Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

Partner, new woman best friend

182 replies

Jellyheadbang · 05/09/2025 11:17

Hi all. So my partner of almost 4 years together has got close to a new woman friend.

he has lots of women friends. I’ve never been jealous of them , but this one doesn’t sit right with me.

They work in a similar industry , but met socially. not as colleagues.
I'm indirectly linked to them too, particularly her and we will likely have work related interactions in future

he was not particularly forthcoming about the ins and outs of their first meeting and how they became friends.
it was a year ago but it’s only very recently that the level of their involvement with each other has come to light and how much they communicate without my knowledge

They were both away at a social event where he was working his second job, she was an attendee .
I started seeing her name pop up on his phone, he downplayed it but at the time I didn’t realise it was downplayed.
I was invited but couldn’t make it due to poor health.

Later on after she’s pursued a friendship with me , she told me they spent all the time together and that he really took her under his wing and was really caring and kind.

he had ignored me over that period, saying there’d been crossed wires and that he didn’t know I was expecting him back on a certain day or expecting to hear from him.

i have never had a doubt in my mind about his fidelity and even now I don’t think he’s ‘done’ anything with her but things she has said make me believe she would if he was up for it.

She’s not in a happy relationship and she’s made it clear she finds him attractive

Her and my partner are now collaborating on something together, he never told me.
she has no need to be directly involved , I think she’s using his name to get more coverage for herself and he’s possibly using her because she will throw money at publicitiy.
theres no other reason for her name to be all over it, it’s not her job and nothing within it is her job .

I found out via social media and she keeps dropping it into conversation in shared groups we’re in but neither of them have told me directly. We had had a huge row when this was announced online so at the time me and him weren’t communicating but we had been close in the build up to the announcement

they have a connection which I don’t feel we have at the moment.
we have not been getting on and it feels like they are getting closer, it is supposedly platonic from his side but he is clearly lapping up the attention.

she is pure drama and main character energy and she hugely admires him and posts him everywhere, resharing all his work and bigging him up and he’s happy to accept it and I feel so small and inconsequential.
i can’t compete and won’t because it’s not my style

Most of my friends have become close with her too as she’s now become part of our scene due to his presence and including her with everything , it’s made me come off social media because I feel like the third wheel. I’m feeling like the outsider and I don’t like it one bit.

I truly love my partner, and never ever had a scrap of doubt in my mind about him. But this woman a) is trying to be my friend and b) wants to be liked by everyone, she’s hugely popular and is out at all functions, meet ups etc, I’m often busy due to the kids and other commitments and when I have attended they have left me out of conversations, gone off to do other activities and left me alone etc.

she has lots of couple friends and has been in scenarios where the woman partner has flipped out because of her involvement and she always comes across as the innocent person and the other women being jealous exes.

she is a loudmouth and part of the reason I don’t feel comfortable or safe in a clear boundaries confrontation is because she will likely blow it up into a public thing and get people onside and I will look like a jealous possessive woman .

I have seen this happen first hand with her and other women. She has pursued all the men in this line of work and one friend’s husband told her to back off when she started pursuing a close friendship with him but my partner has played right into her hands, I think because she is giving him so much airspace.

It’s like she gets a kick out of being besties with other peoples husbands.

he maintains it’s me he loves, I’ve got the wrong end of the stick, they’re just mates etc but ifeel it’s driving a huge wedge between us.

i can’t give an ultimatum, there are too many close connections and the way our relationship is currently I think he’d go behind my back anyway, he’s clearly prioritised her over me several times and it’s not until recently that she’s started to ‘bait’ me by constantly dropping into conversations things my dp has told her before telling me, social plans they’ve made

I don’t know how to process this or how to move on.

OP posts:
Jellyheadbang · 14/09/2025 12:02

HeavyDuvet · 14/09/2025 11:32

I suppose it depends on how much status they actually have and the benefits of that status, such as looks, reputation, finances etc.

Women weigh up how much they will put up with against what's on offer.

I've found many women will over exgagerate some men's worth, fighting over a low level prize, him having a large fan base will increase his worth.

It would always be a high risk strategy investing too much in a very desirable person.

Yes this is a high status within his field which is big more regional than national but also links to big names globally.
big fish small pond scenario

OP posts:
Suednymph · 14/09/2025 12:11

Is he still well known or a total has-been op? My now ex 'almost' made famous you know kinda like 'oh in my teens i did trials for arsenal but was holding off for man u and they never rang' type of 'almost' famous but he still harps on as if he was the greatest thing born. The fact he has fuck all talent in the field he was 'almost' famous in has totally bypassed him. Couldnt add me on socials cos of his fan base. His fan base consisted of his exes family and all the women he dated from tinder before me. Total tosspot. I feel a physical illness inside me thinking of him touching me now. I lowered that bar soooooooo so low.

Bayou2000 · 14/09/2025 15:31

Jellyheadbang · 14/09/2025 12:01

Thank you, do you feel up to sharing anything more? How his actual partner dealt with it? How he dealt with his partner / ex?
what happened with you when they split? Was there a crossover between you and his ex?
did you have an actual relationship with him?
how was the relationship between you and him? Did he treat you differently?
etc
no pressure 🤣🙈

Happy to share. Will dm you later. It’s quite a sordid story tbh but there are so many parallels we both might have helpful insights.

Bayou2000 · 14/09/2025 17:20

Suednymph · 14/09/2025 12:11

Is he still well known or a total has-been op? My now ex 'almost' made famous you know kinda like 'oh in my teens i did trials for arsenal but was holding off for man u and they never rang' type of 'almost' famous but he still harps on as if he was the greatest thing born. The fact he has fuck all talent in the field he was 'almost' famous in has totally bypassed him. Couldnt add me on socials cos of his fan base. His fan base consisted of his exes family and all the women he dated from tinder before me. Total tosspot. I feel a physical illness inside me thinking of him touching me now. I lowered that bar soooooooo so low.

The famous thing is an issue…it shouldn’t be but it somehow weaves its way in, even if it’s low level famous. It was part of the problem in my situation.

Jellyheadbang · 14/09/2025 21:40

Suednymph · 14/09/2025 12:11

Is he still well known or a total has-been op? My now ex 'almost' made famous you know kinda like 'oh in my teens i did trials for arsenal but was holding off for man u and they never rang' type of 'almost' famous but he still harps on as if he was the greatest thing born. The fact he has fuck all talent in the field he was 'almost' famous in has totally bypassed him. Couldnt add me on socials cos of his fan base. His fan base consisted of his exes family and all the women he dated from tinder before me. Total tosspot. I feel a physical illness inside me thinking of him touching me now. I lowered that bar soooooooo so low.

Still very popular and having a big resurgence at the moment. Creatively everything he touches is turning to gold right now.

OP posts:
Jellyheadbang · 14/09/2025 21:40

Bayou2000 · 14/09/2025 17:20

The famous thing is an issue…it shouldn’t be but it somehow weaves its way in, even if it’s low level famous. It was part of the problem in my situation.

Wow that’s so interesting!

OP posts:
Jellyheadbang · 14/09/2025 21:41

Bayou2000 · 14/09/2025 15:31

Happy to share. Will dm you later. It’s quite a sordid story tbh but there are so many parallels we both might have helpful insights.

Thank you 🤩

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page