Welcome to the
Marriage Builders® Discussion Forum

This is a community where people come in search of marriage related support, answers, or encouragement. Also, information about the Marriage Builders principles can be found in the books available for sale in the Marriage Builders® Bookstore.
If you would like to join our guidance forum, please read the Announcement Forum for instructions, rules, & guidelines.
The members of this community are peers and not professionals. Professional coaching is available by clicking on the link titled Coaching Center at the top of this page.
We trust that you will find the Marriage Builders® Discussion Forum to be a helpful resource for you. We look forward to your participation.
Once you have reviewed all the FAQ, tech support and announcement information, if you still have problems that are not addressed, please e-mail the administrators at mbrestored@gmail.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 1 of 2 1 2
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
I have never posted on this site before but I'm desperate. My husband and I have been together for 7 years, we have three kids and one on the way. About 5-7 months ago our marriage really started to break down. i had a miscarriage in August and found myself completely alone. which I was before too just never really needed him so much before. Anyway this girl started working with him and in this short time they have gotten very very close. I have been expressing my discomfort for where the relationship was headed for about 4 months but that seems to be doing no good. In fact in the process he has told me that he can't imagine his life without her and she has quickly become his "best" friend. My husband has always been on the distant side but he trusts and confides in her without hesitation. She is the very needy type who is always asking things like "why douesn't anyone love me" or "doesn't anyone like me" to which my husband responds you are a great person, you're a catch someone is going to love you. It hasn't become physical yet but they could reach out and touch it if they wanted to. She was calling him and texting him all the time for comfort and support until she overheard him asking me why her calling all the time was a problem. He has openly admitted enjoying work more whne she's there and having a lot in common with her as far as points of view go. He has already said he will not give up his relationship with her for us and I don't know what to do. He keeps saying they are just friends but his desire to be around her is so strong that he tried once to distance himself from her and couldn't bring himself to do it. He goes to the mat everytime to protect her even if it means hurting me. Am I crazy or is something going on? We have regularly been tossing around the idea of divorce but he says he doesn't want that. But if he doesn't why keep hurting me and protecting her. And why has he been so much happier since we started crumbling. If not feelings for her then waht is it?

TIA
Mellysue

Post Extras:
still_smiling
Junior Member


Reged: 03/23/06
Posts: 2
Re: emotional affair [Re: mellysue]
#2972175 - 03/23/06 03:57 PM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

Mellysue - This sounds EXACTLY like what I went through 9-10 months ago. My husband & I were just finishing up our 7th year of marriage - we have 1 child, when last May - June, my husband found a "friend" that showed him how happy he could be - how sweet! He talked to his friend, whom he had met & worked on special projects with at work, multiple times during the day, would go special places to meet her beyond work, & told me there was absolutely no way he could stay away from her no matter how much I begged, but he had "NEVER TOUCHED HER." Somehow she ended up pregnant, I was not told the whole truth, until he found out about the pregnancy.

I tell you this to warn you of these "close friendships", & to recommend the book "Not Just Friends by Shirley Glass". It is a good book to help you recognize what is going on in the "affair" & the weaknesses in your own marriage that allowed to affair to develop.

Good luck to you - I hope you situation turns out differently than mine did.

Post Extras:
193296
Member


Reged: 02/10/06
Posts: 55
Re: emotional affair [Re: mellysue]
#2972195 - 03/23/06 04:19 PM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

Mellysue - Something similar has happened to me too, but I think (not sure yet, but I think) my ending is better than both of you.

My W got way too close to a "friend" at church. At an overnight retreat about 8 weeks ago, he told her he loved her and they held hands. That is all they did. He's married too. When she came back, I knew something had happened (gut feeling) so I started spying on her. I was right. She started having lengthy phone conversations with him. I confronted her 10 days later (when I had enough info) and she lied about it - said they were just friends. Confronted her again the next day with new information and she downplayed it but agreed to end it. She ended up calling him a few more times over the next 10 days until I found out about that too. Since then I do not think she has talked to him except one day in carpool line (our kids go to same school and are friends).

W has consistently said they were just friends and it's not as bad as I think it is. I always say, I hope that's right, but I don't believe you. It's hard to believe someone who has lied.

When I found out the second time I told her flat out that I will D her if she doesn't stop and she can't be friends with him any longer - and I meant it. She still claims he's a friend, but doesn't talk to him as far as I know. If she does, I will D her. I can't live like that. I was very lucky that I found out about so fast. She swears that it was never going further and they were just talking on the phone, but I can't help but think it would have turned into a full blown A if I hadn't stopped it. I know she even told one of her friends that she didn't think it would have, but "how could she really know".

