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I think I’ve just caught my husband cheating

658 replies

CoffeeRevelsfan · 14/09/2026 16:00

DH is working from home and I was doing the housework, I walked upstairs as a jet went over the house so it was really loud. We don’t live on a flight path so it was unusual. I went into his office and he literally jumped out of his skin and pressed the X to hide a teams message on screen. I asked about the jet just as another message popped up on teams from a woman called Joanna - he scrabbled to press the X again as fast as possible and was as red as a beetroot. The message said “yeah, it looked better in my head hahaha”.

His whole demeanour had changed and looked hugely guilty and caught out. I asked who he was messaging to which he said no one, i again asked who it was and he said a man from work - i told him i saw it was from a woman called Joanna. I asked why he was acting like this and looking so guilty and lying - he said it’s because he knew how I’d react. I am well aware he works in a mixed team and have never taken any issue to him having work conversations with other women so this is completely gas lighting on his part. I told him this was bull shit and to bring up the messages, he refused. I asked again and he locked his screen then picked up his mobile - he has teams on his phone so I am assuming he was deleting the messages. I asked if that’s what he was doing and he dug his heels in and shouted that there is nothing going on. I told him to prove it by showing the messages, he repeatedly refused and told me no as he didn’t feel he should have to prove himself, and then wouldn’t make eye contact with me.

if that was me and the conversation was innocent, I’d have brought up the messages and demanded an apology. Everything about him screamed red flag during that situation.

ive left the house and am currently in my car in a park, shaking and feeling sick. There surely can’t be any other explanation for his reaction and refusal to prove himself innocent?

we’ve never been in a situation like this, I’ve not had any cause to doubt him in the past. Been together for 15years.

OP posts:
user427654 · 17/09/2026 09:19

LiuBei · 16/09/2026 17:01

I mean, I specifically said I'm not saying this is definitely the case about OP.

Is your position that we should assume literally every poster is an angel? The most helpful input I've received from my friends hasn't assumed that I'm definitely 100% blameless.

No, but it seems odd to come on a thread where the OP is looking for support in a distressing situation and randomly suggest they caused it. If someone came on here and said they'd been sexually assaulted would you ask them what they were wearing?

ForWiseRoseCat · 17/09/2026 10:20

I still don't get why anyone would conduct an affair over Teams. It is highly unprofessional, remarkably stupid and then letting the wife look through Teams and send messages is absolutely breaking more company policies.

Also when I search in Teams it brings up people I haven't interacted with in a while and it changes each time I search so that proves nothing.

So I'm not on the MN wagon of having a work place affair because anyone doing it using company equipment doesn't deserve a job and deserves to be sacked.

Keyleads · 17/09/2026 10:28

OP, so you don't have children together?
He travels a lot?
Is he dependent on you for childcare?

The fact he was still stressed about loading stuff up means to me there was definitely stuff on there that he was concerned about.

Of course he could have given her a heads up.

Whatever is going on, he definitely does not want you to have eyes on it, whether its very flirty behaviour or he has massively overshared your private business.

Either way you do have thinking to do.

BeEagerRubyBird · 17/09/2026 11:55

CollieBorders · 16/09/2026 19:29

OP, I'm sorry that so many people are saying that she had been tipped off. I personally accept your point that this development happened spontaneously - he didn't know you were going to be looking at his Teams with him that eve, and he didn't have any idea that you were going to suddenly message her pretending to be him.

So he might well have 'tipped her off' generally that you are unhappy about things regarding him and her, but there was nothing to 'tip off' about you pretending to be him on Teams.

So she would have thought it was him messaging. So I actually think that the fact that there was no flirty response from her is positive and points to things not being so bad.

Regarding his odd initial reaction when you walked in on him... I mentioned earlier in the thread that I sometimes blush when caught by surprised, even when there is absolutely nothing to blush about (like someone I know bumping into me in the supermarket)! He probably had been a bit flirty with her and may have let it go further in his head, but that might be all. Although the gyno thing was weird and not on.

I would still be keeping an eye out on your DH though, to be vigilant.

I agree with this. The posters so certain this is a set up cannot possibly know that. There is a good possibility that he just knows he's been a little bit more familiar with her than you might like, and that's it.

Sometimes our instincts are correct, and sometimes they're fear-based. I do think from some people on Mumsnet there can be an automatic leap to there being no other explanation than cheating, and while it may often be true, it isn't always.

bigboykitty · 17/09/2026 13:22

Some of you really don't live in the real world. It's standard behaviour for cheaters to set up a call/messages where the OW reassures the wife. Or to create a trail of innocent messages and move to a different platform or phone for the real messages. Likewise to agree not to have any further contact with the affair partner and do the same. Some of you are very naive. As are the people who say 'simple, just ask him' 🤦🏻‍♀️

PPAPPINE · 17/09/2026 13:42

bigboykitty · 17/09/2026 13:22

Some of you really don't live in the real world. It's standard behaviour for cheaters to set up a call/messages where the OW reassures the wife. Or to create a trail of innocent messages and move to a different platform or phone for the real messages. Likewise to agree not to have any further contact with the affair partner and do the same. Some of you are very naive. As are the people who say 'simple, just ask him' 🤦🏻‍♀️

Edited

This. Whatever he deleted was not innocent. You can move on from this if you choose but move on in the knowledge that this will happen again.

PinkBottle75 · 17/09/2026 14:37

It’s sad for OP because once you experience doubt it’s hard to return to the original setting of trust. It’s like in that one moment everything you ever believed just evaporates into thin air. And it doesn’t come back easily. it’s always there in the back of your mind…

NiftyKoala · 17/09/2026 17:17

bigboykitty · 17/09/2026 13:22

Some of you really don't live in the real world. It's standard behaviour for cheaters to set up a call/messages where the OW reassures the wife. Or to create a trail of innocent messages and move to a different platform or phone for the real messages. Likewise to agree not to have any further contact with the affair partner and do the same. Some of you are very naive. As are the people who say 'simple, just ask him' 🤦🏻‍♀️

Edited

💯. Sad thi g is deep down OP knows he's cheating the call was a set up. She will tie herself up in knots for years trying to believe him and he will just do it over and over. Honestly he isn't even very good at trying to look innocent.

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