Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

I think my husband has left me.

393 replies

Ohbyethen · 31/12/2013 00:44

But I don't actually officially know. How pathetic does that sound?

I've nc for this and I don't know why, possibly because it makes it a little bit less real, less connected to me.

I have no one I'm able to talk to about this now and anyway sometimes you just need MN advice don't you? All the way up to starting the thread I just wanted you lot to tell me what to do, now I don't know what to write. Because I don't know what the fuck is going on.

A couple of things have made sense in retrospect but at the time (and we're talking this week, not months or years) I just thought it was work and christmas/family stress. He's been quiet a bit, not had a great appetite and not slept well, been perfectly polite but exactly that, polite, distant although not cold while I tried really hard to get talking - and I have wracked my brains trying to see what else I missed but I'm coming up with nothing.
He's been at his mother's a lot over Christmas for various reasons (and yes I know he was there, he's got no other indicators pointing to affairsville really, although nothing could surprise me anymore) only dropping into the house to get ready to go to work and lunch. I was worried and tried to get him to talk to me but he wouldn't. Friday he said he needed to clear his head and went for a drive, he was reasonable but not normal when he got back. I asked if he would take a break or at least go to the doctor, I thought his problems were down to exhaustion and told him I was really worried he was heading for bigger issues.
Yesterday he's at work all night, he gets home today and tells me he's got to go and see his mother but he's seeing a Dr in the evening - his friend, actually a Dr but a friend none the less, for a 'chat'- I backed off, just said if he wouldn't talk to me please talk to his mum, she loves him yadda yadda, I'm glad he's talking to his friend and I hope it will be helpful.
Hear nothing, text for news, he'll let me know.
Get a text ' x has said go back to mum's, chill out there away from work area and see how things are in the morning. Sorry.'
I was sceptical of the exact advice being reported but thought fuck it, if he has a break we can sort things out when he's got his head back.

So it should have ended there. This is the pathetic part, we share a computer, I went to log in to facebook and his sign in details were in the box, I always forget to check, looked back across and it said password incorrect. Thought balls I only changed it last week, saw it was his and the auto fill had put the usual one in - his password was changed at 9.15 this morning. Was a bit eh? but logged in to mine to see I have been unfriended. Now I don't set much store by fb but this is so random. He never uses the fucking thing, why go to the bother of that mid breakdown (which I had attributed this to initially)? If it was a friend I wouldn't think anything of it but unfriending your wife (not deactivating the account) when you don't use it seems a random point to make. I checked email accounts - we have our own but often share for stuff- all the passwords have been changed. Today.
I spent the day trying to work out all the things I could do to take the load off for him, try to help without really knowing the problem from him, concerned he's on the brink of working himself to death and I was in a bit of denial. Then that; it confirmed my gut feeling so I decided to pack a bag, send him to his mother's more permanently while we sort things out properly and try and shield the kids from any of this uncertainty with a work trip.
Text to tell him this, non-confrontationally, no reply. Found his wedding ring left in the bathroom and he doesn't take it off normally. Had a cry while packing his bag and now I'm just - ? -

Not 24 hours ago I would have said he is a decent, kind man, excellent father and we had a solid marriage. We discussed separation when we had pfb and we both said as amicably as possible - no mess, grown ups, with mediators if necessary. Even if he left me I would have laughed in the face of anyone that said he would leave the dc like that...which brings me back to him just having reached the end of his tether.
I'm sad, alone, am desperately worried about him and want to be with him but also have no idea if he has actually had a crisis and wasn't in fact a massive bastard that was too chicken shit to tell me to my face, I'm angry at him, furious really. And then just distraught because I love him and can't believe he would do this if he had a choice. Except he has, hasn't he?

OP posts:
LoisChristmasPuddingLane · 01/01/2014 19:53

You are amazing. Well done.

PassAFist · 01/01/2014 20:00

You have done an incredible job of sticking up for yourself and your DCs, well done OP.
I hope you are feeling some measure of confidence in your ability to face the future, whatever it may hold. I wish you much luck in 2014.

