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Divorce/separation

Here you'll find divorce help and support from other Mners. For legal advice, you may find Advice Now guides useful.

How did you tell your long term partner/husband it was over?

62 replies

Netflixandeat · 09/07/2021 13:35

I have been with my husband for over 10 years and we share 2 children but I’m done

There is nothing that will change how I feel.

  1. I don’t love him anymore, I like him as a person most of the time but that’s it
  2. He hurt me a couple of years ago (cheated) and I’ve never truly got over it
  3. He works away a lot and I don’t miss him, or get excited for him coming home
  4. I mentioned couples counselling a while back, I told him my friend was having it with her husband and he told me he would never do it and if you need counselling then the marriage is already over

I could stay, because it would be easier for me to stay but I don’t want the kids seeing this marriage and thinking this is normal. We don’t fight or argue (much), there is a severe lack of love. I feel he does love me, but I don’t feel the same.

Help please Sad

OP posts:
Netflixandeat · 09/07/2021 14:05

Anyone?

OP posts:
Iamblossom · 09/07/2021 14:11

It sounds like you have made your decision. Can't you "just" sit down and say the things you have written down, to him? Easier said than done I am sure, but it sounds like you have no choice.

waterSpider · 09/07/2021 14:15

Do you want to say it's over, or it's over UNLESS things change? Need to be clear about which it is.

Need to give some thought to how things will change -- where will everyone live?

Netflixandeat · 09/07/2021 14:22

No I want to say it’s over and I’m not interested whether things change or not.

I’m petrified of confrontation, I don’t do well with it at all, I get my words jumbled and just end up making a mess of things.

I dont know where we will live, we are looking to sell anyways so we would sell our home and buy separate properties

OP posts:
AnneLovesGilbert · 09/07/2021 14:26

I’d go and see a lawyer first. Once you’ve done that you need to sit down even the kids are asleep and say it’s over and you’re filing for divorce.

I’d have a plan in place before you say anything.

You’re doing the right thing by your children. It’s hard to face what you’re facing but being honest is the right move and you’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you. Don’t waste time being unhappy or unfulfilled.

30degreesandmeltinghere · 09/07/2021 14:28

When I discovered my dh had been massively deceitful one Sunday, he got bladdered and went to bed... Next day I went to work and text him he needed to have moved out before I got home. He did.. Never saw him again. Not once.
That was 2012!!
Grin

Netflixandeat · 09/07/2021 14:46

@30degreesandmeltinghere I would love that! We would always see eachother because we have children, but even if we never had children I would hate to never see him again, I’ve spent a big chunk of my life with him and we did have good times regardless of how I feel now.

@AnneLovesGilbert I think that is the best idea. As horrible as I feel for doing it, it needs to happen and sometimes you have to be selfish to do the right thing.

OP posts:
30degreesandmeltinghere · 09/07/2021 15:47

Thankfully we had no dc together.. I didn't want to be in any way connected to his ex and their dc!!
I assume his next gf got a new phone and perfume pretty early into their relationship as he took my birthday gifts with him!!
Twat!!

pointythings · 09/07/2021 20:51

Confrontation is hard, but you do need to just tell him you want a divorce. I still found it hard even when it was in the situation that my alcoholic husband had gone back to drinking - and lied about it. But I did it anyway and no regrets.

Shodan · 09/07/2021 21:02

Not going to lie, it was hard.

I'd told him months before that our marriage was in trouble, that I needed him to engage more with me, prioritise our marriage, and the one thing he could do would be arrange counselling (he'd agreed to have some with me).

He didn't do it. One night I just couldn't bear it any more- I was so stressed all the time, felt sick, couldn't sleep- and I said we needed to talk. I then said I was sorry, that I just couldn't do it any more, that I felt there was nothing left to salvage. We both cried, a lot. Talked for hours- him trying to persuade me to give him 'one more chance', me saying I'd given him so many chances- round and round and round.

There was one more conversation in the morning- he woke me up to discuss it again (a spectacularly bad move on his part tbh, as he should've known that I am grumpy first thing), but I remained adamant and he accepted it.

I had always told him that if it reached the point where I said it was over, then nothing would change my mind- I would already believe that I had done everything to make things work- including being clear and straightforward about issues/problems.

