Hello Bees. A few days ago I was sitting at my office desk when my husband came in the room and looked visibly upset. As tears welled up in his eyes he told me that a month earlier he received oral sex from a girl he met in a bar. Him and his friends were away for the night in another city, got really drunk and invited girls back to their hotel room. He said after 30 seconds he realized he was making a huge msitake and told her to stop.
Hearing those words come out of his mouth turned my World upside down and I've been feeling sick ever since. He has been crying non-stop and telling me how much he loves me and that it was a huge mistake and that it would never happen again. He said he drank too much that night and was so out of it. He's also agreed to stop drinking and went for an STI test today.
I asked him why he would even tell me and not just hide it since there would be no way of me ever finding out, and he said he didn't want to hide it from me and it was driving him crazy for the last month.
I know all the passwords to all of his accounts and have always had complete control over our banking, credit cards etc. There has never been anything suspicious in the past and I've always trusted him 100%.
I just don't know what to do. A million things are going through my head and I go from being really sad..to mad...to feeling worthless. We have been together for over 10 years and married for a year and a half. No kids.
I haven't told any friends or family because I'm so ashamed and just don't know where to go from here. I'm wondering if anyone has been through a similiar situation and what you did?
Any advice or thoughts would be helpful. Thank you.
I think it's a really really good thing that he came and admitted this to you rather than you finding out. If you had somehow found out on your own, I would say leave him. That he came to you means he felt guilt and remorse over the action - although I'm sure there's some people who would say he is looking for an easy out of your relationship, it sounds like he's genuinely remorseful. Give him a second chance, but be honest and open and communicate together to be sure that there isn't some underlying issue in your relationship, and it's not just that he was blitzed out of his mind and allowed this to happen.
@Annabelles: First of all, I'm sorry you're going through this. I can't imagine the pain and anguish you're going through. With that said, it sounds like your husband is truly sorry and that's why he told you. It's great that you two are able to communicate with one another so openly. Imagine if he didn't tell you and you did happen to find out secondhand? I think that'd be worse. For me, I would give him a second chance. However, if you feel that you cannot continue your marriage knowing that this happened, then maybe separation or divorce is the answer. But it does sound like he loves you and is truly sorry. Hope everything works out for you.
I think it really depends on if you feel like you'll be able to truly forgive him and trust him again. I didn't vote, because I would be confused as well in your situation and I'm not sure it's as cut and dry as either leaving or giving him a second chance.
The first two responses are exactly what I wanted to say. I am so sorry you are going through this. Has he gotten a STD test since he cheated?
id try to work through it with counselling or something. Bear in mind though, a lot of people who feel guilty will tell a half truth ie
that it was a peck on the lips - when it was a passionate kiss
it was just a kiss - when it was fooling around or more
i started but felt guilty - i felt guilty but much later than im telling you
so they feel like theyre confessing, but not everything. id be very certain thats all that happened before i started to work on things
@Annabelles: Wow. I'm so sorry you are going through with this. ((HUGS)). I had an ex-boyfriend cheat on me. He didn't even have the decency to tell me but only admitted after I confronted him when I found out from a mutual friend of ours. We eventually broke up bc I couldn't re-establish the trust in our relationship. My advice to you is to give it time and see if he is genuine in his attemps to repair this breach of trust. Also time will give you the chance to see if you want to allow him the opportinuty to do so. Good luck!
Thank you so much for the quick responses, I have been feeling so alone the past few days and it really helps to have support and advice. The first day I couldn't even look at him and just curled up in a little ball and cried. We're slowly starting to talk more and he hasn't left my side.. other then to go and get an STI test done (won't have full results for another few days but no std's were found today)
I agree with previous posters in that I'm impressed that he came to you on his own when he could have just hid it from you and hoped you didn't find out. If he did instead tell her to stop after 30 seconds - well, in a way, that would have taken a lot of self-control on his part. He could have just said "screw it, i've started doing this might as well keep on it" but he asked her to stop, which might say something. If I were his wife, I would be slightly happier that he chose to stop like that. Of course, that doesn't mean that you aren't suffering a great deal because he still went way too far and did something that was flat-out wrong.
