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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

My boyfriend cheated on me and my soul is broken

90 replies

Poppet626 · 11/04/2024 15:15

Hi,

My boyfriend of two and a half years told me on Tuesday that when he went on his works Christmas due in December, that he ended up sleeping with somebody. He said he was blind drunk, he didn't even know her name, she just ended up in a taxi with him and a couple of the other guys and when they got back one thing led to another, she ended up in his room and they had sex for a few minutes and then he came around and realised what he was doing and told her to leave.

He said he has wanted to tell me every day but didn't know how to because he knew what it would do to me, but he is starting to think that he may have caught something from her and given me something. He says he thinks this because my periods have suddenly been messed up? And also, he is getting red and sore a lot.

I obviously confronted the fact that the only reason he told me was because he's afraid of being caught out because I recently said I was going back to the doctors for reoccurring thrush, I have been getting this for ages and we both went for STD checks the month before he cheated on me because of this and we both came back clear, so he knows that if I had another one and had something that i would know he has cheated.

He admitted it forced him to tell me but that he wanted to tell me every day before but he just didn't know how.

Anyway, I am absolutely distraught, I feel like everything has been a lie, I feel like I don't know him, I don't know myself, I've got signed off of work because I cannot cope with every day life, I'm not eating, barley sleeping, I don't know what to do with myself, I've got drunk every day since to numb the pain because it's too much to actually bare feeling right now. Our relationship was so good, I was so in love and I thought that he was too, he was the man I was going to spend the rest of my life with; we were even planning to try for a baby later on this year and he would have let me do it knowing full well what he'd done behind my back, he would have let me live a lie. I have so many insecurities about my body image and my looks and this is just going to get so much worse now, I already can't even look at myself. I keep asking myself and him why? What was I not doing or doing to make him do this to me, he says there is no reason and it's not my fault and it was just a mistake that he will regret for the rest of his life, he said he never imagined he would ever do this and especially not to me.

His words mean nothing to me right now, absolutely nothing. He is the man I loved with my whole heart, I showed him my most vulnerable sides, I completely let him in, he was my home, my safety, my person and he is the person that has broken me more than anybody on this planet.

I feel like somebody has died and every time the image of him being with somebody else comes into my mind, I keep not being able to breathe like I'm having a panic attack. My soul feels completely broken, my inner peace has gone, the world feels a different place to me now and everything I once knew feels like it didn't exist, I don't know how I will ever get through this pain, it's like emotional torture.

He is begging this not to be the end of us but I don't know how I could ever ever trust him again, I don't know how to like myself again, I don't know how to put the pieces of myself back together and I'm terrified. I love him so deeply that I don't know how to leave him but I also don't know how to stay either.

My future, my happiness, my stability and my inner peace as just been wiped, all for something that apparently lasted minutes and I can't get my head around that or make sense of any of it. Even if I decided to leave him, how would I ever put my faith in somebody else?

I did not see this coming, there were no signs, nothing to suggest he had done that. I keep replaying the past 5 months over and over in my head and I keep obsessing about the details of the event and the girl, even though it makes me hurt more.

Can relationships ever work after such a betrayal? Because I don't understand how I could ever even be normal with him again. I'm completely broken and I don't know where to turn. I'm embarrassed that this even happened to me, I'm so sad that he done this. So deeply sad that I wish I didn't even exist to feel this pain.

I don't even know if he has done this before, obviously he says he hasn't and I am inclined to believe that because surely he would have fessed up before that STD check we both went for, he said he will never ever do anything like this again but how can I believe that?

He calls it a mistake. I call it a choice, blind drunk or not he had plenty of time to make the decision. He could have decided before he got his d**k out of his pants, and he decided to do what he did. He keeps saying he loves me so much but I you don't destroy people you love to you? You don't do this to someone you love. I have been very drunk at events that he's not at and I have never even thought to do it what he did.

OP posts:
Cantalever · 11/04/2024 17:33

What was the reason you both had STI checks previously. OP? Did either of you cheat before? It sounds like you did not, but did he do so before this?

londonloves · 11/04/2024 17:34

Please please break up with him. this was me seven years ago. I forgave then got pregnant by accident and now I am trapped. Don't let this be you.

