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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

Husband left me..

117 replies

Gempeatea · 25/07/2019 22:13

So my husband of 20 years told me at the begining of the year he didn't love me and that the marriage was over... Swore there was no one else but stated dating someone he had know since Sept within about 1 month of leaving. He kep dating nothing happened before we split but I just don't believe this or understand how you can walk away from a marriage into another relationship. We have 2 children 5 and 2...juat can't believe he's given all this up. I'm in a good place now after counselling and crying for what felt like ever and know I will move forward more but I just want Has anyone else been through this. Or is it just me... That total bewillderment...

OP posts:
Gempeatea · 27/07/2019 18:44

Oh Becky this is so sad but yes it's one day at a time. Have a look at the grief process this will explain the stages.... You can fluctuated between them x I would say feel every emotion don't dull them or avoid them, do what you need to do to survive at the moment because there will come a time when you begin to feel more in control and the feelings although they are there won't get in the way as much. Talk to family, friends, GP, counsellor mums on here anyone to enable you to vent.

Alot of the stuff I read talked about self care.... It can feel. Like total bollocks but it does help but go lightly on yourself xx

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Arnoldthecat · 28/07/2019 13:06

Why is there always this assumption that there is another woman? Sometimes they guy just has an epiphany and realises that its over,that he is living someone elses life that he wants to live his own life. Same with women. I know a guy who has a great job a nive big house in the country and children. Unkown to him ,his wife was shagging someone behind his back for months. She announced over the cornflakes that she was leaving that very day. Of course it was all nicely set up for her to move in with her new lover. She did of course come back and take a bite out of his backside in terms of pension and finance. Fast forward a few months and well,some women are predatory arent they? They see a man whos wife has dumped him,they see the house,the car,the money the man and they think,well ill get right in there before someone else does. Needless to say he soon had another woman.

I know another guy,,dicvorced a few years,he had a date with some woman,,anyway back at his house (which is a decent size and noce) she accidentally thought allowed..oh i could see myself living here,,predatory gold digger.. Yes,its not just a man thing..

M0RVEN · 28/07/2019 13:39

@Arnoldthecat this is a support thread for the OP. It’s not the place to discuss Male vs female infidelity and NAMALT.

Please start your own thread to debate such issues. This is about the OP.

Arnoldthecat · 28/07/2019 14:09

What is NAMALT ? The thread is littered with similar examples/experiences.

Notallitseemstobe · 28/07/2019 14:15

It's not just men

I'm sure if I ever get brave enough to end it he'll think its a big surprise - but I've been unhappy for years.

Arnoldthecat · 28/07/2019 14:17

Notallitseems-have you ever watched Delores Claibourne..the film ? :)

bobsyourauntie · 28/07/2019 14:19

because so many women have posted their experiences on MN of how the XH suddenly left them out of nowhere, only to discover that there was OW. That's why there is always assumption of OW, because 9/10 times there is........

"epiphany" or not, OW or not, they are still selfish twats, whether they are male or female, to walk out on their spouse and young child with no warning. Unfortunately that twattish behaviour often then follows through with not paying maintenance and not wanting to look after/see their own children.

All the while of course bleating how unfair life is, how mean their XW is and how everything is everyone else's fault but theirs.

A sad story and pattern all too often told on MN.

Notallitseemstobe · 28/07/2019 14:19

Years ago.

I should leave, but I cheat instead. I don't think he realises, but like a lot of men, I've out sourced and find what I need in other places.

Arnoldthecat · 28/07/2019 14:23

Notallitseems..oh yes,there are plenty of married women out there who are jaded and after some uncomplicated fun

Notallitseemstobe · 28/07/2019 14:26

Yes, I'm friends with some.

SeaEagle21 · 28/07/2019 14:37

My ex did it to me after 9 years . I'd been very sick with my second pregnancy and couldn't socialise with him - so he started seeing someone else while I was home being sick with his baby. I found out when the kids were 4 and 9 months. He tried to tell me it was my fault, because I'd let myself go and wasn't the wife he'd married . Sheesh, when I think of it my blood boils still. That was 18 years ago but I still want to slap him when I see him .

