Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

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

Why do some men who leave for OW treat their exes with such contempt?

250 replies

ChooChooLaverne · 25/02/2016 10:26

Just wondering about this as it's happened to a couple of my friends recently and I really can't understand what goes through their minds. Wonder if anyone can enlighten me.
*Disclaimer: obviously I'm only talking about some men here.

So the scenario goes something like this:
Couple have been together/married for a long time and have children. Woman is plodding along in the relationship unaware that anything is wrong. Man suddenly starts acting horribly, picking fault with the woman and comes out with the "I'm unhappy/not sure what I want" speech. Woman bends over backwards trying to sort things out only at some point later down the line to discover there is another woman.
Relationship ends and man becomes completely unreasonable about sorting out finances and childcare. Tries to get the woman out of the marital home, seemingly aggrieved that he is having to pay money to her (even though it's for the children), makes unreasonable demands about wanting/not wanting to have the children, and he talks to her in a way that is disrespectful and downright callous and lacking in empathy.

What prompts someone to behave like this? I get that he might paint her in a bad light to excuse himself for cheating on her - but I don't understand how he doesn't feel some sympathy for how she might feel and I really can't understand the level of contempt.

Can anyone explain this to me?

OP posts:
TheFormidableMrsC · 02/03/2016 23:32

MeMySonAndI...it might have been better if you'd read the whole thread. I do actually accept what you're saying. However, I think for most of us posting here, it just wasn't like that. I think most of us accept that marriages do fail, that sometimes you are better off apart, that sometimes you married the wrong person, but by and large...on this thread...we were in long marriages and that just wasn't the case. I can't pretend that the year before my husband leaving wasn't difficult, it was shit. Medical issues for both of us, for him a life changing one at only 41, we had an undiagnosed ASD child who slept for barely a couple of hours a day if we were lucky, my eldest child was diagnosed with a serious eating disorder and was very ill...however, it never ever crossed my mind to go and find a bit of "excitement" elsewhere, I was committed, loved my husband, loved my kids, my home, my family, extended family. He threw it all away for somebody who had been completely unavailable until her husband was killed. That was their get out...yet they didn't have to do what they did to me, to hurt me the way they did, they just didn't HAVE to do any of it. That is why I can't recover....I am not alone in that...

dilys4trevor · 03/03/2016 06:13

MeMy, you don't even need to have read the full thread to see that it's not about 'why did my husband leave me for someone else?' It's even in the title: it's not about the leaving, it's about the treating the person they have left with contempt.

That's mostly what this thread is about and has been since the very first post.

whostolethesocks · 03/03/2016 06:27

Not read all the posts but this is exactly what happened to me OP. I've never really understood why he has been so nasty to me since we split up after his affair.

IrianofWay · 03/03/2016 10:11

Congratulations hurt. She's a little smasher xx

Love ends, relationships fail. That isn't the problem. The problem lies with HOW they end and how both parties behave to maximise the hurt rather than minimise it.

"I found it very poignant, he talked about how his ex wife took every decision in his life to the point that there was nothing in the house he had chosen himself. He mentioned about his unhappiness and how it lasted for years until he found a person who taught him that relationships could be wonderful"

I'd love to hear his ex-wife's take on this. I'll bet she wasn't happy either. Not good living with a person that cannot take responsibility or decisions. Somewhere along the line he chose to abdicate responsibility for his life and somehow that is his wife's fault?

iPost · 03/03/2016 10:29

I found it very poignant, he talked about how his ex wife took every decision in his life to the point that there was nothing in the house he had chosen himself. He mentioned about his unhappiness and how it lasted for years until he found a person who taught him that relationships could be wonderful

Here's the thing. When a person decides to leave via an OW/OM the primary thing they tell the world about themselves is that honesty is not their strongest characteristic.

That they are not above deceit.

That lying directly, or by omission, is not an unknown practice to them.

So.... it makes it incredibly hard for me, and many others, to take their "poignant" stories at face value. If they can cheat on, lie to and deceive somebody they stood next to and promised to love and cherish...what price they are going to suddenly feel compelled to tell me, somebody they never made any promises to, the complete, unvarnished truth ?

Hurt

She is beautiful. I wish I could reach through the screen to sniff her head, and give you a big, fat hug.

dilys4trevor · 03/03/2016 10:56

I also find it a bit Hmmthat the worst thing he can find to say about this awful exw is that she made a lot of the decisions about the house.

More like he wasn't ever that invested in the relationship and then started shagging someone else.

But it's clear that some people find pathos in this kind of story as MeMy was clearly moved by it. It's exactly this kind of 'victim' take that we are talking about on here. Very depressing.

brittanyfairies · 03/03/2016 12:05

I will confess my marriage was not good before my XH upped and left. About three years previously me and the DCs had been really ill with Swine Flu (it absolutely was the turning point in our marriage). I'd not been happy for a long time before then, but then me and DCs were ill, really ill. Every time I stood up I fainted, the DCs were the same, for five days the three of us lay in my bed drinking a bottle of water I'd got next to the bed and didn't move. I begged and begged XH to come home to look after us, he didn't want to, then at the end of the week he came reluctantly. On that Friday I managed to get downstairs and lie on the sofa, the DCs picked up much faster than me, so they were watching TV and had managed to make themselves cereal and toast to eat - but had left a mess. I remember XH walked into the house that night, criticised me for the mess that the DCs had left in the kitchen and told me all I needed was to get off my backside and get outside and have some fresh air.

