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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

How can I ever trust my wife again?

121 replies

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 12:17

My wife planned for a year to leave me in secret, she told me our marriage is over and moved out months later. How can I ever forgive her? She said she left due to name calling and me treating her badly. I admit I treated her badly but how can I ever trust her again?

She’s ruined everything, she’s destroyed all our lives! She also mentioned other stuff that I apparently said to her - very bad things - she’s lying! She’s a dangerous person! She wants to ruin me!

I’ll never forget that terrible email from universal credit saying that my wife had told them she was now single. How could she do that to me? How can I ever trust her again?

*This is a reverse post from my husband’s POV.

OP posts:
CrispieCake · 07/10/2025 14:21

Well done for getting out. You should be proud of yourself.

It's going to take a bit of time to find a "new normal" and yes, I can imagine it's all a bit depressing at the moment after the adrenaline of actually leaving. You need to recognise that you are vulnerable to manipulation at the moment and give yourself time.

Stompythedinosaur · 07/10/2025 14:23

Make yourself a list of all the reasons you were unhappy and all the reasons you left, and read it if you ever feel tempted to go back!

He sounds like he's gaslighting you.

What would you say to a friend who was it this situation? I bet you'd tell them it isn't their fault to have left an abusive, awful partner, and that things will get better.

dcsp · 07/10/2025 14:24

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 12:43

He says I would have a lot of work to do if we were to get back together.

He's making it clear that the price of getting back together is you will have to:

  • accept he will make no changes whatsoever
  • accept that you need to make changes
  • be sorry (potentially forever) for having left him, and do things to make up for that

Unless you think that's an acceptable price to pay, walk away quickly.

KnightandDay · 07/10/2025 14:28

There's a reason, probably thousands, why you left - do not go back! He is trying to make it out that you were the problem and if you change it'll all be fine - it won't! It will be ten times worse, because he'll destroy you.

Are you the poster whose son found the airpods? And whose eldest won't stay over?
If so - please, please, please don't go back!
If not - same message really.

BunnyLake · 07/10/2025 14:29

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 12:21

Definitely not lying.

If you’re idiotic enough to go back to him then just enjoy the misery and don’t bleat to people on here about it.

TorroFerney · 07/10/2025 14:30

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 12:25

It’s just hard to accept him blaming me completely for leaving even though I’ve told him the reasons (him treating me badly) it’s like he’s completely deaf to any of my reasons and only sees how hurt he is.

That’s because he is. Energy better spent in freeing yourself from his opinion. He doesn’t want to understand so he won’t.

TriesNotToBeCynical · 07/10/2025 14:34

BunnyLake · 07/10/2025 14:29

If you’re idiotic enough to go back to him then just enjoy the misery and don’t bleat to people on here about it.

That is unhelpful, and shows severe lack of insight into coercive control. The other thing is that even if the OP had her own faults (as he is trying to convince her) it really doesn't matter whose fault it was, the situation was intolerable and would remain intolerable if she returned. Fault is not the point.

ThreeLocusts · 07/10/2025 14:37

Don't go back, please. I understand you contemplating it; I saw my mother struggle after she finally split from my father, and it's especially hard if he's got his hooks in the kids.

He'll be telling you constantly that you destroyed the family and that you can't cope on your own, while doing what he can to make things difficult. But you have a better chance of getting him (at least mostly) out of your head like this than if you're under the same roof.

You've done well to leave. Don't undo that. Wishing you strength and luck.

AC246 · 07/10/2025 14:39

He's utter abusive scum.
However hard it is, you would be man to go back to this abusive piece of shit and you WILL regret it.
Reach out for support.
Stop listening to him.
Do all contact via email or parenting app.

ClawedButler · 07/10/2025 14:47

He's a sh1t stain.

So why does his opinion of you matter?

Who cares what a sh1t stain thinks or feels or says?

He and all his thoughts matter less than a gnat's fart in a hurricane.

Purplebunnie · 07/10/2025 14:49

If you think your life was bad before what do you think it will be like if you go back? He will throw your leaving him in your face ALL THE TIME

He will never forgive you for leaving and he will punish you

JHound · 07/10/2025 14:55

Whew - you had me in the first half!

Good job I read till the end!

JHound · 07/10/2025 14:59

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 13:09

Not lying. These are very real things that he said to me not long after I had our first child. I remember being scared and shocked, I wrote it down in an email to myself.

I would not even contemplate returning to somebody who had zero accountability .

Christmascakeforbreakfast · 07/10/2025 14:59

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 12:28

To keep our family together.

