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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

Wife says I have a problem. More arguments

160 replies

DadSpeaking · 16/03/2024 18:42

We have some friends that we regularly meet up with 6/7 times per year. His wife is lovely and her husband is too..except when he has had a lot to drink. My wife says he just very friendly and what he does is just banter and I over react. But I feel he oversteps the mark and he makes me feel uncomfortable each time. But it seems now to be getting a little worse each time.

This week we attended a funeral and went to the wake where there some.drinking after..I was there with my wife and not drinking. His fiancee was very busy with the people so we were left more with him chatting. He was his usually multiple huggy self but nothing I was concerned with at that point. He always focuses his chat towards my wife rather than engage both as a couple.

I left to get the car and move onto the wake house. His fiancee went in another car and he came out with my wife and 3 other from the wake going back. We didn't really know these other so realtive strangers. He always seems to manage to be in a position where he is near my wife but this could be me of course. There was too many for the run, 5 but instead of my wife going in the front of her own car. He manoeverd his brother in law to the front(who was going to walk the short journey) and sat in the back saying to my wife she could sit on his knee. She didn't but thankfully but squeezing in on the end of the seat but they were all squashed together her sort of tilting into him sort of side on.

As we drove on he announced to me and the 3 strangers. That he could feel all my wife's bumps and he was really enjoying it. I was dumbstruck and the joke as my wife calls it was met with complete silence In the car.

We went into the house and I didn't want to say anything or cause a fuss at wake house. We stayed for maybe another hour. Where he kept coming up putting his arm around my wife and hugging etc saying how lovely she was. His fiancee was off again so not around as normal (to keep him in check). He did this again only this time telling me I was punching above my weight. Done in a jokey way but I felt less jokey and more of a dominance show. He the. Turned around to fa e her front showing his back to me and was almost in a kissing position where he proceeded to whisper into her ear. I thought this all very strange but could not cause a fuss at such a sensitive place.

He did this a final time again up close and personal. I don't know what he said in her ear..but my wife was slightly taken a back. Before saying "you wish." We announced we were leaving to collect our kids.

I was quiet on the way back and as this normally would result in argument I said nothing. But as time passed I began to get more upset l over..so I raised it with her and said I wasn't happy about all that gone on with him and asked what he whispered to her. She said that he had just whispered a joke that she couldn't remember now. It was nothing hardly worth remembering. It made no sense to me that a. She couldn't remember and it could have been a few words which would have been difficult as a joke. Maybe insulting but that would invoke the surprised and 'you wish" response.

I really wasn't bothered and held my wife at no fault at all, I just felt he was taking advantage of my wife's good nature and wanted to know what was said. By the reaction and words I was already guessing exactly what he said..If she just told me we could have just moved on..

I now started to get concerned and pressed more, I felt her diversion, gulps and lack of eye contact were seemingly untruthful. I may went to far and said I felt she was lying to me that she did know because she could recall everything from the evening except this specific bit. She just kept brushing off as a joke she couldn't remember or why she had said that to him.

Cut to now. We are really arguing, she is telling me I am totally blowing this out of proportion it was all just banter and screaming at me to drop it. Now she denies even saying you wish and being shocked at all, despite admitting prior she had said it to the joke he had whispered.

This has gone from her being totally not to blame for anything to now having major concerns by me why she may or may not be lying to me.

She is telling me just drop it. But there is this nagging instinct as I had witnessed first hand it all was not right.

We are going away with them in Easter and I don't want to go..she is now saying I am being ridiculous. Am I..I am at a loss what to do!! I feel I can't ask her anymore but I feel I need to get to the truth.

Help

OP posts:
Sparklecats · 17/03/2024 07:38

Your poor wife.

So this guy has repeatedly been inappropriate with her and instead of locating your balls and telling him to back off and stop it, you have been completely complacent.

She has had to fend off his behaviour and doesn’t want to tell you or has blocked out of her mind what he said, because she knows you’ll behave in the shitty way you are now and blame her rather than this dickhead.

Be a man. Stick up for her.

Sparklecats · 17/03/2024 07:40

unsync · 16/03/2024 19:03

She's not to blame. He is. Your behaviour towards her is out of order and probably why she's trying to minimise his behaviour. If she feels unable to tell him to back off, you need to be supporting her not making things worse. Step up and help her.