He didn't look after me that weekend and I felt so lonely, alone and unloved, it was my rock bottom moment. On the Sunday, I told him I couldn't take it any more and I wanted us to separate. Then he cried and wailed and then told me that if I left him, he couldn't live without me and the DCs and he would kill himself, he begged me not to end the marriage. I was so tired, and run down and depressed, I just thought, what the heck he's never here during the week anyhow, and plodded on for three more years. But from that day forward I subconsciously withdrew from him, I would talk to him, but I didn't want to be with him. It wasn't a good marriage. Which is why I can't understand why he only left when he found someone else and why the hell did he turn so nasty on me. He knew I wanted out, we could have had the friendliest divorce in the world, it was what we both wanted. So why the hell did he do all those things to me?

One thing he said to me, in the middle of our divorce when he was arguing with me about something was, "You didn't even beg me to come back!". It's true I never once asked him, he ended the marriage with a phone call, I saw his Facebook status change (even though he thought he'd blocked me) and I found his OLD profile on Match.com. Within a week I was talking to the solicitor and putting in steps for the divorce - the phone call he'd made that afternoon literally had been a weight off my shoulders, there was no way I was going to hang around waiting for him to change his mind and come back.

So in my eyes, we both wanted to be away from each other. There was no reason for him to try and destroy me and the DCs, we had the same end goal. I think the reason he has been so evil to me is because he can't get over the fact that he wasn't such a great husband and I didn't beg him to come home. He had the divorce all planned in his head, how it was going to happen etc, and I didn't play along with his fantasy. He's just a narcissist and probably for the first time I didn't bow to his whim.

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 04/03/2016 07:30

Hurt she is w precious precious little person and I love the way she is kind of smiling Flowers
Be extra gentle with yourself and hold o to the side of the boat and all the post baby hormones might come - it will pass - I wish her and you the very best Flowers

I post will email today therapist - she will be busy if we all use her

How was little C birthday ?

dilys how's the back pain ??

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 04/03/2016 07:34

Brittany - that's a massive deal breaker I don't blame you . The marriage vows say 'in sickness and in health' for a very very good reason

Il est un gros salaud Sad

TwoMag314s · 04/03/2016 17:17

Wow brittany painful at the time, but it is useful to have an event that brings somebody's true colours in to such sharp focus.

TheFormidableMrsC · 07/03/2016 00:50

Brittany...yes to what everybody else said Flowers

Hurt, in the absence of anywhere else to ask, how are you doing? Think of you lots as I am sure everybody else does...Flowers

hurtandconfued2016 · 07/03/2016 08:16

Mrsc I have been really unwell since had baby. I've had to give up feeding as the pain I've been in is awful!
The father has still not met our baby at all. But has taken his 2 weeks paternity leave!!! So I've not been dealing with that very well my midwife has referred me to councilling to try and help too
X

housewifedesperate · 07/03/2016 08:29

I think in my case he treats me with contempt because I didn't just 'fit in' with his idea of what he wanted his life to look like after he left the family for ow.
I dared to question his facade of caring father and partner to the outside world (always protected him before) and he didn't like that.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 07/03/2016 09:43

OMG, your ex has taken paternity leave but not seen his baby?! That's just beyond outrageous, I'd actually phone his workplace and ask to speak to him, ask if he's planning on actually seeing his baby at any point. I really really would. I know it's vindictive but I'd still do it. Fuck me, the brass neck of some people! Shock

Sorry you've been unwell, Hurt, but really it's not surprising given the circs. Thanks

hurtandconfued2016 · 07/03/2016 09:56

Thumb witches there is a post on here called I hate him have a wee read at that it will tell you more info xx

dilys4trevor · 07/03/2016 10:09

So sorry to hear you have been feeling ill Hurt.

I cannot believe that about the paternity leave! What would his workplace make of that?

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 07/03/2016 10:31

what's up hurt? you had a c section right? I had womb surgery and I tell you I felt SO much sympathy for c sections- get your pain killers and drugs in to get through this- what are your symptoms?? XXXX

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 07/03/2016 11:01

I've posted on your other thread, Hurt - just unbelievable how much of a bellend he is being to you :( Angry

hurtandconfued2016 · 07/03/2016 12:50

Stop - I'm having really bad pains in my stomach and back seems to be worse at night it's making me sick sometimes :(
Dilys - his work know! His 2 weeks paternity has been spent with the ow!

dilys4trevor · 07/03/2016 14:20

Just read tother thread. Total cunt

dilys4trevor · 07/03/2016 15:11

Just read tother thread. Total cunt

stopfuckingshoutingatme · 07/03/2016 15:17

Oh dearie me. His cunting twat behaviour isn't helping, but you will feel much better when you have been seen to ensure that everything post CS has been done properly. I know its easy to say but this-shall-pass

have you (a) got some decent painkillers and (b) got a docs apt?

are you BF? as ardent a BF fan as I am - I don't think it should be at the expense of your wellbeing

good luck, I am sorry to read this and I hope as the weeks pass this will pass

Flowers
hurtandconfued2016 · 07/03/2016 15:34

I have my doctors today I have a kidney infection so on antibiotics for the next week.
I was feeding but I have now stopped to try and get myself a bit better.

brittanyfairies · 07/03/2016 16:41

Hurt your XH has done you and your beautiful little girl a massive favour - she doesn't need a twat like that in her life. I can't believe he's taken paternity leave and not come to see her, talk about plumbing new depths of low.

I hope the antibiotics kick in soon and that you start to feel better. Enjoy your beautiful children.

peaceoftheaction · 07/03/2016 18:58

hurt I hope you start to feel better soon and can get some rest. Things will get easier as time goes on. It may not seem like it now but you're better off without that twat. Fancy him doing that it really is outrageous. Try to just not waste headspace on him he's an idiot. It really must be difficult for you but just take it one day at a time. We are thinking of you Brew Cake

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread