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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

Handhold -Told H I want a divorce, the rise and fall I am rising.

212 replies

awesmum · 09/11/2019 19:40

A long update for you all as to where I currently am with DC. You'll find the link to my previous posts below.

After the courts decision with access over DD, the animosity between us remains, I still have to record all hand overs as he still becomes abusive over, well anything he feels like. Normally when faced with someone who is either rude or cross my go to is be over nice, but with him is ignore ignore ignore. I look through him and say nothing. I always make sure I say the appropriate things to DD, 'Say hello/ bye bye to Daddy.' Etc. He can not be civil, or polite, I think he has managed once since we split, that was about 6 months ago when he mentioned she had a lump on her back, I said yes, it was a chicken pox scar. Anyway, DD is doing ok, she's still struggling with the situation, she comes home with lots of anger and shouting, how I am bad, how he keeps telling her what her name is over and over and questioning her on it, how she's going to work and sitting by herself and not going to school. How she must say things certain ways and that I am wrong. Currently it is what it is, he's again tried to break the court order with access. He sets deadlines of a day when he wants me to do something, but waits weeks to do something himself. It's all building up and I am just waiting a little longer before he blows it completely. I had an abusive email from him this week about my applying for her school place without him - we had agreed in court already which school, so I applied as per the court order, apparently I was wrong.
Unfortunately I am still rendered a shaking mess when I get the abuse but I don't react and ignore, but it's still unpleasant.

The older children are doing loads and loads better, they are not without their issues, but it is fairly evident to everyone, including DD11's friends mum's that she's now learning to express rather than repress, so sometimes it will come out wrong, so there is understanding. The oldest are doing great, we have rows which is great Confused but they are being heard, they can express and we can all make up too. Which is immensely cathartic. They both have started relationships and bring their partners and friends around all the time which is heart warming.

The divorce, I had to put my foot down and made my solicitor send the paperwork to the court, he'd had 3+ months of time to think and respond with regular reminders, so it went, and it was sent out to him, he had till yesterday to respond- we'll see if he did at all (not holding my breath). So the battle continues.

In the last few months I have bumped into a few people that we knew together, some his friends, some ours. One hid her head in the boot of a car to avoid me, one was polite but very uncomfortable and one actually turned and ran when they saw me. I can't say this hasn't hurt, it has. Still not one person has made efforts to see even if the kids are ok. My name must be absolute mud. But as much as it smarts, being away from the constant degradation and humiliation far out weighs that.

As for me, well I am loving my job, I am making more and more friends, I am having people over, I am going to the gym, I am having fun, and peace. I am not fixed yet, but getting there.

In July 2018 I stood in the middle of a dance floor with all my friends and had a moment of clarity where I stood still watching my friends and realised 'I am so unhappy.' I was so desolate.
Last weekend I stood in the middle of a dance floor and had another moment of clarity 'My daughters are safe, my son is safe, I am at peace, this is what happy is.'

2018 seems so far away I can't even comprehend what we have all been through in the last 13 months. But we are here and we are doing we winning.

OP posts:
IRBJan17 · 01/04/2020 14:06

I hope you're getting by op. I'm so very sorry about your sister and that stbxh is still being a cunt.

No advice from this side just a massive hug and handhold 💜

CheshireCats · 23/04/2020 12:37

How are you doing awesmum ?

Alepsa · 01/05/2020 22:45

I've name changed since but I've followed your thread from the beginning but couldn't find it for a while. Happy to have found it again! I cannot believe though, that your ex is still being a class A knob.

I have a cousin who has an ex like yours and similarly he is just relentlessly obsessed and a total sad act who can't get over the fact my cousin woke up to what an utter piece of shit he is.

I so your ex fucks off forever or if not, gets his arse handed to him in court. It's disgusting that the he is allowed to continually abuse both you and your DD this way!

awesmum · 12/05/2020 11:47

Hi everyone. I hope you're all well and safe during this weird time.

