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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To leave my lovely DP

344 replies

Shouldistayorshouldi · 01/01/2024 11:17

I have posted about my DP before under a different name about how great he is and all responses were agreeing he sounds like the dream man, any brothers etc etc.

But for some reason I’m just not happy. I haven’t been for a long time if I’m honest. On paper he is perfect…loyal as a dog, very good job, conventionally good looking, extremely hands on dad, does washing cooking cleaning, can turn his hand to anything and do it well, very tall, great body etc, family man, very close to his family but in absolutely no way a mummy’s boy or anything like that just really values his family. Does bath and bed every night. You get the picture.

We have been together for 12 years and I would say for the last 5 I just haven’t been happy. It started with his lack of enthusiasm for socialising etc. he’s very very docile and is happy to just coast through life whereas I am very much a do-er and want to always have plans. We didn’t go out on dates he was happy to just sit at home and it was the crux of most our arguments. This went on for some time and in the end I just gave up trying and started doing things with friends and family. No sooner did I stop badgering than he started making an effort but by this point I was over it and just lost interest.

Over time we’ve had fall outs and I’ve tried to break up with him 3 times and kind of been “guilt tripped” (or so it’s felt) into getting back together. I wouldn’t say this was deliberate on his part but it’s just how I’ve felt and couldn’t bear to see him in the state he was in. I’ve sort of resented the fact we’ve got back together.

Our sex life is now none existent. I am not attracted to him at all. I am closeted bi-sexual but feel I would be much happier with someone of the same sex. The thought of having sex with him makes me sick. I have to psych myself up for it (probably once every 8 months or so) and I feel revolting during and after. If he knew this he’d be heartbroken. I go into the bathroom and cry because I can’t stand him touching me. This isn’t his fault it’s just how I feel.

It’s now the case that every little “ick” he does makes me rage. If we argue I think to myself “well just piss off then I don’t want to be with you” which is awful. I never outwardly express this to him, obviously.

I really don’t want to hurt him as I know I am the love of his life but I just can’t go on like this. He says he would rather have me than have a sex life if it came between the two (I tell him we don’t have sex regularly for health reasons). Writing this down I feel like such a horrible person, I realise there’s 5 years worth (probably more) of facts and examples I can give but have left specifics out for obvious reasons although I am happy to answer any questions.

I am planning to leave him this year, I’ve been quietly getting my ducks in a row but I feel I’m betraying him by not telling him where I’m at. I just don’t want to reveal all without me having a place to go as I know I’ll end up feeling guilty again and be right back at square one. I think this needs to be a clean break.

Terrified of traumatising DC also as well as the financial aspect.

Like I said, tons of examples that I could give that have probably got me to this point. The bottom line is I’m not happy; I haven’t been for a long time and I don’t know why. I love him very much but like a family member, not somebody I’m “in love” with.

OP posts:
LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:42

I do think that the vitriol that op is receiving from some posters is due to this idea that if a man is nice enough and a decent parent we as women should be falling over ourselves with gratitude - “he’s a keeper!” Urgh!!

you are soooooooo not being unreasonable op

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 14:44

I think he will eventually move on and be happy. I don’t know if the same will happen for you. Finding a good supportive partner is like gold dust. Much easier for a man to find someone than for a woman to find someone loving and supportive, willing to take on your children etc.

My friends mother did the same as you and she’s never forgiven her. Not saying you should stay in an unhappy relationship, but I think be honest about how this may turn out as right now I’m getting grass is greener vibes.

Your husband not knowing you had sex with others is disgusting. Truly disgusting. ‘We were on a break’ is not a thing if you initiated them all and he was devastated!

Good luck to your DH!

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 14:45

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:42

I do think that the vitriol that op is receiving from some posters is due to this idea that if a man is nice enough and a decent parent we as women should be falling over ourselves with gratitude - “he’s a keeper!” Urgh!!

you are soooooooo not being unreasonable op

Because she is a cheat….

BumpyaDaisyevna · 01/01/2024 14:45

You're not communicating with him honestly.

You're telling a white lie about your lack of desire for him. You're hiding what you really feel.

You're not bringing your true self to this relationship- no wonder you are very unhappy.

Bring your true self for a change. It may end in you both separating. But the honesty may also shift things between you and make things better.

Diamonde · 01/01/2024 14:47

Your husband not knowing you had sex with others is disgusting. Truly disgusting. ‘We were on a break’ is not a thing if you initiated them all and he was devastated!

Agree. I've never been cheated on but I know that is so hurtful. Probably best that he doesn't know at this point, though.

ManateeFair · 01/01/2024 14:49

You’ve been cruel to stay with him, to be honest. Give the man the chance to meet someone who finds him attractive and doesn’t feel rage at every thing he does. You have been messing with his head and his feelings for way too long.

Is it possible you’re also kidding yourself about your sexuality? If you feel so repulsed by the very thought of sex with your husband and are planning to seek relationships only with women when you leave, I’m wondering whether you’re gay rather than bi.

