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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

Brother took his OW to my house

126 replies

Imnottoosurereally · 28/02/2024 12:08

I've never done this before so forgive me if make mistakes. I'm also on my phone so have no idea whether this will work properly. I am desperate to understand if I've done something wrong, even though in my gut I just don't think I have.

This has ended up v long, sorry. The long and short of it is my brother who I thought was having a terrible crisis was staying in my house whilst I was away and brought the woman he was cheating on his long term gf with to stay there too without my knowledge.

My brother is a good guy and I love him dearly, but his behaviour has been erratic recently and his gf of 13 years contacted me over Christmas to flag that she was concerned for him. In January, he leaves their flat saying he is having a crisis and needs space. As a family we rally round to support him but I check in with his gf every now and then to see how she's getting along. After he's left his flat, he spends some time staying with other family and also at my house, both whilst I was there and again whilst we were away over half term. He's since gone back to his city but is in an Airbnb.

On Tuesday I checked in again with his gf and I obviously caught her at a low moment as everything came pouring out - that my brother had been having an affair, the OW had no idea that he was still with his gf. The gf had contacted the OW and told her and the OW immediately ended things with my brother. My brother was totally enraged and said some dreadful things to his gf and this is what I blundered into. Now this is obviously all very bad but what has really upset me is that he brought his OW to my house whilst I was away for half term and she stayed there with him. They were sleeping in my bed. I was completely furious about this - whether he has an affair is his business but having it in my bed - just gross and disrespectful. I thought he was having a breakdown but it was just an affair.

Yesterday evening he contacted me to say he knew that I knew about the affair and we should talk as there was context I should know. I said yes but first I need to make my feelings clear about him bringing her to my house and I sent him a very cross voice note. I told him I loved him and I wouldn't tell our siblings or anything but he had really messed up by bringing her here (and in my bed - ew!)

He went completely off the deep end, he couldn't believe I would get so angry when I didn't know the half of what had happened, he would never think so badly of him, how could I made him feel so dirty etc etc and now he won't speak to me at all.

I feel awful for upsetting him but I feel like he deserved a bollocking! I was also clear that his affair was between him and his conscience but he involved me when he brought her here.

I don't really know what to do. I won't tell anyone but I want him to acknowledge that he was out of line. I also know he is just lashing out because he's been caught but it breaks my heart that he is so upset because I was maybe too harsh and didn't give him the benefit of the doubt and an opportunity to explain why he did this (although I can't really think of anything that would wash).

Was I in the wrong? Any thoughts very, very welcome. I feel quite sick about it.

OP posts:
Imnottoosurereally · 28/02/2024 12:39

missshilling · 28/02/2024 12:33

Hasn’t he split with his long term girlfriend? That’s how I read the OP.

No, sorry if I've not made this clear. He left their flat in January but they were still in a relationship, he just needed some time away and space to get his head straight and so came to stay with family. The gf (not him!) only called time after she spoke with the OW as she knew there was no way back.

OP posts:
feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:40

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feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:41

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Imnottoosurereally · 28/02/2024 12:41

@feedbackhq yes, I can only assume that things were not rosy for them, though externally everything seemed fine. It doesn't provide a justification for his frankly bonkers actions, not for me anyway!

OP posts:
p1ppyL0ngstocking · 28/02/2024 12:43

I read the OP as the brother moved out of the flat he was sharing with his partner claiming that he was having a MH crisis; effectively saying that for medical reasons he needed to live separately for a while.

Had his gf at that point said "ok, off you go and I'm going to fuck other men whilst you're gone" she would have been judged incredibly harshly.

Instead, she kept the home fires burning, waiting for him to get healthy, when in fact he was shagging his side piece (who he told he was single).

He wanted the option of returning to his gf, if relations with the OW didn't work out and he also wanted to block his gf from seeing other men (hence claiming the physical distance between them was for MH reasons).

He's now pissed off that the gf and his sister know that the "MH crisis" was just a cover for his affair. And he's also pissed off that the OW dumped him having found out that he's not single after-all.

None of this is the OPs fault.

Geebray · 28/02/2024 12:43

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You don't think that lying to your sister and sleeping in her bed with another woman is shitty behaviour?

Imnottoosurereally · 28/02/2024 12:43

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No, no children.

OP posts:
Lollypop701 · 28/02/2024 12:44

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relationships end , part of life and when it’s a long term relationship extended family are impacted. But Dragging op an into it by shagging his unknowing affair partner in her bed is disgusting.

