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Relationships

Three in the relationship? Sorry, long

40 replies

worcssauce · 12/02/2013 17:04

I've been widowed 4 years. Started internet dating around a year later. Met DP online in September 2010 and dated for around 9 months. DP is a lovely, caring, man who had never married, no children, but had had a longish relationship of 12 years, which had run its course. DP is 4 years younger than me (late forties/early fifties). DP was ready to move on and after a month or two, declared his love for me and wanted to see me more and more. That was scary as I was enjoying dating, and socialising with friends, but not looking for anything too serious, and definitely not ready to have someone moving in and/or introducing them to my late husband's family. I did introduce DP to my children (in their 20s) and they adored him. My mum also met him (liked him too) and I was introduced to his parents and sister. All good so far. However, he wanted to move things on quicker than I did and he started planning holidays and wanting to come straight to my house from work and stay over. Eventually I said I needed space and we split up in June 2011.

We agreed to remain "friends" and for a while, we stayed in touch, but gradually the phone calls/texts got less and less. In December 2011, I sent him a "Happy Christmas" text and he responded by saying how good it was to hear from me. I replied that perhaps we could meet for lunch one day and it was arranged for after Christmas. We had a lovely lunch and I was surprised at how nice it was to see him again, he looked well and I immediately felt an attraction. However, he told me that he had met someone and that he was very happy. So I wished him all the best and said that I was happy for him.

However, a week or so later, he texted to say he would be in my area at the weekend so could he pop in. I agreed and we had a nice afternoon chatting. He told me about his girlfriend, apparently also an internet date and had met her literally days after our split. Three months into the relationship, he moved in with her, like him never married and no kids. He said that once we split, he just tried to put our relationship behind him and move on. Interestingly we had kept in touch for a few months after our split, but he hadn't mentioned the new girlfriend. Anyway, as the afternoon progressed, things got a little amorous and eventually had a snog (nothing more!), for which he apologised. However, after that, we met once a week and began a relationship again. He was still living with his girlfriend at this point, although it was obviously tearing him apart. He told me that she was a lovely lady, didn't deserve this, but that there was "issues" between them which made him think it would eventually split them up. I had to say that he would have to choose as obviously this was no good to either of us. I had never been the OW before and he had never two-timed anyone. He agonised for a couple of weeks and then DP and his girlfriend had a discussion where they both agreed that it wasn't working, that they were friends but didn't love each other. So, he packed his bags and returned to his house. This was a year ago now and our relationship has gone from strength to strength, (I've introduced him to all my family and he's moved into my house), apart from his insistence that the OW remains a friend and someone he cares about. In the early days, the OW was constantly phoning him and they met up from time to time. She apparently told him that "she would be a shoulder to cry when it all goes wrong, as she was convinced he'd made a terrible mistake". I'm not comfortable at all with this, but have had to accept that she's been "needy" and lonely and from time to time, wants support from him. Unfortunately, my DP really doesn't understand that I might not like this friendship and feel uncomfortable with it and I'm made out to be sulky if I complain. The OW also has a good relationship with DPs parents (her own have died), and still is in contact with them regularly. She does contact him slightly less now, but still once a week, which after a year seems a little excessive. I have never met the OW, so I suppose I feel envious that he has a female "friend" (one he was intimate with) that he speaks to regularly and I am not part of it. He reassures me that he has no feelings for OW and hasn't ever regretted leaving her, but she always seems to be in the shadows, either he speaks about her, or she's on the phone (usually they speak at work, since I got upset when she phoned once when I and the children were sitting there). She seems to phone for any reason she can think of and I can't help thinking that, even if he no longer has any feelings for her, she hasn't got over him and it's causing me to feel vulnerable and doubt his feelings towards me. I can't help comparing myself to what I know of her, that is, she's slimmer, 6 years younger, a career lady with a masters degree (though she's been unemployed for the last few months) and highly intelligent and I keep wondering why he chose me? He says he loves me totally (and I love him), but still the doubts remain.

Am I being silly and stupid?

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GoSuckEggs · 12/02/2013 17:16

I think you have some bloody cheek to call HER the OW!!

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BranchingOut · 12/02/2013 17:26

Well, I am not sure if either of you have a stronger claim to him!

The best thing is to tell him that you want to meet her and put this behind you.

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Xales · 12/02/2013 17:29

Yeah I would feel vulnerable and doubt the feelings of a man capable of doing this to another woman.