VanityDiesHard · 01/01/2024 14:49

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:42

I do think that the vitriol that op is receiving from some posters is due to this idea that if a man is nice enough and a decent parent we as women should be falling over ourselves with gratitude - “he’s a keeper!” Urgh!!

you are soooooooo not being unreasonable op

Um, no. I just think that the OP is being shitty. Just because some men are also shitty does not excuse women being so also. I don't get why that is so hard to understand. Nobody should mistreat a decent partner, whatever their gender.

ManateeFair · 01/01/2024 14:50

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:42

I do think that the vitriol that op is receiving from some posters is due to this idea that if a man is nice enough and a decent parent we as women should be falling over ourselves with gratitude - “he’s a keeper!” Urgh!!

you are soooooooo not being unreasonable op

She’s not being unreasonable to leave him.

She is being unreasonable to treat him this badly for years.

Dibilnik · 01/01/2024 14:53

Shouldistayorshouldi · 01/01/2024 11:24

I am gentle with him I tell him how amazing he is and how great of a person/dad he is but I’m just not happy. I tell him he will be so happy with someone else eventually. I tell him how much I love him but that I’m not in love with him. He’s just one track minded about it

He's very selfish and/or dense, then, OP. Seriously, if someone told you how unhappy they felt with you, would you force them to stay with you? What possible pleasure would you get out of that? As for the suicide notes, that sounds rather manipulative I'm afraid.

Make 2024 the year you take care of your own happiness. No one else is going to, and that includes him!

PTSDBarbiegirl · 01/01/2024 14:54

Of course it's OK to want a different life. I wonder if it will help you to be open with him and say you feel neither of you are fulfilled and it's best to end the relationship. He does sound on paper lovely but that doesn't mean you have to be unhappy. Give him the respect he deserves though and let him move on to.

TedMullins · 01/01/2024 14:54

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 14:44

I think he will eventually move on and be happy. I don’t know if the same will happen for you. Finding a good supportive partner is like gold dust. Much easier for a man to find someone than for a woman to find someone loving and supportive, willing to take on your children etc.

My friends mother did the same as you and she’s never forgiven her. Not saying you should stay in an unhappy relationship, but I think be honest about how this may turn out as right now I’m getting grass is greener vibes.

Your husband not knowing you had sex with others is disgusting. Truly disgusting. ‘We were on a break’ is not a thing if you initiated them all and he was devastated!

Good luck to your DH!

Maybe she doesn’t want another relationship. The fact that she might not find someone who does what frankly should be the bare minimum in any relationship is not a reason to stay. My partner is fantastic - does all the cooking, always listens to me when I have a problem and is emotionally intelligent, genuinely tries his hardest to see the world from a woman’s POV and understand the extra stuff we deal with, funny, domesticated, does 50/50 dog care etc etc - but if I stopped fancying him or started loving him like a brother rather than a partner, or got bored of him, or simply felt the relationship wasn’t satisfying me any more I WOULD STILL RATHER BE SINGLE than stay with someone I didn’t romantically love or fancy just because he’s a functional human who makes my life easier. I wouldn’t be thinking “what if I never find anyone as great as him”, I’d simply be thinking “I don’t want to be in this relationship any more”. Maybe I wouldn’t ever meet anyone else who measured up, but that wouldn’t magically make the love and attraction come back if it faded away.

It’s also a) depressing that the bar is so fucking subterranean for men that being a decent parent and an ok guy is seen as something to be celebrated, and b) there are so many women perpetuating this narrative that they think a man being a half decent human means they’re so special that if you don’t love or fancy them, tough shit, you should just be grateful they’re nice. No, we should make sure the absolute baseline expectations of men are that they’re decent functional humans who equally collaborate in a relationship. And even if they fulfil all these expectations and more, we should also take care of our own needs, and if those needs are to end the relationship, that’s absolutely OK.

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:56

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 14:45

Because she is a cheat….

@JANEY205

she isn’t

they weren’t together at the time she slept with other people

try reading OP’s posts

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:57

ManateeFair · 01/01/2024 14:50

She’s not being unreasonable to leave him.

She is being unreasonable to treat him this badly for years.

@ManateeFair

no one is forcing him to stay 🤷‍♀️

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:59

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 14:44

I think he will eventually move on and be happy. I don’t know if the same will happen for you. Finding a good supportive partner is like gold dust. Much easier for a man to find someone than for a woman to find someone loving and supportive, willing to take on your children etc.

My friends mother did the same as you and she’s never forgiven her. Not saying you should stay in an unhappy relationship, but I think be honest about how this may turn out as right now I’m getting grass is greener vibes.

Your husband not knowing you had sex with others is disgusting. Truly disgusting. ‘We were on a break’ is not a thing if you initiated them all and he was devastated!

Good luck to your DH!

