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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

I dont want this life with my husband

118 replies

SoWhatNowThen · 06/05/2014 11:13

I am beginning to think that I only have one life, and I deserve to be happy. Our children deserve to be happy too.

My husband is a workaholic. He works one job 9-6, so is home around 7 pm. He then eats, rests for an hour, and goes back to his computer, and works till around midnight on his own business. He is grumpy, tired and overworked. He wont give up on his life's work - the business, but recognized we could not survive from it so took a new full time career job on top. I am also involved in the business, with book keeping and admin work, so as long as the business is ours/his, I am also tied up with it, and not in a position to find any other new meaningful job. I could turn my back on it, but have a sense of duty.

Weekends are spent waiting around for him to clear his email backlog before we can do anything together. Similarly holidays. Bank holidays and holidays he sees as his opportunity to crack on with his business.

I am frankly sick of it. I did not sign up for this. I am dealing single-handedly with all chores, everything related to the kids. He leaves mess around everywhere because he is too busy to tidy up after himself. He cant even put his own cereal bowls into the dishwasher, just leave it on the side for me.

He is going through a shirt per day, 2 pairs of socks and sports clothing, so creates a lot of laundry. Every day a new towel for him to wipe the seat of his bike/motorbike, adding to the load.

If I say anything, he just retorts "It is not like I am lying around on the sofa doing nothing, I am working".

I dont want him to work like this. I have not asked for it. I did not marry and have kids just to be on my own with it all, while he is pursuing not only an exciting career, but his own business too!

The business is not making money. It is making losses monthly, and he is paying business expenses with his credit card, and paying off his credit card with the salary from his other job. So, the other job is now subsidizing the business. The extra money is not going to the family. He says he cant sell it, he does not want to sell the business, it is unsalable because it is making losses. Yet, he loves it and wont give up on it.

I took the kids and went away for bank holiday weekend. I did not even ask him to join us, I figured he would just not be able to, or sit on his laptop the entire time, while we would sit around and wait for him. I figured he would crack on with work. But no, he decided to go on a his own weekend trip with a mate. So, I think he has proved to me that he can take time off from work, if he does not have to spend the time with his wife and children. Me and the kids had a fantastic time without him.

I have no interest in any other man. I just dont see what value this man is bringing to our lives. I know I cant ask him to give up on the business, he will just be resentful.

I have supported him for over 10 years in this venture, and given up my own career prospects for him to work on this, and help him. I have invested an inheritance from family on the business, my parents once gave him 20k to support him. Yet he still says that I have never supported him, and that he resents I have never been on his side. He is a selfish and entitled idiot without appreciation for the sacrifices we have all made for him to indulge in what in essence is nothing but a very expensive and time consuming hobby.

I am sick of it. I just dont know how to get on with divorcing him, moving out, moving on, and guiding the kids through this.

OP posts:
Jan45 · 06/05/2014 11:18

Can only agree with what you have said, he does sound all those things. Other than tell him it's last chance saloon, I'd start looking into separation.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 06/05/2014 11:21

This is no way to live the one and only life you get.

Bonsoir · 06/05/2014 11:23

Have you been to counselling?

SoWhatNowThen · 06/05/2014 11:24

Why do I need counseling? For me to realize that I exist purely for my husbands pleasure, or to get the strength and reserve to realize I am not?

OP posts:
CrystalDeCanter · 06/05/2014 11:25

Oh god he sounds like a hard working arse. But an arse all the same. We had a failed business and whilst it SUCKS and is a blow to ones sense of self esteem etc, it was a total fucking relief the day we sold it.

I would be royally pissed off if I was you and I think you are entitled to call it a day on your involvement with the business AND the marriage if that's what you want.

Would he go to counselling though? He appears to take you for granted and maybe counselling would help him see things from your point of view?

Matildathecat · 06/05/2014 11:25

Have SIL with workaholic DH. You have two choices: you put up with this but develop your own life within the marriage and learn not to care. Or you tell him it's over. You've had enough and divorce.

For a start, have you tried couples counselling?

Neither option is good but as they say, the only person you can change is yourself. I think it's you that will have to change to improve this miserable existence.

Good luck.

CrystalDeCanter · 06/05/2014 11:26

I think counselling for you could give you some clarity and strength to make difficult decisions, but how about going as a couple?

WhoNickedMyName · 06/05/2014 11:27

If the business is not making a profit and is in fact making losses, then it's not a business, it's an expensive and very time consuming hobby - for you too, as book-keeper and admin clerk.

Give it up. It's no way for you and your children to live.

SoWhatNowThen · 06/05/2014 11:30

He would not invest the time.

He sometimes hide himself away in the bedroom on his ipad to avoid interacting with us.

He gets angry and short tempered if the kids are not in bed by 9, as he normally has a conference call then, and want quiet in the house. Not that he has made any effort in offering them supper, or getting them to bed!

I have told him he can use my study for work in the evenings, as I am not on my computer after 3 pm when the kids are home. Once I had to use it so asked him to wait 10 minutes, and the result is that he now keeps his computer on the kitchen table, along with a monitor, and his clothes, motorbike helmet and other gear on the dining table, so it is inconveniencing our meal times. I am more and more angry and resentful.

OP posts:
Aussiemum78 · 06/05/2014 11:31

10 years is more than enough to turn a profit.

If you had said 12 months I might say wait, it takes time and he is building wealth for the family.