Now, when I found out about it I also immediatley started doing Plan A and started trying to change myself in recognition that I played a part in this. My behavior made her vulnerable to this. It's not my fault, but it was a part of it. I was not meeting her ENs. I am trying very hard to do that now. I think it is working - she has noticed, but I have a lot of work to do since my behavior has been lacking for at least 10 years. There is a lot of info on this site and in the books referenced on this site about how to do that. We also go to MC.

I have not told the OM's wife, but I have threatened to. The OM knows I have thought about it and told my W I might (she told him). I think this was lucky too. I never intended to, and I doubt I will if it's really over, but the fact that he thinks I might is good in that he realizes this is not some game he's playing and that I can respond. He has not called her since she my W told him I might tell his W. I do know that for sure since I check the phones.

If your OW is married, I think should tell her H ASAP. I think your situation is different since your H refuses to stop contact.

Sorry you have to go through this too. It's no fun.

Post Extras:
mellysue
Junior Member


Reged: 03/23/06
Posts: 5
Re: emotional affair [Re: 193296]
#2972245 - 03/23/06 05:10 PM
Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

My H assures me that he has no romantic or physical feelings for the OW but it just feels so much like there is. Ironically his relationship with her has started almost exactly as ours did. But he claims his reassurances for her are just "fluff" and he has never given me anything less than real. But how does one go about saying and doing the same things without the same intentions? I realize how much my H and I have to work on- things that were there before he OW but can you focus on those things with a third party involved? I come from an abusive home and I have been very guilty of immersing myself in our house and children while neglecting what he needs. He has felt expendable for awhile and I need to remedy that but I don't see the use in putting my heart on the line if it means having to accept something that makes me uncomfortable and hurts more than anything I've ever experienced. He works with her so how do I tell him to stop talking to her. And if she has to be involved in his life how do I trust that it goes no further than work especially since he sees absolutely nothing inappropriate about their relationship? Thanks for all your support!

Post Extras:
193296
Member


Reged: 02/10/06
Posts: 55
Re: emotional affair [Re: mellysue]
#2972274 - 03/23/06 05:52 PM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

My wife has said the same thing. I guess it's possible they are telling the truth. This is something you (and me) would really like to believe and for your sake I hope it is true. I hope it is true in my case too. I think it probably was true in my case to a certain extent and up to a point, but then I think it changed and was not true anymore. Why else she did lie to me about her "friendship"? And I know for a fact she did. The answer to that is pretty obvious. Also, this is how a lot of affairs start - innocently. It happens. And it happens even to good people.

As far as making an effort when it may not pan out, what else can you really do if you really do want to stay married? Also, the effort will make you better individually - not just your marriage - and that's a key. Another thing to keep in mind is this: all you can really control or change is you. You can't control or change your H, just you. If you change you, then your relationship will change - it has to because you are different. That does not necessarily mean it will solve the problem, but it will be different.

You should get the book "Surviving an Affair". It's one of the Harley's books and it will tell you what to do. It's basically what I am doing. As mentioned, it's too early for me to tell if it's working for sure (but I think it is), but the book makes too much sense to be wrong. You can also read lots of articles on this site about this (that say a lot of the same stuff as the book - just not as much depth and detail).

Keep your head up (and believe me, I know it's hard) and get the book. Try to do what it says as far as meeting his ENs and Plan A ASAP. You need to start immediately - it takes time to work and the sooner the better - Do it even if he is still in contact with OW.

Post Extras:
mellysue
Junior Member


Reged: 03/23/06
Posts: 5
Re: emotional affair [Re: 193296]
#2972341 - 03/23/06 07:26 PM
Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

I've been reading Getting the Love You Want by Harville Hendrix which is a fantastic book to help build a relationship and maintain it once that euphoria wears off. It explains in detail why we pick our spouses and how to nurture a relationship capable of growing and changing for the better. I've been trying really hard to look forward instead of back but when the OW is always around (I mean they stand side by side literally for atleast 3-4 shifts a week and frequently alone). She's always there and now my H is hoping we'll be friends. How do you become comfortable with your H or yourself being around someone who once recommended that he put her numbers under another name so I wouldn't know it was her let alone friends?

