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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 am a stupid stupid idiot with no will power and I have really messed up this time

70 replies

influence · 27/09/2008 21:56

Not really after advice, just need to tell someone what I've gone and done.

I have a lovely male colleague. We kind of acknowledge that there's some attraction between us, but have never done anything about it as we are both married....

Last night we were at a leaving do, a bit to drink, but not loads. I wasn't on very good form, because of a very late night the night before and wanted to leave quite early. He said he felt the same (he'd been at the same do the prevous night too) and would walk me to the taxis and then get his bus.

So off we went and he said he needed the loo. He had the keys for an office we moved out of a few weeks ago and is now empty, so as we were walking past he went to use the loo there. I went inside with him, as the alternative was to stand on a rowdy Fri night High St by myself.

You know what's coming don't you?

I can't recall exactly how it happened, but I didn't put up much of a fight. Some people might say it was nothing really, but it was a lot of snogging and some wandering hands and went of for at least 1 hour. I had a great time . No clothes were removed, but this is just not the sort of thing I do (completely faithful for 20 years)so it's a big deal to me. No idea if he set up the office thing with this in mind or not TBH, but he did rush straight to the loo when we got inside.

I had a text from him in the taxi, asking if I was OK and saying he wished he'd met me before I married I think I'm saddest at the fact I must have lost him as friend.

OP posts:
littlelapin · 27/09/2008 22:56

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Bicnod · 27/09/2008 22:56

Seriously? You snogged and had a one hour fumble with another man and you genuinely think your DH wouldn't think you'd been unfaithful?!

If you really want to stay with DH and really think this is a one off then I suspect not telling him would be the best course of action... as twinset says, it could be a one off he wouldn't forgive. I know I couldn't forgive this in my DH - an hour is a really bloody long time to not realise what you're doing...

influence · 27/09/2008 22:56

Can I ask how long some of you have been married? This is out of genuine interest, not an attempt to justify myself - believe me no-one is more shocked at what I've done than I am.

I think when I'd been married 4/5 years I would have felt the same as you - but now (having successfully stayed married for a lot longer than many) I have come to understand that things don't have to (in fact can't always) be perfect and as far as terrible marriage ending things go,this is relatively small.

I feel like I've done something really stupid and shameful, but it doesn't feel at all like it needs to threaten the survival of the marriage

OP posts:
littlelapin · 27/09/2008 22:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsTittleMouse · 27/09/2008 22:57

DH and I have a rule that if we ever did something that we would be ashamed to do with the other one in the room, then that would be "being unfaithful".

To be honest, I think that you have lost the other man as a friend, because it's a really slippery slope. Once you've gone that far once, it's almost impossible not to go there again, and then just a little further, and just a little further. If you do want to stay with your DH then I think that you owe it to him to back off completely with your collegue.

Kewclotter · 27/09/2008 22:57

you don;tthink your DH would mind?

Blimey I'm not married but I can;t remember a serious relationship where a partner wouldn't have thought that this kind of behaviour was a betrayal of some sort even f not in your terms "unfaithful".

Sorry to be blunt but I'm single and have high sex drive and no doubt have a great deal less sex than you and survive OK. It would be very important to me in a marriage so I'm not dismissing it, you just seem to be so blase about the potential damage this could do to your marriage. Of course I may be wrong.

If your DH is already aware of the gao in sex drive between you, don;t you think he would feel humiliated that you resorted to someone else because he couldn;t satisfy you?

littlelapin · 27/09/2008 22:58

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

QuintessentialShadows · 27/09/2008 23:00

I have been with my dh since 1993. If either of us did this, it would be a big thing. It would be a betrayal of trust.

But people are different. I am just shocked to see that your concern is more for losing a friend than how your dh might feel. But maybe you have an open relationship?

luckylady74 · 27/09/2008 23:00

If dh had a drunken snog I'd get over it, but if he had a drunken snog that lasted over an hour and he was only tipsy then I'd be in relationship counselling and considering my future with him.
Are you really sure that your marriage is as you say - did you really snog for an hour - that sounds like being a teenager - are you having a mid life crisis?