Is the business making a loss before paying you or him a wage?

If you aren't getting a wage, I'd give him notice that you are getting a paid job. (This will help if you separate).

I'd also state that no more family money be used. If he can't even break even he is not running the business correctly.

I do work for my dp, but I invoice the business and he draws wages (we didn't for first 12 months). Business and personal finances are completely separate. It's hard as we work at home and I try to draw boundaries around meal times/outings as much as we can but we also have more time with family because it's flexible.

We did invest start up money, but only what we were prepared to lose if it went wrong. I'd never borrow money from family. Was it repaid?

WipsGlitter · 06/05/2014 11:32

What is the business? Can you take over more of it to make it a success, eg deal with the email backlog?

My DP is a workaholic but he does make time for the family as well, so it can be done. Have you tried 'going on strike' or as pp said making more of a life for yourself?

HumphreyCobbler · 06/05/2014 11:33

I am not surprised SoWHat. It sounds utterly soul destroying.

I agree, it is not a business, it is a hobby and it should be shelved.

Fontella · 06/05/2014 11:35

All the working, leaving his shit around for you to clean up - all that I could probably tolerate to a certain extent, but the swanning off for the weekend with his mate would be the absolute killer for me.

The whole premise of your relationship, his whole raison d'etre, is based on the fact that he has to work all the time. Doesn't have time to do anything else, and therefore the load falls on you.

But as soon as you sort out a weekend away for you and the kids, he can miraculously find the time to take a weekend off himself? Just not in the company of his family. Unbelievable!

I don't blame you for wanting out and I completely agree with your last paragraph. He is a selfish and entitled idiot who doesn't appreciate the sacrifices you and others make on his behalf.

I wish I could help with the practicalities of what to do next in terms of moving on, divorce etc. - but I'm sure others will be along to offer advice with that. I just wanted to offer my support.

Aussiemum78 · 06/05/2014 11:36

The irony will be, if he separates from you he will have to give up the business as it will be too much with doing his own cooking/cleaning and bookkeeping. Plus paying for his own rent etc. and having the kids visit!

You will have a new income if you get a job, you'll get your kitchen back, child support, etc.

SoWhatNowThen · 06/05/2014 11:38

I cant take on more of it, it is very technical and not my area of expertise. I could take on marketing, (I used to) etc, but there is no point, as he has to micromanage everything, and nitpicks to the point that he ahs and uhms and wants to redo everything himself. It is more hassle than it is worth.

OP posts:
WhoNickedMyName · 06/05/2014 11:39

Please don't take over more of the business to make it a success.

If he hasn't managed to make a success of it in 10 years then you wasting your time with a bit more admin/dealing with an e-mail backlog isn't going to make any difference.

The more you post, the worse he sounds. It really is no kind of life to live. If I were you I'd look for paid work elsewhere. You sound so ground down with it all, I think a change of job and a change of scene and getting out of the home environment for a bit might help you to build the impetus you need to really change things.

WhoNickedMyName · 06/05/2014 11:39

Have you posted about this before? It sounds very familiar.

SoWhatNowThen · 06/05/2014 11:42

I dont think I have posted before, at least not in such detail.

We have other issues that complicates the situation, which I have posted about, but they seem really secondary to it all now.

I think if I can just get myself separated from him, then my other issues may fall into place by themselves.

OP posts:
WhoNickedMyName · 06/05/2014 11:46

OK. There was a very similar post a while ago, the husband works in something to do with IT, it just rang a bell.

I think you'll find once you ditch the dead weight a lot of things will magically fall into place in your life. You and the kids have had a fantastic weekend without him. That says it all really.

wannabestressfree · 06/05/2014 11:47

You already know the answer............

juneau · 06/05/2014 11:47

Does he know how you feel? I think, if this was me (and I have a workaholic/computer-aholic DH too, so I sympathise with everything you say), I'd lay my cards on the table. Is there a chance that he doesn't realise how miserable and demoralised you are? Or does he simply not care, so wrapped in his own self-importance and busyness?

How about you email him an edited version of the post you put on here, explaining your position, your unhappiness and that unless things change immediately, you want a separation? Email seem to get through to him, even if you can't in person.

As for advice on the separation, its the usual: make a list of assets and liabilities, and go and see a solicitor. You can usually get an initial half-hour consultation for free. You might want to give some thought to how you will run two homes, whether you and the DC can stay in your present home, if not where will you live, how will they get to school, etc.

CrystalDeCanter · 06/05/2014 11:48

I missed the fact that he'd been doing his "business" for TEN YEARS.

TEN YEARS FOR CHRISTS SAKE.

You are a Saint OP

Jan45 · 06/05/2014 11:51

Problem is you are not a team and he definitely does not appreciate your support, you're also pretty much raising your kids on your own, how can he expect you to be happy with your lot, it's all about him and his needs.

SoWhatNowThen · 06/05/2014 11:51

He knows how I feel. He does not care.

He also knows that I dont want to live in London anymore, as my asthma and allergies are really bad here. He does not want to live anywhere else. I am not from Britain, so I would want to go home. This complicates things, as I think he will not want the kids to go. It is only a short 2 hour plane ride away, but even so.

OP posts:
ThinkIveBeenHacked · 06/05/2014 11:52

Well if he gave more of a shit then maybe you would consider not leaving! He cant have it both ways.

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