Help end medical misogyny. Sign our petition.

Help end medical misogyny.
Sign our petition.

Sign the petition

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

I was the "other woman" in my own relationship

207 replies

InvisibleWoman88 · 08/05/2026 09:20

Hi everyone, I’m in a very painful situation and really need some outside perspective.I was with a man for a long time. In the beginning, he made me feel like a princess. But over time, the attention faded, and I caught him talking to other women. After a big argument over my "jealousy," he dumped me. I was devastated and blamed myself for being too insecure. I chased him for months, crying and even going to his door.
Whenever I went to see him, he would kiss me and tell me, "I need you, I will never leave you." We would hug, and I’d go home feeling hopeful. However, I noticed on social media that he was always out, but he never posted the girl he was with, claiming she was just a "close friend."
One day, I went to his house and found a birthday card that said, "Happy 2nd Anniversary." That’s when the soul-crushing truth hit me: he had been leading a double life, dating both of us at the same time for years. When I confronted him, he coldly said, "I chose her for marriage."Despite this, he asked to "stay friends," saying he couldn't talk to her the way he talks to me. Because of my deep attachment and trauma bond, I stayed. But every time we met, it turned physical. To him, I became a "fuck buddy," but I am still deeply in love and trauma-bonded to him.He is now planning to marry this girl, yet he still sends me explicit sexual messages and meets with me. I want her out of our lives. If I tell the girl she is being cheated on, I’m afraid he will just tell her I’m a "crazy, jealous ex" who won't leave him alone, and she might believe him because.Now, I am considering telling the girl’s family. I want to let them know that the man their daughter is about to marry is still seeing me and sending me sexual messages behind her back.Is telling the family the right move? How do I handle a man who uses my love to keep me as a secret option while he builds a life with someone else?Any advice would be appreciated.

OP posts:
DinosaurBlue · 26/05/2026 11:52

InvisibleWoman88 · 26/05/2026 11:45

They made up, so I took myself out of this love triangle

He was never going to go back to you after splitting with her. I know that’s what you hoped would happen but it will never happen.

You have made yourself too available for him, and you will always be his bit on the side and nothing more.

I guarantee you he will get back in touch in a year or so, looking for another hook up. Just block the number and move on.

InvisibleWoman88 · 26/05/2026 11:57

DinosaurBlue · 26/05/2026 11:52

He was never going to go back to you after splitting with her. I know that’s what you hoped would happen but it will never happen.

You have made yourself too available for him, and you will always be his bit on the side and nothing more.

I guarantee you he will get back in touch in a year or so, looking for another hook up. Just block the number and move on.

To be honest, I had no hope of him returning to me after breaking up with her. I knew he wouldn't come back and she wouldn't let him go. I was simply jealous of how he acted like a saint with her, having this perfect, problem-free relationship.Since I was so unhappy, I wanted them to be unhappy too, but it backfired—it just brought them closer together. I ended up being the one who got pushed out.But mark my words, that man will cheat on her with someone else one day.By forgiving him, she just gave him the green light to do it again

OP posts:
Sprinkleofspice · 26/05/2026 15:06

You need to leave this now. How do you even know she has forgiven him? As you’ve found out, spending any more energy on this situation is only going to hurt yourself. Block and delete all their numbers and accounts so you are not tempted to even consider thinking about them. What he’s done is horrible and yes he will probably cheat on her, but your responsibility now is to choose how to healthily move forward from this

Jellybunny98 · 26/05/2026 15:18

InvisibleWoman88 · 26/05/2026 11:57

To be honest, I had no hope of him returning to me after breaking up with her. I knew he wouldn't come back and she wouldn't let him go. I was simply jealous of how he acted like a saint with her, having this perfect, problem-free relationship.Since I was so unhappy, I wanted them to be unhappy too, but it backfired—it just brought them closer together. I ended up being the one who got pushed out.But mark my words, that man will cheat on her with someone else one day.By forgiving him, she just gave him the green light to do it again

You don’t know that OP, and you’re not doing yourself any favours by hoping they will be miserable. He might cheat on her, he might realise she is the love of his life and put every last bit of effort in to be the man she deserves, they might be over next week or be very happily married for the next 30 years.

You need to stop thinking about them and focus on yourself, move on.

TheZTeam · 26/05/2026 15:48

You need to let this go. This is now obsessive.

Boomer55 · 26/05/2026 15:54

Dump him. Find someone better and get on with your life.

EverydayRoutine · 26/05/2026 16:05

TheZTeam · 26/05/2026 15:48

You need to let this go. This is now obsessive.

I agree. @InvisibleWoman88 your obsession has become a bit disturbing at this point. Delete, block, ignore him and his fiancee.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page