Post Extras:
193296
Member


Reged: 02/10/06
Posts: 55
Re: emotional affair [Re: mellysue]
#2972645 - 03/24/06 08:21 AM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

I think that would be very hard to deal with and I feel for you - I for one could not take that and would not take that. Working together would be a tough call, however, depending upon availability of other jobs etc. It bugs me to death that my W ever sees or talks to the OM - which she does every once in awhile at church or carpool line. At least that's all that I know of - until a few weeks ago she was using public phones to call him. Supposedly she is not doing that any longer, but how do I know for sure.

It's also possible that he is being truthful and it really is no big deal - it does not sound like it, however.

I wish I had some good advice for you, but I don't. I guess if it were me I would be doing everything I could to get them apart - including him changing jobs if that is possible.

Hang in there.

Post Extras:
still_smiling
Junior Member


Reged: 03/23/06
Posts: 2
Re: emotional affair [Re: 193296]
#2972754 - 03/24/06 10:01 AM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

Again, our situations sound very similiar. I had neglected my husband for many years, when he found someone at work that could appreciate him. We began marriage counseling IMMEDIATELY, which has helped us both tremendously. I've actually been diagnosed with depression & anxiety disorder, which I now take an anti-depressant for - our relationship has improved so much.

I was never able to convince him to stop talking to her, he had to make that decision on his own, which he did shortly after he found out she was pregnant. He still works with her & has a professional relationship with her, but no more phone calls or private meetings. I have learned to trust him again, as I am making every effort to appreciate him & meet his emotional needs to allow no room for further affairs. He has recognized how much his affair has hurt me and our families, and I hope that in the future, should we ever have problems, we will recognize them and work them out together.

Post Extras:
mellysue
Junior Member


Reged: 03/23/06
Posts: 5
Re: emotional affair [Re: still_smiling]
#2973842 - 03/25/06 04:53 PM
Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

I have been in therapy for about 7 mos myself and recently suggested my H and I seek counseling but he's very hesitant. He says he'll consider it so it's not looking too good. I am very concerned that without counseling we don't have a prayer of surviving this. Being that I have been in therapy I'm more aware of what I need to change but my H lives and breathes denial. He has already told me that he does not want to be emotionally open. That he likes that about himself and doesn't want it to change. What do I do? Keep hoping ar let go. My kids are becoming very angry with my H about him leaving me alone all the time and believe that he'd rather be at work than with us. They cry everytime he's home yet they miss him terribly when he's away. I am a high risk pregnancy and my oldest is able to understand that my H isn't giving all that he should. She's sees me fighting for us and him running away. How do I keep putting the kids through this? I am a stay at home mom and if we can't work this out they will be turned inside out from the emotional aspects not to mention the fact that I will have to go back to work and they'll be in daycare. Thanks again!

Post Extras:
193296
Member


Reged: 02/10/06
Posts: 55
Re: emotional affair [Re: mellysue]
#2974626 - 03/27/06 09:07 AM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

I wish I knew what to tell you - I am very empathetic, but don't have much good advice except for reading Surviving an Affair and trying Plan A. Plan A can be sort of hard at times, however, because if you are angry then why would you want to try to meet someone's needs? That's sort of where I am - trying to Plan A, but at times not really caring because my entire opinion of the person I have been married to for 18 years has changed - and it changed very quickly.

Of course, you should try as hard as you can to keep this from your kids. Maybe it's imnpossible, I am not sure.

You are right in that if you can't work this out, your life will be dramatically different. I am in the same boat there too, except of course I already work. My wife doesn't. It would be a rude awakening for her and in a lot of ways I would love to make her do it. You are smart to understand the changes that will happen and factor that into your thinking.

At the same time, I read something on this board last week to the effect of "the person who cares least about a relationship controls the relationship". I think that is very profound, true, logical and simple. I don't know why I didn't think of it. I am now actively trying to put myself in that position but at the same time do Plan A and meet my wifes EN's. That's very hard to do, but I need to do it. I want my wife to know that I can live without her and I will if I have to. I think that could shock her into reality. That's not what I want, but if it happens then so be it. Consider that for your situation - at least trying to change your mindset.

Sorry I don't have more advice, but I really don't know what to do either.

Try to stay positive.