SugarMiceInTheRain · 01/01/2014 20:02

Wow, well done for standing firm and leaving him in no doubt as to the seriousness of his actions. I hope things work out for the best. I admire your courage and the articulate way you've dealt with him.

Ohbyethen · 01/01/2014 20:03

Thank you, blubbing again now. I don't feel like I'm dealing with things particularly well, it feels cold and heartless and hard but it's probably because I still can't get my head round what's happened.
I've had no real answers - he doesn't know why he did it being the response to most questions, like the fb one. Friends have rep. Or he loves me very much and our marriage is so important to him, except he had no answer when I asked why he could show us all so little respect and act in our detriment if we were so important and that his actions made a liar of him.

I don't know about sending him a text. On the one hand I think he deserves to feel the shame such a reminder would provoke (I would hope) but on the other I don't know if I can face responding to an enquiry that would be insincere because I pushed him for it. I want him to want to know and if he doesn't then he doesn't deserve to know. But I don't know if that's selfish of me. I just want to have them close to me and in a bubble of happiness, I don't know how to carry on with that if I have to face the reality that he doesn't seem to care.

OP posts:
Ohbyethen · 01/01/2014 20:05

Oops, Friends have reported no unusual activity on fb so obviously just trying to make a childish point.

OP posts:
Fairenuff · 01/01/2014 20:07

What makes you so sure there is no other person involved?

TheCrackFox · 01/01/2014 20:08

You kick ass.

LoisChristmasPuddingLane · 01/01/2014 20:10

I'm still thinking there might be an OW involved. Where did he go?

MuttonCadet · 01/01/2014 20:11

Oh well done, that must have been incredibly hard, you should be proud of yourself, you are protecting your children from hurt and dealing with the practical aspects.

Exactly the right approach, keep posting and keep talking to your support in RL, it'll keep you going.

MadAboutHotChoc · 01/01/2014 20:12

Another one who thinks you have shown so much strength - your DC are lucky to have you as a parent who will put their needs first.

Pulling the rug from under him is exactly the right thing to do - if you do ever decide to take him back (on your terms), he will have far more respect for you and will think twice before pulling a similar stunt again.

MuttonCadet · 01/01/2014 20:12

I wouldn't bother texting him, it just opens lines of communication when you might be better keeping them closed for a couple of days to give yourself time for this to sink in.

MissBurrows · 01/01/2014 20:15

I'm sorry OP. You seems very sweet and cvaring, I'm so sorry you've been treated this way by the man you love.

I hope it works out for you. xx

MissBurrows · 01/01/2014 20:15

seem caring. Sorry my typing is terrible.

shoom · 01/01/2014 20:18

Whatever happens, the an excellent role model for your children.

He now has time to think up reasons for his actions. I expect he'll try to give you a few, but they won't stand up to scrutiny. He didn't have good reasons at 6am because he expected... What exactly? Doesn't matter, you've shown your self-respect and he has something real to think about now.

I am sure you'll get a good resolution.

Ohbyethen · 01/01/2014 20:26

You know what - I actually don't think it matters if ther is another woman or not. I know that sounds strange but it's his actions that have caused this and if they are because he's selfish and immature or because he's having an affair then that atually makes very little difference to the outcome. His betrayal of us is no less or more if he's playing away.
It couldn't hurt us any more. Is it any more pathetic? I don't know. If there is any kind of possiblility of him coming back then logistically I would need to be sure of different things but actually if I can forgive what he's done then I can forgive whatever the cause, if I can't it really doesn't matter if he's seeing someone else, he'll have lost something far more precious.
As far as it goes he's been where he has told me he was going to be, once I told the family what was going on they have been keeping in contact with me and trying to help. Part of that is passing comment on what he's been up to or what they know, and in isolation too so there's no big cover up. I'm finding it hard to care. I think I'm feeling a bit detached from the hurt of it tbh.

