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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:
Filly2011 · 18/02/2020 16:49

Ohblahdeeoblahdah I am a lovely person - unless you are married to me obvs.
It was friends in the villa.
Honestly he was so stroppy. He even caused bad feeling over a stupid board game.

OP posts:
FraglesRock · 18/02/2020 17:06

He a twat, he's shown his colours and you are way better off.

Filly2011 · 18/02/2020 17:53

I know I should be happy and getting on but I feel so sad. I feel like I’ve wasted half my life. I also have times of feeling v scared of what dh is going to do.
Will he get vindictive and try to screw me out of money?
Will he get OW back And they’ll take my house?
It’s the sullen silence from him that’s unnerving me.
I saw a therapist and it was useful but I think I’ll need a lot more sessions.
Those of you who have been separated like this - how do you get through each day?

OP posts:
Filly2011 · 18/02/2020 17:57

I mean when You feel awful anxious or tearful are there good ways to get over it?

OP posts:
DBML · 18/02/2020 18:05

Don’t look at this as though you’ve wasted half of your life. Instead, think of it like owning a car, you’ve had the best of it, but now it’s a wreck; breaking down all the time and no longer enjoyable to drive. So it’s time to flog it.

Dozer · 18/02/2020 18:17

Of course you won’t feel happy much at present, given the circumstances.

You can mitigate the financial and housing risks by getting a shit hot lawyer asap. Safest to assume that your H WILL be a dick over money. But you have a good job etc so even in the worse scenarios will be OK.

Your H will do as he will once you decide not to take him back. You don’t have to have much contact with him at all. And will gradually care less and less.

justasking111 · 18/02/2020 18:23

Are you working OP?

Filly2011 · 18/02/2020 18:25

Yes I work full time. I have a lovely job luckily.

OP posts:
Filly2011 · 18/02/2020 18:34

Anyway - I guess I should be thinking that this time last year he was romancing OW and any contact we had if I was working away she was probably in my house.
Better to have no contact than that - me phoning to say hello are you ok etc. And her sitting there while he begrudgingly fed me some bullshit.
I’m better off on my own.

OP posts:
MrsWhisker · 18/02/2020 18:57

Sounds like you're on a really strong personal position to move forward.

AnnaMagnani · 18/02/2020 19:17

You didn't waste half your life! He didn't take up half of it.

If you made a list there would be:

Your children
Your job
Your friends
Your hobbies
The bits of your relationship where he wasn't being a shit

This definitely adds up to a lot more than half.

I'm sure you do need more than one session of therapy. But you have taken the first step.

Mix56 · 18/02/2020 19:20

Your last post really says it all doesn't it ?
How do you get through this ?
One day at at a time..

springydaff · 18/02/2020 19:21

This horrible time will pass. It really will. You're catching up, he's known for ages and is well ahead of you the turd. The time will come when you realise a huge weight has vanished off your back and your life is free and sparkling.

That bed scene with him doing victorian histrionics: I like to see him tipped off that bed by you and told to fuck off/get a fucking grip/fuck off. In fact it's such a strong image I think it actually happened 😁

What an absolute turd. Good luck to the bastard in the future! (not)

TheReef · 18/02/2020 19:57

You will get there op. It's horrible at the moment and I remember the all consuming panic all too well, that my (now) ex and the ow would swan off into the distance happy and live 'my' life.

But it does get lesser and lesser each day, there will be days when you feel as though you've taken a step back but each recovery time will be shorter and shorter until you realise that you haven't thought of them, or him all day. Then you'll realise you actually couldn't give a flying fuck what they are up to.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 18/02/2020 20:17

I feel like I’ve wasted half my life.

No! You have your children - don't forget that if you hadn't met and fallen for this twat you wouldn't have them. He's been worth it for your family.

Honeyroar · 18/02/2020 20:36

You haven’t wasted your life. But don’t waste it now. Take baby steps, keep seeing the counsellor.. plan your own future- surrounded by people who truly love and care for you. It’s highly likely he’d end up with the OW, she doesn’t want him or she could have him. Even if they did end up together they’d deserve each other, and probably wouldn’t last/be faithful anyway.

gettingfedupagain · 18/02/2020 21:03

At least you're not wasting any more of your life! I was angry I'd wasted "x" number of years with ExH but it could easily have been twice that!

springydaff · 18/02/2020 21:36

Nobody's life is perfect, despite all the hype. I suppose some people manage to pull it off tickety boo, but that is chance more than anything. Bloody lucky!

Most of us battle through 💐🌸

FlowerArranger · 18/02/2020 22:54

Those of you who have been separated like this - how do you get through each day? ... I mean when You feel awful anxious or tearful are there good ways to get over it?

(1) Antidepressants. I resisted for 4 years, and I really wish I hadn't. Truly, Cymbalta gave me the strength to stop wallowing in "how/why could he do this to me?" and despairing of what might have been. Detaching is one of the main tools of dealing with betrayal, and I cannot overstate the extent my medication helped me with this.

(2) Focusing on my friendships with other women. Honestly, they were all so sympathetic and supportive. Opening up to my friends and seeing their concern changed my whole outlook and made it clear to me that being single may come with many challenges but can be very rewarding.

(3) Embracing things and activities that give me joy. Instead of another night of flicking through Netflix to try to find something - anything!! - worth watching, I'm out several times a week actually doing stuff. Mostly with friends, but I'm not afraid to go out on my own.

Which brings me to....:-

(4) Appreciating my own company. Having time to do the things I like to do. Not being bothered about being seen to be on my own. Basically not giving monkey's about how others perceive me - as well as realising that most people don't actually care...

FantasticButtocks · 18/02/2020 23:58

Instead of focusing on thoughts that you've wasted your life, it might help to flip it and focus on the idea that you are actually saving yourself now from doing just that.

Any more time and attention spent on this man really would be a waste. So now you're aware and you are free to choose how you approach the next part of your life. Just a bit of adjustment to which parts you choose to focus your thoughts on. Thanks

SandyY2K · 19/02/2020 00:55

Last Xmas he gave her a bonus of several thousand pounds.

I got 3 plastic bangles and a scarf!!

Unless he has always bought you cheap stuff like this...he is long gone from your marriage. His gift shows how much...or actually how little he thinks of you.

The OW will have told lots of lies about her DH..to justify the affair..just ss your H did. He will have put you down and spoken negatively about you to her. That's 'normal' in affairs....cheaters need a way to justify their behaviour.

To say my DH or DW is great, while straying from the marriage wouldn't make sense and would piss the OW or OM off.

I know of an OW who hates her MM going on about his lovely wife. It's madness!

Stay strong OP. Don't settle for this. He's made it clear where his heart is.

He sees her as a victim in the marriage to a bully...and he was her KISA (Knight in shining armour)...except she doesn't want rescuing. She's happy right where she is.

WaterOffADucksCrack · 19/02/2020 01:14

Oh if I get annoyed Or mention the affair he either gets defensive or lies on the bed with his arm over his eyes and says he’s having a nervous breakdown did you not burst out laughing at this? Make sure you laugh at him during any future performances.

He sounds like a terribly cruel and nasty man. You sound lovely. You will be happy in the future and you'll build an even happier life. He will always be nasty and therefore will have a life of bitterness and anger.

Also, you always get people on here telling you off for being angry with the ow. It's so early days just be angry at whoever you want. You can't help how you feel. It isn't like you've set out to hurt someone like those two have.

Good luck, sending strength.

Casino218 · 19/02/2020 01:23

He's abusive op. Dump the scumbag and let your kids know why.

redastherose · 19/02/2020 01:45

@Filly2011 you will get over this in time. I was with my ex for 28 years married for 26 when he had an affair with a 25 year old employee! They are together now and we've been separated for nearly 4 years but still not divorced due to him trying to keep as much of our joint assets to himself.

The thing that helped me the most was counselling. I had 3 months of weekly sessions with a hypno-psychotherapist which really helped break the emotional connection for me. It also helped me to get my head around the reasons why I'd put up with some fairly shocking behaviour from him (he's a narcissist and my mother is one too although not as bad so when I met him I was used to pandering to her and thought his behaviour was normal).

I want to say, my ex also slept with ow in my bed and had her stay in my home whilst I was on holiday with our daughters. It is disgusting behaviour from both of them and so disrespectful that it gave a clear indication of what sort of people they really are.

I do get where you are coming from feeling you have wasted half your life (sunken costs fallacy) but the positive thing is you need waste no more of it on that sad bastard. He has treated you appallingly whinging to you about how sad his life is. The best thing you could do would be to stop talking to him get divorce papers issued and move on with your life.

I am much happier without my ex and have been ever since the shock of what he'd done wore off and the counselling started to help me move on. Btw it is essential to find the right counsellor for you, the one who helped me was the second one I went to, who I felt really understood and helped me work through things.

I met someone else 18 months after we separated and I'm much happier and feel I can be truly myself. There is a whole new life out there for you to live.

Upstartcrones · 19/02/2020 08:03

Your life is going to be so much better OP. You'll have ups and downs but you'll look back and think these are now my best years compared to where I was. That example about phoning home and her being in your house is heartbreaking.

How about getting some legal advice so you know where you stand? That might alleviate your fears about the house etc. Then you can start preparing rather than being in limbo. You will need advice re: the company and how to tackle that so get yourself in a position of power. Download the accounts lodged from companies house and take those with you to the solicitor.