Shame you can't tell her that you were messing around and in a relationship with the man she was living with before he decided to tell her things weren't working so she can see for herself how worthless he is.

Declaring he wanted to live with you after a few months. Declaring he wanted to live with her after a few months.

Good luck and I hope you don't get your turn being treated like this.

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worcssauce · 12/02/2013 17:51

GSE - you do have a point, however, since we were dating before she met him, you could argue, she was a rebound relationship. I'm not proud that I became an OW, though in total was no longer than three weeks, and he did leave the relationship.

BO - probably do need to meet her, maybe one day.

Xales - thank you, I am vulnerable. I was happily married for 24 years and I really want this to work, but yes, I am worried that my turn will come.

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GoSuckEggs · 12/02/2013 17:55

So what 'rebound' relationship?! Hmm SHE did not poke her beak into your relationship, you were split. YOU have poked your beak into THEIR relationship, therefore YOU are the OW.

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worcssauce · 12/02/2013 18:13

GSE - ok fine, I'm the OW. We are now together, have been for a year and are very happy. I just want his ex-girlfriend to move on and stop poking her beak into our relationship which she has now done for a year.

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desperateforaholiday · 12/02/2013 18:13

So you split up, he met someone else but kept you on the back burner for a while, he eventually cheated on her with you (making you the ow) and now your worried about her keeping in touch, . Sounds like he's the sort of bloke that always needs a back up plan, how can you trust a man that meets someone days after you split, moves in with that person while still keeping in contact with you, cheats on her then starts the cycle all over again with you?

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worcssauce · 12/02/2013 18:22

desperateforaholiday - I guess that's it in a nutshell, however, I don't think it's a back up plan, I genuinely think he's too nice to cut off contact. That would sum him up really.

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FayeKorgasm · 12/02/2013 18:38

OP if he was so 'nice' he wouldn't have played around with you behind his ExGF's back.

I wouldn't be surprised if you both haven't changed roles.

I would also wonder why he wants to move in to his girlfriend (whoever it is) house so quickly. That would be a big red flag for me.

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GoSuckEggs · 12/02/2013 18:41

'you could argue, she was a rebound relationship' you could argue until you are blue in the face, but you would still be the one is the wrong.

I do hope that your turn will come. You ARE the other woman, you are having an affair with someone in a relationship.

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GoSuckEggs · 12/02/2013 18:44

Sorry I thought that you was currently the other woman.

looks like it will be 'your turn' sooner rather then later.

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desperateforaholiday · 12/02/2013 19:00

But he didn't cut off contact with you and you ended up having an affair with him, how do you know that won't happen again. I dont agree with having affairs but if I was in your place I would tell him to cut contact or its over.

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worcssauce · 12/02/2013 19:10

The point of the post was to ask MNers if it was acceptable for an ex to still need contact/support after a year since the relationship was ended. Yes, I was an OW for three weeks in Jan 2012, none of us were married and there are no children involved. It happened, and I'm sorry that the ex-girlfriend was hurt, but DP and I have been happily together for the past year and hopefully will continue to be so. Of course, I'm worried this might happen to me later on (or sooner), but if I didn't take a risk on what might hopefully be a happy long relationship, would I regret it, probably. You only have one life, and I want it to be a happy fulfilled one. Should the relationship break down then I will pick myself up and carry on as I have done before when my DH died.

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worcssauce · 12/02/2013 19:12

desperateforaholiday - he did cut off contact with me. I didn't hear from him for four months and then it was me who resurrected contact with a "Happy Xmas" text, which he responded to - I didn't know then that he was in another relationship at that time.

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desperateforaholiday · 12/02/2013 19:23

I agree its not acceptable, he should cut contact. Im just saying he seems to be forming a pattern.

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tribpot · 12/02/2013 19:40

So essentially 'all' that has happened is he wants to stay friends with an ex? This is his choice, no?

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GoSuckEggs · 12/02/2013 19:46

So you started a post to ask if he can have a friend? Hmm

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maleview70 · 12/02/2013 20:00

Some of these responses are very harsh. She has asked for help with something that clearly is bothering her yet rather than offer support and guidance on the question raised, people choose to attack. If you don't have anything constructive to say then sometimes silence really is golden.

I think OP you will find on here many women who have been hurt by an OW (and clearly can't get over it) and therefore you end up with answers like these.