Post Extras:
Una
Junior Member


Reged: 03/29/06
Posts: 3
Re: emotional affair [Re: 193296]
#2977127 - 03/29/06 04:26 PM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

hey,

I'm a journalist researching an article on emotional infidelity - looking for a few of your stories COMPLETE ANONYMITY of course. If any of you want to share, please contact me at umullally@tribune.ie

Thanks

Post Extras:
mellysue
Junior Member


Reged: 03/23/06
Posts: 5
Re: emotional affair [Re: still_smiling]
#2978142 - 03/30/06 04:26 PM
Edit Reply Quote Quick Reply

How do you go about fulfilling the needs of someone you are so angry with. I don't even know where to begin. My H has no desire to take any time in getting through this. He'd much rather just pretend nothing happened and go from there. But they work together, they still see eachother all the time and that's not about to change. He says he'll do what I need to remedy the situation except deal with how I feel about it. Recently he invited the kids and me to come see him at work while he was working with OW and I knew it would be a mistake but I guess I thought maybe I was wrong maybe there wasn't anything between them. So I went and of course I didn't see what I had hoped to see. I saw what I had feared. There was a familiarity between them like they'd known eachother forever and they'd be forever. They were so comfortable and at ease with eachother. Can you move on from that? They couldn't get enough of being next to eachother. My H and I haven't been that way for a long time. I don't even know that we were ever like that. He still insists I'm crazy. He still says he doesn't want to imagine his life without her. A friend of mine says the best thing to do would be to start showing him I can do without him. Stop planning things with him involved. Just move on with my life and that he'll see how it feels but if we got here by not having our needs met can that really be the answer. I am so confused.

Post Extras:
193296
Member


Reged: 02/10/06
Posts: 55
Re: emotional affair [Re: mellysue]
#2978157 - 03/30/06 04:49 PM
Reply Quote Quick Reply

MS - Sorry to hear about the office. The same thing has happened to me - before W's EA I was with her and OM and I felt like the third person too. Felt very strange and not too good. Now I know why I felt that way.

I think you need to do Plan A, which will be hard to do for the reasons you mentioned in your post. You should try anyway. I think that's a better idea than what you mentioned.

I also think you should move this thread (or start a new one) on General Questions II. There is much more traffic there and people over there who know much more than me.

Post Extras:

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,025
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 6,025
TOOSOONS - 15 STEPS TO INFIDELITY

This was a handout for a church group (the statistics are almost identical for church and non-church members when it comes to adultery and divorce) but it does a good job of defining how affairs develop for far too many people. The progression from friend to sexual intimacy and betrayal. It is provided in the hope that it will help newcomers to the forum gain some understanding of what has happened and how it could or might have happened.

Anatomy of Adultery
15 Steps of Unfaithfulness

How does adultery "happen?" People don't just decide one day to hop in bed and be unfaithful to their spouse. Adultery is the culminating act of a dozen or more tiny steps of unfaithfulness. Each step in itself does not seem that serious or much beyond the previous step. Satan draws a person into adultery one tiny step at a time. And he does this over time so that our conscience is gradually seared. This makes it easier to take "just one more step" thinking such a tiny step won't hurt us.

The following "15 steps" which analyze how adultery "happens" are based on scores of interviews, counseling, and correspondence with church folk who fell into unfaithfulness. Our question: "How did this happen... what were the tiny steps which led to this mess?" While the order varied from case to case, the following is the general progression which surfaced in most incidents. This is not some sort of theoretical list. These are the actual steps taken by scores of church people who wound up committing adultery and regretting it later. Some of these people sobbed deeply as they shared, hoping that their own pain and failure might save other marriages. This information comes to you at great expense.

This chapter doesn't have any preaching or analysis... that is left to you. Here we offer you cold word-for-word quotes. You and your Sunday School class can draw out the lessons. How did these lives get ruined? How does it start?


1. Sharing Common Interests.
"We just had so much in common, it was uncanny."

"She and I both enjoyed music, and we were attracted to each other."

"He was so spiritually-minded... I'd been looking for someone to share my spiritual struggles with."

"We both loved horses, and started riding together."

"We both shared a burden for the church and especially children's work."

"She was the first woman I'd ever met who liked the outdoors, even hunting and fishing -- I was fascinated!"


2. Mentally comparing with my mate.
"My husband wasn't interested much in spiritual things, but this man knew so much about the Bible."

"She was slim, attractive, and dressed sharp -- quite a difference from my wife who didn't take care of herself much at that time."

"She was so understanding and would listen to me and my hurts -- my wife was always so busy and rushed that we didn't have the time to talk.

"My husband just would never communicate -- he'd come home from work and just sit there watching TV. I finally gave up on him. Then this man came along who was worlds apart from my husband -- he was gentile, loved to talk, and would just share little things about his life with me."


