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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

Married for 14 years and 2 kids. Husband got STI while out with friends.

256 replies

WifeNMom · 17/06/2024 05:42

We were each other’s first. Married for 14 years and 2 kids. Since covid my husband is working from home. He usually goes out on guys trip 3-4 times a year after kids. We used to travel a lot before kids. After kids it’s hard to take vacation. When we do it’s like being parent in different city. He doesn’t seem cheater type.

Last year he came up to me and said he got positive for chlamydia and his dr said I should get tested (I was positive). I was furious and I asked him where/how did he catch this. He said ‘we travelled to many 3rd world countries so might’ve caught it from unhygienic environment.’ He sent me articles showing this STI could catch through eyes or dirty towels. I told him this is STI and not a cold and can’t be caught without sexual contact. He stuck to his story snd kept saying he didn’t cheat. In one of the argument he said ‘what if I did cheated, I come back to you, I am here with you, I love you. I am always home and in front of you. You have access to all my stuff phone, laptops, accounts etc ‘(I do but I don’t go through them). So I met my Dr and asked if it possible to get this from non sexual contact. She said it is highly unlikely but as people of science nothing is 100%. He was willing to help in any way for me to come out of this grief. We had couple of couple therapy sessions before I let it slip by.

Fast forward to 2024. I went to my gynecologist for routine check up and discussed this past chlamydia result. She said ‘if you didn’t cheat then he did. I am sorry this STI and only spread through sexual contact.’ Being each other’s first there was no dormant effect here. This got me furious and I knew he cheated and manipulated me into thinking he didn’t. When I confronted him he continued saying he didn’t cheat. When I asked him to swear on our children and his mom and he sweared. i was enraged and about to blow up anytime. I told him to come clean. One time he set me down and said ‘if you think I cheated then you think that but I know I didn’t. now what should we do. You don’t want me go on guys trip then I won’t. You and Kids are most important to me.’ I listened to him but somewhere I was still not satisfied. I wanted to know the details who, what, when, why, how etc. He is great dad to our children. Always works hard and manages to get time out for children. After a day later I wrote him email that I am not satisfied with his answer and he needs to come clean and I don’t know how long I could hold all this inside of me. I wanted to talk to his mom (whome I am close to). He asked for couple of days to back track his thought to see if anything happened under influence of drugs while he was out with his friends. He does occasionally drugs/marujana when on guys trip. He doesn’t smoke or does drugs when home. He works from home. He made some calls and found out while out with few of his friends and friends’ friend they did drugs in hotel suites. As he travelled from US he was exhausted and as occasional drug taker (under peer pressure) his system didn’t handle it well and he puked and passed out. One of friends’s friend called prostitute to the room. The friend he called said ‘i saw her doing something to you while you were passed out. It kinda looked like BJ.’ DH said I asked him why didn’t you tell me anything back then. The friend said he was wasted and next morning went out of town and then forgot.

This is my whole story. Do I seem paranoid? I still don’t believe him as he was building his story and trying to blame it on Drug influence. What do you guys think should I give this relationship a chance for my kids. We don’t have a great sex life (4-5 times a year per my much request) after kids. As he is busy establishing his business and works around the clock. He keeps telling me he doesn’t have the same sex drive as before. He always willing to work on this issue whenever I brought it up. He always takes time out of busy schedule to go out on date every week with me alone and as whole family. I am financially and emotionally strong. He alway encouraged me. We were always each other’s rock. We had perfect relationship and great partnership till this came up. Can this be one time thing? If he is a cheater type then wouldn’t he be secretive, making excuses to leave home, watch/addicted to porn? He doesn’t display any of these red flag. I am torn between my heart and brain. Not sure which one to believe.

OP posts:
DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 14:46

I don't think it's faux naivety.

I think the op is a bit naive.

Also I think when someone has their nearest and dearest, their life partner, their co parent, some they've been closer to than anyone else, someone they'be been intimate with in every way for going on two decades, someone they trusted until now ....lie with total sincerity to their face; they can't process it.

The get stuck in "that doesn't make sense, but he wouldn't do that, he wouldn't do that me, he's telling me a, b and c, he's adamant about it" etc.

