Woman Crushed As She Discovers Her Husband Has Been Providing Emotional Support To Another Woman, All While She Has Been Battling Depression Before His Eyes

In her darkest hours, this woman discovered that her husband's comforting whispers were meant for another woman.

Jesse

• Published in Interesting
• November 5, 2023

Trust is the bedrock of a strong marital foundation. However, like any other foundation, it can develop cracks, and when that trust is compromised, the stability of the entire relationship is threatened.

A major facet of trust revolves around boundaries, especially in the age of constant communication and digital connections. Over-communication with friends of the opposite sex can, at times, strain this trust.

While fostering friendships outside marriage is essential, exchanging several texts a day with your "friend" of the opposite sex can trigger suspicion. How much more when you become the shoulder they lean on for emotional support?

We found a story on the relationship subreddit that paints a vivid picture of this scenario.

The OP (Original Poster) of this story explained that she and her husband have been battling physical and mental health issues for some time. While her husband uses hobbies and friends to de-stress, OP has been left to deal with her issues alone.

Recently, OP's husband rekindled an old friendship with a female friend, who has been active in his life ever since. Aside from exchanging texts on special occasions, they sometimes meet up for food or go to events together.

Although OP had no issues with this 'friendship" at first, she began to feel uncomfortable after discovering that the pair have a habit of exchanging hundreds of texts daily. As OP dug further, the time stamp on these messages showed that her husband texts his "friend" as soon as he wakes up, and nearly every hour until he goes to bed. 

At this point, OP got anxious and angry. Why would her husband spend so much time communicating with his "friend" while barely communicating with her, even tho they live together?

Consequently, OP confronted her husband about this new discovery. And to her surprise, he admitted that not only has he been giving his "friend" emotional support, but he also vents to her about their marital problems.

As it stands, OP is convinced that her husband is emotionally cheating on her with this lady, and it could snowball into physical intimacy anytime soon. But how can she best deal with this "friend" that is tearing her marriage apart?

Let’s dig into the details

A little background

OP noticed that her husband has been making way more calls and texts than usual with friends, especially with an old college female friend

OP decided to discuss her concerns with her husband

The couple have decided on marriage counseling, but OP can’t seem to shake off the feeling that something is going on behind the scenes

Here’s how the Reddit community reacted to the story:

“I think you should be more focused on yourself. He is clearly emotionally cheating on you, and this unacceptable.”

“Therapy will help guide you through the process of confronting each other’s behaviors. But only you two can fix your marriage.“

“Your husband is having an emotional affair with this woman.“

Apparently, OP’s husband is more concerned about his friend’s mental health than her’s

“Your husband is having an emotional affair which could blossom into a physical one.“

“This is already an emotional affair. He has crossed tons of boundaries.”

“You seem extremely understanding; you should be pissed. He's 38 and acting like a hormonal teenager.”

“I think it’s fair to say if it’s as innocent as he claims, you would like to see some of the texts.”

“He must stop any conversation with her and explain she must let both of you focus on your relationship.”

“Check those messages. If he refuses, he's hiding something.”

There is a consensus that OP’s husband is emotionally cheating on her. Commenters are appalled that he is supporting his friend through her mental health, while OP’s own is declining right before his eyes.

OP has been urged to dig deeper into the texts to ensure that this emotional interaction hasn’t graduated to a physical affair already. From there, they can set boundaries and begin working on their marriage.

How would you advise OP to handle this saga in her marriage? Tell us in the comments below.

Jesse