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Update again to working with the opposite sex

RockyRoads's picture

I just have to say, I can't get over his lie about working this women.  He lied and I can't stop hurting. No matter what I tell myself I don't know how . Just venting.

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Rags's picture

Go with your gut. Though this is the 21st century and work places have been co-ed for a very long time.  

My BIL1's then fiancé and ultimately his bovine bride demanded that he not even look at females and not to say a word to them. She even tried to enforce that when he was visiting his sister (my DW).   He was in the Service at that time and stationed across the country from his home town. He would visit us fairly regularly as we were a relatively short bus-ride away in a neighboring state. We had great visits with BIL1.  He is a big C&W music fan and there are a number of great music venues in the city we lived in when he would visit.  The dumb ass would literally turn away from any young woman.  There are several dance halls in and around town where some very good artists performed.  These are notable historic venues.  Honky Tonks, etc...

I was mortified by his pathetic behavior.  Several young women would ask him to dance and he literally would ignore them and turn his back to them. So, I danced with them and we had a great time.  That did not bother my DW one bit.

I would be wary of over playing this hand.  If he is cheating, fry his ass, take him for everything, and put his ass living under the local overpass in a refrigerator box.

However, just because there are women at his work place on teams he is part of does not mean he is cheating.  I have led a number of teams over the years on extended international and domestic business trips that included several women.  All professional.

I did have a Sr leader I was matrixed to who had a problem fishing off of the company pier with young professional women.  He was married with infant twins at that time I was pulled into an invetigation on his behaviors.  Ultimately he got shit canned and some of the young women who would leave his hotel room doing the walk of shame back to their room to get ready for meetings were released as well.

It could destabilize your marriage and your families financial security if you are not careful.  If he is doing nothing untoward and you are being unreasonable in your position I can see how he would think it to be much easier to not share that he is on a travel team that includes a woman if this has been an  ongoing issue.  Withholding that fact is certainly a stupid choice on his part.  However, how much pressure have you applied on this issue during his career and for how long?

That may be relevant.

I hope it all settles out as you prefer.

Take care of you.

RockyRoads's picture

I haven't applied any pressure. He is out of town at least once a month if not more. He works in places where he is with women and has to train them all of the time. I never questioned what he was doing. When we met I worked at a male dominated company. He was the one that originally stated that working with the opposite sex can lead to things if you let it. He is also the one who made me stop talking to a long time male friend because it made him uncomfortable.If he wouldn't have lied this would have never happened. I am now checking the phone records everyday. Her texts are not showing on the call log anymore. iPhone to iPhone you can shut off. And for the past several days she is basically the only person he has made calls to for work. And they have been over an hour at a time. Like I said I always ask him about work . I had asked if he has been busy and if he has been on the phone a lot with problems. These are normal questions I ask. He has always told me I was in the phone with so and so for awhile or a store called and I had to fix something. He has said nothing about talking to her for so long. It is more then likely nothing but once someone lies like this I don't know what to do. 

Rumplestiltskin's picture

More red flags than a communist parade. I think you smell bullshite and know something is off about this guy. You don't know exactly what it is so you are hypervigilant. You might not be right about every little thing but don't let anyone tell you you are being "overdramatic." 

la_dulce_vida's picture

Just based on what you've written, I think this new chick is leaning heavily on your husband for "help" doing her job. Chances are, she doesn't really want to do the work so she pulls the ol "damsel in distress" scheme to get your DH to do her work for her or at least hold her hand while she does it.

She gets someone "big and strong" to do her work and he gets the ego boost of helping the damsel.

The standard line, "I didn't tell you because of how you react" is classic DARVO. They get caught and now it's about how you're defective somehow and he's the victim.

The guilt is strong with this one. Where there's smoke, there's fire. He's likely enjoying her attention a great deal even if it's just low key flirting. This gal has probably mastered stroking male egos to serve her purposes.

Now, I'm really wondering what actually got her fired from her last job.................hmmmm

ESMOD's picture

Did something happen, is something happening.. will something happen? IDK

Are they in what some call "work wife/husband" dynamic.? maybe? where it's platonic, but they rely on each other emotionally? 

At this point, I think you either need to leave.. or go to couple's counseling.  I don't think you can stay with the current dynamic.

Because, why would you want to stay with someone who has such a negative opinion of you? he says he cant tell you things because you always are angry! I mean.. are you? or are you just frustrated by his inability to grow a backbone with everyone else BUT you.