100% agree

Lamelie · 17/03/2024 07:42

Teacup19 · 16/03/2024 22:00

If my husband was okay with another woman constantly flirting with him, I'd be annoyed with him for not shutting it down. If him shutting her down didn't work, I'd expect him to agree not to socialise with her again.

This. Don’t go away with them for Easter.

MsRosley · 17/03/2024 07:44

In your shoes I wouldn't want to be put in this position again, and I think your wife should understand that and stand by your decision to cut contact. No matter how she feels about this man, his behaviour was deeply insulting to you. He was deliberately winding you up.

Fabricwitch · 17/03/2024 08:25

He sexually harasses her in front of you and you do nothing but get mad at her later...I can't think why she wouldn't want to tell you about more harrassment.
You need to start calling him out when he does it.

muggart · 17/03/2024 08:43

I haven't RTFT but your wife probably didn't want to make a scene. It was her friend's father's wake. No normal woman would choose that moment to accuse their friend's DH of trying to cheat. She was in an impossible position trying to support a grieving friend while said friend's DH creeped on her, and manage an (justifiably) angry DH.

What a mess. Just remember your DW is not the enemy and she gets a say in how this is handled too as it effects her and her female friendship.

Loubelle70 · 17/03/2024 08:48

Boundaries to him. There needs to be some.
From wife and you.
Ask your wife, what if his wife did this to you? How would she feel? It needs to be nipped in the bud.
Agree together that you can talk to the bloke about boundaries and that it's too much...rein it in .

willWillSmithsmith · 17/03/2024 09:01

Definitely don’t go away with them. What I don’t understand is why your wife is keeping it so low key. If that were me I’d be telling my partner how awful this man is and how I hate his behaviour towards me and how I don’t want to go away with them (assuming you don’t have a history of violence/anger issues). I’d also be telling this man to his face to shut the f up and stop making unwanted lewd comments about me.

Microdisney · 17/03/2024 09:07

MsRosley · 17/03/2024 07:44

In your shoes I wouldn't want to be put in this position again, and I think your wife should understand that and stand by your decision to cut contact. No matter how she feels about this man, his behaviour was deeply insulting to you. He was deliberately winding you up.

Seriously?

BigBrotherDoesntKnowWhatACelebrityIs · 17/03/2024 09:25

So, your wife was being sexually harassed in front of you and you did nothing, and now you’re angry at her?

You sound great.

greencurtainshanging · 17/03/2024 09:31

If you're present when these things are being said, the solution is to say to him 'Please do not talk about my wife like that. It's not funny'.

It might be awkward for a bit but so what. No need to make this your wife's responsibility. If you don't like it, call it out.

Severalwhippets · 17/03/2024 09:43

I have been in this exact position multiple times. You need to cut them both out of your lives. No Easter holidays or any further meet ups. It needs to stop, he is testing both of you and will push it further each time.

It’s not worth having ‘friends’ like this.
Get rid and find new friends that do not have agendas.

Severalwhippets · 17/03/2024 09:45

Please say to your wife that you love her, trust her and will not stand by and have someone disrespect her in this way, and you won’t be needing up with them ever again. You don’t need to speak for her. Just state you won’t be facilitating this leech again.

flashmcdoodle · 17/03/2024 10:25

You are causing the problem here. He makes you feel uncomfortable? Then raise it with him. Inferring guilt from your wife's facial expressions, gulping etc is just you giving in to your paranoia and not fair on her at all. Apologise.

Saymyname28 · 17/03/2024 10:25

Pashazade · 16/03/2024 18:53

I'm guessing she didn't want to tell you because she knew it would upset you and you've proven her correct. It appears she has done nothing wrong except being the unwilling focus of a perv who knows he can get away with it. So why are you screaming at her? You need to get a grip this is not how to communicate your fears.
You should have waited till it was all calm and said that his behaviour towards her made you very uncomfortable. Are you normally possessive. Unless she was actively encouraging him you need to stop blaming her.

What? She's doing nothing to stop it and is gaslighting OP lying that it's even happening.

She's clearly enjoying the attention with the "you wish" reply, hardly turning down the unwanted advances of a perv is it?

Saymyname28 · 17/03/2024 10:27

OP you need to be shutting it down. You've shown him and her that you stand passively by and let it happen. Call him out.

muggart · 17/03/2024 10:38

I think you should just text the guy "Hi, I wanted to send you a message about the other day at the wake when you made those comments to and about my wife. You crossed a line. I know you're going to say that it's just banter and all in good fun but it needs to not happen again because it's disrespectful and pissed me off."