@JANEY205

maybe op isn’t that bothered about finding another partner

it’s not the be and end all for some people, believe it or not

porridgeisbae · 01/01/2024 15:03

I find it pretty shocking that he left a letter like that around where your DC can find it, and I assume/hope they were too young to read /understand it. Sad

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 15:09

TedMullins · 01/01/2024 14:54

Maybe she doesn’t want another relationship. The fact that she might not find someone who does what frankly should be the bare minimum in any relationship is not a reason to stay. My partner is fantastic - does all the cooking, always listens to me when I have a problem and is emotionally intelligent, genuinely tries his hardest to see the world from a woman’s POV and understand the extra stuff we deal with, funny, domesticated, does 50/50 dog care etc etc - but if I stopped fancying him or started loving him like a brother rather than a partner, or got bored of him, or simply felt the relationship wasn’t satisfying me any more I WOULD STILL RATHER BE SINGLE than stay with someone I didn’t romantically love or fancy just because he’s a functional human who makes my life easier. I wouldn’t be thinking “what if I never find anyone as great as him”, I’d simply be thinking “I don’t want to be in this relationship any more”. Maybe I wouldn’t ever meet anyone else who measured up, but that wouldn’t magically make the love and attraction come back if it faded away.

It’s also a) depressing that the bar is so fucking subterranean for men that being a decent parent and an ok guy is seen as something to be celebrated, and b) there are so many women perpetuating this narrative that they think a man being a half decent human means they’re so special that if you don’t love or fancy them, tough shit, you should just be grateful they’re nice. No, we should make sure the absolute baseline expectations of men are that they’re decent functional humans who equally collaborate in a relationship. And even if they fulfil all these expectations and more, we should also take care of our own needs, and if those needs are to end the relationship, that’s absolutely OK.

Well her desperately seeking out affections of others anytime they are on a ‘break’ tells quite the opposite story doesn’t it! That she does want to be with someone else. She is a cheat and has treated him appallingly. If you want to talk about the bar for decency being on the floor let’s start with OP.

Mikimoto · 01/01/2024 15:11

a) Are you Ross' first wife?
b( You were on a BREAK!

VanityDiesHard · 01/01/2024 15:15

LuckySantangelo35 · 01/01/2024 14:56

@JANEY205

she isn’t

they weren’t together at the time she slept with other people

try reading OP’s posts

I don't think 'we were on a break' is really a get out of jail free card.

VanityDiesHard · 01/01/2024 15:16

Mikimoto · 01/01/2024 15:11

a) Are you Ross' first wife?
b( You were on a BREAK!

Haha jinx!

TedMullins · 01/01/2024 15:16

VanityDiesHard · 01/01/2024 15:15

I don't think 'we were on a break' is really a get out of jail free card.

She left him. The fact she then got back with him doesn’t mean they were together over the period she had left.

JoanOfAllTrades · 01/01/2024 15:17

unique78 · 01/01/2024 11:53

Can you elaborate....

Sure. DM left DF for very similar reasons, and DF was very like your DH. She went on to meet an abusive arsehole who destroyed everything. DF, on the other hand, is extremely happy. DM has many, many regrets.

My friend did similar, and although her experience wasn't as destructive, she eventually regretted it, tried to rekindle her marriage to her decent man and was flat out refused. Other relationships haven't worked out and she's fairly unhappy.

Obviously, this may not be the case for you, which is why I said it could potentially be a big mistake.

My experiences of what happened in these cases have obviously coloured my view somewhat, but I do fall into the camp of 'the grass isn't always greener'.

Particularly when you can blow apart your kids lives too (as mine was).

I agree with this. I too have known many people who have left for similar reasons but have never found any real happiness with other people.

The problem with thinking the grass is greener, isn't really because it's greener due to some hitherto unknown to mankind special lawn fertiliser but that it's not actually grass but astroturf.

@Shouldistayorshouldi you have to do what you think is best but since you're so confused about what you want, I think you need to consider if the DC will be better off with him, so you can properly focus on you, and what you want from life. If letting them with him full-time is too much, at least do weekly turnarounds so he has them one week, you have them the next, then him, etc., etc. This would also allow him to feel valued and loved.

VanityDiesHard · 01/01/2024 15:18

TedMullins · 01/01/2024 15:16

She left him. The fact she then got back with him doesn’t mean they were together over the period she had left.

The fact that he doesn't know about it makes it pretty much cheating IMO. I think trial separations should not involve sleeping with others anyway.

Floralnomad · 01/01/2024 15:22

@Shouldistayorshouldi have you actually told him that you are bisexual and want to pursue a relationship with a woman ?

Costumier · 01/01/2024 15:24

JANEY205 · 01/01/2024 14:45

Because she is a cheat….

So was he. The misleading part is saying he is lovely, he isn't, she isn't.
It sounds like a bad relationship.

TedMullins · 01/01/2024 15:25

VanityDiesHard · 01/01/2024 15:18

The fact that he doesn't know about it makes it pretty much cheating IMO. I think trial separations should not involve sleeping with others anyway.

Disagree. They weren’t together, it’s not his business. It wasn’t meant to be a trial but he manipulated her back.