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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

Advice required.

51 replies

Desperate84 · 25/06/2009 10:54

My Husband and I met 4 years ago. He was still in a relationship with his then wife and I was in a relationship with my then Fiance.

We had an affair for approx 3-4 months in which time, I left my Fiance and my now husband continued to remain at the Marital Home with his wife and his daughter, then 3.

A week or so after I left my Fiance, my now Husband claimed he'd left the home and moved in with his sister. He'd moved his belongings out and was no longer with his then wife. This is not something that was requested of him by me, but following several arguments with his then wife; a decision he had made.

When the affair came to light, his then wife did the usual, came to see me to confront me, rang me told me he was still living there and that I was to come and see for myself that his Bike (which he'd told me was at his sisters with the rest of this belongings) was still in the garage and all his clothes were in the wardrobes etc etc.

I went and this was proven - so he'd lied. Anyway, they split and my now husband and I moved straight in with eachother. For months, I put up with him meeting her in pubs to 'discuss' and taking her out to lunch to 'see his daughter'. Every time he would get home, i would recieve a call to say he'd taken her to lunch and asked if they could get back together. ANYWAY, he said he wanted to be with me and that due to the problems and lies over those months, all contact with his daughter would be without her.

He was not allowed this, so in order to see his daughter, once again, I remained at home whilst he went and met his wife and daughter. Quite often, I would get texts again saying something had gone on, he was taking her on holiday etc.

Now, the matter went to court and he was awarded un-supervised contact and I was introduced. We vowed to eachother that we would not let her get in the way of us again. If she was going to lie about everything, HE proposed he didnt speak with her on the phone unless I was around - which was fine by me and he would certainly not be meeting her.

Now initially, following all the lies, I was dubious so I would often go with him when he collected his daughter and we would spend the day together. As time has passed, trust built between us and he has for the last 9-12 months been going alone.

Now, last week his step daugheter told me he'd been INTO the house. When I asked him, he point blank said he'd NEVER been into the house only to the door. I asked him to make sure he was not lying to me again and he finally came clean that he'd been into the house on ONE occasion to carry his daughter to the sofa because she had no shoes on.

Now, firstly I'm angry that he'd done something he told me he'd never do (go into the house) and secondly, if all was innocent, he never came home and told me - since he'll quite openly admit that we had agreed he'd never do it. BUT last of all, when I did find out - he lied.

He now thinks it's unreasonable that I have lost a little faith in him. He knew what we'd agreed and he knew how I felt. When I ask him why he did not carry her to the door and place her on the carpet - he now says she was half asleep and thats why he took her to the sofa - because the ex asked him too.

Am I being unreasonable to have lost faith in him?

OP posts:
mrsboogie · 25/06/2009 11:38

You do sound like a very black and white person if you are so bothered by him even stepping over the threshold. You don't allow others much leeway do you?
It's a pity you weren't so black and white about things when you were taking this child's father away from her in the first place.

You are living the life you have created by your own actions.

macdoodle · 25/06/2009 11:39

But you know he is a liar?? Dont you ??
So did you think he had changed ?? For you!
Ha !

ginnny · 25/06/2009 11:40

The bottom line is you don't trust him or it wouldn't matter if he went in the house or not.
That's the issue here and one that probably won't ever be resolved because it will always be in your mind that he did it to his first wife so he is capable of doing it to you.
Can you live like that? I certainly couldn't

Desperate84 · 25/06/2009 11:41

I 'changed' as you put it.....i had an affair. I'm not having one now....and nor do I lie.

So no I didnt think he'd 'change' - I thought he left his wife because he wasn't happy .... there was no evidence to say, he would never find happiness.

i'm not bothered about the threshold as much as him lying about it.....am i speaking a different language?

OP posts:
Desperate84 · 25/06/2009 11:42

I give up.

Thanks for your opinions and advice.

Quite frankly, i'm either explaining it incorrectly or you're all still so stuck on the affair to see past that and understand the question I'm asking.

OP posts:
mrsboogie · 25/06/2009 11:44

no, its just that people can't understand why you are surprised that he lied. He has lied to you and his 1st wife throughout.
Why should it be any different now?

And who says people who meet through affairs get to live happliy ever after? I bet they quite often don't.

macdoodle · 25/06/2009 11:45

You're upset he lied I get that!
But why pver such a seemingly minor petty thing if you "trust" him so much and he has changed so much!
It shouldnt matter but it clearly dose !

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 25/06/2009 11:47

You either trust him or you don't.

You know he is capable of lying and cheating as you have been with him when he has done both to his wife.

QuintessentialShadow · 25/06/2009 11:48

You are not his prison officer.

If care for his child demands that he goes into the house, then he does, because he is first and foremost a father.

I think you are really unreasonably to put so many restraints on him.

If you believed that you and him were meant for eachother, and he really loved you, you would not be causing so much trouble over contact, would you?

warthog · 25/06/2009 11:50

when you had the affair did you lie to your fiancé?

he's a liar. he has lied, he does lie, he will lie. you need to think about whether you can live with this.

RealityIsMyOnlyDelusion · 25/06/2009 12:04

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Message withdrawn

whoisasking · 25/06/2009 12:17

Ugh.