Guess what he's still at it. He's moved down the road from me, a few doors down from the school our DD is starting in September - potentially, if she can. This is absolutely terrifying for me and the children, they feel they can't now leave the house in case they bump into him.
He's pushed it back into court because I wouldn't agree to his terms for next Christmas the day my sister died.
So the police have asked that I just keep up with the diary until the worlds back to some sort of normality.
My caseworker is escalating things and giving me a new action plan in view of his move and continued behaviour.
The divorce is on hold as he would prefer to pay £1000 to a solicitor go argue that he shouldn't have to pay ’my’ £500 court costs.
I have spoken to someone else in authority about his treatment of DD and the psychological harm he's having on her, so fingers crossed that my have some impact on him and what he continues to do.

So I wish I could say that nearly 2 years after me finally getting the courage to end it, that it is over and we are all moving on, but I am still very much dealing with and living with it.

But on the plus side every single day I am still so grateful that I am not with him, this especially as we are all in lockdown and that would have been absolutely awful. So grateful for that and the fact that I was able to rebuild my fractured relationship with my sister - which broke down because of him, and have some lovely memories with her before she died so suddenly.

OP posts:
DPotter · 12/05/2020 23:31

Awesome
so sorry to hear about your sister.

smartiecake · 24/05/2020 10:08

@awesmum i thought about how you were getting on this morning and checked your thread. I'm so so sorry to hear about your sister. And I'm so sorry that your soon to be exH is still behaving like this. You are doing so so well. I hope your kids can get the strength to go into the village and live their lives and be happy. This would be the best two fingers up to him.

MrsSprinkes · 21/07/2020 20:07

How’s things @awesmum

zombiepara · 25/08/2020 10:25

@awesmum thinking of you

LannieDuck · 25/08/2020 12:50

How's your DD dealing with her visits to him now? Is she still angry when she comes home?

Princessbanana · 27/08/2020 18:10

An inspiration to anyone going through similar. I’m very glad you got through that and while it’s not over yet, I’m sure your glad the end is in sight! Your children are very lucky to have such a strong parent!💐🌸

CheshireCats · 28/08/2020 16:16

Hi @awesmum , hope you are doing ok. Please can you pop back to let is know how you are - thinking of you x

awesmum · 29/08/2020 20:40

Hello everyone.
Update for you, hmm what to start with the positives or the negatives?
Negatives I think, still waiting for a court date for the decree nisi - that's COVID and STBXH not being helpful at all in the process.
Access- we went back to court and he's going for full custody because he didn't agree with what the courts decision was last year.
He's been following me and watching me again. My eldest DD found evidence of him being out the back of our house. There's no mistake it's him and not a place anyone can easily get to.
I have spoken to the police about his behaviour and I was told that it's too hard to pursue to a conviction and that 'Women's aid don't know what they are talking about and rile you women up and expect us to do something when we can't as it's not worth our time and we don't have the man power.' Suffice to say my case worker has reported it to her manager who's taken it to the police commissioner, I don't expect anything to come of it though.

Youngest DD is starting school next week and very excited, she's altering her behaviour around him and this has been evident when he's allowed me to speak to her on the phone, so much so he's stopped her from speaking to me. She's not so angry anymore, more anxious as to where I am all the time and follows me everywhere. She had some extra time at his over the holidays she said herself that 7 sleeps was too long at his as she misses us all too much.
She also missed out on her nursery graduation as it was a weekend she was at his and nursery refused to have him on site.