3. Meeting emotional needs.
"He understood how I was feeling and offered me the empathy I was hungering for."

"She was there when I needed her."

"My ego was so starved for affirmation that I would have taken it from anyone -- I guess that's what started the whole thing."

"No one had ever really believed in me until he came along. He encouraged me, inspired me, and believed so deeply in what I could become."

"My wife was busy with the kids and not at all involved with my work. This girl admired me and treated me like I was really somebody. It felt so good."


4. Looking forward to being together.
"I used to dread going to work, but after we started our friendship, I would wake up thinking of how I would see him later that day... it seemed to make getting up easier."

"I would think of being with her the whole time I was driving to work."

"I found myself thinking of him as I got dressed each morning, wondering how he would like a certain outfit or perfume."

"I looked forward to choir practice every week because I knew he would be there."

"Every time I drove by her house I would think of her and how we'd see each other that Sunday."


5. Tinges of dishonesty with my mate.
"When my wife would ask if she was with the group I'd pretend I couldn't remember... right there I started building a wall between us."

"I would act like I was going to practice with our ensemble, but actually I was practicing a duet with him."

"Once my wife asked about her, but I denied everything, after all, we hadn't done anything wrong yet. Now I see that this was one of those exit points where I could have come clean and got off the road I was speeding down."

"Whenever we got together as couples I would act like I didn't care about him, and afterward I would even criticize him to my husband. I guess I was trying to hide my real feelings from my husband."


6. Flirting and teasing.
"I could tell from the way she looked at me. She would gaze directly into my eyes, then furtively glance down my body then back into my eyes again -- I knew then that she was interested in more than my friendship. But, I was so flattered by her interest that I couldn't escape."

"Then we started teasing each other, often with double-meaning kind of things. Sometimes we'd tease each other even when we were together as two couples. It seemed innocent enough at first, but more and more we knew it really did mean something to us."

"We would laugh and talk about how it seemed like we were "made for each other" so much. Then we'd tease each other about what kind of husband or wife the other one would have been if we'd married each other."

"He had those killer eyes. When he'd look at me in that "special way" I would just melt. It was hopeless fighting my urges -- he had me."


7. Talking about personal matters.
"We would talk about things -- not big things, just little things which he cared about, or I was worried about."

"We'd meet together for coffee before church and just talk together."

"I was having problems with my son and she seemed to understand the whole situation so much better than anyone else I talked with. I'd tell her about the most recent blow-up and she would understand so well. We just became really deep friends -- almost soul-mates. That's what's so weird about all this -- we never intended for it to go this far."

"I had lost my Dad just before we got to know each other and he had lost his mother a few years earlier. He seemed to understand exactly what I was going through and we would talk for hours about how each of us felt."

"I was so lonely since my husband died and hungry for someone to share life with. Then he began to call just because he cared. I loved hearing his caring voice at the other end of the line, even though I knew he was married."

"We spent so much time together at work that I swear she knew more about me than my wife ever did -- or even cared to know."


8. Minor yet arousing touch, squeeze, or hug.
"He never touched me for months. Then one night after working late, we were walking toward the door when he said 'You're so special, thanks for all you do..." then he turned and hugged me tenderly, just for a second. I loved how I felt for that moment so much that I began to replay it over and over again in my mind like a videotape. Now I know that I should have stopped it all right then. I never intended to ruin my family like this."

"She was always hanging around our house and was my wife's best friend. Often she would stay late to watch TV, even after my wife went to bed. She would sit beside me on the couch and I was drawn to her like the song says... like a moth to the flame."

"He would often pat me on the shoulder -- you know, in appreciation for a good job I'd done. But I knew it meant more than that."

"The first time she touched me was when we were doing registration together. We were sitting beside each other. I'd say something cute or funny and she would giggle, then under the table she'd squeeze the top of my leg with her hand. That was really exciting to me."

"Every time she shook hands with me at the door she seemed to linger, sort of holding my hand more than shaking it. No one else would notice, but I knew there was more to her touch than appeared to the eyes. She knew too."


9. Special notes or gifts.
"He would write these little encouraging notes and leave them in my desk, pocketbook, or taped to my computer. They didn't say anything which could be traced. If anyone found them they wouldn't suspect anything. But we both knew what was going on, we just didn't want to stop yet."

"I would sometimes call him and leave a short message on his answering machine. He would leave little notes in my Bible."

"He would buy me a little gift -- not that expensive, but it always showed he had taken extra thought to get exactly what I liked. Of course everyone else thought he was just being a good boss."

"She started leaving unsigned notes to me in my desk sharing her feelings for me. It scared me at first, because I thought someone would find one. But after a while I found myself looking forward to the next one, even though I knew the risk."


10. Inventing excuses to call or meet.
"I started figuring out ways I could drop off something at her house when her husband was gone. He and I knew each other and I would always return borrowed tools in the afternoon when I knew she'd be there alone."

"I would wait until the end of the workday then I'd call him just before closing time about something I'd made up as a 'business question' and we'd talk."

"The more entangled we got, the more I planned times where he and I could practice together. We started meeting more often."

"She started arranging her schedule so that her husband dropped her off at committee meetings. I would hang around and offer to take her home, acting with as much nonchalance as I could muster up."


11. Arranging secret meetings.
"By now we both were so far gone that we started meeting secretly at the mall parking lot. It know now how foolish this was, but I was driven by something other than good sense at that time."

"We started arranging to work evenings on the same nights, then we would leave early and meet each other in the dark parking lot."

"I started making sure he knew my travel schedule so we could attend the same conferences. We still weren't involved physically at that time, but there was such excitement and romance to it all... even the secrecy seemed to make it more exciting."

"She would sometimes call me just before lunch and we'd sneak through a drive-up together, and then spend the rest of my lunch hour talking quietly to each other."


12. Deceit and cover ups.
"Once we were meeting secretly I had to invent all kinds of stories about where I'd been to satisfy my wife. By now I had built a towering wall of dishonesty between us."

"Pretty soon my whole life was full of lies. I'd lie about where I was going, where I'd been, and who I'd been with. The more suspicious my husband got, the better liar I became. But he knew something was going on. It's hard to lie without people suspecting it."

"I joined several groups so that I would have an excuse to be away in the evenings."

"She would ask when I'd gotten off work. I'd simply lie about it, and she never knew what hit her. How can I ever regain her trust now?"

"We agreed that if anyone saw us driving around we would both tell the same story: that my car wouldn't start, he stopped to help, an we were going together to get a new fuse to replace the broken one he'd discovered."

"By now my whole life was a lie, so I began telling them regularly to cover up our little meetings."


13. Kissing and embracing.
"The whole thing seemed so exciting by now. I was such a fool. We were meeting secretly and both of us were fearful of being caught. But that only seemed to increase our common ground. When we'd meet, we would embrace as if we'd not been together for years -- like in the movies when someone comes home from the war."

"Once we started meeting secretly the end came fast. We kissed and hugged like two teenagers going parking for their first time."

"It just felt so good to be hugged and loved by somebody who really cared about me."


14. Petting and high indiscretion.
"At this point my glands took over. I forgot reason altogether and was willing to risk everything for more."

"It was like I was a teenager again -- going too far, then repenting and promising to do better; then just as quick I was hungrily seeking more sin."

"When my husband and I were dating we struggled with 'how far to go.' Well, here I was again struggling over the same issue. Friendship with this guy didn't seem so wrong. But now were we're going further than I ever intended. But, I felt curiously justified going exactly as far as I had with my husband when had been dating. In a way, I think some of my resentment against my husband's constant pressure on me started coming out. I'm not saying that it wasn't wrong. Just that I kind of felt justified."

"At about this time I began fooling myself into thinking I was heroic for not going "all the way." That's what I wanted to do. But by doing "everything but" I fooled myself into thinking I was successfully resisting temptation. What I didn't realize was that, not only was what I was doing wrong, but that eventually I would take the next step. It's just not possible to freeze a relationship -- you have to go ahead with it, or break it off totally."


15. Sexual intercourse.
"Soon I quit resisting and was swept into outright adultery."

"One thing led to another and finally we ended up in bed with each other."

"Though we never intended it to go that far, we eventually went all the way and had sex."

"One night we couldn't seem to stop ourselves (at least we didn't want to) so I completed my journey of unfaithfulness to my husband -- I had sex with this man."
_________________________


[color:"red"] The above was provided by me to give you an idea where your husband is and where you already seem to know he is going. It doesn't sound like he went out honestly seeking this. The old damsel in distress approach seems to work quite effectively for these wolves in sheeps clothing.

You need to bust the inappropriateness of this Emotional Affair wide open by snopping on him. All you will get is denials until you do.