Don't say "you made my wife comfortable" or put it on her, just focus on his actions.

Soontobe60 · 17/03/2024 10:40

I think your wife is minimising his behaviour because she knows full well that if she told you the truth you’d use violence against him to ‘protect’ her.
Shes trying to keep the peace. And you’re blaming her!
it sounds like you’ve never challenged his behaviour, have continued with the friendship thus putting your wife in a very difficult position. You have choices: contact this sleaze and tell him you’re not happy with his continued behaviour towards your wife; apologise to your wife; and make sure that whenever you’re in his company you call him out if he continues. Oh, and stop socialising with him!

Loubelle70 · 17/03/2024 10:41

Is your wife flattered by these interactions?

Soontobe60 · 17/03/2024 10:42

Saymyname28 · 17/03/2024 10:25

What? She's doing nothing to stop it and is gaslighting OP lying that it's even happening.

She's clearly enjoying the attention with the "you wish" reply, hardly turning down the unwanted advances of a perv is it?

Really? Maybe she’s embarrassed when her husband isn’t supporting her whilst another man is making lewd comments towards her, or maybe she feels she can’t say anything for fear of being accused of encouraging the perve. In any case, she is NOT to blame.

Marshmallowtoastie · 17/03/2024 10:52

I’d find any man doing that to be disrespectful to both me and my dh, and I would shut it down and I wouldn’t be going away with them. So I’d be interested as so why your wife isn’t stopping it.
obviously she might just not know how or not want the conflict or as you say a wake isn’t the time to start confronting someone, I’m not suggesting she’s cheating or wants to cheat, but I don’t think this is ok. if she also won’t recognise this is disrespectful I’m not sure what you can do, would she like if you started acting that way with another woman?

That said, really what was she meant to do in that situation, and i question also if you are naturally jealous, has this happened with other men? Do you have issues with other men and your wife? Or do you get angry or jealous? If so she could be trying to minimise the issue to save the hassle.
and if she agrees he is crossing a line what would you do? You mentioned possibly smacking him, I’m sure she doesn’t want that, either for your sake or her friend who is grieving and has a shit husbands sake. So she’s a bit stuck as well

Marineboy67 · 17/03/2024 11:06

You were in a tricky situation and the cocky bastard took advantage of it! You don't need a degree in social science to realise what he said to your wife. She's choose not to repeat it to spare your feelings. It would've been a sexual proposal of some sort or other. She dealt with it in the way she felt was right and appropriate at the time. Had she told you what he'd said at that time if your anything like me, you might have challenged him there and then.
It's done now and tge moments passed there's no point questioning her anymore about it. However you have to take a stance now and shut down any thoughts of going away with them. He's fooled you and your wife once, don't put yourselves in a situation where it can happen again. If your wife chooses to continue contact with him and his together I would seriously be considering my position within the relationship. Your wife also needs to understand the upset its caused you.

Iamnotawinp · 17/03/2024 11:07

You don’t say what age you both are.

As an older, wiser and much more cynical woman I am much more suspicious about ‘banter’. I agree that I don’t like this friends behaviour as you describe it.

Often when young (especially the teenage years), pretty women get exposed to lots of sexist, pervy stuff disguised as banter. They often can’t help accepting a low bar on acceptable men’s behaviour. I wonder if your wife, because of her temperament, just doesn’t see it.

When I was younger and very pretty, I was very naive and was always getting so surprised when a male friend who I thought really liked me for myself, just turned out to be trying to get into my knickers!!!!

I would suggest you drop this argument. Agree to disagree about how you both see his banter. Perhaps ask her to ask her friends what they would think of it. She may be surprised at what some of her girlfriends may say.

It sounds like she needs feminism 101!!!!

WavingCatsandDogs · 17/03/2024 11:32

He's a predatory letch and your wife was doing what you were doing, trying to handle it sensitively given you were at a wake.

Maybe this opened your eyes - but no, your wife got the blame.

Women get this all the time.

WallaceinAnderland · 17/03/2024 11:38

He is a so called friend. His fiancee is absolutely one of our greatest friends. Acting against him also affects her and remembering this is going on at her family wake.

And?

If he isn't bothered about perving over your wife at the wake of his own fiancee's father, then why should you be bothered about telling him to stop?

Your wife is pissed off because she has pervy man slobberinig over her and insecure husband blaming her for it.

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