Every relationship is a gamble. Personally I would see if he is open to you all meeting up and therefore getting to know her better. If he isnt then you can't really stop him being friends with her if that's what he said he was in the first place. You will just have to trust him. If you had a good marriage for 24 years, I can see how scary it must be to leave yourself open to someone again. Still better to have loved and lost as they say so a gamble worth taking.

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izzyizin · 12/02/2013 20:05

He was in a relationship which he claimed had 'run its course' when he signed up to the online dating site through which you met him back in Sept 2010.

Having placed yourself in the position of being the ow, he declared his love for you shortly thereafter but, having allegedly left his former long term dp, your relationship with him ended in December 2011 whereupon he allegedly met another unsuspecting woman online moved in with her shortly thereafter.

Knowing he was living with another woman, you rekindled your relationship with him in January 2012 and were happy to be the ow once more until he 'returned to his house' before eventually moving in with you.

Has it occurred to you that the 2nd ow he allegedly met online and moved in with within days of your breakup in 2011 may be one and the same as the woman he cheated on when he first met you - the one he had a 12yr relationship with, which would explain her 'good relationship' with his dps?

Whether it's acceptable for an ex to continue to still need contact/support a year after a relationship has ended is not the question.

The question is why is he engaging in contact with her? Once you have an honest answer to this question, you'll be able to decide whether it's acceptable to you to be one of 2 or more strings to his bow.

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izzyizin · 12/02/2013 20:07

CORRECTION TO 2ND PARA: your relationship with him ended in June 2011 whereupon he allegedly met another unsuspecting woman online.

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CabbageLeaves · 12/02/2013 20:11

I think you are uncomfortable with his relationship with her because you know exactly what he is capable of doing...having a relationship behind your back this time?

I'd leave. Whether you make him split up with her or not he's still the person who could do that. He went into it eyes open. I think you were a little less conscious of your role

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Foxy12345 · 12/02/2013 20:52

She is his back up plan. If things go wrong with you, he can always go back to her - he's keeping her warm. I'd put my foot down - its ok to have friends but not ones that you feel worried about.

The moment she's distracted by someone else their "friendship" will dwindle, so you could wait for that. But I'd prefer him to be respectful of you. If she really is just a friend, he can bring her to meet you. But I suspect not - in which case an occasional text hello or catch up coffee is ok but not full blown emotional support. If you tell him it upsets you and he still contacts her every week he's not worth it

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Lueji · 12/02/2013 21:30

To be very honest I don't think I'd be able to trust him.

The trying to and moving in too quickly, the suddenly going back to you, the cheating.

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worcssauce · 12/02/2013 23:49

Thank you so much maleview, so nice to hear a supportive message.

Izzyizin - When we met in Sept 2010, DP was single and I was not an OW. His partner of 12 years lives locally and I have met her. There are no feelings between them whatsoever. They split up in February 2010 several months before I knew him. We went out for 9 months before splitting in June 2011. When we met again in January 2012, he told me he had met someone - this person lived 50 miles away and one of the reasons for moving in so quickly was the distance, though he still maintained his own property. We rekindled our relationship while he was still with this girlfriend, but three weeks after rekindling, i.e February 2012, he ended their relationship and moved back to his property. We then continued our relationship from January 2012 until October 2012, when he moved in with me, having both decided our relationship was worth something. The four months we have been living together has been fabulous. The ONLY glitch is his continuing (mostly phone) contact with the ex girlfriend. I have seen her photograph and she is not the same person as his previous partner of 12 years, who incidentally his parents did not like. He does want me to meet his ex girlfriend and I think I will do so, I just feel unsure if that is a good idea or not. He has reassured me that she is not, and will not, be his back-up plan.

Foxy - thank you, you seem to understand very well and I'm grateful as some of the posts have been rather harsh. There are a lot of people on here with OW problems and obviously I'm not oblivious to that. As several people have already said, it may happen to me, as it may and does happen to others. I didn't set out to be an OW, and in the end he made a choice to be with me and we are very happy.

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badinage · 13/02/2013 00:22

It's just his spin on things though isn't it that she is 'needy' and is the one who always phones him? Because you've never met her, you've got no way of corroborating much of anything he's told you; their relationship before, the way it ended, their relationship now. What I do know though is that no-one keeps in touch with an ex who still hankers after the relationship, just to provide support and help. There's always something in it for him; an ego boost, a fall-back plan, a bolthole or a fully-fledged relationship. I certainly don't think it's because he's 'too nice' because when it suited him, he was extremely cruel to her.

What's your relationship like with his parents and his friends?

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