WishesPromised · 11/04/2024 17:35

Don't waste any more time with him. Find someone loving and respectful. The relationship is damaged and as you don't have kids you can walk away and forget about him.

Xenoi24 · 11/04/2024 17:38

So often on here when women say theyre two kids in with some bloke and he's cheated on them or similar; they then drip feed that he cheated at least once before but "they got through it/worked through it".

"They" didn't do anything; she sucked it up, he secretly couldn't believe his luck that he got away with it and probably thought he'd get away with it again in future, esp if kids were involved.

As for the phrase "surviving infidelity" : should you really have to "survive" anything something who's supposed to love you has done to you?

AtrociousCircumstance · 11/04/2024 17:39

End this relationship NOW @Poppet626

He has only told you because of his STD.

You cannot trust him. Ever. He has endangered your health. He has betrayed you. And so easily. A bit of alcohol, some ‘random’ girl in a taxi - that’s all it took.

You feel crushed now but you will feel strong again. It will take time, but walk away.

Don’t be manipulated or fooled by his self pity now. End the relationship. At the very least tell him you need time to think and don’t see him for some time - discuss with friends, heal.

He is bad news. He is not your safe space.

OlderGlaswegianLivingInDevon · 11/04/2024 17:40

and let's hope she hasn't ' ended up ' on his doorstep
as she has ' ended up ' pregnant !

Xenoi24 · 11/04/2024 17:46

I don't believe his Christmas do story.

I think it's a "least worst case scenario" to explain why he's probably got an std - story.

And while some STDs may not show symptoms at the time and later show them; in my experience of STDs - especially the ones that make you red and sore etc...they don't usually take that long to show symptoms. It's usually relatively soon.

So, while it's not impossible, I think it's much more likely it's a recently acquired std. Not a Christmas one.

Xenoi24 · 11/04/2024 17:49

Can you see his phone?

Can you get access to his messages etc?

It might be worth faking that you're staying/not dumping him to get access.

Unless he is scrupulous about his housekeeping on there, you might find something.

theleafandnotthetree · 11/04/2024 17:51

Xenoi24 · 11/04/2024 17:49

Can you see his phone?

Can you get access to his messages etc?

It might be worth faking that you're staying/not dumping him to get access.

Unless he is scrupulous about his housekeeping on there, you might find something.

Edited

Why bother? The story he has told her is quite bad enough to warrant a break up, why should she turn this into a psycho drama and prolong the agony?

Xenoi24 · 11/04/2024 17:58

theleafandnotthetree · 11/04/2024 17:51

Why bother? The story he has told her is quite bad enough to warrant a break up, why should she turn this into a psycho drama and prolong the agony?

I agree.

But the op sounds devastated and enmeshed.

If she could see that he's lying and has been cheating (and not "just" a one off drunken encounter on a Christmas night out) it might help her.

Ladychatterly86 · 11/04/2024 17:59

ScottishShortie · 11/04/2024 15:48

Can I also advise you to go to your GP for something to help with this huge emotional trauma? I went through something similar but not anywhere nearly as bad fairly recently and I was given a short course of Valium helped me sleep, eat and think a bit more clearly and calmly. This is utterly devastating and I’m not surprised you feel someone has died

I agree with this. I went through something similar and did not do this and wish that I had done it. Plus therapy. Looking back I was very unwell and punished myself.

Agree with what everyone else has said it’s April. He was never going to tell you. Be kind to yourself. It will be hard but you will move on and heal. Make yourself extremely busy. Do things you haven’t done in years. Exercise often. Read. Try new things. He is not someone you want to have children with.

Wishing you all the best-you will get through it.

Geebray · 11/04/2024 18:03

The main thing, OP, is that you must try and not let his actions reflect on you. Some men are just shits.

category12 · 11/04/2024 18:05

You've only been with him a couple of years, you're not married, you don't have kids - fgs break up with him.

This is not worth it.

There are better things out there for you.

heathspeedwell · 11/04/2024 18:06

If there's one thing I've learned from Mumsnet, it's that the first confession from scummy, cheating men is never the full truth.

He's almost definitely lying to you right now and what actually happened is likely to be far worse.

