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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

lies lies lies

322 replies

gutted1 · 11/04/2015 01:18

hi, Ive just stumbled across this site as I'm frantically searching for answers.
A bit of background - my husband and I have been togeteher for close to 20 years and married for 4 of these. We have 2 children, 1 together and 1 from my previous relationship. We are both 38.

Over the years I have always had an uneasy feeling that my husband hasnt always been true to me. He works for a large organisation in the city which often involves entertaining evenings and often trips away - dubai, las vegas, san francisco, amsterdam to name just a few. I never accomapny him on these trips.

About 6 years ago I came across a bank statement which showed he had spent just under £1000 in a lap dancing club. I was gutted. I did confront him and immediately got berated for 'looking through his stuff'. He said he was drunk and nothing had happened and that he had been 'conned'.
We got through this and decided to truely commit and get get married after so long together.
I'm not sure if things got better or if I was just ignorant to it!
Over the years there have been several nights out in which my husband would not return home until the next day or very late. He would get very drunk, to the point that on occasions he has passed out, fallen asllep on trains, come come with black eyes, cuts to head, lost phones/laptops etc. He will never tell me where he has been or what he has been doing. He keeps his finances seperate and I have no idea of what he spends and where. I have found out that he has continued to visit strip clubs and spend alot of money there. I dread to think what the money can buy him.
It came to heads just before christmas last year when he failed to return home after a night out. I had to lie to our son in the morning that he had stayed at a friends when I had no idea where he was and if we was even ok. When I returned from work that eveing he was home, he had cuts to his head and bruising. He said he fell asleep at the station and fell over. Again, I was gutted and just didnt know what to believe. He said he couldnt continue like this and that the drink would kill him or ruin our marraige - its true it is! He said that he jst couldnt go out any more.
Things had got better, he had gone out very rarely and not got in this state but things have still not been great between us.

We are very rarely intimate - im not sure if this is my doing or his or down to how i feel about everything. Since having our son our sex life has been a little awkward as we rarely get any privacy. I find this hard as I feel uncomfortable if our son is awake and in the room next to us. I also suffer terribly with cystitis and seem to have constant thrush. Any sexual contact results in this. This is a horrible situation for me as I have needs too, it isnt that I dont want to be with my husband, I do. I feel Im letting him down in that sense but then it does take two. Over the last 8 months on the rare occasions that we have been intimate, the way he wants to do this is different. This makes me paranoid that he has done these things with other women. I have suspected he has been unfaithful but didnt want to believe it. I fear that he has had sexual contact with strippers, random girls he has met or even prostitutes.
He has recently been to amsterdam on buisness and he lied about only going out for the work dinner as I have found reciepts showing otherwise. I feel dreadful for looking for such evidence but I just have had the most awful feeling.

It was this eveing that I discovered a card in his bag for a sexual health clinic showing that he has been tested for chlamydia, gonorrhoea, HIV and syphillis. This has made all my most dreaded fears become reality. There would be no need to be tested for these things unless he had had sexual contact with someone. I am devestated.

Im not sure what Im hoping for by posting this on here. He is away this weekend. I have kept the card. I know that he will discover it is gone. If I confront him for this I know he will blame me for 'looking through his things'. But to me, this just proves that I wasnt the one going crazy, my fears and thoughts have been valid. Im not sure what else to say right now. apart from gutted. :(

OP posts:
Psipsina · 15/04/2015 20:48

Hello, it is good to hear how things are going and that you're still on for tomorrow. Well done for saying you didn't want to talk about it for now.

It's hard to imagine what he might be thinking, or what he means but I wouldn't try and read too much into it if he can't be bothered to spell it out.

Being nice to the children may be his way of trying to make you feel like the bad guy, or it may be that he is actually worried you are going to leave and wants you to see that he can be a nice parent.

Probably the former - but again, not worth worrying about. You know what has happened, and you know your feelings about it, and that's what matters. You are doing brilliantly xx

CoffeeBeanie · 15/04/2015 20:55

He really thinks he can get away with it. He's extra nice to the children so he can guilt you into staying with him.
So predictable.
Don't let him play games with you, dropping cryptic hints and walking off.
He's still manipulating you.

Have you found your anger? A tiny bit of it? Minimal tears is good.

Good luck for tomorrow and keep him at a distance. Don't engage.

His behaviour is not that of a decent man.

Maybe he did leave the appointment card out on purpose, who knows. Or he did really think he can get away with anything, and it doesn't matter if you know it or not.

Keep strong & get some sleep.

honeyroar · 15/04/2015 21:07

Rory, I meant tomorrow, not Sunday!

MelonBallersAreStrange · 15/04/2015 21:31

There is only one way to know what will happen next: make it happen yourself.

Good luck tomorrow and Friday.

alongcamespiders · 15/04/2015 22:46

I like someone's idea of you staying somewhere else before your interview and packing the kids off with one of your friends or family so you can approach it with fresh brain (fresh as can be)
Sorry for what you're going through. I've been through similar, sadly more than once or twice with more than one man....you will come out of this with your head held high, feeling relieved that you no longer have to worry what's going on behind your back and all the other associated stress, plus knowing that you're giving your kids and you the chance of a better life. Possibly not better in material terms but emotionally and in terms of stability and security.

MaMaof04 · 16/04/2015 05:26

Take time to dress up and have a good cuppa this morning. I will be mentally, virtually but full-heartedly supporting you during your observation- as many MN ladies will! We believe in you and want you to succeed. Good Luck!

