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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 grieving for OW

999 replies

Filly2011 · 14/02/2020 21:25

Anyone had experience of this?
Husband had 14 month affair with woman at work. Told me about it when she finally dumped him in favour of her husband. DH says he wants to keep marriage and willing to work at it. After months of counselling he now admits he is very upset as still loves her and knows he’s lost her. I feel very cut up by this. Can’t stop thinking about it.

OP posts:
MotherofTerriers · 16/02/2020 22:23

When my ex complained that his post-affair life wasn’t quite what he had hoped for, I just responded ‘this was your choice’ each time, on repeat.

mathanxiety · 16/02/2020 22:34

Why you MUST begin to disengage:
www.womansdivorce.com/emotional-abuse.html
You are being emotionally abused.

www.womansdivorce.com/emotionally-abusive-relationships.html
Creating the perspective of looking at things for what they are vs. what you want them to be is key to moving you along.

People who are emotionally abusive are monumentally entitled, selfish people, emotionally and psychologically stunted, often narcissists or sociopaths.

You want to know why he is so angry with you. It's irrational behaviour, an irrational response to his situation. The reason is because you are there, and he has no respect for you. If he had a cat he would kick it. It's that impersonal and unreasonable and unfair. Trying to get to the bottom of it will do your head in. Don't co-operate with him in his project of kicking you when you are down - learn to shrug and say 'Whatever...' when you begin ruminating on it all, and especially if he tries using you as a garbage dump.

SeaEagleFeather · 16/02/2020 22:48

Why should he be so angry? He’s done all this?

Are you looking for logic from him?

I suspect the only logic he's working from is the logic of the heart: if I'm right, he's relied on you for 40 years. He's fallen in obsession with this other woman. He doesn't want to deal with you, he certainly doesn't want to deal with your pain or betrayal, and at the same time he might not want to lose you as a fall back.

You being hurt and angry is an annoyance for him, hence his tone on the phone to you. At the point where he realises he might lose money, his house to fall back and on lose the respect of his children - he's going to be angry about that becuase he considers that all those things are his. Everyone is angry when they lose what they consider theirs.

I'm sorry, but the relationship as it was is dead, and he isn't interested in rebuilding it, and he really isn't interested in your pain. I'm sorry.

Filly2011 · 16/02/2020 23:08

So if he isn’t interested in me at all why is he sticking around? He could have just left couldn’t he?
Oh yes it’s because I’m his backup plan.

Quite difficult though to move on with a hurt, resentful wife. This i guess I’d why he’s angry.

OP posts:
SalmonOfKnowledge · 16/02/2020 23:13

Yeh, you're not grateful you're his back up. Cheek of you! That is the straw that breaks the camel's back for him. He sees ALL of this through one lens and one lens only, HIS.

Filly2011 · 16/02/2020 23:26

Why would someone in love as he is even want a back up plan?
Aren’t you either in love and with person or in love even though person gone? I.e. unable to be with another as not love object?
He said to me ‘when I was with her I wanted to be with her and when I was with you I wanted to be with you’

OP posts:
GiveHerHellFromUs · 16/02/2020 23:39

He doesn't want to wash his own pants or pay for sex. Sorry OP but it's very obvious why he needed a back up plan.

Cuttingthegrass · 16/02/2020 23:53

He said to me ‘when I was with her I wanted to be with her and when I was with you I wanted to be with you’

Oh OP it’s part of the script.

If he wanted to be with you he would be camped on the driveway, sending you flowers, begging you to see him.

Instead he can’t be arsed to turn up for a cinema trip when you’ve bought the ticket and doesn’t want to see you outside of therapy sessions.. the nexr being Thursday.

You are not important at all to him. Sorry. But I do think you need to look rationally

Ellie56 · 16/02/2020 23:55

Eww Filly I hope you're not washing his shitty pants for him.

SpringFan · 16/02/2020 23:57

Someone earlier pointed out joint counselling isn't working for him. He got angry and left when challenged to address his behaviour. So you call a halt "for his sake as he needs to resolve his feeling of being rejected by O W". (Although she wants to remain friends to save her business - what a gem.) That way you can appear supportive.
In the mean time tell your children and others why you are living apart- don't bother about his "face". He is pathetic and can't see how OW has used him.
See a lawyer. Maybe get the house valued.

