Fury as Husband Doesn't Return Home Until 7.30am While With 'Another Woman'

Marriage issues can be difficult to navigate, especially when one spouse falls out of love. The internet has slammed a man who supposedly went out with another woman after telling his wife of almost 10 years that he wanted a break from their marriage.

In a post shared on Mumsnet in November, the woman, under the username Southeastlady, wrote that her husband decided he wanted a break from their marriage, and moved himself into the spare room of the house they co-own.

The man spent the night out, and the poster presumes he was with a waitress from a local pub where he never wanted to take her, although she hasn't got concrete proof.

A 2022 ongoing survey of 94,600 respondents estimated that 30 to 60 percent of married couples will cheat at least once in the marriage, with 74 percent of men and 68 percent of women admitting that they'd cheat if it was guaranteed they'd never get caught.

The Mumsnet poster added that her husband, who is significantly younger than her, is very bad with finances and has a few credit-card debts to pay. She wrote that she can't kick him out because he co-owns the house. She is a policewoman who does a few nights shifts a week and has nobody else but him to take care of their 8-year-old son.

Dr. Bahjat Balbous, a psychiatrist at Euromed Clinic Dubai, told Newsweek that there should be no such thing as "a break" in a marriage.

He said: "The whole point of marriage is that it is for better or worse. If one partner does want to have time apart as there are issues in the marriage, then the couple should enter a temporary separation, and certainly not continue to live together in the same house.

"This time apart should allow both partners to reassess their feelings and how the relationship is functioning and whether it can be rebuilt, so that they can be both happy and fulfilled in the marriage," Balbous added.

"It is not a time to start actively dating and, yes, if you do date while you are still married and not formally separated, then this could be considered cheating.

"To me, it seems your husband is hedging his bets as you have made his life very comfortable, not just financially, and this has enabled him to act in a selfish and thoughtless manner," Balbous said.

"If you suspect your husband is seeing other women, then why not confront him? Remember, if he is, then I would suggest he has checked out of the marriage completely, but it is too selfish and immature to call time on the relationship."

According to Balbous, the couple should also be concerned about how their new dynamics can affect their child.

"I truly believe the two of you need to sit down and talk the entire matter through while you still have an amicable relationship," Balbous said. "Neither of you deserves to be in a marriage that is making you unhappy and has a negative impact on your self-esteem.

"Also, it is very unfair on your son and will cause lasting damage, particularly as resentment grows, so it is best to tackle these issues head-on and make a firm decision about the future.

"If you both decide to stay married, I would suggest counseling to help you remedy the challenges you face and reframe the relationship into something more equal.

"If you decide to separate," Balbous said, "then while it may be a daunting prospect, it is also a chance for you to build a new future for yourself, your husband, and your child that will ensure everyone's happiness."

Most of the Mumsnet users who commented on the thread thought she would be better off without her husband. IntrovertedPenguin, commented: "Sorry but lock the door and go to bed. Tomorrow change the locks. Monday get onto a divorce. You are worth so much more op (original poster)."

User dontputitthere commented: "I'm so sorry. Lock the door. Get a divorce lawyer tomorrow. You're worth more than this."

Aloris added: "You're not boyfriend and girlfriend. You are husband and wife. How do you be 'on a break' from being married? It's not a thing. Until you are divorced, he's just cheating."

Newsweek reached out to Southeastlady for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.