A married mother of two says a text on her husband’s phone changed how she sees the coworker he calls his work wife. In a post on Reddit by u/Dusk2312312 in r/emotionalaffair, the woman claims the message read, “I miss you. Can we talk tonight? I need my best friend.” She reportedly saw it while fetching something from his car.
The woman says they have been married for six years and share two children under four. His friends also use the work wife label for the coworker, and she claims she once laughed it off. However, the text prompted her to open the message thread, which appeared to show a long history of contact between the two.
According to her account, the pair messaged every morning and night. She claims her husband discussed their marital arguments with his work wife, which stung as the couple had not yet resolved them. He also appeared to share thoughts he has not expressed to his own wife in years.
She says he has never called her his anchor, not even once
The coworker reportedly referred to him as her person, while he described her as his anchor. The woman says her husband has never used that term for her. Because the messages appeared to show a far deeper bond than the work-wife label suggested, she decided to confront him.
According to her post, when confronted, the husband did not deny the nature of the messages. He allegedly dismissed her concerns by insisting his work wife is just a friend and that his wife is making something out of nothing. He also reportedly accused her of being jealous of a friendship.
Many Reddit users backed the wife’s reaction. One commenter wrote, “He’s got some nerve calling you jealous while telling another woman about your private arguments and calling her his ‘anchor.'” Another commenter said, “OP, you’re not crazy. I would absolutely consider this an emotional affair.”
Most commenters appear to view the husband’s behavior as an emotional affair, and some reportedly called it a dealbreaker. Others sarcastically suggested she find an anchor of her own to call at night. The suggestion is far milder than one woman’s revenge on her cheating husband after a court punished her for defaming him.
The original poster also questioned why the work wife would need her husband at night. She says the dynamic has left her feeling like the other woman in her own marriage, as the contact appears to be both frequent and deeply personal. However, the husband has reportedly refused to acknowledge that he crossed any boundary.
Similar stories have not always ended in reconciliation. In one case shared online, a husband who left for a colleague reportedly tried to return weeks later and was turned away. That husband had also insisted nothing physical happened before he ended the marriage.
Several commenters urged the woman to set firm boundaries before the situation goes any further. One suggested her husband may soon have to choose between his marriage and his work wife, and she appears likely to press him on that decision.
Published: Oct 19, 2026 02:15 pm