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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

Caught husband sexting

10 replies

BeautyAndTheBump1 · 10/02/2026 12:28

Been with my husband for almost 14 years, 2 young kids together, we lost our spark and basically turned into mates.

A few weeks ago he turned around and told me his head was a mess, he didn't know if he wanted to be with me anymore. After a few days he agreed we would 'try' as we'd got so much to lose. He told me he still loved me, found me attractive, but something was missing.

I noticed he'd been online on whatsapp sometimes at like 1am, but I checked his phone n there were no messages. He told me he just opens the app. I logged in on his socials and found he'd messaged 2 women related with work (nothing bad, but crosses my boundaries) he got mad that I was questioning the messages to the women and told me it's not healthy for me to be checking his messages and we can't live like this.

Something then told me to check his work phone that night. I went on his work phone and found that he'd been sexting a colleague. I blew up and kicked him out. He told me he'd never met her as she works at a different depot, just works with her over teams etc, it had only been going on 3 weeks, and that he was sorry he ruined everything and he never wanted it to end like this. She knew about me, he confided in our relationship to her saying 'it's alot to lose isn't it, but I'm not fully happy we've got no sex life or affection' and she was like 'If that was me I wouldn't be able to live like that' and would text him telling him how attractive he looked on the teams call. He was also constantly initiating dirty talk with her even when she was texting normal.

I have to see him 4 times a week for our children, when he's not with me he's been shady and lying about where he's been going at times. I'm certain he may have met up with the sexting work colleague one weekend, he completely lied to me about his whereabouts that weekend and happened to be in the peak district that weekend, and she'd posted 'peak district with the girls' on her story the day before I discovered he'd been there. He still hasn't told me what he did that weekend, just questioned me on what I know.

His phone never leaves his pocket either. He's been very shady with his phone ever since. Despite telling me he would delete Social media and WhatsApp if needs be.

I'm absolutely heartbroken, I loved him so much, and the hardest and most confusing part is when he's with me he keeps flirting with me, making sexual comments, trying to touch me etc. Then the next day he can be completely different and neutral and no comments made. When he discovered I took my wedding rings off, he wasn't happy, then he started complimenting my appearance etc. Really nice in person, but then doesn't text or anything when we're apart. It's a complete head fuck tbh. I will be honest it's nice to have the comments etc for my own confidence, and I always say 'well you can't have that anymore you threw it all away'

I don't know how to act or how to deal with anything. I cry every day, its the only thing I think about, I can't eat or sleep properly, I'm an absolute mess. Its been 3 weeks now since I kicked him out. It's like he doesn't want me, but he doesn't want anyone else to have me either. He's not once said he wants me back during all of this. He said last week he'd been flirting with me to see if he gets his feelings back and it had been refreshing the way we had been with each other, as towards the end of our relationship we were just bickering and had no lust or spark.

I really just don't know what to do with myself, I'm a mess. How do I navigate this? Stupidly, I would probably take him back. But he doesn't even want me back.

OP posts:
Furlane · 10/02/2026 12:36

I’m going to be blunt. You need to get some self respect. This is not you it’s him. You don’t sext someone you’ve never met at work, how would that even happen?

Do not give him any personal information. Keep the chat short and factual and only about the children.

Just think about what your advice would be to your children if they were treated like this by a partner. What would you advise them to do. What sort of role model do you want to be for them?

Lmnop22 · 10/02/2026 12:49

I don’t really understand - you kicked him out because he’s sexting another woman and broke up with him but you’re upset that he doesn’t tell you where he is when he’s not with you, hasn’t asked for you back and doesn’t text you when he’s away?

Sounds like you didn’t want to break up with him at all but you wanted to test him to see if he would fight for you. Well, you have your answer - no he won’t. So now you know that not only is a cheater but he also isn’t interested in getting back together and begging for another chance.

You did the right thing kicking him out but now you need to start treating him like what he is - your ex. Text only if necessary about the children, don’t ask where he is as it’s none of your business and don’t respond to flirting or compliments.