I didn't vote, because at the end of the day, my opinion doesn't really matter. I don't know the dynamics of your relationship or what exactly you're feeling right now. Basically, I'm saying that I'll support you in your decision no matter what you decide.
If I were you I would want to know more about the events that unfolded that night. Your husbands interaction with the woman? Did he claim to be single? What led up to the oral sex.....was there kissing, etc?
I have been with someone who was unfaithful and as much as I tried I was not able to get over it.
I do encourage you to seek some counseling while dealing with this.
@newname_99: I totally know what you're saying because that's what I've been questioning him about over and over! He said it was oral sex that lasted 30 seconds but I have a hard time believing there wasn't anything else that went on or how long it went on for.
I guess this is my wall going up and having no trust right now but I can't help my mind wandering there!
I'm so sorry you are going through this, normally I am not one for forgivness and second chances but I think in your situation it is a little different.. yes what he did was wrong (VERY WRONG!) but he told you.. he didn't wait for you to find out.
I personally would have a hard time believing any guy would give up a BJ after 30 seconds but I also don't see why anyone would lie about it either.. I think that being together for so long you owe it to yourself to see if you can get past it, 10 years is a long time.
Good luck, I hope it all works out for you. Xx
I cheated on my FI a little over a year ago and it was a similar situation. He was furious with me... would talk to me, then screamed at me, then cried. In the end, it took a while for us to return to normal and he's still not totally over it and it comes up every now and then but we just talk out the current feelings and try not to retread the original blows. As long as you feel like you can, one day, move past it... He is your husband. You chose him and he chose you, you both owe it to eachother to work on this and not bail on, what will hopefully be his only, one screw-up.
It's up to you whether you want to give him another chance... but couples therapy is a good option for you to see if you can work through it.
I know this isn't a popular opinion but I don't understand why people tell.
I mean, he told you because it was driving HIM crazy. I think the punishment for cheating should be him having to live with what he did for the rest of his life.Maybe in certain instances it can be good for a marriage and I hope that's what happens for you. It just seems to me like a lot of people tell for the wrong reasons.
I think you should give him another chance. It seems like he really regrets it and he at least told you the truth in the end.
DONT feel badly about not trusting him. Of course you don't trust him right now. I definitely wouldn't either.
I voted that you should give him a second chance, but he better work to regain your trust. Let it take time. It kind of doesn't sound like the whole truth IMO... Regardless, don't make yourself feel worse by feeling obliged to trust more than you do right now.
IMO it sounds like he is sincere and very sorry If you feel you will be able to forgive and trust him again (it will take a lot of time) then I say 2nd chance and none of your friends or family needa to know because they will view him differently and you dont want that. Good luck girl and I am sorry that happened:(
@jessdoxy: I've asked him to go through the entire night detail for detail. As painful as it is, I feel like I need that information. He said that him and his friends met these girls toward the end of the night and that he didn't mention he was married. As they all walked back to the hotel he said nothing was going through his mind that he wanted to hook up and that they were all just going to "hang out" after the bar. He said he was laying on the bed under the covers when the girl climbed under and started doing it. Thank you for your advice, I think I will need counseling no matter what!
@Annabelles: I'm so sorry. Alcohol does something to your resistance but he needs not to drink that much when he hangs out with friends.
@Annabelles: This is exactly why he shouldn't have told you Because he's just trying to cover his ass.
Do you really think the blowjob fairy visited your husband? If so, he's the luckiest man alive.
@Annabelles: I'm sorry for what your going through. It's hard to know whats really the right thing to do. Something like this makes it really hard to trust someone again, which in some cases is tougher on the relationship then the actual cheating is. It sounds like theres still more to his story, who's going to walk over from across the room with no signal or cue that it's okay to do that. My fiance didn't cheat but I did find out he was lying to me about some things and I still struggle with it. Good luck, I hope that you can work through things, but don't be scared to worry about your happiness in this situation either.