I mean forbid he deprive his children, go against his ex, deny his time to his coworker.. but fight with you constantly? yep.. hide things from you? yep.

Maybe it's the over time wearing down of disagreements over all his kid's activities... maybe he is just not a nice dude

But, like the situation with his kid's sports.. you are raw to it... and I don't think you are crazy for thinking there is more fire than smoke here.  it sounds suspicious as hell.  

I mean.. yeah.. men and women work together all the time.. travel together.. I do it/. but I would never try to lie to my husband or intentionally omit things about it.. THAT is the issue... NOT the travel issue.. it's a intentional effort to mislead you that is the problem.. and this is not new... I think he does it re his kids too.

RockyRoads's picture

I agree it is all of the misleading he does with everything. Acting like he is trying to keep the peace. It is that he has no backbone with anyone else but me.                                          And yes I am suspicious now because of the secrecy for no reason. It would be different if we didn't on the daily ask and tell about each others work. He doesn't have an issue telling me about anyone else at work. This person should be no different because she is a female.  He is making me very uncomfortable about it now. And I don't have answers about what is really going on. When I worked at one job me and a guy were called work wife/husband and when we would train youngsters they were are work children.  We would even have lunch together.  There was zero feelings . It was work and that was it. I didn't rely on him to be emotional support. I agree 100 percent men and women can have a work friendship. It was my SO that does not think you can. And now with the lies on top of him working with a women why would I be able to trust him.

Rumplestiltskin's picture

Maybe he's a pathological liar. That would explain him lying about various things. I mean, can you even trust him when he says it was BM, not him, who cheated? I would be sus about everything that comes out of his mouth, even what he ate for lunch or what type of gas he puts in his car at this point. 

Harry's picture

This can happen at any job.   No job is as important as a marrage.  And if he did it once [ ST boards. Assuming he was marrage before,  you]. He has practice,  and practice makes perfect.  Second time better in hiding his affairs.  Another thing about second marriages.   Is SO,  did it before, he had the [ in moral to do this before. ]You will never fully trust them ever 

Felicity0224's picture

You can't get over it because he didn't make any effort to make amends to you. He deflected the blame on to you for "getting angry" and then distracted you with arguments over other issues.

I lived in a state of hyper vigilance for months and months when I suspected my XH's affair. It was pure misery. I agree with ESMOD that for your own good, you need to either leave or go to therapy together. Living like this is just not sustainable and he's proved that he can't "do the work" on his own. He honestly sounds like a nightmare all around, and his behavior is incredibly suspicious.

notsurehowtodeal's picture

Listen to your "inner voice" - I think it is trying to tell you something. There is a reason that you can't let this go. Hour long phone calls seem like way more than work. Is he doing anything else out of the norm? When my ex was fooling around on me I knew something was going on, but wasn't sure what. Once I discovered the truth, so many little things fell into place. But the biggest thing I ignored was the feeling that something was off. There were many things it could have been, and I looked to those first - while ignoring the biggest one of all.

This is not a good way to live. I would suggest either therapy or a private investigator. I know that sounds a bit out there, but at least you would know for sure. Sorry you are having to deal with this, especially at the holidays.

RockyRoads's picture

He does have to deal with long phones calls. But these are the longest in while. There are no calls after work or on the weekends. I was gone this entire weekend and he would have had the opportunity to call her. But there was nothing.I just wish he would be up front about things when I ask. Like today when he called me at lunch and I asked how things were going he said he had to deal with something with a new branch that is opening and had a lot of back and forth texts and calls with them. These are things he tells me and he has also told me when he had to be in the phone forever. But now when I ask and it was her he says no I wasn't busy on the phones . It just isn't okay. I know I sound crazy.

Winterglow's picture

Ok, from the hip, a good relationship depends on three pillars, trust, communication,  and respect. If one is missing,  the rest all crumbles. Yes, love is important but it's a bonus. If you have love but not all three others, you have a situation that won't withstand the test of time. 

FWIW, I have worked long distance with colleagues and colleagues who became friends and never had  an hour long phone call. If it's a regular occurrence then there is either a clear lack of training (yes, it happens) and needs to be addressed to bring her up to speed or she's not in the right job. Your DH should address this with her superior. It's not his job to cover othe people's lack of experience/competence. 