SalmonOfKnowledge · 16/02/2020 23:58

A divorce is uncertainty, change, fear of confronting one's own thoughts, it's inconvenient, expensive, and ........it's freedom.
I think you'll be better off OP. He sounds like he's the one clinging to the raft of your marriage. You recognise that the 'raft' aint really no raft, it's an albatross at this point..

Womenwotlunch · 16/02/2020 23:59

Op, don’t be his consolation prize
Please get rid.

popsydoodle4444 · 17/02/2020 00:12

@Filly2011

Sod it;tell her husband.

Then book a appointment with a decent solicitor and a financial advisor.Find out where you stand legally and financially.

You've done absolutely nothing wrong at all.This is all on him and him only.He was having his pathetic ego stroked and now it's stopped.He's not sorry he had an affair he's only sorry he was caught out.As for him thinking she's special?,everyone thinks something is special when its shiny and new.

Filly2011 you are special and deserving of a decent man who appreciates you for just for being you.

AcrossthePond55 · 17/02/2020 01:05

Why would someone in love as he is even want a back up plan?

Because someone's got to wash his socks and cook his meals! Duh!

Along with his selfishness is the fact is that after a long marriage the two of you are still 'entwined'. There is still a part of him that looks to you for emotional support, because that's what he's done for decades. It has nothing to do with 'love'. It's habit, and very unfair. It's that same part in you that may occasionally feel (or have felt) that all you want is to feel the comfort of his arms, despite the pain he's caused you.
Habit.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 17/02/2020 03:54

He doesn't want to wash his own pants or pay for sex. Sorry OP but it's very obvious why he needed a back up plan.

^^^^ This, I'm afraid. And also because his ego has taken a hit, and being able to pull your strings helps him feel he's still important. He may not have her, but there's at least one woman who is desperate for him! (Please, don't let it be you, Filly)

And she wants to "stay friends" to get projects from him for her company - well, there's a surprise! I wouldn't be surprised if she slept with him in the first place to ensure he gave her work, and now she doesn't want to lose her income.

Filly - you have struck a blow in anger with the video - good for you, you're finding your rage rather than crumbling under it - but now it might be best just not to communicate with him other than any essential stuff regarding getting your freedom - and TBH, I'd leave as much of that to solicitors as I could.

Tell family and friends and step away from him..Don't give m=him a chance to abuse you, or try to play on your sympathy or anything else - whatever happens, in his mind YOU will be the one he will blame.

If you welcome him back with open arms, he will blame you for making him feel guilty; if you don't, he will blame you for rejecting him - YOU WILL NEVER DO THE RIGHT THING IN HIS EYES - and all that will happen is that by catering to his whims, your confidence will get eroded.

He isn't the man you thought he was - stop interacting with him now and let him drown in self-pity.

And separate your finances, as he might well throw money at this woman in an attempt to get her back, and drag you down with him financially.

Filly2011 · 17/02/2020 05:51

It’s very hurtful to accept that he doesn’t have any interest in seeing me. When I asked him in the past what he does on his own all the time he said he just works and then sits in his flat smoking and sometimes crying.
He said the separation is to save the marriage whereas I think it’s harming it. How can you make amends to someone if you never see them?!
Anyway - it’s all stupid.
To the person who told me to tell OW husband - he knows. I don’t know what she’s said to him of course but he knows about affair and that all her income from dh dried up. She was getting a lot of money for her ‘work’ I’ve seen the accounts.
Everyone at dh work knows.
It’s humiliating to think they can all see he’s so upset because he “lost her”. Some of them are friends with her and her husband.

OP posts:
TheStuffedPenguin · 17/02/2020 06:34

Don't be one of those women who try to maintain any contact with their ex however horrible it is - anything rather than face the truth .

Filly2011 · 17/02/2020 06:39

Thanks Penguin. I’ll be ok now about not contacting him.
I just get wobbly.