If he talks to her on the cell phone a lot than you no doubt can get the proof by purchasing (with cash only) a voice activated digital voice recorder from Radio Shack or WallMart and hiding the same up and under the passenger or drivers seat of his car. Some get a mini microphone extension to pull up through the seat to get clearer reception. You will likely get all you need to prove it's an affair and then you can Plan A him (exposure to family and the workplace) and fight this affair and more likely than not get your husband back.

If the car idea won't work and they communicate by email then a keylogger program on the computer or just perform a search using the Start-Search feature and many times the old emails will sit there in the temporary internet files even if he's trashed it.

This IS the better board to be on.

Good luck, Mr. Wondering[/color]

Last edited by MrWondering; 03/30/06 09:33 PM.

FBH(me)-51 FWW-49 (MrsWondering)
DD19 DS 22 Dday-2005-Recovered

"agree to disagree" = Used when one wants to reject the objective reality of the situation and hopefully replace it with their own.
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
I am desperate need of advice. My husband has agreed to change his relationship with the OW but he's having a difficult time. I know he genuinely wants to but it has become so natural for him to be her go to guy that he just automatically falls back into the same pattern. The problem is he says he can understand how things about their relationship could be seen the way I see it. But he still believes that there was nothing wrong with having the relationship. No matter what I say I know I can't make him see. Now the question is-is him being willing to change the relationship enough? Shouldn't he want to? Furthermore he is so snowed by the damsel in distress routine I can't see him ever walking away. No matter how many times I've predicted what the OW will say or do my husband still can't see it. She's supposed to be in love with someone else but he's the one she uses to attract my husbands attention. Her "boyfriend" has told her several times he doesn't want to be with her but every time she breaks out the don't you like me routine he cracks and sleeps with her. And then she goes crying to my husband about how no one likes her and he falls right back in. How do I trust him if he can't be indifferent to her?

Please Help
Mellysue


"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" ------------------------------------------------------ BS (me) 28 WS 26 Married in Nov. 2000 DD-11 yrs old DD-5 yrs old DS-4 yrs old DS-17 mos old
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 202
L
Member
Member
L Offline
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 202
Quote
Furthermore he is so snowed by the damsel in distress routine I can't see him ever walking away. No matter how many times I've predicted what the OW will say or do my husband still can't see it.

You know, it absolutely horrified my husband when I was able to predict ALL the OW's next moves before she made them. I'm kind of surprised that your H can't see the way she's playing him. The 'Damsel in Distress' routine is old as DIRT! Followed up quickly by the 'Jealousy Routine'. Next thing, she'll start the 'Be Your Own Man Gambit' where she starts teasing him and bringing his manhood into question because he listens to his wife. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif" alt="" />

Did you print off the article that Mr. Wondering posted above? It might help for your husband to read that.

Also print off a copy of the'Why Women Leave Men' article... HERE . This guy isn't letting you into "every room of his house". Not that you're threatening to "leave" him...but I think he'd gain some insight into the emotional distance you're feeling if he can make a connection with the "every room" metaphor.

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 686
I
Member
Member
I Offline
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 686
Can he switch jobs? He can't be the go-to guy as easily if he doesn't work with her.

Just a thought.


BW-me, 29
XH, 29
3 sons-now 6,4,2
Divorce final--Sept. 27, 2006.


Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Quote
And then she goes crying to my husband about how no one likes her and he falls right back in. How do I trust him if he can't be indifferent to her?

Please Help
Mellysue

Melly, you should never trust him until he ends ALL CONTACT. He should not "change" his affair, but END it. That is the only hope. And you should never trust him until that happens.


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
How does he end contact with OW if he works with her. He has posted his resume but is not actively seeking a new job.


"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" ------------------------------------------------------ BS (me) 28 WS 26 Married in Nov. 2000 DD-11 yrs old DD-5 yrs old DS-4 yrs old DS-17 mos old
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
melly, he cannot end contact unless he leaves the job.


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
Being that we are not in a position to have my H change jobs at the drop of a hat what do I do until then? I'm so torn up all the time. When she doesn't work we get along decently well but I hate having to look forward to those days because that's just as depressing. I am becoming obsessed with this EA and I'm so exhausted. Emotionally and otherwise. We're at a point where everything feels so forced but I think a lot of it is me. My H refuses to make the OW take any responsibility for the situation but she is just as much responsible as him. She's made comments about feeling like the OW and putting her phone # under a different name. She is manipulative and my H can't see it. Which is so scary.

Mellysue

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
You will stay torn up until he ends contact. This is exactly WHY Harley is ADAMANT that all contact must end, even if that means a move to another state.