So much wrong with this I can't even see straight.

He is her FATHER. Have you got children with this man? If so, how would you feel if you were in the position of his XW?

hmmm? Do you think you would think it was UNREASONABLE of the OW to place such a wide set of restrictions on his access to YOUR child? Bearing in mind that during this time he's probably having sex with you on occasion and telling you he still loves you?

You reap what you sow I'm afraid. And it appears that you have sowed onto very stony ground.

Kimi · 25/06/2009 12:42

Well you knew he was a lier when he was having an affair behind his wifes bac, why would he change now?

Ok his wife is a shit stirrer but she is not going to be friends with the woman who stole her husband is she?

I think he has to do what is right for his child before doing what is wanted by his 1st wife or you.

Nahui · 25/06/2009 13:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

sunfleurs · 25/06/2009 13:43

You sound really silly tbh. He carried his daughter into the house, big deal.

You had to "put up with" him taking his ex wife out to lunch so he could see his daughter. I wonder how she felt about having to "put up with" giving up her husband and father of her child to someone who sounds as immature as you.

As far as I can see you need to take a huge step back and get out of the way of his relationship with his child, so what if he wants to have a cuppa with his ex wife and discuss their child.

He probably lies to you a. Because he sounds like a stranger to the truth in general and b. Because he is terrified of the ensuing questioning and hysteria with regard to "incidents" such as laying his child on the sofa when she was half asleep.

You sound like me a bit..........when I was 14!

amisuchabadmummy · 25/06/2009 13:51

For god sake, Im not surprised he lied if you can go on and on about such a trivial thing.

It sounds to me like you dont have any major problems to worry about so why not spend time thanking your lucky stars than winding yourself up about something so silly.

JodieO · 25/06/2009 14:05

I don't see why he isn't "allowed" to go into the house in the first place.

ActingNormal · 25/06/2009 14:07

He probably thought it was no big deal just to carry his DD in and put her on the sofa and walk out again, which it isn't, and didn't think it was worth telling you when you were likely to react strongly and get upset about something that wasn't worth it. It wasn't worth upsetting you over such a small thing.

When you found out though his first bloke-like reaction was probably to panic at first and deny it. I think men will do what they think will be the easiest quickest way out of trouble without having to go through emotional confrontations which they hate (I know I'm being sexist. Then he realised he wasn't going to get away with it so easily so told the truth.

The fact that he lied may not mean that he has lied about other things and that he is doing anything he shouldn't with his ex. But subconsciously you probably are thinking, if he could do all the lying involved in having an affair once (with you) then he can probably do it again.

Why not let him off and not think the worst unless several incidents like this happen rather than a one off? Like someone said, you might lose him if you act like you don't trust him all the time. And maybe he is untrustworthy but I think you would need more evidence to conclude that he is doing something wrong now.

ThePhantomPlopper · 25/06/2009 14:22

You are going to have to learn to trust him for his DD's sake.

This is bound to be affecting her, he's not even allowed to cross the threshold of her house?

The karma and ex wife comment was ridiculous BTW.

Sarasue · 25/06/2009 14:34

He lied, but probably to save on an argument, its really tricky for him, he took DD home and her mum asked if he would carry her to the sofa, if he said no she may have caused an argument in front of DD said things about you not letting him be part of DDs life properly. She's angry she'll say stupid things, he probaly did it to stop anything ruining the day for DD. He knows he shouldn't but he did and he didn't tell you because then there's argument that really didn't need to happen. Go easy on him, sounds like he is stuck in the middle and trying to keep 3 females happy. I don't care or judge on the affair. Its done. Try and be a little more easygoing, he chose you.

CountessDracula · 25/06/2009 14:47

You say we can't see past the affair

You didn't even have to mention it

You could have just said my husband is a liar

Actually I think you might live under a bridge tbh, I can't believe anyone could be this black and white

dollius · 25/06/2009 14:49

This is extraordinary.

"am i speaking a different language?"

Yes, frankly, I think you are.

mumsiebumsie · 25/06/2009 14:50

I think OP has left the building

Kewcumber · 25/06/2009 14:53

firstly I suspect that you don't have children because I can't ever conceive of a situation where I would lay my half-asleep DS ON THE FLOOR! Its a bizarre idea.

Far more natural is to lay them down on a sofa and to think no more of it until interrogated by harpy wife2.

But yes he lied - if you don't care about the magnitude of the lie just the fact that he did, then yes he lied. Leave him (or whatever you think you should do).

If you value this relationship a bit more than you both valued your last one then you will have to work through this. Just repeating "but he lied" either to him or us isn;t going to get you very far.

Poor little girl, sounds a model of a happy upbringing.

mrsboogie · 25/06/2009 15:25

I wonder what sort of life the OP lives where she has to monitor him like this? It's hard to imagine the daughter thinking to mention that her father carried her into the house. Its hardly memorable. You wonder whether in fact the OP questioned her about it. Maybe she questions her every time she sees her about whether daddy went int the house or what daddy said to mummy, or were daddy and mummy alone together...

Awful. And this is the scenario in which everyone is meant to be living happily ever after now that it is no longer an affair and they have "changed"?