I actually hope his massive guilt is being redirected as anger and he will return to the db that op says he was. Apologies and buys a new mattress(pays for a weekend away Tbh). because right now he sounds like an utter twat to his ex, his ap and op

Imnottoosurereally · 28/02/2024 12:45

@p1ppyL0ngstocking you've got the measure of it exactly!

This is honestly helping me put things in perspective.

OP posts:
feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:46

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feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:48

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Geebray · 28/02/2024 12:50

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OP also cannot assume that anything her brother tells her is gospel, either. Because he's already lied to her.

feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:51

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Hellsmells · 28/02/2024 12:51

OP, nothing of this is your fault. Your brother is just self absorbed. And he's upset with you because now you've seen that is who he is. A shitty situation, but not your fault. There were lots of different options for him not to hurt anyone (including you) he just couldn't be arsed to choose them.

feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:51

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Geebray · 28/02/2024 12:54

Well OP was going to meet him in person, but now he is refusing because she dared to tell him off for behaving shittily.

Polominty · 28/02/2024 12:54

Even if he tells you his side of the story, saying gf treated him badly or relationship was over, whatever, it doesn’t give him a free pass to sleep with anyone in your bed.
Shagging someone in his own place in his own bed, up to him even if you might have a strong opinion about it.
Shagging them in your bed, dragging you into it by default, that’s not on.

feedbackhq · 28/02/2024 12:58

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Opentooffers · 28/02/2024 13:00

Good there are no DC's in this mess. He lied to get what he wanted. He rolled the dice, took a risk, and has lost on both sides, and serves him right. One day his ex GF will see that he is not a good guy and is better off without him.
Doesn't it stick in the throat though that while he was off to 'test drive' the OW, he specifically lied to family and his GF to lap up all the sympathy and have people rally round him? I feel for his GF, she should of got the help and sympathy when he went, he denied her that. I hope she's getting plenty of support now.
Maybe one day in the future you and DB will be able to separate his attitude towards relationships, selfishness and willingness to use any means and any person's unsuspecting generosity to cherchéz la femme, but this will take time.
If his anger cuts you off for a bit from him, that's probably a good thing, he could do with learning that actions have consequences and should get through this mess on his own, not being deserving of support, as last time he used you. Let's hope he learns some humility from the situation.

octoberfarm · 28/02/2024 13:01

I'm not usually one to get mad but I'd be pretty bloody cross in your position, OP. If things were that bad with his gf, he could have ended them before having an affair, I would make it clear that you're always there for him if he ever needs to talk, and that you're truly sorry for him that things have been hard, but don't apologize for getting cross. I imagine he's ashamed and embarrassed and lashing out because he's been caught out making a stupid choice.

Cas112 · 28/02/2024 13:02

He's deflecting because he knows he was in the wrong

Ride it out and wait for him to come to you with an apology

Imnottoosurereally · 28/02/2024 13:03

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Never behaved like this before, completely out of character. He has clearly been going through SOMETHING but I can't fathom whether that was because of the stress of the affair or the affair was the symptom of him having a wider meltdown/ MH crisis.

I would give my right arm to have a conversation with him right this minute, in person would be ideal but he's about 200 miles away. I'd take a phone call happily as second best but he has said he won't answer and has I think done something to his WhatsApp settings so I can't see when he was online (I don't know if that's a thing but I definitely can't see he's been on there anymore).

I am definitely concerned for him, but I can't shake the feeling he has brought it on himself.

What previous people have said about him tricking the OW into a relationship is very powerful and I'd not thought about it that way. As far as I can, she has behaved with dignity and integrity throughout this, which is even more striking considering the deception she was subject to.

OP posts:
Geebray · 28/02/2024 13:05

I'd missed that. So, your brother has:

Lied to his GF
Lied to the OW
Lied to you

I'm not sure if his behaviour is "out of character", OP. You've just never seen this side of him before.

MrsDanversGlidesAgain · 28/02/2024 13:05

He is trying to manipulate you. Even the whole “you don’t know the whole story” clap trap. It’s all emotional manipulation

OP knows all she needs to know, it seems to me; which is that BF used her house and her bed to sleep and shag. I'd love to know what the 'whole story' is that explains that.

Codlingmoths · 28/02/2024 13:08

I would see some messages or a family WhatsApp post due here after his denial and reverse attack.
dear family, brother is mad at me, because after I let him stay at my house to help him out becauss he claimed a breakdown, I had the bare faced effrontery to find out he was actually cheating on Helen, and bringing his affair partner over to have sex in MY bed. Then I also had the incredible nerve to be mad at him for being a lying cheating fucker claiming a breakdown to have sex with this other woman in MY bed, so he’s left some messages saying he’s absolutely furious with me. If you speak to him, tell him from me to fuck off.