@Jer72: One of the first sentances that came out of my mouth was "why did you tell me" . It might seem silly to a lot of people but I really wish he wouldn't have told me. I honestly feel like he won't do it again and it was a one time huge mistake..so he could have just saved me the pain and lived with it himself.
His reasoning was that I'm just too sweet and he felt so guilty everytime he looked at me and felt like he needed to come clean.
"The blowjob fairy" LOL . . .
This is a tough one, Annabelles, and I'm so sorry for what you're going through - so painful!
But I kind of agree with others that it doesn't seem like you're getting the whole story here. IMO, a married man should not be catting around town with women he just met at a bar. What else did he think was going to happen?
Does he travel often for work? If so, you'll have a bigger challenge working through this, because every time he goes out of town you are going to be worried sick, and the wound will stay open and raw . . .
But if the night away is a rare occurence, then couples counseling will probably help in the intiial stages, and then he's going to have to earn back your trust. And no more out-of-town overnight trips unless you go along, until you decide he's trustworthy.
What a bummer, girl! But hang in there . . .
*hugs* I'm sorry that this happened. I really believe in second chances for cheating, especially as it was not an emotional affair, it was strictly physical want. I too would need all the nitty gritty details so that I can know what happened, rather than imagining it.
Honestly it sounds like he was out, with his boys, drunk and just went with the flow rather than standing up for himself. It can happen, the attention felt good, made him feel like he still "had it" even though he is an "old married fuddy duddy". That carnal lust is strong, very strong and he let it get the better of him.
You just have to decide if you can forgive him for this mistake. He did come forward and tell you on his own, that's a big deal and a good thing.
To me, this mistake would not be enough to throw away a 10 year relationship. But if you decide to forgive him and move past it, you have to actually move past it. You cannot use this as ammo every time you yourself do something wrong.
Oh! And DO NOT tell anyone in real life. They will forever hold it against him (and you if you decide to work it out) and you will regret it.
The outpour of support on here is more than I ever expected and I can't tell you how much it is helping me cope! My gut feeling tells me he is being truthful that it's only happened once and will never happen again, however I don't feel like I'm getting the whole truth.
Like a lot of you have mentioned, the part of the story I'm having a hard time believing is that this girl just slid on under the covers and did this for only 30 seconds and it ended.
I will keep digging for more until I feel like I'm getting the whole truth (who knows if ever will at this point, but now that he admitted it to me I can't help but want to know the whole story.)
@Tickles: I agree! Our family and friends would be devasted and would never look at him the same which is why I haven't told anyone! We actually have(had) an amazing relationship and I can only imagine the shock if I did tell anyone. He is also very close to my family and if we do mend our relationship I know they would never allow him to be close to them again. I'm with you on this!
@Annabelles: From someone who has been married 22 years, since I was 18. Let it go. if you choose to forgive him then let him know that you know there is more to the story and you don't believe his version is exact. But then, try and find a way to let it go. More details will only lead to more hurt.
I'm sorry you're going through this.
I think you should give him another chance and if you can't bring yourself to trust him then get a divorce. But you should at least try. I hope my husband and I can stay faithful. It is so hard to rebuild trust. I'm so sorry you have to go through this, I truly hope it makes you stronger as a couple.
He sounds genuinely sorry.
I am not condoning what he did, but I think you've got enough history there that a second chance wouldn't be out of the question. But make sure he knows that you are serious... NO THIRD CHANCES.
That is what I would do...
I'm so sorry you're going through this. BUT I have to say, I don't believe it's a good thing that he went and told you, and I don't think he did it for you. He did it for him. To relieve his guilt.
@bebero: OR because he was with a group of friends whom he was worried would tell her and he knows that she would much rather hear about it from him than from one of his friends.