PreemptiveSalvageEngineer · 16/04/2015 06:33

gutted, you can bet yer last ass that he isn't tying himself up in knots trying to figure you out.

Best of luck for today - you're freaking brilliant and you deserve Good Things.

Vivacia · 16/04/2015 09:06

Thinking of you and wishing you well today!

Goodbetterbest · 16/04/2015 09:24

Good luck today Gutted x

Dowser · 16/04/2015 09:48

At the end of our relationship my ex was being nicer to the cat than to me.

That spoke volumes. It was like he was wiping his contempt all over me by fawning over puss( who lapped it up! No loyalty in cats ;-) no sisterhood. She should have hissed and clawed!)

All it does like black next to white is highlight the deep divide between his feelings for his children and his feelings for you. You ate outside his circle of love.

I noticed his little cryptic comments. I had that too.

My daughter came up with the best advice. Don't engage. Don't bite. Ignore. Don't give them any fuel for their fire. Mine thrived on drama and chaos . So I just did the opposite.

He used to come round and babysit our baby grandson while my son worked and I went out. When I came in ( he was living with ow by then) . He tried to engage with me, have you had a good night, etc etc. I just never said a word. Totally ignored him till he eventually stormed off.

Drove him bonkers.

SlightlyJadedJack · 16/04/2015 10:26

Good luck today gGtted, please try to ignore him and stay focused on the next two days. Don't let him ruin your chances.

MaMaof04 · 16/04/2015 17:37

Hallo there!
How was your day?
xxxxxxx

007JamesBond · 16/04/2015 17:48

How was the observation? Hope it went well. Is it a job at your current school or a new one?

gutted1 · 16/04/2015 20:23

Thanks for all your good wishes.
It went ok I think, he was a really nice guy and tried to make me feel at ease. If only he knew!!
Day 2 tomorrow with the more formal aspect. It's for another school- the change will be good if I get it.
He didn't even wish me luck, didn't even get up out of bed. He's been off out today and still not home now, no inquiry of how ot went.
I'm trying to stay focussed and stay positive.
I came home to a tidy house and flowers and a bar of chocolate from my lovely daughter which was lovely. Made me cry actually.
Hoping I sleep well tonight and feel fresh tomorrow.
Should her by tomorrow evening so will let you know.
Thank you again for your kind words of support. It's amazed me how much this has helped. I've never been on a site like this before and not even sure how i stumbled across it in my desperation. It's really helped though x

OP posts:
Psipsina · 16/04/2015 20:38

Ah...you see...the magic of Mumsnet...plus we have Cake and Brew and even Bear if you're really peckish Smile

I am so glad it went well. I hope tomorrow goes even better. Your dd sounds lovely.

Psipsina · 16/04/2015 20:39

(that is a pom bear, in case it is not clear)

Vivacia · 16/04/2015 20:53

You're doing great gutted, your daughter has a good role model.

MaMaof04 · 16/04/2015 21:00

Sleep tight dear!
Good Luck for tomorrow! We are still here and will still be here for you!
(You can count at least 5 blessings today:
1- nice guy in observation
2- tidy house
3- flowers
4- bar of chocolate
5-lovely daughters
6- (HUGS FROM and TO your daughters- each hug count as what- at least a million of other blessings? agree?) Ah and your tears (nice warming tears of maternal love!)
and your list of blessings will just grow when you put him in some box in some forgotten corner in the dusty basement of this tiny place in your mind where you bury your fading bad memories.)
Good Night! XXXXXX

Christinayangstwistedsister · 16/04/2015 21:06

Great news x

honeyroar · 16/04/2015 21:08

We'll done and keep it up for tomorrow.

I wax just thinking, on reading this thread, that I wish something like this had been around when I split up from my ex years ago. The camaraderie on here is lovely.

On top of that, your daughter sounds like a gem. She must get it from you, definitely not her dad!

Go and eat your chocolate! You deserve it.

Dannie22b · 16/04/2015 21:19

Glad your day went well. Good luck for tomorrow! Your doing fab. A true inspiration for keeping calm and carrying on. X

Kleptronic · 16/04/2015 21:57

Splendid gutted. Truly you are awesome. Bloody well done you.

gutted1 · 16/04/2015 22:33

He's still not home, it really is becoming apparent that he just does not care for me :(

OP posts:
MaMaof04 · 16/04/2015 22:45

Hey Gutted, your daughter cares for you; we do care for you; you do care for yourself! I thought we were counting your blessings this evening!
He does not care for you so what? you do care for yourself! Wrap yourself with a soft nice-smelling blanket (spread some perfume if you are not allergic) and hug yourself/ Maybe listen to some music you like?
Focus on good stuff and on tomorrow interview!
Try to reconnect to yourself and to lull yourself in some sweet dream.
Good Night (Can you sleep dear?) We will think about tonight and you tomorrow!

alongcamespiders · 16/04/2015 22:50

Fuck him. You don't need him around you. He's doing it on purpose of course, to freak you out and distract you from your interview and to make you beg for his forgiveness. He's playing a classic bully trick of sulking in order to make you apologise.
He will also be freaking out a bit that you haven't been on your knees apologising for finding out about his std tests, he'll be feeling worried that you are seeming to manage without him in these early days.
You are doing brilliantly well, just focusing on the very necessary stuff, keeping you and your kids safe and well. Sending you hugs.