BeautyAndTheBump1 · 10/02/2026 12:59

Lmnop22 · 10/02/2026 12:49

I don’t really understand - you kicked him out because he’s sexting another woman and broke up with him but you’re upset that he doesn’t tell you where he is when he’s not with you, hasn’t asked for you back and doesn’t text you when he’s away?

Sounds like you didn’t want to break up with him at all but you wanted to test him to see if he would fight for you. Well, you have your answer - no he won’t. So now you know that not only is a cheater but he also isn’t interested in getting back together and begging for another chance.

You did the right thing kicking him out but now you need to start treating him like what he is - your ex. Text only if necessary about the children, don’t ask where he is as it’s none of your business and don’t respond to flirting or compliments.

Yep you hit the nail on the head tbh, breaking up was definitely not on my 2026 plan and I'm in complete shock this has all happened.

In regards to the knowing where he is, I understand that, but he will openly tell me where he is going without me even asking...but then I found out he'd lied. Why tell me if you're going to lie anyway.

I text him today asking if he could have the kids one evening whilst I went out for food, and he responded saying 'where you going anywhere nice? Not going on a first date already are you? 👀😂'

OP posts:
windatthewindow · 10/02/2026 13:03

I’m so sorry.

I’ve been there.

Very similar. Lots of stress in our life, young kids, no support, money problems, I resented him, was horrible to him and we didn’t have sex for years. I was barely civil to him.

He ended up sexting an ex girlfriend. She lived 5+ hours away which is why it was just over text.

Similar to you, it started with him telling her about our marriage problems. She initially gave advice, but somehow it went from that to “let’s meet up and have sex”. They made arrangements to meet for sex. He claims they didn’t go through with it and from what I can see they didn’t (I’m 90% sure on this).

He lied at every turn when I found the messages. However I didn’t find them at the time, it was 3 years later.

We eventually got to the truth, or as close to the truth as we are ever likely to get.

But I guess the difference is that he really wants to stay. He cried, he begged. And we are giving it another shot. I don’t condone what he did, but he went years and years with no sex and I didnt understand that the time the damage that I was doing with my resentful and horrible behavior.

Is this colleague single?

Because that may be the difference.

The woman in my situation was happily married. They were swingers. He was happy for her to shag my husband, but she was never going to leave him.

Although even if she was willing to leave her husband, I’m not sure my husband would have wanted that. I’m not sure he would ever leave our kids. Again, not saying I applaud him for that, he wanted a seedy little bit on the side because he wanted sex, I just don’t think he would have actively wanted to leave.

So I guess what im saying is I’ve been in a similar situation with the sexting, but it’s the behaviour afterwards that is different. He doesn’t sound like he wants to stay, OP, so I’m not sure that’s going to be an option.

tryingtobesogood · 10/02/2026 13:05

It's like he doesn't want me, but he doesn't want anyone else to have me either. He's not once said he wants me back during all of this

you are probably his back up plan, in case the other woman doesn’t work out. If you can keep you sweet, there’s a chance he can come back when he’s finished messing about.

Please start setting boundaries around him, and get yourself some legal and financial advice. He’s taking you for a ride lying to you and then coming round and flirting with you and manipulating you.

BeautyAndTheBump1 · 10/02/2026 13:33

windatthewindow · 10/02/2026 13:03

I’m so sorry.

I’ve been there.

Very similar. Lots of stress in our life, young kids, no support, money problems, I resented him, was horrible to him and we didn’t have sex for years. I was barely civil to him.

He ended up sexting an ex girlfriend. She lived 5+ hours away which is why it was just over text.

Similar to you, it started with him telling her about our marriage problems. She initially gave advice, but somehow it went from that to “let’s meet up and have sex”. They made arrangements to meet for sex. He claims they didn’t go through with it and from what I can see they didn’t (I’m 90% sure on this).

He lied at every turn when I found the messages. However I didn’t find them at the time, it was 3 years later.

We eventually got to the truth, or as close to the truth as we are ever likely to get.

