself.

HatSlut · 11/01/2024 19:54

I'm not really addressing your concerns here OP, which are understandable given that you haven't really had the chance to work through fully your DH's previous betrayal of your trust, but I'm amazed at how people seem to be reading the loan of a hat. I was working outdoors one day, it was unexpectedly cold and another crew member had a spare hat that he lent me. We don't really know each other well, and in fact the only time we'd worked together previously he'd been a right arse. I was surprised he offered ( because of previous rudeness) but very grateful because it was baltic. He's married, I'm single. We have never flirted, and never will. Because of this I guess I struggle to see the loan of a hat as an intimate act.

quietlysad · 11/01/2024 19:58

Usernamechange1234 · 11/01/2024 17:54

I don’t agree with this. It’s actually very common for cheats to become angry and self defensive. His reaction would be mine if I was innocent. Just wanting to make things right.

I’m not convinced this is affair territory. I could be wrong but it all feels too transparent. Him putting a picture of her up on sm just says he had nothing to hide.

I am one for gut instinct, but I really am not convinced here at all.

Totally agree with this.

HatSlut · 11/01/2024 19:59

The difficulty here is that although I would normally strongly agree with "Go with your gut" your gut maybe being triggered by the previous hurt he inflicted. I'm sorry you're having these feelings, it's a horrible uncertain place to be and I hope you find some clarity soon.

Usernamechange1234 · 11/01/2024 19:59

I’m so glad you said that @HatSlut ! I work with a group of men and I know they’d lend me their hat if I was cold! This was a bloody novelty hat as well that another colleague (male) has had a picture in!

adriftabroad · 11/01/2024 19:59

It is not the loan of a hat.
It is the posting of the loan of a hat.

HatSlut · 11/01/2024 20:01

@adriftabroad OP hasn't clarified the exact picture, if it was at a sporting event it could be to show where she was/ what was happening and the hat is incidental

adriftabroad · 11/01/2024 20:06

All of it combined stinks of this lady being after the DH or trying to cause trouble and she has suceeded.

Involving DCs without TOTAL transparency is plain wrong.

Chubbywubba · 11/01/2024 20:07

No, I would not be pleased to see another woman wearing my DH’s hat. It would bother me. It’s too intimate. So based on that alone I think I’d be jealous and wondering why he and this other woman were so familiar with one another that they could coyly exchange clothing. She is too close to him and I would not be tolerating that. Sorry - I’d be asking him to maintain some distance from her.

adriftabroad · 11/01/2024 20:10

I have seen it before, only it was access to a members only countryclub setup.

"oh so innocent" golfclub/tennis/swimming. "We grabbed lunch after, the DCs were hungry"blablabla.

Topicsdujour · 11/01/2024 20:17

HatSlut · 11/01/2024 19:54

I'm not really addressing your concerns here OP, which are understandable given that you haven't really had the chance to work through fully your DH's previous betrayal of your trust, but I'm amazed at how people seem to be reading the loan of a hat. I was working outdoors one day, it was unexpectedly cold and another crew member had a spare hat that he lent me. We don't really know each other well, and in fact the only time we'd worked together previously he'd been a right arse. I was surprised he offered ( because of previous rudeness) but very grateful because it was baltic. He's married, I'm single. We have never flirted, and never will. Because of this I guess I struggle to see the loan of a hat as an intimate act.

Edited

I did nearly post to say I maybe shouldn’t have mentioned the hat but didn’t want to look like I was defending him when people were saying it was such an intimate act.
The hat was from a secret Santa from one of his colleagues a few years ago. It is ridiculous and DH looks ridiculous in it. It’s stripey and has like Pom poms around the front. I don’t think he’s precious about who wears it!

I think after these 2 incidences close together, the pic of her with the hat on was just another shock.

OP posts:
Loveinthedarkness · 11/01/2024 20:18

There seems to be differing opinions on him offering to come home when he found out. My reaction, if accused, would not be to leave an event. I know he has form and so that might explain him panicking a bit but if you’re not guilty, I would assume he’d say ‘ look nothing is going on, we can speak later’ rather than rushing back.
It would have my senses tingling,
I think all you can do is monitor things and keep a close eye now. Alternatively, as he has form, suggest he avoids this woman to give you peace of mind

PurpleOrchid42 · 11/01/2024 20:25

I think he's cheating. Why would he not mention her?? I think you should just message her directly. Tell her about the flirtatious messages he said to someone when you were heavily pregnant, tell her about all the times he failed to mention her. And ask if they're having an affair. She'll tell you, or tell him to tell you.

gamerchick · 11/01/2024 20:39

Hiding in plain sight IMO.

The issue is he knows he's stepped over a line with her in regards to your relationship already and he's still doing what he wants, knowing you don't like it.

Personally I'd tell him you're not comfortable him socialising with her. So he has a choice to make.

Janetsmug · 11/01/2024 20:41

Yes I completely agree. I’ve been wondering if it might be an idea to go to some kind of marriage counselling to really try and move past what happened with the messages.

I think this is worth doing OP, if nothing else you might find his willingness/approach to working on your relationship revealing, he's unlikely to be up for it if his attention is elsewhere. If he is cheating it gives you a chance to work through your feelings and if he isn't it may help you move past the previous messages once and for all.

ThisIsntThe80sPat · 11/01/2024 20:48

I would look at it from a different perspective, op. Whether he's cheating or not is actually irrelevant. This situation is causing you emotional distress nonetheless due to his actions in the past. You will question him more in the future. Can you live like that?

Topicsdujour · 11/01/2024 20:56

ThisIsntThe80sPat · 11/01/2024 20:48

I would look at it from a different perspective, op. Whether he's cheating or not is actually irrelevant. This situation is causing you emotional distress nonetheless due to his actions in the past. You will question him more in the future. Can you live like that?

I do understand this. The thing is, I don’t want us to break up. If I were to list all the ways in which he is a fantastic husband/father I would be here all day. I think that is why the messages hit so hard, it didn’t seem like the same person to me.

Having read everyone’s opinions I think the best thing I can do is to get him home and talk to him. Marriage counselling is an option, as is leaving him if I can’t move forward. I guess what I wanted from this thread was some clarity but as I suspected, it’s far from black and white.

OP posts:
BetterWithPockets · 11/01/2024 20:58

adriftabroad · 11/01/2024 20:06

All of it combined stinks of this lady being after the DH or trying to cause trouble and she has suceeded.

Involving DCs without TOTAL transparency is plain wrong.

I absolutely get where you’re coming from here, re involving DCs — but couldn’t it also be evidence of innocence? Please note, I’m not arguing one way or the other. But my DH could very easily (genuinely!) forget to mention something like this. Admittedly, he doesn’t have form for inappropriate messaging, but if it’s a dodgy relationship — for want of a better phrase — you wanted to keep secret, you’d have to be a bit mad, wouldn’t you, to take your DC along?