RockyRoads's picture

He did tell me she Asks a lot of questions and doesn't just try before asking. He said they just need people so bad. They were ready to fire another person that is really bad from what SO said and they decided not to that is how hard up they are. But just today he said he had to be on the phone with his boss for 45 minutes trying to figure something out. I know he does have long conversations but maybe I am just trying to hard to figure out if there is anything going on and making more out of it. I just want him to stop keeping stuff from me and tell me the truth when I ask. I try to get this through to him but it doesn't work.  I just told him about an issue at my work yesterday,where one of our contractors who was just talking about his wife and baby said to one of the male managers here is a gift card for you for Christmas but I am not giving the other manager( a female )a gift card I am going to ask her to go for a drink.  And he did ask her.  My SO said that was horrible and is leading to no good. I said exactly, you are the one who said how easy it is to carry things to far with someone you work with.  He said he wouldn't even ask the female coworker to lunch let alone a drink. I then added in that but you have to watch you are in the phone with her a lot. You could easily get emotionally attached. He said it is not like that all. I don't know why I am so nuts with this. 

Winterglow's picture

Many years ago, I worked with someone who had a leaky brain. You could repeat the same stuff over and over and she would still keep asking the same questions. So, I started insisting she take notes. She'd ask the question again.  "Read your notes." "But it's so much easier to just ask you." "No, it's not. Read your notes." It took a wee while but it worked though it reached a point where the other personnel would vanish into thin air when they heard "Read your notes"...

Winterglow's picture

That even the most hopeless can be trained to learn new stuff and to stop expecting other people to take up their slack. 

AlmostGone834's picture

Does he work from home ever? Could you tape a recording device on the bottom of his chair? 

RockyRoads's picture

He does work from home sometimes.  I would be worried one of my cats would pull it off of somewhere I put it. We both worked from home one day and I heard her call and talk and it didn't sound like anything. But if I could record it it would put my mind at ease to see if there was any flirting.But what a line I would be crossing.

AlmostGone834's picture

I don't know how messy his desk is but they make ones that look like pens and can record for 24hrs and you can buy them online (on Amazon even). You could shove it somewhere in the mess. Or you could duct tape it to the backside of his desk or something 

RockyRoads's picture

I could probably put it somewhere. Is it like voice activated or something? This might be my only option for peace of mind. 

AlmostGone834's picture

Yes some of them are supposed to be voice activated. You can Google search "24 hour audio recording device spy" add in the word "pen" if you want a pen one. Just of course make sure you research any website you want to buy from to make sure it's legit. If you buy off Amazon, read the reviews etc. I've never bought a spy device but they are out there if you want one. 
 

ETA: This is a store in Plano Texas that sells such items 

https://spycentre.com/

Lillywy00's picture

Im not saying your husband is cheating BUT this is one reason why traditional families kept one or both of the spouses at home 

The temptation is real and we spend more of our day with our coworkers than our actual partners 

Line the kitchen table with classified ads for work from home positions if he seems to be struggling managing a coed workplace

Some of these men are only as faithful as the options right in front of them. 
 

Maybe seek some couples and marital therapy for you both. 

RockyRoads's picture

I wish he would have told me from the start and not have lied. If he would have been straight up front with me, I wouldn't have thought anything of it.  And if he would tell me about her like he does all the men he works with I wouldn't be so suspicious.  And I know that it is easy in the work place to cheat.  At my last job I could have hooked up easily with several men. So many of them are easy prey-lol.  They can take any bit of kindness and make it seem like we are flirting. You have to be super careful.  He has worked at this job for 30 years, I don't think there is an option of him finding something new. And I don't think they will be getting rid of her no matter how bad she is. I mean they hired her after a store they did installs at fired her.  And on top of everything else I put up with with this man he now has added this to the list. 

RockyRoads's picture

He finally said something about the calls. He said that he is getting hammered with calls. He said this women needs to learn how to do something that is his specialty.  His boss wants him to train her how to do it.  He said she is taking a lot of his time up and it is getting aggravating. He is upset because his boss told him to quit trying to do everything and then gave him her to deal with on this project that has to be done for her to start going away on her own in January. I didn't tell him I was still looking at the call log. I do know that what this is is very time consuming and you do have to both be on a computer at the same time in order to teach it. He has to be able to remotely take over her screen to show her. I guess that gives me a little piece of mind.Let me know if it still seems suspicious. 

Winterglow's picture

His boss needs to step up. If your dh has to train someone,  his boss needs to plan for that. Training someone isn't something that is just added to the daily grind. You plan it out and do it efficiently. He needs to insist on that because otherwise, it will all be his fault if it doesn't work out. This needs to be officialised.