I don't really want to text him but was thinking of asking an opinion on it - I find myself agreeing that actually radio silence is just easier for me. I already have to think about it all day and speak to people. I'm not chasing him for something he's unwilling to give. We are an amazing family, I'm proud of my children and we don't have to beg anyone to love us.

OP posts:
EllieInTheRoom · 01/01/2014 20:32

You're brilliant!

Hope you're ok though, it sounds really tough.

Did he mention why he took his wedding ring off? How can he say it wasn't about you when he did that? You're right he made it about all of you.

Do you know what he is apparently stressed about? Is he having a hard time at work and is that all it is?

Ohbyethen · 01/01/2014 20:32

Thank you.

Shoom - I think he expected that I would be so relieved and so grateful he had graced me with his presence I would fall weeping at his feet and agree to anything he wanted. It was previously unlike him but that really is the feeling I've been left with.
He has treated us with so little respect Ithink we had become objectified in his head and so imbued with little real personhood and he was shocked when I said no and didn't fit in with the narrative he'd plaed out in his head.
I have self-respect, I have value and worth but even if I didn't my children do.
I have held back a bit because I didn't want to make decisions out of hurt and anger and end things in a fit of pique. But unless he either has a good truth or becomes Tolkien in the intervening time I can't see what I accept as valid for acting this way, not enough to open us up to the risk of him leaving again anyway.

OP posts:
EllieInTheRoom · 01/01/2014 20:34

I agree, don't text. Especially if you think this will be easier on you. You need to do whatever makes it easier for you.

I think pretty much whatever you text him now could be construed as an easy way back in. It should all come from him now.

MusicForTheMasses · 01/01/2014 20:36

You are bloody brilliant! I really admire how you are handling the situation and are protecting yourself and your kids. x

Ohbyethen · 01/01/2014 20:39

Ellie - thanks, feel like a big arse! Apparently that was a misunderstanding, he only took it off to unblock the toilet. There's so much wrong with that I can't even begin. Possibly the fact that the toilet was never blocked nad if he did it then it was sorted with such stealsh it was as if it never happened...oh wait.
No I think it was part of trying to pull focus on to how tortured he was and it back fired because he didn't like my response so now he's just lying or obfuscating his way out of things because he can't admit he wanted attention and has behaved appalingly. All I know on that score is he has said it was work and that work would make sense - it's justthe rest of the stuff that doesn't so I don't know if it's a convienient peg to hang something else on.
No idea if I ever will know adn that makes me so sad.

OP posts:
Ohbyethen · 01/01/2014 20:40

Oh so many typos and missing words. I'm sorry, I hope it makes enough sense to be readable.
I think I may have broken my keyboard by crying on it. Ridiculous.

OP posts:
WeAreDetective · 01/01/2014 20:42

Well done on staying strong for you and your children. It's a hard, hard thing to do. You rock!!!

EllieInTheRoom · 01/01/2014 20:44

You are not an arse!! At all. You're doing absolutely the right thing, whichever way this goes.

That toilet BS is staggering. The whole thing is mind boggling really.

Bless you. Try sticking it on the radiator for a bit!

Thanks
shoom · 01/01/2014 20:45

I hadn't mentioned the possible OW aspect earlier because I thought it was a red herring.

It seemed that he was in a bubble of thinking about himself when he disappeared. The wedding ring / fb / "my doctor friend said..." business sounded self-indulgent to me. There's either a reason that can be worked through, or there's not.

I'm really impressed with how you've handled this. I don't feel in a position to offer any advice, but radio silence seems right. The next moves should be about you and the needs of your DC. Last week was about him. This week he can think about his family.

I suspect you've given him a shock and a healthy dose of "my wife is amazing".

nopanicandverylittleanxiety · 01/01/2014 20:48

I think you are doing the right thing and coping brilliantly.

Don't text him re children. They won't know he hasn't asked. So it would only be for your benefit. I would want to see when he chose to do it.
Has your mil explained why she didn't answer your calls?