Telling you is the cruelest thing he could have done. He did it to assuage HIS guilt, nothing more. If he loves you, why has he saddled you with this burden? Being truthful in this instance does not make him honorable, it makes him a coward. I also think you're getting a watered-down version of what really happened. He's just covering his ass.
Honestly, I would just forgive him. And he shouldn't of told you. There are two types of cheating, emotional and physical, and emotional cheating is a lot worse.
48% of men rated emotional dissatisfaction as the primary reason they cheated.
So much for the myth that for men, cheating is all about sex: Only 8 percent of men said that sexual dissatisfaction was the main factor in their infidelity. "Our culture tells us that all men need to be happy is sex," Neuman says. "But men are emotionally driven beings too. They want their wives to show them that they're appreciated, and they want women to understand how hard they're trying to get things right." The problem is that men are less likely than women to express these feelings, so you won't always know when your guy is in need of a little affirmation. "Most men consider it unmanly to ask for a pat on the back, which is why their emotional needs are often overlooked," Neuman says. "But you can create a marital culture of appreciation and thoughtfulness — and once you set the tone, he's likely to match it."
66% of cheating men report feeling guilt during the affair.
The implications are a little scary: It isn't just uncaring jerks who cheat. In fact, 68 percent of cheaters never dreamed they'd be unfaithful, and almost all of them wished they hadn't done it, Neuman says. Clearly, guilt isn't enough to stop a man from cheating. "Men are good at compartmentalizing feelings," Neuman explains. "They can hold on to their emotions and deal with them later." So even if your husband swears he would never cheat, don't assume it can't happen. It's important for both of you to take steps toward creating the marriage you want.'
77% of cheating men have a good friend who cheated.
Hanging around friends who stray makes cheating seem normal and legitimizes it as a possibility. The message he's subconsciously telling himself: My friend is a good guy who happens to be cheating on his wife. I guess even the best of us do it. You can't simply ban your husband from hanging out with Mr. Wandering Eyes, Neuman says, but you can request that they spend their time together in an environment that offers less temptation, like at a sporting event or a restaurant for lunch rather than at a bar or club. Another strategy: Build your social circle around happily married couples that share your values — it'll create an environment that supports marriage.
Only 6% of cheating men had sex with a woman after meeting her that same day or night.
Actually, 73 percent of men got to know the other woman for more than a month before they cheated. This means that you may have time to see the warning signsbefore infidelity occurs — you might even see it coming before he does. Keep an eye out for these common signals: He spends more time away from home, stops asking for sex, picks fights more frequently, or avoids your calls. Your gut reaction may be to confront him, but most men will deny even thinking about cheating — especially if nothing physical has occurred yet. Instead, Neuman suggests, take charge of what you can control — your own behavior — and take the lead in bringing your marriage to a better place. Don't hesitate to show your appreciation for him, prioritize time together, and initiate sex more. Give him a reason to keep you at the front of his mind, Neuman says. And be open about how you feel about what's going on between the two of you (again, without mentioning any third parties). Try, "I think we've started to lose something important in our marriage, and I don't want it to disappear." In the meantime, commit to keeping tabs on your relationship and doing what it takes to keep it working for you.
Only 12% of cheating men said their mistress was more physically attractive than their wife.
In other words, a man doesn't stray because he thinks he'll get better sex with a better-looking body. "In most cases, he's cheating to fill an emotional void," Neuman says. "He feels a connection with the other woman, and sex comes along for the ride." If you're worried about infidelity, focus on making your relationship more loving and connected, not on getting your body just right or mastering new sexual positions. (But know that sex does matter — it's one of the key ways your guy expresses his love and feels close to you, so be sure to keep it a priority.)
I really think that this is salvageable and I think he made a one time mistake. As difficult as it is and is going to be I wouldn't give up. Go to counselling and work through this; I get a lovely feeling that he is a decent man who has made a heartbreaking mistake.
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