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Can anyone offer divorce positivity?

13 replies

WateryBottle · 27/08/2024 12:15

I’ve recently found out my husband and father of our three young children is having an affair. I am trying to find the strength to end the marriage but I’m terrified of what my future would hold if I did. I just feel so hopeless about the future and part of me thinks I will be less miserable staying than I would be on my own.

The rational part of me know loads of others will have felt like this and found happiness on the other side - is anyone able to share their experience to help me try to realise all is not lost?

OP posts:
arethereanyleftatall · 27/08/2024 12:22

I can. Anyone I know who is divorced can.

I divorced 4 years ago. I was a sahm. My ex has not stiffed me financially, on the contrary. He has stepped up as a father, in fact he is better now as he only sees them twice a week so he actually organises and does stuff with them now.

My girls are happy. They see I am happy. They will not be blindly getting married as it's the 'done thing', they will be considering if the bloke actually enhances their life. They will be making sure they have a good career and are independent.

I can not believe how much happier I am. How much negativity I tolerated.

My ex also had an affair. Thank goodness otherwise we would have bumbled along.

I date when I want to, have better sex now than when I was married, do exactly what I want when I want, no negativity, just blissful peace and freedom.

My girls are on holiday at the moment with their dad, they will be having a blast and I am enjoying the peace.

LimeQuoter · 27/08/2024 12:26

Hi there, I would like to start by saying that I'm sorry to hear about what happened. I'm a single mum of 1 teenager. Being a single parent is hard work, there's no sugar coating it but your mental peace of mind is a lot better than being in an unhappy marriage. It is hard work but it is great at the same time. With 3 young kids, I would imagine you would need to have reliable support lined up if you were going to divorce.

It you are still getting on somewhat, I wonder if you could both split up, live in the same house until the kids were a little older and take separate bedrooms. In my case, I couldn't have done that but I have heard of it working in the short term

ParrotPirouette · 27/08/2024 12:27

I’m not divorced but I imagine getting rid of the useless fucker is very much a positive

Interested in this thread?

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Kosenrufugirl · 27/08/2024 12:34

A close friend divorced her husband on her mum's advice when her baby was 6 months old. The boy is now a teenager, my friend is financially stable and very attractive. She hasn't found a life long partner yet. If she was to face the same situation again she would have taken her husband back when he came begging for forgiveness. You don't need to put up with an affair though. Get some counselling, confront your husband and go from there

DitchTheCheater · 27/08/2024 12:38

7 years ago I was where you are. I stayed because I was terrified of trying to do it alone. I think taking him back after he cheated, he lost all respect for me and treated me like crap, progressively getting worse and worse.

Every day of those 7 years I was absolutely miserable until one point 6 months ago where I just had enough and kicked his ass out.

Now I'm free, I'm happier than I've ever been and ok I have to complete the divorce process but at least I'm not stuck in a loveless marriage.

You can do it. You deserve a better life than staying for the sake of it.

AuntieEstablishment · 27/08/2024 12:54

I'm so sorry this has happened to you OP x
Being alone is so so much easier than with someone who you can't trust. It took a few months, but the feeling of freedom was just wonderful.
Also, as a child of divorced parent, I am so grateful to my mother for modelling self-respect and happiness for us. It was the best thing she could have done, and it was an honour to witness her strengthening and becoming herself after the end of her marriage.

PopGoesTheProsecco · 27/08/2024 13:14

Sorry this is happening to you OP.

I found out my ex was having an affair when I was pregnant with DD3. We stayed together but the week DD3 was born, my ex started an affair with someone else.

He left when DD3 was 14wks old. I was heartbroken... initially.

I then found that parenting without him was in fact easier - one less 'child' to look after, no wondering if/when he'd be home after work drunk.

A few months after he left, I met someone else, and we've been happily together for over a decade. My ExH never treated me with the love and respect that my partner does.

I now realise that my ex leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me.

You deserve to be happy OP and so do your children.

FWIW - the period when we were together between his affairs was truly miserable. It was obvious that he had zero respect for me and the second affair proved this.

ViciousCurrentBun · 27/08/2024 14:22

The choice is your self esteem being crushed and always wondering what he is up to and modelling a bad relationship to your children or being alone and being worse off financially at least in the interim and maybe or maybe not finding a lovely man to build a life with. Or and it’s rare rebuilding and making it work, this is the hardest option. I’m much older than you and amongst myself and my friend's who I have known for up to 50 years, met first day of primary school, we have had every sort of permutation of how relationships work out.

A couple have been married to unfaithful bastards, a couple have been widowed, some divorces and some very happy marriages.

I for one would be out the door if an affair was revealed. When my friends DH had an affair she wanted to stay together, did the pick me dance, suggested counselling and would have done anything to preserve it, he left anyway. I’m can't be 100% sure how I would react but I would probably be one of those women that cuts the left sleeve off all their shirts and shits in his toolbox.

My Mums first DH was unfaithful, not my Father this was in the mid 1950’s, divorce was very uncommon back then but she just wasn’t having it and divorced him which was positively scandalous back then and was then a single parent of three for a while.

You will be ok, it may not feel like this is possible now but you will be. Sending many hugs and much love. My friend is two years down the line, when the decree absolute comes round we are burning her wedding veil and screaming like banshees, she wants to do this and I am her cheerleader in everything. Tell a trusted friend or relative in real life.

WateryBottle · 27/08/2024 15:31

Thank you every one, that’s really helpful. Just needed to hear that I will be ok because it doesn’t feel like it right now.

I’m sorry to hear about the rest of you who have been through this, I’m really pleased you’re all doing better now 💐

OP posts:
Unexpectedlysinglemum · 27/08/2024 22:37

It's harder for you op. You've just had a big shock which has suddenly forced your decision as your world has shattered.

For women who have useless lumps of husbands that have been rubbish for years it feels great to finally divorce and be free as they did all the grieving while still in the relationship. Youre just starting your grieving now.

This husband of yours clearly isn't a good guy though if he's done this is i to m in time when you reflect on who you're really married to you'll realize you deserve better x

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 27/08/2024 22:38

Kosenrufugirl · 27/08/2024 12:34

A close friend divorced her husband on her mum's advice when her baby was 6 months old. The boy is now a teenager, my friend is financially stable and very attractive. She hasn't found a life long partner yet. If she was to face the same situation again she would have taken her husband back when he came begging for forgiveness. You don't need to put up with an affair though. Get some counselling, confront your husband and go from there

That's depressing

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 27/08/2024 22:39

PopGoesTheProsecco · 27/08/2024 13:14

Sorry this is happening to you OP.

I found out my ex was having an affair when I was pregnant with DD3. We stayed together but the week DD3 was born, my ex started an affair with someone else.

He left when DD3 was 14wks old. I was heartbroken... initially.

I then found that parenting without him was in fact easier - one less 'child' to look after, no wondering if/when he'd be home after work drunk.

A few months after he left, I met someone else, and we've been happily together for over a decade. My ExH never treated me with the love and respect that my partner does.

I now realise that my ex leaving was the best thing that ever happened to me.

You deserve to be happy OP and so do your children.

FWIW - the period when we were together between his affairs was truly miserable. It was obvious that he had zero respect for me and the second affair proved this.

How did you manage to meet another guy with a baby and big kids? (This is not judging this is wanting advice!!)

PopGoesTheProsecco · 27/08/2024 23:12

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 27/08/2024 22:39

How did you manage to meet another guy with a baby and big kids? (This is not judging this is wanting advice!!)

My friends were practically begging me
to do OLD. I half heartedly went online and the first date I went on, found the love of my life.

I realise I’m very lucky!

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