People Tell The True Stories They Need To Get Off Their Chest
13 . My Husband's Work Wife Is Trying To Destroy Our Marriage
"I (31F) am at my wits' end with my husband's (32M) coworker Sarah (30F), and his complete inability to see what's happening. Where do I even start? Three years ago, my husband Mark started working with Sarah. At first, I tried to be welcoming. I invited her to our BBQs, included her in group outings, and genuinely tried to be friendly. Big mistake. She spent the entire time making backhanded comments about everything from my career ("Oh, you're just a yoga instructor? How... peaceful.") to my cooking ("I guess not everyone can master basic seasoning"). The real problem is that Mark thinks she's "just being funny." Last month, she literally threw away the anniversary mug I gave him because it "clashed with the office aesthetic." When I got upset, Mark said I was being too sensitive and that "Sarah just has high standards for office decor." IT WAS A MUG WITH OUR WEDDING PHOTO ON IT. Some greatest hits from Sarah: She scheduled a "mandatory" work dinner on our anniversary. She convinced Mark not to take a promotion because it would mean working with a different team. She posts daily photos of them together with hashtags like #WorkPowerCouple and #WorkSpouse. She tells everyone at their office that she "takes better care of him than I do." She changed his coffee order and now tells everyone she "trained him right." The worst part? My husband is completely blind to all of this. Yesterday, he actually told me about how Sarah said our new house (which we spent months searching for) was "charming, in a starter home kind of way." He repeated this while LAUGHING. I tried talking to him about it, but Sarah has convinced him I'm "just insecure." She's managed to insert herself into every aspect of our lives. They text constantly - even on weekends. She knows his schedule better than I do. She rearranged his entire desk and office wardrobe because his style was "too suburban husband." THAT'S WHAT HE IS! Last week, I suggested marriage counseling. He looked genuinely confused. He of course went and talked to Sarah about it. I found out from another coworker that she's been telling people that Mark and I are "going through a rough patch" and that she's "just being a good friend by giving him someone to talk to." We weren't going through anything until she started this nonsense! The breaking point? I stopped by his office to surprise him with lunch (I know, I know, but it was his birthday and Sarah was supposedly out sick). Guess who was there? Sarah. She'd "miraculously recovered" and bought him a cake that said "To my work hubby" with a photo of them from the office holiday party. She saw me and said, "Oh, Amy! You came too... how nice. Mark, you didn't tell me your real wife was coming!" I'm not crazy, right? This woman is trying to destroy my marriage while my husband stands there grinning like it's all some big joke. What do I do? Divorce seems extreme, but I'm running out of options here."