OP posts:
ScreamingLadySutch · 17/02/2020 06:48

Filly:

"Well one of them doesn’t like dh (and didn’t even before this crap)" - funny how friends see things.

Like wonderful @SandyY2K says, don't worry about divorce just now.

But do focus on you staying in the marital home, him keeping his selfish arse in the flat,

STOP communicating with him, and live life as though you are alone.

Seriously, develop your own life and your own friends, hobbies, sports, and financial portfolio.

Its time for you now. Because you have just had your world completely smashed. You are traumatised. There is nothing more shattering than intimate betrayal.

And his blaming and self justifications you can do without. They are abusive. In therapy, ask the therapist at what stage is she going to bring up the elephant in the room, which is his monumental selfishness? Then do not engage and let him whine on.

But if he triggers you, don't go. Get therapy for yourself.

Don't stalk that irrelevant equally selfish woman on SM. That just keeps you stuck.

Its your time now. His behaviour DOES NOT determine your worth. He can live on his own.

Been here and done it. They also used our home, our bed. So devastating. I am not sure divorce is the solution people say it is, but DO go for living alone and focusing on developing your relationship with yourself. This is very important!

I don't like having a lower standard of living but I do like that loss of anxiety and depression that living with a selfish self absorbed person gave me.

Its about radical acceptance. DON'T look to him for comfort, validation or logical explanations.
DONT look to him for connection or companionship.
DONT be afraid of being alone. Living alone (with therapy support) is a time of great growth and change.
DO look to yourself and your friends, sports and hobbies, for these fulfilment. He can't provide it, would just kick you in the teeth again and again.
DO work on the automatic dynamic you have clearly had that what he wants comes first at all times.

ScreamingLadySutch · 17/02/2020 06:51

"Why would someone in love as he is even want a back up plan?
Aren’t you either in love and with person or in love even though person gone? I.e. unable to be with another as not love object?"

Answer: the unified theory of cake

"Ideally, the spouse is unaware of the AP, because that means the cheater has unfettered access to cake. After discovery, however, many cheaters will go to tremendous lengths to maintain cake. Cake eating is confusing to chumps. Chumps tend to think of affairs as competitions – it’s me or him! Or what does she have that I don’t have? Chumps see marriage through their own lens, of monogamy and commitment to one person. If they are not committed to me, a chump thinks, then they’re for the AP. So who’s it gonna be?

Cake eaters do nothing to dissuade a distraught chump from this line of thinking. They would prefer a competition in which they are the center of the drama — all attention is on them! And a catfight ensues over their fabulousness. Cheaters would prefer you not discover their cheating, but if it must be revealed, this is how they’d like to see it play out. You try harder to win them back and maybe if you’re lucky, they’ll choose you! "

www.chumplady.com/2012/04/the-unified-theory-of-cake/

MrsWhisker · 17/02/2020 07:47

The separation is harming your marriage?

Your marriage is broken. He broke it. He has ruined it.

I don't see how it can be saved at all.

I really hope that you bin him properly and see a solicitor.

Dozer · 17/02/2020 07:52

Is your H’s business shared with you, or his alone?

That will need to be worked out too.

Him having paid a lot of company money to OW’s business adds another level to his nasty actions IMO.

As for “saving” the marriage, if he wanted to stay married he wouldn’t be behaving in the way he now is.

Clutterbugsmum · 17/02/2020 07:57

He said the separation is to save the marriage whereas I think it’s harming it. How can you make amends to someone if you never see them?!

He doesn't want to save the marriage, he wants YOU to be unable to cope with life that YOU want him back and then he can continue to live his life with YOU looking after him and his home, while he gets to behave how he likes whether he hurts YOU or not.

Have any of your children said anything to him about his behaviour and how he treating you.

I only ask as when my parents divorce when I was around 20, my dad tried to say incorrect things about my mum I told him the truth about how HIS behaviour affected all of us and I think it was the only time he admitted to me and more importantly to himself that this what was happened was all his own doing,

Filly2011 · 17/02/2020 08:10

It’s his company but part of joint assets I guess.

OP posts:
Filly2011 · 17/02/2020 08:12

Kids have said nothing to him so far.

OP posts: