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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

Trust or not

9 replies

damnedtruth · 13/09/2022 08:04

So. I'm a 35-year-old female, married, with a toddler and pregnant (still early days). But there's this recurring thing in my relationship with my husband. I actually just have to vent, but also need to just hear that I'm not crazy and that my expectations aren't rubbish.

Two years ago, I wanted to start studying for my degree but because I'd been a stay-at-home mom for a couple of years prior, I had little of my own money. Husband came up with the idea that he'll get a student loan for me and then he'll support me with looking after our toddler when I have my exams and things due. Because of this reason (our toddler goes to half-day school, so she spends afternoons with me), the support from my husband, I agreed and started the journey. A year in I set my sights on achieving a cum laude because it would put me in a favourable position to get a scholarship for my honours degree (and then not end up with another year's student debt).
So. About a year and a half into my studies, I'm achieving a 90% average in all my classes and I'm well on my way to the cum laude as planned. Up until this point I've been sharing my success with husband and mom and whoever else, so everyone knew I was doing well and loving it. Then, as per our arrangement, I communicate 9 weeks in advice to my husband, the details and dates around my final exams for the year so he organises his schedule around work, life and helping out with our toddler (as was promised and agreed on). This is done and he says its all good and full steam ahead.

The day of my exam he tells me 'he has a work social he has to attend' and leaves it at that. Now I know from prior experience, these work socials are not mandatory and even if they were, 'my wife is writing an important exam' is a sufficient excuse to either get out of or postpone the social. But he does neither. I also know that these work social are not scheduled the morning off, but rather a month in advance. So he knew, and didn't communicate it. No. Instead he drops our toddler at home, and goes to the social and I end up having to do my exam online, and score just under 50% because I have a screaming hyper toddler to deal with. This 50% cannot be contested, and I cannot retake the exam.

So effectively I'm feeling like my husband ruined and sabotaged my chances of success. And this cum laude meant a lot to me.

We converse about it, he plays the victim. I get angry and I scream, slam doors, cry, avoid him, and take the toddler to the park. But I'm angry. I want to do him harm because he's destroyed my dream, my goal. When I'm calmer, I tell him this and he says to me, "I shouldn't rely on other people for my dreams". WTF. He is the 'other people' I was relying on! I shouldn't rely on my own husband? I shouldn't trust that what he says he means, what he promises he will stick to? Am I crazy?

OP posts:
Idontdoyoga · 13/09/2022 08:18

No you’re not crazy. He’s a tosser and maybe you should rethink your future with him.
Try to calm down, sort out your studies program so that you have a back up next exam time and in a calm collected way, plan your future without him.

Don’t act in haste. Stay icy cool.
You’ll get your revenge one fine day if it suits you to do so. Just tuck what you’re going through up your sleeve for now. What goes around, comes around,

Oh and think twice about more kids with him. Don’t dig a deeper hole with a man you can’t rely on.
Meanwhile, keep up the studies. That is your future.
Good luck.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 13/09/2022 08:27

This was his plan all along sadly; to absolutely sabotage your efforts to improve yourself and or to get back into the workplace. And no you're not crazy at all though his efforts to gaslight you will make you feel so.

Now he has done what is known as DARVO on you.
DARVO is an acronym for deny, attack, reverse victim, offender.

DARVO is a type of gaslighting and is often used as a way to shame victims and make them believe that they are responsible for the abuse. When using DARVO, a person typically denies the behavior, attacks the individual who is confronting them, and reverses the roles of victim and offender.

Your situation will not improve any with him so I would seriously start considering how you exit from this marriage altogether. Seeking legal advice is a useful option as knowledge here is power. What family and or friends support do you have?.

hugefanofcheese · 13/09/2022 08:46

That sounds really deliberate to me. The work do wasn't an emergency.

Cherchezlaspice · 13/09/2022 08:51

What’s his response when you ask him why he didn’t postpone the social or give you more notice, so you could arrange alternative care?

RandomMusings7 · 13/09/2022 08:51

He 100% did it on purpose to fuck up your plans. Why does he feel threatened by your success and independence? Sounds like a controlling narcissistic that to me.

damnedtruth · 13/09/2022 10:12

So I asked him why he didn't communicate literally anything with me and his response is ‘i dunno.’ Followed by the ‘im sorry’ and since the ‘i’m sorry’ hardly covers the large scale disaster he caused, i tell him that and he says ‘well, i’m not going to keep apologizing’ and then reiterates how i didn’t plan for a ‘speed bump’ and that shit happens. 😩

OP posts:
RandomMusings7 · 13/09/2022 10:14

damnedtruth · 13/09/2022 10:12

So I asked him why he didn't communicate literally anything with me and his response is ‘i dunno.’ Followed by the ‘im sorry’ and since the ‘i’m sorry’ hardly covers the large scale disaster he caused, i tell him that and he says ‘well, i’m not going to keep apologizing’ and then reiterates how i didn’t plan for a ‘speed bump’ and that shit happens. 😩

If you don't divorce him over this, your life will be perpetual misery. You would practically be telling him thar he can abuse and control and mistreat you free of consequence

damnedtruth · 13/09/2022 10:18

I’m a psych student and have up until recently been quite hesitant labelling people. But. I also see the situation I’m in. And I feel a whole lot like he unconsciously sabotages me, since he seems to always be largely unaware of his actions and even that what he does could possibly affect someone else. This whole relationship has evolved into a weird tug of war where he does what he does, and makes decisions like the world revolves around him, I scream and argue when these things don't suit me and in the end he apologizes, but rather like a toddler who just says it and doesn’t understand what he’s saying. In terms of my original post around the studies and exams, wasn’t he also supposed to ‘plan’ how he was going to give me the support he promised? Or is this whole thing always just on me? 🙈

OP posts:
RandomMusings7 · 13/09/2022 10:22

@damnedtruth you are giving him too much credit. He's not sabotaging you unconsciusly. He is doing it in a very conscious and deliberate way.

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