Myriade · 28/07/2019 16:02

The thing with leaving with no warning is that yes some people might well do exactly that. But sometimes, the other spouse just doesn't want to listen (which isn't your case @Gempeatea).
I know I will leave my marriage. I have checked out a while ago, giving up after years of trying to make things work. The thing is that's also the time DH decided to make an effort and actually looking like he cared about me and our relationship. The result is that things are more settled and could nearly look ok from the outside. I think that when I will tell him, it might well come as a big shock to him. And he might well feel gutted about all the efforts he did (much too late and only when things got clearly seriously bad)

Gempeatea · 29/07/2019 09:33

@Arnoldthecat.....this isn't a women vs men thread so please stop. This so about partners leaving with no warning... Do you know how this feels.... The utter devestation it causes, the emotional pain which is so deep the only way you can see it ending is by not being here, your family suffers your work suffers and all becauae rather than talking to the women, the mother of your children, you up and leave a replace her within months. Mt husband final words to me where to little to late... Implying I knew how he felt which I did not.... So maybe if or when you ever experience this you might have a more level view.

Yes I get that relationship are hard and that sometimes there is no other way out.... But I can garentuee if my ex had come toe and said look I'm. Not happy, I'm avoiding coming home because of A B or C I would have listened.... Why... Because I made a commitment to him... Because we have children because I loved him.... Okay the outcome may have been the same but at least I would have been given a chance to be part of the descions even of I didn't agree with the outcome... 20 years..... My whole adult life dedicated to man who just threw me away.... Just like that

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M0RVEN · 29/07/2019 09:54

Yes, it’s the pain of knowing that while you have devoted your whole life to caring for him and the children, he CBA to spend even one evening discussing his concerns with you and trying to fix things. According to his version of events.

But of course that assumes that we believe his narrative .

“ Oh I’ve been unhappy for years because of [ list of all your failings ] plus [ list of life circumstances that just happened ] therefore I just [ list of poor decisions that he made reframed as fate ]”.

Whereas in fact this is actually what happened.

His large sense of entitlement and need for constant ego massaging amd selfishness led him to decide to flirt with and then shag someone else. This made him feel guilty, so he avoided family life and generally acted pretty poorly at home. Wife gets upset / angry / feels neglected but doesn’t know why. He then considers that his affair is justified by her behaviour because she isn’t perfect.

He constantly compares her unfavourable to OW and complains about wife to OW. OW loves this of course. This makes husband even more detached or difficult or avoidant at home. It’s a circle.

Thinking that he was unhappy so he cheated is confusing cause and effect.

He destroyed the marriage by his affair. It’s not that the marriage was terrible so he decided to cheat. If that was the case then he would have ended the marriage first and THEN looked for someone else.

OP you need to read The Chump Lady blog about cake eaters. These guys want to have have their cake ( full domestic servicing at home and happy children ) and eat it ( shag OW on the side ). It’s not you, it’s them. They are morally bankrupt.

It’s got fuck all do to with an “ unhappy marriage “.

Gempeatea · 29/07/2019 10:52

Wife gets upset / angry / feels neglected but doesn’t know why

This has been me for the last year.... Just so angry and explosive but not knowing why.... Just blaming myself that I'm tired stressed should sort myself out

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SignedUpJust4This · 29/07/2019 11:12

He's weak. Marriage with small kids is unbelievably hard. Instead of help or try to fix he enjoyed the attention of another woman and when he could've been helping you he was putting himself first by losing weight for her and going on trips away. It's all fun & games now but once they settle into the daily grind and if/when she wants kids he will realise what an idiot he's been. By then you will be self sufficient. Your kids will be older and you will have a happy life of your own. I'm sorry this has happened to you but don't blame yourself. He's too weak for this parenting game.

M0RVEN · 29/07/2019 11:55

Well I’m guessing that from September to ? February you were living with a lying cheating bastard. Which would make me angry and explosive too. Even if I didn’t know exactly what was wrong.