There are cheaters who will literally lie black is white, on and on, ad nauseum ..and often get their partners to stay.

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 14:53

I think there's a genuine level of disbelief (that their partner could have done it) experienced by the victim in these situations, and the cheater plays on that.

pinkfondu · 17/06/2024 15:04

If he truly thought he had been sexually assaulted by someone and his friends stood by and did nothing you wouldn't need to tell him to stop going!!

He's lying, and you don't need him to admit it to decide what to do next

WifeNMom · 17/06/2024 15:11

You can say I am naive or I just trust people easily. But this has shook me to my core. My trust has been violated. I will not be able to trust anyone blindly. I feel disgusted. After this incident he started using condom regularly. It has been 18 months and we were intimate about 3-4 times. Anytime I bring up our sex life he says ‘I definitely need to work on that and I will. But you tell me when should we do it as both of us are so busy from 7am-9pm that by the time I put kids to sleep I also fall asleep.’ We did decided to meet over weekend but that could not go regularly. I was always transparent and vocal. I expected the same from him. He tells me he is not expressive or can’t fake his love writing long post on FB or flowers (I never wanted that or asked for that). One of my friend went through infidelity where her husband openly admitted to her. That guy was our common friend and he goes to guys trip with my husband. That friend definitely thinks all men cheats and women does forgive because of children or societal pressure. His wife left him and the state and broke all ties with us as well so she could heal and getaway from anything that reminded her of him. The friend thought his wife responded differently. As he was expecting her to forgive her. At that time I told her it would be her choice and I understand that other women will be always in back of your mind. This is same happening to me. I would’ve left him in a heartbeat if it wasn’t two innocent lives were not involved. I brought those girls into our life and am responsible for their both mental and physical well being. I might give him second chance if he come clean completely without this BS. He might definitely not have a wife but will have kids. My kids will have the complete family. He has till tomorrow to come up with more crap like this or total truth. After this I will not have any regret on what happens next. Thank you all for your support.

OP posts:
DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:14

pinkfondu · 17/06/2024 15:04

If he truly thought he had been sexually assaulted by someone and his friends stood by and did nothing you wouldn't need to tell him to stop going!!

He's lying, and you don't need him to admit it to decide what to do next

That's another good point; if he had really contracted clamydia from bring essentially raped by a prostitute at his friend behest while unconscious (or near it); wouldn't he resent or even hate his mates and stop going on their trips?? He'd wonder what they'd do the next time he was out of it.

Instead he's only offering not to go now he's been caught out about the toilet seat/towel clamydia story being bullshit.

WifeNMom · 17/06/2024 15:16

According to him, some drugs makes him not himself. Part of his day/time feels like skips and he can’t recall. This incident is one of that. I know this is bunch of crap. I just want to see how low can he go.

OP posts:
DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:17

One of my friend went through infidelity where her husband openly admitted to her. That guy was our common friend and he goes to guys trip with my husband.

You don't say.

They're all cheaters.

I'm sorry.

Condoms don't guard against all STDs. You could still get things that would affect your sexual and general health.
And they can split

I wouldn't be touching him with a barge pole with double condoms on it.

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:18

Your husband and his group rather obviously think it's normal for men to cheat on their wives and for their wives to accept it/turn a blind eye if they find out.

I don't see them changing their fundamental values.

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:19

WifeNMom · 17/06/2024 15:16

According to him, some drugs makes him not himself. Part of his day/time feels like skips and he can’t recall. This incident is one of that. I know this is bunch of crap. I just want to see how low can he go.

Ah, he's onto amnesia now.

How convenient.

OriginalUsername2 · 17/06/2024 15:21

What an absolute load of bullshit that man is telling you 😮

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 17/06/2024 15:22

You keep saying you don't believe his bullshit, then you carry on giving him second chances and opportunities to givr you more bullshit. This man is a serial cheat and a massive liar. That's who he is. Are you honestly going to stay with a man like this for the rest of your life?

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:23

I would’ve left him in a heartbeat if it wasn’t two innocent lives were not involved

Your life is not a sacrifice for them having a nuclear family.

