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I think I’ve just caught my husband cheating

500 replies

CoffeeRevelsfan · Yesterday 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:
Piknik · Yesterday 18:07

Let's say for whatever reason he can't restore the messages. I've never had to restore from Teams so not sure what's technically possible if you are not Admin.

You need to think about how you move forward without knowing. What does that look like?

You COULD ask him to send a 'Hey - what are you up to?' to Joanna and see what comes back. It's a good question - innocent but could be leading if recipient wants it to be.

Freeme31 · Yesterday 18:07

Until he is honest with you, you will not be able to move forward.

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:08

CoffeeRevelsfan · Yesterday 18:04

He’s refusing to restore them by saying they can’t be restored.

If the messages were on teams he’s right. If he’s a standard user the option to restore disappears after five seconds and can’t be brought back.

PopcornKitten · Yesterday 18:08

CoffeeRevelsfan · Yesterday 18:04

He’s refusing to restore them by saying they can’t be restored.

I fear that either it’s more than what he has told you or he’s deeply embarrassed by what he’s done and doesn’t want you to see it.
either way I would be sitting next to him at the PC - and someone here will tell you what to press- and stating that you know how to do it and you’d like him to try. You can only try and work through something if you know exactly what happened. If he’s unwilling won’t even try to retrieve them then I think I’d be saying that I needed space to consider what this meant for the marriage.
if he won’t show you or be more open about Joanna then he’s not making any effort to save your relationship.

Calliopespa · Yesterday 18:09

I've caught up with your updates op.

To be honest, in answer to what do you do from here, I think you do nothing.

Leave the ball in his court.

Move into the spare room, don't seek him out and let him take the next steps. What he does will give you more clarity on where things are at than trying to wrangle it out of him.

He knows what you have observed. Let's see how keen he is to address it,.. Don't make this your problem when it could be his.

if he does nothing, you have your answer.

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:10

Megifer · Yesterday 18:02

He can get restore the messages today.

If he refuses, that tells you everything you need to know.

If he’s a standard user he can’t restore them once the banner to do so has disappeared and the window is only a few seconds.

runnerducky · Yesterday 18:11

I’m so sorry, OP. I would ask him to tell you honestly what the messages said and don’t let him think about it (as he will concoct a fake narrative), tell him he needs to tell you right now. He won’t have forgotten. He knows exactly what those messages said.

Until he is honest there is no going forward. And if he won’t be honest, then I don’t see how a healthy relationship can proceed or be salvaged.

CatA27 · Yesterday 18:12

He needs to show you the messages and be totally open and honest with you going forward if he wants to save your marriage 😔 If he says he can't then you should probably look at ending the marriage or at least separating for a while. My ex husband had an affair, I found out, we stayed together for a further 13 years but it ate away at us until I eventually left. My current husband almost fu*ked up, he didn't cheat, or even flirt but he went to visit a female friend and didnt tell me ( I didnt ask and nor was it a situation where he needed to tell me) but I found out and flipped. He showed me the messages surrounding the visit and I know there was nothing suspicious about it but the fact that he just didnt tell me had sent me on a spiral. I made it clear to him thought that if I ever thought he was hiding anything or wasnt being open with me then we would be over. If a partner is doing something, anything that they think they need to hide from you then that is wrong regardless of how close to actual physical cheating it is.

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:12

PopcornKitten · Yesterday 18:08

I fear that either it’s more than what he has told you or he’s deeply embarrassed by what he’s done and doesn’t want you to see it.
either way I would be sitting next to him at the PC - and someone here will tell you what to press- and stating that you know how to do it and you’d like him to try. You can only try and work through something if you know exactly what happened. If he’s unwilling won’t even try to retrieve them then I think I’d be saying that I needed space to consider what this meant for the marriage.
if he won’t show you or be more open about Joanna then he’s not making any effort to save your relationship.

Edited

They were teams messages. Unless he’s a system administrator he can’t restore them after the banner has disappeared - and that’s only a few seconds. He knew what he was doing.

bananaobama · Yesterday 18:13

Ok. So you have to drop it. For now anyway

remain suspicious though

Megifer · Yesterday 18:14

Also op, if the undo function isnt there, her messages might still be there if she hasnt deleted them.

She might have also quoted his deleted messages - pretty sure the quote stays if the original is deleted.

