Anonymous wrote:Another one here who was like this with a best friend who later became a lover and the end of the relationship I was in at the time. We were absolutely falling in love; only then do you wake up thinking about a person and have them be the last thing on your mind at night while never actually talking about or engaging in sex.
Honestly, OP, if he hasn't crossed the line and they are not sexting, he has true feelings for her and you should be prepared for having counseling be more about ending your relationship than about getting him back.
Anonymous wrote:he argues that he has a right to define the boundaries of their friendship
And you have the right to define the boundaries of your marriage.
You are absolutely right to raise hell and doing the right thing by going to counseling.
My heart aches for you, though. It's going to be a tough, long road--he's developed a deep attachment to someone else and no matter what else happens, you both will have to deal with the fallout. Stay strong and focused and think about therapy for yourself. Don't tell too many people in your circle--it can come back to bite you--but find someone to be on your side.
I agree it is going to be a tough long road, but there can be a better marriage at the end of it, as someone who has been there. Infatuation is not love.
he argues that he has a right to define the boundaries of their friendship
And you have the right to define the boundaries of your marriage.
You are absolutely right to raise hell and doing the right thing by going to counseling.
My heart aches for you, though. It's going to be a tough, long road--he's developed a deep attachment to someone else and no matter what else happens, you both will have to deal with the fallout. Stay strong and focused and think about therapy for yourself. Don't tell too many people in your circle--it can come back to bite you--but find someone to be on your side.
Anonymous wrote:so completely, utterly wrong. I'm so sorry. He's either flat out lying or in huge denial because deep down he knows its wrong.If they're not already having a physical affair,they are well on their way and this is a totally, wholly inappropriate amount of contact.
I would probably set up an appointment with a therapist, then tell him that his behavior is jeopardizing the marriage, and insist that you go together to counseling, where he tells you whatever he needs to tell you in front of a third party. Tell him that for him to have that much contact with another woman means there are problems in the marriage that you both need to address before divorcing. Thats what I told DH when he was treading on thin ice and it woke him up. He still, to this day, doesn't think he was doing anything "wrong," but therapist convinced him that he owed it to me to stop the contact since it was clearly upsetting me--and if this other woman wasn't important, as he insisted, then he needed to give her up. While it burns me that he's never acknowledged how messed up his behavior was, he understood that I was very, very serious and that it was either me,the kids, our house, our lives or her. but not both.
good luck.

Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:That's exactly how I was with the guy with whom I am now having an affair.
Was he married?