The can be raised in a co parenting situation. Your home will be their home. You could have a happy single parent home.

People adjust.

Ateotd you would be living a lie, and so would they; to continue with this lying, cheating prostitute user.

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:25

Did he decide on the amnesia story when you told him he you know couldn't have gotten clamydia from a woman performing oral sex on him?

WifeNMom · 17/06/2024 15:28

my life feels like soap opera. One of our friend married that cheater friend. I don’t know how to broke this news to her. I always believed once a cheater always a cheater. But when she insisted to get settle with him I hope he would change for her. Not sure if she is in shadow like me. Her second marriage is also not rosy. I think I am done with relationship. I can’t be vulnerable again like I was with my DH. I need to be strong for my girls. I need to make sure my kids know… make men part of your life not your whole life.

OP posts:
DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 15:28

My kids will have the complete family.

A single parent family or a blended family is a complete family.

What is the point of an artificial "complete family" with a man who you secretly know is a fake and is rotten to the core?

You don't think kids and young people are perceptive and intuitive?

It would just teach them that you stay with your husband "for the kids" no matter what, that single parent families aren't normal, that they can't leave and build a nice life on their own if their husband mistreats them. That appearances are everything, not integrity or authenticity.

BusyMummy001 · 17/06/2024 15:31

Can’t read this thread any more - children do not need both parents when one of them is a lying, drug taking, cheat who put his wife’s health at risk. What model does this give little girls to know that their mother’s dignity, respect and health are so unimportant she must accept this for their sake? Raising children means teaching them about self respect, morals and what they deserve in relationships. Staying with this man undermines all that.

Will hide this thread as it makes me so angry that anyone would stay with this man.

Rania78 · 17/06/2024 15:36

WifeNMom · 17/06/2024 15:28

my life feels like soap opera. One of our friend married that cheater friend. I don’t know how to broke this news to her. I always believed once a cheater always a cheater. But when she insisted to get settle with him I hope he would change for her. Not sure if she is in shadow like me. Her second marriage is also not rosy. I think I am done with relationship. I can’t be vulnerable again like I was with my DH. I need to be strong for my girls. I need to make sure my kids know… make men part of your life not your whole life.

OP, I don’t know what your decisin will be. I would make sure it’s one that shows my girls that this kind of behavior from a man is not ok.
It is incredibly hard going through this. Sendi g you lots of hugs. Wish I could provide my support in real life.
Btw sth similar happened to me, only we didn’t have kids therefore I left his in a heartbeat.

Starlight7080 · 17/06/2024 15:39

He can still be a dad . But does not need to be a husband.
All you are teaching them is men cheat and take drugs and its OK.

Kids are not stupid . Even if they are very young , as the years go by they will pick up on things .
I bet he has cheated for years .
Why have you normalised drug taking whist on these holidays ?
So he goes on let's face it sex/drug holidays . But that's OK so long as you stay together for the kids....so weird

gamerchick · 17/06/2024 15:40

To me, it's not just the disrespect from cheating and giving you an STD that would bother me in your shoes, it's the doubling down on the lies. Part of the healing is to come clean and face some uncomfortable questions. You'll never heal OP. It'll always be there in your mind.

Lkjhgdsrtgbjjm · 17/06/2024 15:49

OP did you grow up in a family or culture where the men behaved like this and where there is an emphasis on reputation and putting on appearances?

Pudmyboy · 17/06/2024 16:02

Can you even get chlamydia from a bj??
Yes, absolutely

pinkfondu · 17/06/2024 16:07

Yes, you can carry it in your mouth.

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 16:23

A poster has already clarified from a credible source that you can't contract clamydia from receiving oral sex, but could contract it from giving oral sex.

He's claiming it was from receiving it, which is apparently not possible.

DotDashDot24 · 17/06/2024 16:23

pinkfondu · 17/06/2024 16:07

Yes, you can carry it in your mouth.

Apparently not.

You might be thinking of another std. I think gonorrhea might be one where that's possible.

Pinkbits · 17/06/2024 16:27

I think you can contract it in your mouth, but can you transmit it that way? In any case the story about a BJ while half asleep is the most cock and bull story Ive heard in a long time!

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