If I were you, I would help it along by exposing the affair to his boss, the Human Resource Director, his parents, the OW's H, her parents, any close friends. I would make it sooo uncomfortable for the affairees that one of them HAD to leave their job.

The alternative is to make you, an innocent victim, very uncomfortable. Let THEM be uncomfortable, Melly, they signed up for this. You didn't.


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
p.s. Melly, I see where MrW advised you to do some more snooping. Have you taken this advice?


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
I'm not sure what to do to further what I already know. I can bug his car but most of their communication is done via text messaging or pinning between their balckberrys. And of course while they are at work. I actually went to his work while they were working together per his request but that was a disaster. I saw more than I wanted to see. They were a lot more friendly than I think even my H believed. I'm not sure how to do more snooping. I can't really snoop on them while they're in work or with text messaging. I routinely check his messages but if he deletes them before getting home I have no way to recover them. If you have any other ideas please let me know.

Mellysue

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
They probably talk on the way home from work. Do you think they communicate via a home computer? What about from your home phone when you are gone?


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
They don't communicate from our house at all-I've already checked but I'm sure they communicate via my H email at work. They seem to only communicate during work hours. Shes very careful about that as she carries a schedule around with her. For instance she is on vacation this week and with her boyfriend and without a work schedule so she has not yet contacted my husband.

Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
I think your best bet then is to put a recording device in his car and see if you can pick up any conversations. Also, do they eat lunch together?


"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena.." Theodore Roosevelt

Exposure 101


Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
What kind of recorder should I purchase? I've seen a lot that I can listen into from a mile or so away from my radio. But the problem with those id that I have to find a way to get it into his work which is truly where I need it the most. However his car is good too. Any suggestions as to which kind to buy? Or any ideas as to how to get one inside his work? That is where they spend the most time communicating. And have the most oppurtunity.

Mellysue

Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 630
1
Member
Member
1 Offline
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 630
Work sounds pretty hard to me - I actually have not seen recorders where you can listen from a mile away ... if you do it at work, it would seem you would need one of those. Where did you see it? I'd be interested to know.

I got 2 digital voice recorders (as opposed to tape).

I have one I bought at http://www.spy-tronix.com/. It wasn't cheap (about $175) but came with everything I needed - including an AC adapter which is very important since they use batteries very fast and all the stuff I needed to connect it to the phone.

I now know I could have gotten one at RadioShack much cheaper. I also bought one there - they did not have one with an AC adapter. I bought this one because the first one I bought was out of commission for awhile.

I think price varies by recording time. More time, more expensive.

They both work great and if you play with it for a few minutes, very easy to operate.

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 195
It's really more of a listening device. The problem is it would be perfect for my H work but I'd have to find a way to get into his work. It's small enough but it does need to be attached to a 9 volt battery. There in lies the problem. The device would probably be easy enough but the battery is weighty and bulky. It seems to be a great way to get inside his work without having to actually witness the two of them again-I just can't figure out how to set it up so that no one would find it.


"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person" ------------------------------------------------------ BS (me) 28 WS 26 Married in Nov. 2000 DD-11 yrs old DD-5 yrs old DS-4 yrs old DS-17 mos old
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
N
Member
Member
N Offline
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
Melly, I saw you mention that he has a Blackberry. Is it through Nextel?


A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
~ English proverb



Neak's Story
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
N
Member
Member
N Offline
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 10,179
The reason I ask is that if it is, his text messages - sent and received - can be accessed online if he has the right plan. I received oodles of intel this way.

I knew the password to his email, so even though I didn't know the login to Nextel at first, I just had them send the user id and password to his email, and deleted them. (Later he gave me the info anyway - it was for a business - but he had no clue I could read every sordid word they exchanged.)


A smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.
~ English proverb



Neak's Story
Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Fordude 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Search
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 436 guests, and 333 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
alexseen, john25, dumps, 11october11, Babuu
72,059 Registered Users
Latest Posts
Can I become attracted to anyone?
by clara jane - 08/27/25 02:42 AM
Annulment reconsideration help
by RonBrown - 08/21/25 11:27 PM
Three Times A Charm
by leorasy - 08/20/25 12:00 AM
Forum Statistics
Forums67
Topics133,625
Posts2,323,528
Members72,060
Most Online8,273
Aug 17th, 2025
Building Marriages That Last A Lifetime
Copyright © 2025, Marriage Builders, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Site Navigation
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 8.0.0