But I guess the difference is that he really wants to stay. He cried, he begged. And we are giving it another shot. I don’t condone what he did, but he went years and years with no sex and I didnt understand that the time the damage that I was doing with my resentful and horrible behavior.

Is this colleague single?

Because that may be the difference.

The woman in my situation was happily married. They were swingers. He was happy for her to shag my husband, but she was never going to leave him.

Although even if she was willing to leave her husband, I’m not sure my husband would have wanted that. I’m not sure he would ever leave our kids. Again, not saying I applaud him for that, he wanted a seedy little bit on the side because he wanted sex, I just don’t think he would have actively wanted to leave.

So I guess what im saying is I’ve been in a similar situation with the sexting, but it’s the behaviour afterwards that is different. He doesn’t sound like he wants to stay, OP, so I’m not sure that’s going to be an option.

I was the same, I started resenting him as I was doing everything. All childcare, I work, do all house jobs etc and he did the bare minimum. Then would try for sex at night and I'd reject him and he told me eventually he just stopped trying because everytime I rejected him. But I rejected him because my needs felt so unmet during the day.

OP posts:
Inthedeep · 10/02/2026 15:23

It’s time to start putting yourself first. Going out for dinner is a great first step, to be honest he doesn’t deserve to know where you are going or who you are going out with. At the moment he doesn’t deserve to know what is going on in your personal life as he’s not being honest with you about his.

windatthewindow · 10/02/2026 20:59

BeautyAndTheBump1 · 10/02/2026 13:33

I was the same, I started resenting him as I was doing everything. All childcare, I work, do all house jobs etc and he did the bare minimum. Then would try for sex at night and I'd reject him and he told me eventually he just stopped trying because everytime I rejected him. But I rejected him because my needs felt so unmet during the day.

Yes, it’s an age old problem.

We are far from the only ones who have fallen into this pattern.

I have posted on here quite a lot about my situation. Some posters just shout “leave him!”, some understand that it’s a bit more nuanced. Overall, I have had some good advice.

Nobody really condones cheating.

But likewise, it wasn’t feasible that my husband was just going to accept being celibate forever in his 30s.

People said that despite this, he should never have cheated. He should have tried to speak
to me about it. Which, actually, he did. I just wasn’t receptive to it.

People said that he should have supported me more so I didn’t resent him. The fact is, I was completely unsupported and was struggling hugely. But he worked long hours in a demanding job, there’s only so much practical support he could give. We live 180 miles away from my family, and I didn’t really have friends here back then, so I had very little support….but he was doing what he could.

The vast majority of people who responded told me to leave him. Some people grasped the situation a bit better and could understand how it had happened etc. If I had been reading my post would I have told me to leave him? Possibly.

For the people who do stay, I don’t think things are ever really the same again.

I don’t particularly worry about my husband doing it again. I think this woman threw herself at him when we were in a very bad place. But I still won’t ever trust him fully again. But it’s the fact that he did iron the first place. I still sometimes find myself getting very jealous / bitter / angry.

PinkyBrain290 · 10/02/2026 23:55

Replying to this thread because I'm a married woman who has been sexting a man since December (met him at a Christmas party) who has two kids. He initially spun me a line he wasn't happy, they weren't together etc. I fell for it. I had a one night stand with him. He added me on Instagram, I found his partner and it turns out they were very much still together. I questioned him on it, he told me they were still living together and that he liked me and was "scared" about what I would think. He lives quite far away from me but was in my area a few weeks later for an interview. We met up at a pub, ended up kissing and then off he went, back home to happy life I guess. He blows hot and cold. We're supposed to be meeting up again next month when he's in the area again but it's just a bad idea all round. I don't suppose your guy is in sales is he? I'm about to block and move on. Honestly , kick him to the curb and never look back. I enabled this person as it turned out he span the same lines to other women I work with.

Summerhut2025 · 03/03/2026 18:15

I bet if you totally act like you’re no longer bothered about him, make a real effort with your appearance and start going out lots he will come crawling straight back. Let him think you’re going in a date (not obviously) But, if he did come back could you trust him again? I don’t think I could tbh.

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