What so your kids can see the horror that is your life with his abuse as 'normal'?

Do not do this.

Do not think this.

Do not give him headspace.

He is wrong, you are right whether he accept your truth or not. End of.

Namerequired · 07/10/2025 15:05

He has a choice between blaming you and having you beg to come back, or putting in the hard work working on himself and taking responsibility for his behaviour. Both result in you coming back, so which do you think that type of man is going to choose??

Rainbows41 · 07/10/2025 17:14

What do you need to trust her for? You're not in a relationship with her anymore and she certainly doesn't need to earn your trust.
How has she ruined everything and your lives? Perhaps you should have treated your wife better then before coming on to Mumsnet grovelling and accusing your estranged wife of being a home wrecker just because she sought no alternative but to plan in secret how best to leave your abusive arse.
You have no sympathy from me.

Rainbows41 · 07/10/2025 17:19

Just spotted the last line of your post 🙄

Your left because he was abusive. You're still allowing him to abuse you. You want to go back to save your family.
You need counselling.

jsku · 07/10/2025 17:27

OP - expecting him to show remorse or apologise is unrealistic. it is NOT happening - whether you are divorced or if you come back.
So - you need to accept that as the reality of your situation and plan future accordingly.

If you want to come back - he’ll only add this to the reasons to be even nastier to you:
Your choice to decide if this is worth it.

Personally - I’d push the divorce through and make child arrangements in court so co-parenting is easier to manage.
It will get settled eventually and everybody would adjust.

WalkDontWalk · 07/10/2025 18:54

There are two different things going on here.

You think it's absurd that he says he can't trust you any more.

You want him to apologise for all he did.

They're not unconnected but they're not the same thing.

So, if he said, 'Okay, I can trust you again,' would you get back together? Presumably not, because that's not an apology.

Chances of either getting resolved is slim. Chances of both getting sorted are close to zero.

So forget getting back together.

HelpMeUnpickThis · 08/10/2025 11:39

FogCatcher · 07/10/2025 12:27

I’ve left, it’s the endless messages about how I’ve destroyed our lives - no apology or asking for forgiveness.

@FogCatcher if you have left (which sounds like it was the right thing to do) you need to immediately let go of the expectation of an apology or him asking for forgiveness.

Just focus on moving forward with your new life.

There is NOTHING available in terms of remorse where you are looking for it. He does not have that capacity or inclination. His inability to self reflect and to deflect to you is his character defect, on top of the way he treated you. You can't change it. Just let it go and move on with your life.

The expectation of a "sorry I did that" will keep you trapped forever. You are in a way only harming yourself by keeping this channel open. Just accept that he is not a good person and he is not the person for you and you have moved on for yourself and your DC - nothing more, nothing less.

Seek counselling if you need to but just stop expecting someone who has repeatedly showed you that he is not capable of being kind, caring or respectful to change. If he does decide to work on himself, that won't be because of back and forth texts between you.

Block the text messages or mute them if you need them for reference / about DC.

Minimise contact - make it about DC only. Get a parenting app if you need to.

Stop entering into conversations about the relationship and who did what and what went wrong - it's FINISHED now (hopefully) - there is nothing more to talk about as you have left.

Also, please stop posting weird reversed posts to try to validate your decisions.

Spend some time reminding yourself of why you left and why that was the right decision for you and your family, and then focus on your new life, not the old.

Leaving is not easy. I salute you for that. But you need to stop looking to the past and really focus on the future and what kind of life you want to give your DC going forward and what kind of life you want for yourself.

When you leave there is a lot to focus on - admin, DC welfare, your own welfare, detangling, unpicking previous arrangements, creating new structures, routines, rebuilding finances etc. Focus on things that will take you forward not back. I say this only because I too left. I don't read or respond to any messages that are not about the children. It took about 6-8 months for him to get the message but it's so peaceful now. My phone is calm. I can open my messages with zero anxiety. There are no more long, still abusive, conversations. He got the message eventually that I am gone and that there is nothing to talk about anymore other than the kids.

I do not engage with ANYTHING else and he knows this now. I think you need to stop engaging with him - by phone / text and also in your brain.

I am not trying to be harsh but you need to work hard at building your new life and it is really hard work. Do it for yourself and do it for your DC. Free yourself.

Disclaimer: did not read every single reply on the thread.

cestlavielife · 08/10/2025 15:36

He will always be the victim .
Do not engage
You cannot control his feelings. Let go of them.

Be the heroine of your story.
He can be victim forever if he likes

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