Here's to new beginnings!

[Oricolt]

6 weeks before Christmas, my husband dropped the bombshell that he was having an affair, had drained our savings over the past 4 years, and was leaving us. 'Us' is me and our three kids. We had been together for 30 years.

I just found the Christmas card MiL sent me this year wishing me a "Merry Christmas and all the best for 2026: Here's to new beginnings!!"

What new beginnings? I can see how my fuckfaced husband is having a lovely new beginning with his new flat and his girlfriend. I am still here in our family home (which I can no longer afford), still feeding the cat, still booking orthodontist appointments, still putting the bins out on Mondays, still reminding the kids to take a break from Minecraft and do their homework, and put their clothes in the basket. Only now, I have no help at all and much less money available because of that arsewipe's financial deception. Maybe by "new beginnings" she meant my exciting new journey into having no one to ask when my check engine light comes on? Fun!

Of all the shit that has happened recently, I don't know why I'm fixating on a well-intentioned Christmas card, but it pissed me right off and I'm writing this to get it out of my system.

As a MIL, if my son acted like this towards his wife, I would want to support her and my grandchildren, emotionally, practically and financially as much as I was able. I certainly wouldn’t take my son’s side, would be extremely annoyed and disappointed in him and would let him know that I was going too be there for his ex and children. I think you need to speak with your MIL, reassure her that she is welcome to be in your children’s lives (if you and they have previously had a good relationship with her) even though you and her son are not still together. You also need to ensure that she knows the full story as he probably hasn’t!

So sorry OP, what a vile thing to do. The next year will be super tough, no doubt. Try to rally your troops, including your children, around you. Set a goal - something positive about where you want to be in a year and do all you can to work to that. Be an ice queen when it comes to finances and assets - go for it all and rinse the lying shit. Strength to you.

😀

Sorry OP. There's plenty of help.out there. Find new sources of information..ChatGPT is a much better source of info than a husband. You'll be fine. Your ex 's relationship will.probably be rubbish in 5 years .time whereas you will be flourishing. Your MIL sounds dotty..

Firstly I'm so sorry you're going through this. Get some legal advice and make him pay. If you can show how he syphoned off money through bank statements, maybe you can make him pay. At the very least he needs to support his children!

Hopefully your MlL was trying to be supportive in a clumsy way. After 30 years, you are part of their family too. You were probably together longer than you were apart before at this point. They will be grieving the break up too. It doesn't have to be goodbye. Invite her for a coffee to see how you can move forward. She'll still be in your life as the grandma and there's no reason you can't keep a relationship with your IL family. I'd tell her the truth but try to resist bitching (although it's well deserved). If nothing else, your relationship with your IL will really irk the new GF.