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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

A Long-term, Long Distance marriage – husband barely contacts us

46 replies

Salsadancing · 24/09/2011 23:16

I need some feedback as I don?t know if I?m being unreasonable. I know I?m extremely annoyed by it all as I wasn?t expecting this when I got married.
My husband is currently working abroad in his country and has been there for just over two years. When he had told me that he was going there to set up a business he told me he?d be gone for three to six months (he was to set up a business and then have someone manage it while he was back in England). He came back for a two week visit just over a year ago. Things seemed ok between us and I felt a bit more positive about the future of our marriage when he visited. Since then I can count on two hands, but less than ten fingers & thumbs the number of times he has contacted me and our two young DDs.
When I told him this fact, and that he needs to pick up the phone regularly and speak to his DDs he told me that when he gets home from work he is tired!!!!! Tired! That was like a red rag to a bull. He?s only got himself to look after. I?m looking after a three and five year old, both full of energy, when he left I was at the time working full-time, have had to deal with being made redundant, have since set up my own business online and work after my DDs have gone to bed so that I can earn money to feed, clothe etc my girls, as well as pay bills etc.
I haven?t a clue when he?s returning, despite me asking him. He can?t give me a definite time. I have been asking him since February to tell me what his plans are for the next 12 months (7 of those 12 months have already passed) but he hasn?t laid out his plans and told me, except to say ?there are risks involved in starting a business?. To continue with his lack of contact, as well as barely phoning us ? I?ve been the one doing most of the phoning, so that our DDs can speak to him, I once decided to not phone but wait for him to phone instead. Three months passed by before I?d had enough at his no-contact and picked up the phone. He doesn?t email me despite me having emailed and got no reply. I set up Skype and ever since he left I?ve been telling him to set it up also, which he still hasn?t done. He just keeps saying he?ll get it done ?this week?, which hasn?t happened
When he left, our youngest DD had just turned one and our eldest was three. The eldest misses him a lot and has told me of nights when she has been crying in bed because she misses him. She wants to know when he?s coming back, which I can only answer ?when daddy has finished his work he?ll be back?. It makes me so sad to see her upset, yet he can?t even be bothered to pick up the phone. My eldest DD has said to me on a couple of occasions that ?daddy is never coming back?. My youngest DD doesn?t really know him as he went abroad when she just turned one, but used to say that she misses daddy when she heard her sister say it. He?s missed over two years of their lives, but it seems he doesn?t care.
Three months ago I gave him until the end of August to greatly improve his communication and to tell me his plans and intentions that I had previously asked for, or I would have to assess things (our marriage). Since then I?ve heard from him twice and then very briefly yesterday he phoned when the DDs had already gone to bed, so they weren?t able to talk to him ? he knows when their bedtime is. Still, I don?t know how long he?s planning to stay abroad for.
I don?t know what he?s getting up to out there. He?s living on his own, and when I?ve asked him if he?s got a woman out there he?s said no. My H is also good at lying, so I don?t know whether to believe him. Our marriage wasn?t good when he was here. There were constant arguments and times when he?d suddenly flip if I disagreed with him and he?d say ?f**k you? to me with such venom, once in front of the DDs. When I was six months pregnant with my last DD he raised his hand to slap me, with a snarl on his face and his other hand clenched. He didn?t slap me but from that moment I admit I lost all respect for him ? since that occasion he then did the same thing on two other occasions.
I thought that going away for the 3 ? 6months would have been the break that our marriage needed. It seems not.
We?ve been married for four years. I?ve been unhappy for all four.
I feel empty inside and stuck. I don?t know if I can continue in this marriage, but I only hear of people breaking up because of something major such as physical abuse, cheating or addiction.
Would like to hear your comments because I feel alone with my thoughts towards my marriage, and I want my DDs to live in a happy home not the type of home environment that they were being put through. Reaching the end of this post has been emotional. Thank you in advance for your comments. Sorry it has been long.

OP posts:
Salsadancing · 25/09/2011 09:47

Thank you everyone. I needed to hear someone else's thoughts on this besides my own - I was thinking I was just being paranoid (suspecting there may be another woman) and perhaps unreasonable (by telling him to communicate more and his plans for when he's returning).

callmeovercautious, yes writing this has definitely been helpful, I've finally seen all these pieces of events from my marriage put together in one place, and along with your comments it has helped me to see more clearly.

He told me once that I'm a good mum but a bad wife. He said the latter as due to having a very traumatic birth with DD2 I took a very long time to recover physically and emotionally and I wasn't interested in DTD IYKWIM. And with his behaviour at home and doing nothing in the home I was even more not interested. Since DTD is all he ever wanted to talk to me about (couldn't ever get any other topic of conversation of worth out of him), I guess Im cynical when he says he hasnt got another woman out there.

BrikschittHaus, I can't say exactly which country as someone he knows may see this thread, but its a non-european country, and he says he isn't earning enough to be able to send anything. I had told him that he could have just stayed in the UK and earned more money than he's getting now.

OP posts:
TheFlyingOnion · 25/09/2011 09:48

sorry, what is DTD?

Salsadancing · 25/09/2011 09:52

The FlyingOnion: LOL, I've only just found out too what it means from mumsnet acronyms - Doing The Deed (in the bedroom)

OP posts:
HattiFattner · 25/09/2011 09:57

Hes moved on. he is not interested. File for divorce and free yourself from this sham of a marriage. He already has. DOnt waste another minute trying to get him back on board - he's gone.

TheFlyingOnion · 25/09/2011 10:03

oh!! Thanks for the translation.

Anyway he's a knob and if you divorced him it doesn't sound as though you'd be losing out in any way.

Get rid!

ImperialBlether · 25/09/2011 10:07

I think he is vile. He's aggressive when he's with you. When he's away, he doesn't call, doesn't send money, doesn't visit.

Make this formal now, with a divorce. Oh and I would not let him have the children over there, wherever he is, for a visit. He's shown his true feelings over the last years - don't have faith in him acting in your or their interests now.

Make sure you get a good solicitor. You will be much happier once it's done.

BrikSchittHaus · 25/09/2011 10:44

sorry, wasn't being intentionally nosey, just wanted to understand if he had moved to an economy stronger than the UK and so it would make financial sense to work there. but, it seems not. I hope this gets sorted for you.

HerHissyness · 25/09/2011 11:25

Ok so what DID he get out of marrying you? passport, right to remain? what? cos he seems to have married you and just naffed off. the bastard

i don't understand why he would have done this? before the birth of your DC2 was he an angel? doesn't sound like he was ever properly invested in the marriage.

I feel so much for you, it's a horrid revelation you are facing here, but really it's his loss, he failed you. couldn't cut it as a dad or as a father.

Don't EVER let the DC go to him, if it's non-european, you may never get them back. besides, he doesn't bother with them now, why would you ship them off to him when they are older? they won't know him, he won't know them, and by the looks of it, he has absolutely ZERO idea of commitment, love or family.

babynamesgrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 25/09/2011 22:13

I can sort of see where some women are coming from when they have trouble leaving their partners... they are afraid of being financially responsible for a family on their own or maintaining a family on their own or don't like the idea of being 'alone' and need a man in the house.

You haven't got any of the above! I can't see what you are getting out of this relationship in the least. Leave him, or better yet don't even tell him. He'll hardly notice!

solidgoldbrass · 25/09/2011 22:58

What you need to do now is concentrate on sorting things out legally so the fucker can't reappear if things turn sour for him wherever he is, and expect to be housed, fed and serviced by you.
The other priority is to explain to your DC that some people are just dreadful at being parents, they can't help it, and it is not DCs fault at all that their father isn't up to the job.
(In terms of what you tell DDs it's important not to blame the man or slag him off too much when they are little, DC are aware that they have half the absent parent's genes and can become very distressed if one of their parents is described to them in wholly negative terms).

clam · 25/09/2011 22:58

Sounds to me as if he's already ended the marriage. Unfortunately, he neglected to inform you of it!

Move on. You've made a fine job of managing alone so far. What's to change? Other than the peace of mind of knowing where you are.

peasandlove · 26/09/2011 08:19

I"m really sorry but your marriage sounds like a sham. I hope you can be strong and move on from him, best x

MuthaInsuperior · 26/09/2011 08:47

Agree with the others. This isn't a marriage - it's a bit of paper still legally binding you to a man who has blatantly moved on. Get rid of that paper and move on too. You deserve so much more.

RoxyRobin · 26/09/2011 08:59

Have nothing useful to add to the above, but you sound lovely and deserve much, much better Sad. I hope you find happiness whether on your own or with a man who appreciates and nurtures you and your DDs.

myhandslooksoold · 26/09/2011 11:31

Yes you do sound lovely OP and i've been thinking about you all weekend poppet.
I hope this thread helps- there is some good advice.
Good luck and keep in touch x

SanctiMoanyArse · 26/09/2011 11:41

Agree withe veryne OP

The only changes you will get if you make it formal with a divorce is that you might allow yourself to meet someone worth having and actually expereince a proper relationship

There is absolutely zero to lose.

EricNorthmansMistress · 26/09/2011 11:43

So he moved here and stayed for two years (until he got ILR?) Then he left and comes back often enough to keep his ILR...? He doesn't send you money or keep in touch, he's not parenting your DDs, he's not a husband to you - I'm afraid to say that it sounds quite suss from the outside. Even if it wasn't as straightforward as that - he's left you, hasn't he? He's not interested in you or the children, which is terrible. I think you can divorce him after two years if he has abandoned you. Good luck.

CactusRash · 26/09/2011 15:42

I am sorry but you do not have a relationship. And your dds do not have father either :(

I would get divorced. Your life will change one bit from the way you are living atm. Apart from one big thing, you won't be waiting for him to come home.

IndieNile · 26/09/2011 19:20

My heart goes out to you. You are wasting your youth waiting for this nasty non-husband.

Don`t waste any more time. Divorce him. You deserve better and so do your children.

Im afraid Im inclined to agree with the posters who say he probably has another family in his country of origin. I know of cases like yours.

Be thankful that he isnt interested in your children - hes less likely to want access to them when you divorce.

You sound like a strong person, youll be fine, you dont need to cling on to a relationship that is already over. You don`t need this rat in your life, and neither do your daughters - he sounds toxic.

All the best, and big cyber hugs!

TheOriginalFAB · 26/09/2011 19:29

You don't have to tell him you want out. Just see a solicitor and get them to serve papers. You have been separated for 2 years, just neither of you said it out loud. Your poor kids deserve better and so do you.

Salsadancing · 26/09/2011 21:57

Thank you all for your comments, they've all made a lot of sense in my confused mind. Thank you IndieNile for your big cyber hugs - I sure need it.

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