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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Affairs and the re-writing of history...

7 replies

Dee34 · 08/06/2011 09:44

Just wondering how this has panned out for people who have found out that their partners have been having an affair.

Particularly interested in situations where the cheating partner has left for the OW/OM - do they actually start to really believe the nonsense they come out with to the point where it becomes fact? Or do they slowly start to remember that the partner at home was not some 6 headed demon who made their life a living hell?! A bit extreme, but my ex is so madly in love with his OW (now his girlfriend) that he left the family home back in January for her and has been waiting patiently for her to move over to the UK from the US (sometime in July ? and yes, she is coming).

?Fair? enough, he can go and be all lovey dovey, but why does he have to re-write our history?! That?s what I don?t get??and even more worryingly, what if he starts to believe the stuff he is spouting? I do realize that everything is about perception and of course, what he may have perceived as a problem or issue, I may have been the opposite??But the man has gone from being unhappy for 3 months before affair, to 6 months, 9 months, 1 year, 2 years and now the whole 11 year relationship! He seems to have forgotten that before we had our DS, I arranged and paid for the bulk of our hols/weekends away and ?going out? things like gigs, sports events, experiences (he is now full of bitter resentment and now says that he has had to subsidize me because he paid 60% of bills/mortgage ? though he only did this because HE insisted as he always earned far, far more than me!). Apparently, I never did anything for him, yet the only thing he did was to take the bins out once a week, oh and mow the lawn every now and then......on the very odd occasions when he cooked a meal ? only ever a stir fry or steaks ? I would have to chop and prep the meat and veggies before I put DS to bed and he cooked whilst I did the long-winded bed routine. If I was out in town shopping, I would call him (he worked from home) and ask what he wanted for lunch and bring something in or make something for him. Lots more petty examples like this and some of the things he has accused me of, he wouldn?t dare accuse his girlfriend of?..I know I should just ignore him, but he is driving me potty! Esp as he is now dragging DS into the mix by saying that I made family life a daily living hell (I did confront him about this, to which he claimed ? the very next day ? that he couldn?t remember saying that!).

I am veering between the extremes of not caring and being slightly paranoid that I am indeed the 6 headed demon he imagines me to be??as much as friends and family reassure me, I think it?s hard for them to relate when they have not been through this iyswim?

OP posts:
NettleTea · 08/06/2011 09:58

He does it to justify having the affair to himself. You know the truth. Please try to ignore him or it will drive you insane.

tadpoles · 08/06/2011 10:09

He is in the early stages of a new relationship. Don't worry, once the rose colour has come off his glasses, the daily grind of everyday life with the new woman may start to lose its glitter. A friend of mine's ex-husband married very quickly after she refused to have him back (not an affair - but he was a bully and very controlling). A few years down the line, the roses are most definitely not growing around the door - the new wife is much more difficult than my friend ever was and does not put up with his bullying - they argue, live practically separate lives and his children from his first marriage dislike her. The ultimate irony is when the ex-wife and the OW/current wife end up having a bitching session about what a pain the husband is!! Sorry, I am very cynical!

oldwomaninashoe · 08/06/2011 14:54

Yes re-writing of history is very common and it is to justify the affair, and yes he does believe it, and yes he has also spouted all this nonsense to the OW who believes him and sympathises with what a tough time he has had !
Just think Karma, it will all come back one day to bite him on the bum!
The story that Tadpoles has related is also more common than you think, I know of several women who have subsequently got on well with the OW being the Mother of half-siblings, with the common denominator being they have both been dumped, and "Action man" is now moved onto yet another OW

garlicbutter · 08/06/2011 15:25

It mostly depends on what happens in the future. After X#1 split up with the OW (she was less compliant than me) he was back, she was now the boring selfish one and I was the Lovely One Who Got Away. I didn't have him back - but made the same mistake twice anyway Blush X#2 is still married, though not to OW, and I've become such an insanely demanding harpie, it makes you wonder why he was ever with me in the first place Hmm

A couple I know, who met while they were both married to other people, have now rewritten history to the extent that they were childhood sweethearts: their Xs don't even exist!

It's not all that unusual for ex-wife and new wife to become friendly if there are children to pull you together, as Tadpoles says.

anothermum92 · 08/06/2011 17:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

thenewf · 08/06/2011 20:33

Wow, are you me OP. I am going through this now and it is very painful. I keep replaying things in my head but my rational head says I am an OK person.

Dee34 · 08/06/2011 23:03

Thanks for this - good to know that I am not the only one/or going crazy....

anothermum92 - does your exh know that he is doing this?! I think that's partially what makes me get into 'debates' with my ex as I think he must surely know that what he is saying isn't the truth...., but who knows?

oldwoman - OW has written before that ex is such an amazing person and that she is so lucky to have found him, which makes me wonder what the heck he has been telling her....I guess, as you say, I should just leave him/them to it and get on with my own truth and life.

thenewf - sorry that you are going through this. It is shitty, but as everyone has told me on here, it all does get better.

nettletea - yep, it is driving me crazy already....need to ditch the thoughts, esp before bed!

garlicbutter - that is insane! Worrying thing is, I could easily see ex manufacturing some crap history for the two of them...definitely need to steer clear of them/his ramblings I think.

Hmmm - the idea of getting on with OW just turns my tummy at the moment! But can see the point!

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