The relief, for me, the next day, was indescribable. I felt like I could breather properly for the first time in months.

Netflixandeat · 09/07/2021 21:07

That’s the thing, it’s not as if he is a squeeky clean person, he has done a lot of bad things in our relationship so it should make easier to walk away but it’s not

@Shodan, thanks for sharing that. What I’m worrying about is him begging for another chance and I know he will, I’m so weak I don’t know if I could say no. You saying the relief you had the next day was indescribable, that’s what I want to feel. I need this weight to be lifted off my shoulders and I’m the only one who can make that happen.

OP posts:
DoesLoveExist · 10/07/2021 18:06

I tried telling my husband (of 23 years) numerous times. He didn’t take me seriously and carried on as normal. I ended up so anxious and spent hours sat in the car to avoid him. In the end he took the hint when I had no choice but to ignore him.

Netflixandeat · 11/07/2021 08:10

My husband is going to be the same, hes not going to take me seriously and just act the same.

OP posts:
EarringsandLipstick · 11/07/2021 08:54

I think you should get a practical plan in place - where you will live, how finances will work etc. Get legal advice.

Then when you tell him it's over, you have a clear plan of action, and will be less likely to give him another chance.

If he cared about your marriage, he'd have agreed to counselling after cheating.

Mmmmdanone · 11/07/2021 10:03

I told my husband out was over 4 months ago. It wasn't the first time but he has taken it seriously this time. We have been married 19 years and have 2 children but i've been unhappy for a long time.

Sadly we are still living together while we sort everything out, house value, pension value etc. After that I intend to buy him out of the house and he will go and buy somewhere to live.

It'll not easy having to share a house. I feel awful about changing his life like this. I feel sick a lot of the time. He is moody. We can barely look at each other but are trying to be "normal" for the kids. It's hard. But I also feel a lot of relief that I'm now going in the right direction.

So although this 4 months had been hard it's all for the best and I have to tell myself this every day.

I hope you can make him see that it is over. It's not going to be easy. You have to keep on going though. There's times I think I could just give up on splitting carry on as before, but I know it's not right for either of us as I don't love him.

Good luck.

loveyourself2020 · 17/07/2021 23:30

@Shodan
It was very similar with me except we did not talk for a long time at all. Last year in Jan something happened that was the last straw for me and i told my STBX that I want counseling. He told me he is willing to work things out but does not want to talk to strangers about his personal stuff. Well in a way, that was it for me. I started counseling alone but slowly, after only few sessions, I realized that my marriage is over.

We kept going during pandemic as I did not want to end it during those uncertain times, but unfortunately one after another bad thing kept happening to us and I soon realized that it will never be "good time" for it. One day I just said it, I am sorry but this is not working out. I am not happy and no matter how much I tell you, you are not changing your ways, in fact I do not think you can change. I wanted to give us one last chance to do couples counseling, b/c we really do not know how to effectively communicate but you did not want to do that. Funny thing is he was shocked, he said he did not think it was "that bad" even though I kept telling him, "you know our marriage is in crises" and he kept saying, "yes, I know". Wtf!

I am not sure what it is with men but they are so complacent. There are a lot of threads here on MN where women say that they told their husbands it is over and they still carry on like nothing happened. Especially if you still have sex with them it seems that is all they care about.

OP I know that a lot of people will tell you that you owe your DH explanation and that you should talk to him and explain and give examples. I say, no, talking is for trying to fix things, for the times when you still believe that relationship is salvageable. Once you decided it is over, do not get caught in talking and explaining. B/c bottom line is the same, you are not happy and you want out and that is that. Keep you conversations short and sweet, be respectful of his feelings and as gentle as possible but do not engage in long conversations. I am telling you this b/c I am the same as you. My STBX is very intimidating and it was always hard for me to talk to him about anything important, he will always get it his way b/c I could not fight. So once I was SURE I wanted out, I literally erased all other speeches from my mind and only kept simple and clear thoughts. "I am not happy and I want out. Yes, I am sure". And one more thing, do not say you are sorry, b/c no matter what the reason for the break up is it is not only your fault and you should not take the responsibility. He will blame you anyway. I also tried to avoid saying this to my kids when I told them we are breaking up. I did not want them to think I thought it was my fault or that i feel bad about it (which I do in fact a lot), b/c especially for the kids, I think is important they know that this is your decision and you are "happy" about it.

DoesLoveExist · 18/07/2021 08:16

I think you know deep down when your marriage is over - I did. I lived with my feelings for years for the sake of my children. But, I was unfulfilled and unhappy. There is a 10 year age gap between us and we were on different planes. I was so inexperienced (sexually) and naive when I married him. Shy. As I grew older I gained more confidence (I’m now a senior manager in my profession) but I couldn’t stand to go near him. We haven’t had sex or any intimacy in over 10 years. Tbh, he was rubbish at it. Plus, he was never affectionate with me and I realised one day that he’d never complimented me or said ‘I love you’ to my face in 27 years of knowing him!! He couldn’t show emotions very well and we were starved as a couple. He couldn’t see it - I could! It was menopause that changed me. I woke up! The kids are getting older (one is going to university next year, hopefully) and I realised just how empty I felt and how fake my life was. It seriously started to affect me. So, I made the tough decision to end it and the relief - now he has left - is unbelievable. It is very clear we were nothing more than friends. Well, that’s how I saw it.

He may not take you seriously - like mine didn’t (he thought I was moody and menopausal) but he will if you make it very obvious it’s over.

Have you got enough to move out?

Heymumba · 18/07/2021 10:56

I've been telling my DP for a couple of years, but then he tries harder, things improve and so he doesn't take it seriously anymore. So, I booked some relationship counselling for us and told him during the session and I meant it.
We now have other sessions booked to navigate the logistics of everything as my DP puts everything off and ignores things. Having another person there whilst I said it aloud was just what I needed.

Mummykins54 · 18/07/2021 13:07

@Netflixandeat you clearly don't love him and having just left a 27 year relationship (23 years married) I realise I probably should have ended it years ago but I stayed because it was the easier option. Please don't do the same as me. We went to couple counselling and he accused me of using it to have a "go at him." Follow your instincts. My kids are older and even they have said that they have never seen any proper affection between us which is very sad.

@DoesLoveExist your post has made me feel so much better. My husband has just moved out having been together for 27 years like you. Your description of him is exactly the same as my experience - never being complimented, no affection, not good at expressing emotions. He once told me that helping with the housework was his way of showing he appreciated me! My kids are older - DD hoping to start uni in September and I don't want them to think this is a what a normal marriage looks like.

@Shodan - I love this comment! am not happy and I want out. Yes, I
am sure". I have been having doubts since he left but deep down I think its just missing the security we had and having to go it alone. Its also about missing the life we could have had now the kids are older - like a grieving process almost.

We stayed in the same house for 9 months and he refused to speak to me - it was horrendous. I will never understand how anyone can treat their life long partner that way. He lacks empathy and can be very moody.

I am trying to buy him out so need to sort that out - half his clothes are still here which doesn't help.

Reading some of these comments has definitely given me hope as some days I am really struggling.

It is good to know that I am not alone in this situation

SpottyBlueTeacup · 18/07/2021 15:33

We were together 27 years and 23 of those married. Sounds like we have a lot in common. Life is too short to be miserable. I felt trapped for a longtime being the bigger earner, looking after young children and elderly parents. All the elders are now gone and the kids are growing up and more and more independent. Time for me to go the way I want to go!

Mummykins54 · 18/07/2021 16:04

@SpottyBlueTeacup yes think we do have a lot in common exactly like me 23 years married 27 together. It would be too easy to just "settle" but I cannot do it anymore. My friends cannot understand why it has taken me so long but its a security thing and fear of the unknown future.

I need to value myself more as I have been demeaned and controlled for a very long time. Thank you for your response x

LtDansleg · 18/07/2021 16:06

Have you told him op?

SpottyBlueTeacup · 18/07/2021 16:14

I felt like that too and wanted to get the mortgage finished so overpaid for years. We cleared it about 3 years ago so that has spurred me on to do something too!

Millshake01 · 18/07/2021 16:39

I'm in the same boat. Need to find the right time to tell him, again that the marriage is over!

SpottyBlueTeacup · 18/07/2021 17:37

There is never a right time. That’s what kept me from doing anything but it affected me badly and I knew I had to do something.