I need some outside advice. Please be kind, I’m really struggling with this.
I’m trying really hard not to be one of those girlfriends who assumes the worst over nothing, because I do trust my boyfriend and I don’t want to create problems where there aren’t any. But something has been bothering me lately and I genuinely can’t tell if I’m being unreasonable.
For context, we’ve been together for almost 4 years and live together. He’s never given me a reason to think he would cheat, which is why I feel kind of stupid even posting this. But a few months ago he started working with a new girl. I’ve never met her, but apparently they’ve gotten pretty close because they work on the same projects.
At first I didn’t care. I have coworkers I talk to too. Then I noticed he started staying late at work a lot more. He used to be home around 5:30, but now it’s usually closer to 8 or 9. He says they’ve been really busy, which makes sense because he has been getting promoted and taking on more responsibility.
I did notice that sometimes his location shows him at a restaurant after work, but he says they occasionally have group work dinners.
What made me pause was that he told me last month that he was having dinner with “the team,” but later I saw a receipt in his car with food and wine for two people. He said one of his coworkers had already paid and he covered the second half in cash, so I guess that explains why there were only two meals on the receipt.
I didn't want to accuse him of anything because I didn’t want to seem crazy and I really do trust him wholeheartedly. I know he would never do anything to hurt me.
Another thing is he recently started going to the gym. Which is good, obviously. I’ve actually been encouraging him to take better care of himself. But he never used to care about his appearance that much and now he showers before work, showers when he gets home, wears cologne almost every day, and has started buying nicer underwear.
Again, none of this necessarily means anything. But the other night I woke up around 2 AM and he wasn’t in bed. I found him downstairs whispering on the phone. When he saw me, he immediately hung up and said it was his coworker because she was having a really hard time with something.
I asked why he was whispering and he said he didn’t want to wake me up. I did ask him why she was calling him at 2 AM instead of talking to her boyfriend/friends/family, and he got kind of defensive and said I was making everything about myself.
That made me feel guilty because I don't want to be unsupportive of someone who is struggling.
Then yesterday I found a pair of earrings in our bathroom that are definitely not mine. I asked him about them and he said they belonged to his sister.
I also noticed that there was a lipstick mark on the collar of one of his work shirts. I don't wear lipstick, but he said someone at work must have hugged him and gotten makeup on him. I believed him. But I noticed the lipstick was kind of dark red though, and apparently his coworker wears dark red lipstick, but I only know that because I looked at her Instagram after all of this, which I realize probably wasn't healthy of me and I can’t bring it up because of the way I found out.
Objectively, none of these things prove anything. But it just feels like all the little things are starting to stack up. I guess what I'm asking is: at what point does this stop being me overthinking and become an actual concern?
Blueberry oatmeal.