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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.

Reassurance needed...leaving this week

39 replies

trailblazer42 · 21/10/2024 09:57

I'm not after advice as much as supportive reassurance as I'm leaving my husband this Friday and I'm terrified/excited/sad/happy/having feeling moments of calm/sheer panic.

I've posted situation details before, but 'nutshell' is that I fell out of loving my husband a while ago, and realistically we've never had the 'right' level of emotional intimacy and trust, a lot of our connection was based on a shared interest, and then children etc. We got together when I was 18 and he was 24, were engaged within weeks and bought a house and moved in together six months later. I'm now 42 and we have two children (nearly 16 and 18). So he's all I've ever known in relation to adult relationships.

He's always been one for sulking and what can only be described as tantrums. This came to a head in February when we fell out over decoration of my daughter's bedroom and he stormed out one night, then when he came back he refused to talk to me and my daughter for a month, just shutting himself away in the bedroom. I moved to sleeping downstairs to the lounge at this point and have stayed there.

After a month I was going away for the weekend for work and I wrote him a letter saying that I wanted us to separate. When I got back he was massively full of remorse etc and said he could change. He was so cut up I relented (he took week off work, didn't eat etc), but things didn't really improve between us and it all came to a head in July. We had arguments and discussions and I told him I didn't love him and that I wanted a divorce. The kids were aware of this (not my doing...) and he went back to sitting on the stairs crying, not eating, not talking etc. But we were due to go on a big family holiday shortly after this and I ended up caving and agreeing to give it another go. We went away and it was a bit stressful but the holiday was enjoyable.

However, I knew this wasn't sustainable and I did want to leave, but his arguments and the things that he has said, done and messaged me the previous two times have just made me feel so guilty and I've been so consious of falling back into just agreeing to stay that I decided I needed to physically move out. So I've got an Airbnb from tomorrow for two months and I am going on Friday. He doesn't know so it will be a shock, but I've timed it so it is half term and he will have the week off (he's a teacher) and have spoken with the children (daughter coming with me but will be with dad half the week, son can be flexible).

I have no plan for after the rental comes to an end so may well be moving back home but I just feel like I need to get over the actual leaving part first before I can make new plans. Am I completely insane to be doing this?! I have been in weekly counselling since April and am trying to get my head around this all but as it gets closer I am just doubting myself.

OP posts:
trailblazer42 · 04/11/2024 16:50

Back to angry messages today...it's such a rollercoster.

OP posts:
Enko · 04/11/2024 16:56

You are doing good with just responding to practical. His feelings are his to deal with not yours.. remember your candles and new pj's feeling everytime3it gets tough.

trailblazer42 · 05/11/2024 21:59

Made the mistake today of trying to reiterate that it doesn’t matter what he does that I simply don’t love him anymore. Then received 13 messages back telling me how wrong I was.

And then tonight I discover he’s asked to meet with my best friend because he’s worried about me and all the facts he has don’t make sense.

OP posts:
Questionsandheartache · 06/11/2024 06:39

He's going to jump at any hint of you responding to him, isn't he. Looks like you'll have to keep on with the total ignoring, otherwise he's going to keep trying. Must be exhausting for you.

Vax · 06/11/2024 07:04

You're not doing this to him. He did it to himself by his behaviour. Silent treatment is abuse.

You sound amazing to me Brew

trailblazer42 · 06/11/2024 09:01

He's not fighting for me, he's just fighting with me now. I don't understand what he thinks he will achieve through what he's saying. He's essentially telling me what an awful person I am. This morning I got a text basically saying that I was as bad as a Trump supporter...ignoring all the evidence and chosing to cut off all the great starts that had been made.

I felt so guilty about not loving him but am now just so angry that he is treating me like this. I've really struggled with the term abuse throughout all of this but he is showing that he will basically stoop to any level to manipulate me into agreeing to come back to him. I get the undying love declaration but how does anyone think that being nasty and insulting will help?!

OP posts:
LittleOwl153 · 06/11/2024 11:42

I guess the problem with having given in and gone back previously he expects that if he continues and wears you down enough you will do the same again.

You are going to need to persevere and then take the next/different steps to get through to him. And understand that it doesn't matter what he thinks. YOU can go ahead and do this anyway you do not need his permission or support.

PeachyKeane · 06/11/2024 12:23

Stay strong. I'm in exactly the same situation as you, but I'm 54.... it's much tougher than I imagined even though I want it to happen. Feels a bit surreal tbh.

trailblazer42 · 27/11/2024 12:27

Just an update...I met with STBX yesterday for the first time to talk. Went to his sister's house as neutral (enough) ground. He's been messaging me daily....to start with was a mix of love and anger, then I spoke with his sister and the angry ones stopped this week.

I'd made it clear that talking was just to hear each other and not be about presenting evidence and that I didn't see the meeting as being about reconciliation. He had told me he wasn't going to give up on me though.

We talked through things but he won't accept that firstly I'm not depressed - he matches all of my behaviour with this and states my decision making is poor because of this. However I pushed him to say what that meant, ie am I not allowed to make any decisions about my life because of this, and he couldn't agree with that obviously. And he won't accept that I believe I've ever tried to make the marriage work, essentially because it doesn't match with his idea of trying.

He started to get more angry in tone, calling me disrespectful for treating him like this, saying I'd shown nothing but contempt for him so far, and that I should be ashamed of what I am doing, so I left.

I was so scared I would just back down and agree with him like I did before, but I had talked through all of this and my approach with my counsellor beforehand and managed to walk away without doing this and am a little bit proud of myself for that, although now I don't know where we go from here. I still haven't filed for divorce and am thinking to do it in January to avoid even more animosity around my daughter's 16th and Christmas.

I pick up the keys for a rental house on Friday and intend to move in before Christmas...it's just a six month contract but excited and terrified to be starting a proper new home. So much to think about as I'll be starting from scratch.

OP posts:
PeachyKeane · 27/11/2024 13:42

Don't back down. We are here for you if you need to pm then do so.

I'm in the same position but working through it. I'm really really glowing and happy. Buzzing with energy. Doing a lot of yoga and pilates to calm the anxiety which has made my body look better than it has ever done. I'm full of (perhaps nervous) energy but I feel so alive.

Sending love ❤️

RandomMess · 27/11/2024 17:22

File before Christmas as there will be a deluge afterwards.

trailblazer42 · 27/11/2024 18:03

RandomMess · 27/11/2024 17:22

File before Christmas as there will be a deluge afterwards.

I didn’t realise that was a thing! To be honest I’m not sure it will make a huge difference as expecting it to take a little while to sort as have a Teacher’s Pension to contend with and getting STBX to get a valuation and then waiting for it is probably going to take a while. He’s going to spiral when he knows I’ve done it…he’s already had five weeks off work due to the stress of me leaving, and I don’t want that hanging over kids for Christmas.

OP posts:
RandomMess · 27/11/2024 18:15

File between Christmas and New Year.

Please accept his time off sick is about his loss of control and anger. Something else he can use to try and manipulate you.

Flowers
sheldonRockz · 27/11/2024 18:30

The sooner you file the better, as once you’ve filed it’ll take at least 20 weeks to process, but probably longer given how your stbx is acting.

Well done for breaking free and starting a new life. Hopefully your children are happier too x x

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