AI41 · Yesterday 18:15

bananaobama · Yesterday 18:13

Ok. So you have to drop it. For now anyway

remain suspicious though

She absolutely doesn’t need to drop it.

Megifer · Yesterday 18:18

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:10

If he’s a standard user he can’t restore them once the banner to do so has disappeared and the window is only a few seconds.

I never knew that! I dont think anyway, pretty sure I can restore mine for ages. I know the "this message has been deleted" stays there for what feels like an eternity 🤣

Anastas1a · Yesterday 18:20

I’d be telling him to hand over his phone to start a teams chat with Joanna to prove nothing is going on if he says no, then call his bluff and say show me your phone or I’m reporting misconduct and going to get the IT team to investigate for me

Piknik · Yesterday 18:23

If that's the case re: Teams then I second my own suggestion from upthread.

"Hey Joanna - sorry I vanished earlier. What are you up to?"

Vague enough to be innocent but her response will tell you all you need to know.

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:24

bellhawk · Yesterday 18:06

It is possible to undelete Teams messages. He should do this and show you them, then you can both discuss how to move forward. It would be interesting if he had some long term intentions behind flirting with the woman from work - if he hoped it would go somewhere.

It’s not possible to restore messages after the undo banner has disappeared and the window for that is about five seconds. IT Admin with the necessary permissions can search for deleted messages in Exchange storage online mailboxes, providing the organisation has enabled retention policies, but they can’t put the messages back into chat - they can only find and send to PDF. If DH is a standard user the messages are effectively gone for good.

PopcornKitten · Yesterday 18:25

ThreadGuardDog · Yesterday 18:12

They were teams messages. Unless he’s a system administrator he can’t restore them after the banner has disappeared - and that’s only a few seconds. He knew what he was doing.

Edited

I see. Well, he’s shot himself in the foot now as OP is likely to be jumping to worse case scenario.
OP, does she work with him in person as well as remotely?
is DH trying to explain/justify the situation?

PopcornKitten · Yesterday 18:27

He may have deleted his messages but are hers still there?
that could be quite revealing - is she reciprocating?

Horses7 · Yesterday 18:28

bananaobama · Yesterday 18:13

Ok. So you have to drop it. For now anyway

remain suspicious though

WHAT???
No she shouldn’t drop it for now!!
Sadly OP your H has lied to you repeatedly and could quite easily be cheating too.
You need a lot more accurate information from your lying H, especially who is Joanna, her full name, where is she based, what does she look like etc. He either shows you a photo or you find her on social media.
I would be threatening to go and see Joanna unless you’re sure that you’re getting the what you believe to be the truth. Unfortunately he has proved he’s a liar so you’ll never be able to trust him again.

TonyDancer · Yesterday 18:29

I’d message her. Depending on what comes back I’d make my decision.

Sassylovesbooks · Yesterday 18:31

Your husband might as well have 'guilty' tattooed on his forehead, because his reaction was so extreme to you entering the room.

He's now admitted that he's been flirting with Joanna, and he clearly knows the messages between them would definitely be as such by you.

I'd remind him that messages of a sexual or flirty nature, would go against his works 'acceptable use policy' of Teams, and that any messages could easily be restored by the IT department. Remind him that flirty banter, really isn't worth potentially losing his job over. Equally is Joanna someone more junior to him? Is he her line manager?

You need to have an honest conversation with him. Why is he flirting with Joanna? You also need to think about what you want going forward.

TheRobotsAreComing · Yesterday 18:31

OP your gut is screaming at you that this isn't right. Follow it and don't be persuaded. So sorry he's putting you through this.

BlueFahrenheit · Yesterday 18:36

Awful @CoffeeRevelsfan

Yes, he is flirting with another woman. This is how it starts.

FancyKitten · Yesterday 18:38

Probably nothing going on… It’s usually the guy that starts these flirty emails, texts etc with (younger) female colleagues. Often such women just play along as the men are more powerful, senior than her. I had it all the time when I worked in an office (and was young & hot). It’s an ego boost more than anything for the likes of your DH. She’s not actually interested… But he thinks she is!

throwaway3749574 · Yesterday 18:40

I think you definitely caught him flirting and having inappropriate messages! Difficult to tell if it’s more than that or not. Hopefully it was at that stage and it’s given him a fright and brought him to his senses.