After 20 years you know them well enough to know deep down that something is up. It’s just we always blame ourselves and try to do better. Not knowing that as we are trying harder, he’s off shagging her, buying her dinner and telling her who wonderful she is.

While we put in another load of washing, pick up the kids from hockey practice and buy his mothers birthday presents.

Sigh.

PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 29/07/2019 12:54

this is a support thread for the OP. It’s not the place to discuss Male vs female infidelity and NAMALT.

In fairness these threads more often then not descend into 'why do men do x' and become very gendered in some of the sweeping statements. Understandable of course given that this forum is dominated by women sharing their experiences.

There was a long thread last year in which numerous women described being unhappy with their marriages despite their DHs being fundamentally decent, loving non abusive partners. For many they felt they had just married the wrong guy, were not in love and felt guilty for it. The general responses was for these women to leave their husbands and find happiness elsewhere along with detailed advice on how to do it. You could not help but feel sorry for the blokes (who by even by the admission of their wives were decent men) about to have their lives and families turned upside down out of the blue.

SignedUpJust4This · 29/07/2019 13:03

Maybe Pan but after at least attempting to save their marriage. Not just bolting out the blue.

Gempeatea · 29/07/2019 13:10

MORVEN and SignedUpJust4This

Yup life with two little people is tough going.. My first was text book the 2nd not so much.. So a bit of stress and anxiety came into play with him. So alot of our issue I did just put down to a phase and would look for signs that this would pass as it has done with our first x we reolacated when my 1st was 1 but I had lived the previous 6 months alone while he worked away and back at the weekends... A choice we both made x so we had had changea in our marriage but for the good of our family.

Oh and theOW.... She has a 1 year old... Go figure... I'm sure hope our little girl doesn't feel as replaced as I do...

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1206Louise1 · 29/07/2019 17:08

What @M0RVEN said 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

Gempeatea · 29/07/2019 17:56

"Well I’m guessing that from September to ? February you were living with a lying cheating bastard. Which would make me angry and explosive too. Even if I didn’t know exactly what was wrong. "

Well he wasn't cheating.... But from September she was definitely in the wings.... Hearting everything he put on FB, they bumped into each other at a local. Cafe with my youngest, they saw each other every week and their fat clubs, she brought the kids presents at Christmas and left her husband in Jan... Mine went in March and like I say the minute he was back in the area they were meeting up becauae they were "going through the same thing".... What a joke... Next I know they are dating off on a family holiday, he wants to introduce her to the kids and she's met my mother in law... All since May
...i really don't know what planet he is on

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Becky2190 · 29/07/2019 18:35

I'm finding it so difficult the thing is he is always wanting to help round the house and wants kids all the time he definitely wants to see if the grass is greener but I could never go back ita effected my 7 year old so much. I'm sure hes keeping me dangling on a thread incase he wants to come back . Trying to hard to keep busy and keep strong for my children . I want to loose weight and become the best I can be for myself and the kids am I doing the right thing ?

Gempeatea · 29/07/2019 21:08

Becky xx it's tough but set the boundaries... If he has left he has left not only you but his child. He can't have it both ways he either wants to stay and work it out or be single. My Ex offers or did offer to do stuff around the house... Erm no thanks that would have been more helpful a year ago and he also wants to see the kids but I've put the boundries in he come Tues and Thurs to do bed and baths... I go to the gym... 😂... He then has them every other weekend. Kids thrive in routine. Also it give you a bit of control back as well.... As you well I certainly felt totally helpless and I hate that...

You will be strong for your children us women have no choice in this situation.... Just a day at a time.... I promise it does get easier.... At some point you will accept what's happened and that's when things begin to change... Don't get me wrong I'm still only 6 months in so I'm. No were near healed but I have better days xxx

Sadly there are alot of us... Never thofijtz I'd be one... Whose hubby's just up and leave.... But we are alot stronger than we think.... Than they think.. Xx

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Gempeatea · 29/07/2019 21:09

Never thought... 😂... Sorry my fingers type to fast

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