ActingNormal · 27/09/2008 23:00

Please don't tell your poor DH! Why should he feel a loss of confidence and have thoughts of 'why aren't I enough?' and feel betrayal and less loved because of your drunken mistake! Don't tell him to alleviate your guilt, that is selfish. It is important to feel the guilt and fear of being found out. This might end up being a good thing if it reminds you how important your DH is to you because the thought of possibly losing him makes you feel so awful.

Tortington · 27/09/2008 23:00

19 years here - and i would be devestated if my husband crpt into a deserted building with another woman to kiss her with tongues and feel her tits and fanny

yeah devestated

Lizzylou · 27/09/2008 23:00

Influence, don't tell your DH.
Forget about this man and pretend it never happened.
OK, it means being dishonest, but your marriage is worth more than a drunken fumble (with someone who has obv gone out of his way to manipulate the situation).

MrsTittleMouse · 27/09/2008 23:03

We've been together for over 11 years, so not as long as you, but a pretty long time! While I don't necessarily think that it's the end of your marriage, I think that if you do want to stay married then you need to completely back off with your collegue. I base this opinion on some personal experience (pre-DH) and from seeing two affairs unfold pretty close up. These things aren't often one-off things if the attraction has been building over time.

littlelapin · 27/09/2008 23:04

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

JodieG1 · 27/09/2008 23:04

I was with my husband for 10 years and have 3 children but have recently parted ways. Not that that has anything to do with it.

Kewclotter · 27/09/2008 23:06

my parents were married for 40 years when my father wasn't unfaithful (by your definition). I don;t think my mum thought "oh well thats OK then after 40 years thats only to be expected"

What she thought was "I'll fight hard to make this marriage work because I'm not throwing away 40 years lightly". But the devastation it caused and the difficulty she had reconciling the man she thought she'd married with the one who was so unconcerned by her feelings was impossible to resolve ultimately.

That and my father is a dickhead didn;t help.

Bicnod · 27/09/2008 23:06

DH and I coming up to 8 years together.

Do you think you would be tempted to do this again?

Engineered · 27/09/2008 23:06

Lapin you are being very clear tonight.

noddyholder · 27/09/2008 23:07

17 years and I would be gutted but can see how you were flattered and how easy it is to let your ego and alcohol,take over Don't tell him he would be so hurt deep down You have to live with it thats your punishment I think you prob need to change jobs unless you trust yourself and it really was a one off

hapsty · 27/09/2008 23:08

influence - I am not shocked or madly surprised and I don't judge you but (SERIOUSLY) just move on, put it behind you.
everyone makes mistakes. everyone
what sorts out the sheep from the goats is what you do next.
get a grip. don't go spilling your guilt to make yourself better.
swallow it like a grown up.
make like it never happened and tell this bloke to keep his mouth shut.
all the best

Kewclotter · 27/09/2008 23:08

and if you don't think this was planned you are being naive. I've fallen for similar tricks becuase I've wanted to, and not fallen for them when I didn't want to. When I wasn't interested - the obvious manoevre was see-through, but when I wanted to do it, i was startling how easy it was to convince myself that it "just happened".

ravenAK · 27/09/2008 23:10

Hmmm.

I don't think I'd regard snogging someone as infidelity.

Dh definitely would, & would be hugely upset, so (should the opportunity to spend an hour kissing an attractive work colleague ever arise!) I'd turn it down - the alternatives being either to be dishonest or to be hurtful.

Given it's already happened, I think the OP is absolutely right to take a pragmatic approach - avoid being alone with colleague again, keep a distance from him, & not make it dh's problem by telling him...

Engineered · 27/09/2008 23:10

I don't think you should tell.

I do think it was a betrayal of trust.

I think sexy texting can be a betrayal of trust, you know because you feel guilty.

I don't think it is the same as an affair.

I think you should work it out how to live with this and move on. And avoid this bloke.

I hope you have namechanged for this. Because he probably has a shufty at your threads while you bathe the kids.

NotAnOtter · 27/09/2008 23:18

i think you need to change jobs

no i dont thnk it is the end for your marriage but it certainly is being unfaithful

i know my dp would be gutted and we have been together not far off your 19 years

these things CAN be overcome but you need to

1 see how bad what you have done is
2 decide whether or not to tell dp....
3 start appreciating what you have got and not make excuses for copping off

NotAnOtter · 27/09/2008 23:20

hapsty great post

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