I know you are feeling absolutely terrible now, but this is your lucky day. Now you know he's just a scumbag.

You can move on and he wont be your problem any more. You don't have to waste any more time on a man who is a fraud. By dumping him you open up your future to being with someone who actually deserves you. I hope you walk away with your head held high and go on to have the best summer of your whole life!

AngelinaFibres · 11/04/2024 18:06

It is unfortunately a painful truth that no one ever falls into another person's vagina by accident. My exhusband repeatedly fell into other women's vaginas. Better to leave Op.

Fizzadora · 11/04/2024 18:13

For goodness sake, he's had two days of your despair. Stop it now. You need to pull yourself together and think about your own well being and stop wallowing and wailing about him and what he's done.
Stop getting drunk and get an std test sorted out.
You are an adult not a child and you shouldn't be so reliant on another person for your very existence, let alone your happiness.
You will get through this one way or another and whatever you decide to do I hope you will develop a bit more resilience to deal with whatever the rest of your life throws at you.

Gettingonmygoat · 11/04/2024 18:14

You have no reason to still be with him. This won't be the last time he cheats.

Geebray · 11/04/2024 18:16

Fizzadora · 11/04/2024 18:13

For goodness sake, he's had two days of your despair. Stop it now. You need to pull yourself together and think about your own well being and stop wallowing and wailing about him and what he's done.
Stop getting drunk and get an std test sorted out.
You are an adult not a child and you shouldn't be so reliant on another person for your very existence, let alone your happiness.
You will get through this one way or another and whatever you decide to do I hope you will develop a bit more resilience to deal with whatever the rest of your life throws at you.

Actually I was like the OP in my twenties and early thirties. Totally attached to my OHs. Utterly devastated when we finished. So I can understand how she feels.

But there's not one of them I would get back with now! Although in fact one of them did offer me the opportunity, once he was married to someone else... 🤔

FairyMaclary · 11/04/2024 18:25

No marriage, no kids, no mortgage. Run now!

Then read:
Love yourself like your life depends on it by Kamil Ravikant.

Women who love too much.

Not Just friends (not to reconcile but to pick up on red flags).

Cheating in a nutshell - what infidelity does to the victim.

The body keeps the score.

You didn’t cause this. You are the prize here. He has character flaws that allowed him to cheat.

But no kids - you need to run op.

Geebray · 11/04/2024 18:26

And definitely read up on Attachment Theory, OP. It will help you understand yourself more. Which will help you through this, and will help you in the future.

Maray1967 · 11/04/2024 18:28

Xenoi24 · 11/04/2024 17:38

So often on here when women say theyre two kids in with some bloke and he's cheated on them or similar; they then drip feed that he cheated at least once before but "they got through it/worked through it".

"They" didn't do anything; she sucked it up, he secretly couldn't believe his luck that he got away with it and probably thought he'd get away with it again in future, esp if kids were involved.

As for the phrase "surviving infidelity" : should you really have to "survive" anything something who's supposed to love you has done to you?

Edited

Yes, I think this is a huge issue. My lovely friend did this - but fortunately before DC. She married him partly because she accepted his story that he’d cheated because she wouldn’t commit. And then he cheated again.
She divorced him and met someone else. Now married many years with two DC and she knows she made the right decision to divorce the ex - but should never have married him in the first place.

ViciousCurrentBun · 11/04/2024 18:28

End it.

My friend was with someone for 30 years and he has just left her for a younger woman. Turns out he was unfaithful early on in their relationship but she forgave him.

Nicetobenice67 · 11/04/2024 18:34

Sorry he’s not sorry only sorry he had to tell you ..trust has gone you deserve better took me 5 years to sort of come to terms with it but I’m in my late 50s I don’t feel the same about him had I have been younger I would have fucked him off tbh I did but he was persistent guess that’s why amongst other things I took him back …but I can honestly say it’s not the same …run for the hills being drunk is not an excuse..he will get drunk again in the future?

Nicetobenice67 · 11/04/2024 18:35

You deserve better much better

2024istheyearforme · 11/04/2024 18:53

So he dragged a drunk girl back to the house, started to sleep with her and then chucked her out in the middle of the night because he suddenly changed his mind???

That alone would get me leaving... What a gentleman