Positives - we have more CCTV - feel like I am in the Truman Show.
Littlest is very excited to start school, as is her older sister. Eldest DD got a first over all for her first year at uni.
All the children- I say children - the biggest ones are both adults now, have agreed to do family counselling as we are all still suffering a lot from PTSD from his behaviours. Eldest admitted to suffering from FOMO as she was banned from going to anything with us when he was about. I feel horrendous guilt when these things come up, but I am dealing with that by helping them over come things.
It's still there and still hard. But I keep saying to them when something comes up - a memory or an anxiety, each day I have a reminder of how much happier we all are out of it. Each day I am grateful a little more. We can't change what we went through but we can grow from it. I still have snippets of 'wow, that was so wrong! How did I not realise that's at the time?'
I am doing the freedom program at the moment, remotely obviously. It's very insightful and gives me a lot to think about, which in some ways is good and very hard in others.
I have had a promotion at work and my career is going from strength to strength which is amazing. So much for him telling me constantly that I was lucky we owned a business or else I would be sacked within a week as I was so unreliable and that I wasn't a team player and would never hold down a job.
So a bit of a mixed bag really. I never expected that nearly 2 years down the line I would still be going through this. I know it's going to get a whole lot harder soon though with the divorce and more court coming up.

OP posts:
HazelBite · 30/08/2020 05:57

Thank you for the update, I know that there have been a lot of us wondering how you were getting on.
One of my friends exH used to spy on her, he got fed up in the end, as she really didn't "do" much, (although he didn't want her he didn't want her to have someone else)
Lets hope your ex gets fed up, I am assuming he's looking for evidence that you are an unfit Mother to "his" DD.
KOKO Flowers

Weenurse · 30/08/2020 06:27

He is obsessed.
Keep records of everything and recording what you need to.
Extra cameras are good.
Family counseling is good.
One day he will have no power over you at all, I just hope that day comes sooner rather than later.

smartiecake · 30/08/2020 07:15

@awesmum good to hear your update. I can't believe the police said that to you thats shocking and I'm glad its being complained about, keep on with your Truman style CCTV and logging everything.
Hope all goes well for your DD starting school.

pointythings · 30/08/2020 10:39

Please do keep documenting everything! No way is he going to get full custody, they'll see right through him, but you are right to be very very wary of him. I do hope the police complaint comes to something, that is just an appalling attitude.

Namechange2020onceagain · 30/08/2020 11:47

God he never fails at being a prize prick does he.

Hope the report about what the Police said to you goes somewhere, really unprofessional and dangerous.

KOKO

CheshireCats · 30/08/2020 13:56

So sorry he is still being a knob and you are still having to live like this. I hope your new CCTV covers the area where you discovered he has been hanging about.
Can you make an official complaint to the police yourself as well?
Congratulations to your eldest for fabulous Uni results!
Thinking of you x

AcrossthePond55 · 30/08/2020 15:30

Those police were real knobs, weren't they? I hope the complaint results in discipline for them. To say to anyone "it's not worth our time" is abhorrent. Fighting crime isn't about 'their time' it's about their victim's lives.

Being dragged through the courts is NOT fun, but it will end eventually and you will be legally free of him. Not completely free because you share a child. But it will at least be one of the hurdles you've overcome. And eventually DD will be old enough to make her voice heard.

Thanks for updating. We're always here in silent support.

HotPatootiebootie · 19/09/2020 12:21

Only just caught up with this recent update but in so glad things are going well for you. Congrats on the promotion!

MrsJamTart · 24/11/2020 08:15

@awesmum how’s things?

BlueThistles · 24/11/2020 09:57

yes OP... did the police commissioner deal with his harassment 🌺

awesmum · 04/12/2020 13:16

Thanks for the enquiry.
I am currently sitting in WA offices waiting to go online for court about him wanting full custody of DD.
It's been a tough week dealing with statements and lies, accusations etc again.
His solicitor was really naughty and refused to include my statement in the court bundle. I pulled her on it and she did this morning.
His statement is peppered with lies and rubbish. I've provided proof for all my things.

So will give you all a proper update as to all the other bits and pieces later.

OP posts:
HotPatootiebootie · 04/12/2020 14:22

I'm keeping everything crossed for you and your kids. This absolute bastard needs to be put in his place.

NettleTea · 04/12/2020 15:46

oh good luck xxx