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
#2305324 01/14/10 04:17 PM
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
I want to tell my in-laws my suspicions that their daughter is having a sexual affair. After all, I found her emails to the OM; he moved back here last summer and called our home late at night and hung up; we had sex only once a month last year; and she moved out last fall. Absent proof, such as photos, won't my IL's deny, deny, deny?

---

Me, BH: 39
Her, WW: 32
Two young kids
Wife had EA in fall '08
Wife moved out in fall '09
First marriage for both; never lived together; together for a decade

Last edited by MichaelJan2010; 01/14/10 04:17 PM.
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 92,985
Likes: 1
Originally Posted by MichaelJan2010
I want to tell my in-laws my suspicions that their daughter is having a sexual affair. After all, I found her emails to the OM; he moved back here last summer and called our home late at night and hung up; we had sex only once a month last year; and she moved out last fall. Absent proof, such as photos, won't my IL's deny, deny, deny?

This is why you need evidence. Then there is no dispute. All you have is a suspicion.


"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: Oct 2000
Posts: 35,996
P
Member
Member
P Offline
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 35,996
Have you been a good son in law?
Have you treated their daughter right?

If your answer is "yes" to both questions, then they are more likely to believe you.

Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
Pepperband,

I think I've been a good son in law. I'm courteous to them and chat them up; asked my father-in-law for his daughter's hand in marriage; and was praised by them at one of their sibling's wedding last year. However, they were concerned about my lack of steady employment in the first four years of our marriage and lack of a good job last year.

Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 192
T
Member
Member
T Offline
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 192
Guess it depends on the inlaws. My wife is having an EA, actually has had several of them in our marriage. My father inlaw continues to deny that she's having an affair, but gets upset with her for telling these guys she's in love with them. Don't really know what to say to you, but you can at least try.


D - Day: 11/7/2009
Ended it with OM: 11/7/2009
Broke NC: 11/9/2009
D - Day 2: ~ 12/10/2009
Started Plan A: 1/8/2010
Found MB: 1/13/2010
Ended it with OM: 1/22/2010 ???
Filed for Divorce: 4/9/2010
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,738
D
Member
Member
D Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 1,738
FWIW, my in-laws never asked for my evidence. I explained the circumstances, explained what she was doing, and asked for their help in how to deal with it. They empathized, explained they had seen a lot of this going on, and offered advice.

Note that I explained it this way: "Your daughter is having an affair with a man named Barrel Jumper. It has not yet become sexual, but I am afraid if it continues it will, and she has is removing herself emotionally from the marriage to make room for him." This explanation perfectly explains the facts, it gets across to parents what an "EA" is: it's just an affair like any other affair, but hasn't YET become sexual.


Doormat_No_More
(Formerly Barnboy)
Original thread lost in the forum purge of '09.
4 months after D-Day
1 year after D-Day
Two Years Later
Four Years Later
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 12,357
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 12,357
Originally Posted by MichaelJan2010
I want to tell my in-laws my suspicions that their daughter is having a sexual affair. After all, I found her emails to the OM; he moved back here last summer and called our home late at night and hung up; we had sex only once a month last year; and she moved out last fall. Absent proof, such as photos, won't my IL's deny, deny, deny?

---

Me, BH: 39
Her, WW: 32
Two young kids
Wife had EA in fall '08
Wife moved out in fall '09
First marriage for both; never lived together; together for a decade

If you have a history of being a stable and loving H, and present your concerns in a calm yet concerned way, they should believe you.


D-Day 2-10-2009
Fully Recovered and Better Than Ever!
Thank you Marriage Builders!

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,775
Z
Member
Member
Z Offline
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,775
My in-laws believed me and even told me that i should not doubt that I had it right when I told them. Thye knew their daughter.

Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,116
H
Member
Member
H Offline
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,116
My in-laws believed me, too, and have been my biggest supporters -- with the kids, financially, emotionally, etc.

They never once wavered. It's always been about "what is right" and an affair is not right. Both held firm that they are not just protecting and defending me -- their DIL -- but their grandchildren.

They are embarrassed, to say the least, about their son and his actions. They have limited contact with him, but when they do have contact, they let him have it with both barrels. They are in the process of taking him out of their will. They pushed me to get an attorney when WH filed, and FIL accompanies me to meetings with the attorney.

So... it depends on the ILs -- their morals, values, etc. -- how this will go over. I'm fortunate that not only ILs are on my side, but so are his siblings.


Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,416
T
Member
Member
T Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,416
Speaking as a FWW, if you observed my lifelong relationship with my parents, it would seem that they wuld never have believed such a thing about "Their Girl." But they did, an they did not sugar coat to me their grave disappointment. It was awhile before my dad talked to me much. And they have had concerns about my H's employment and other things in the past. But when it came to this, they pulled no punches. Adultery was w-r-o-n-g, and they were clear about that.

Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
Zelmo, holyheart, and lurioosi2 have good in-laws. Mine are religious, down to earth, but also protective of their kids. Before my wife moved out last fall, I called my mother in law and said I had all but landed a new, high-paying job. "What job?!" she asked, and after I explained it to her, did not seem to buy my explanation. I appreciate people's comments, but I suspect my in laws won't be satisfied until they see photos of their daughter in law with a man not her husband.


Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
Why are you so hung up on what they believe? You may be able to produce photos of her in bed with OM and they might still support her.


Me: 56 (FBS) Wife: 55 (FWW)
D-Day August 2005
Married 11/1982 3 Sons 27,25,23
Empty Nesters.
Fully Recovered.
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
Blood is thicker than water unfortunately.


Me: 56 (FBS) Wife: 55 (FWW)
D-Day August 2005
Married 11/1982 3 Sons 27,25,23
Empty Nesters.
Fully Recovered.
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
Then again, so is soup.


Me: 56 (FBS) Wife: 55 (FWW)
D-Day August 2005
Married 11/1982 3 Sons 27,25,23
Empty Nesters.
Fully Recovered.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 860
T
Member
Member
T Offline
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 860
Originally Posted by bigkahuna
Then again, so is soup.

OK, BK, now THAT was funny......

FIL and his wife preferred to play Switzerland, and didn't want to get involved or take sides.

MIL offered some support but never to the extent that I needed it. She was worried that her daughter, 'Tonya McBeal' or 'Skattorney' (I'm torn between both of these great names for WW) would cut her off from seeing the boys.

But the 'blood is thicker' line totally applies. The highest ranking I'd ever get from MIL was #3 -- behind her grandsons and her daughter.

Kudos to the IL's who stood up to the scuzzy behavior. Maybe it's the lenses through which I now view life, but if one of the boys grows up to partake in such tawdriness, I will NOT take a stance similar to that of the country known for watches, chocolate and bank accounts....

Thanks,
TB



Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
My IL's were dead but she did have an affair enabling sister who never ratted her out to me even though she knew what was going on.


Me: 56 (FBS) Wife: 55 (FWW)
D-Day August 2005
Married 11/1982 3 Sons 27,25,23
Empty Nesters.
Fully Recovered.
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 403
E
Member
Member
E Offline
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 403
Well, my IL's are supportive and are furious with thier son. They weren't sure who the OW was, but pointed me in the right direction, telling me what they did know. My WH knows they are against what he's doing and so he avoids them like the plague. My FIL told me that he's my biggest supporter and encouraged me to take him for everything he has; said he was always a spoiled brat that ran away anytime things got hard, even when he was little.


Married 11/21/03
BW 40 (me)
WS 37
DD-14
DS-10
H went to Iraq 1/7/09-10/5/09
D-Day 10/29/09
Got the D papers 11/21/09 (Our 6th Anniversary)
Not giving up! Still on Plan A
I can only get stronger!
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
BK,

I want my in-laws to pressure my WW. If they don't believe me, why would they pressure her to stop the A?

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
B
Member
Member
B Offline
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 7,464
OK - do you have evidence yet? Have you spoken to OM'sW? Asking questions here is good but it doesn't substitute for action.


Me: 56 (FBS) Wife: 55 (FWW)
D-Day August 2005
Married 11/1982 3 Sons 27,25,23
Empty Nesters.
Fully Recovered.
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
M
Member
Member
M Offline
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 62
I don't have evidence; only a strong circumstantial case. That's why I haven't taken action.

Page 1 of 2 1 2

Moderated by  Fordude 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Search
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 431 guests, and 99 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Toothsome, IO Games, IronMaverick, Gregory Robinson, Limkao
72,038 Registered Users
Latest Posts
Three Times A Charm
by Vallation - 07/24/25 11:54 PM
How important is it to get the whole story?
by still seeking - 07/24/25 01:29 AM
Annulment reconsideration help
by abrrba - 07/21/25 03:05 PM
Help: I Don't Like Being Around My Wife
by abrrba - 07/21/25 03:01 PM
Following Ex-Wifes Nursing Schedule?
by Roger Beach - 07/16/25 04:21 AM
My wife wants a separation
by Roger Beach - 07/16/25 04:20 AM
Forum Statistics
Forums67
Topics133,625
Posts2,323,524
Members72,039
Most Online6,102
Jul 3rd, 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