Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

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

2.5 years post affair(s). Does the anger ever stop??

99 replies

Twiglet13 · 11/03/2024 06:59

I am 2.5 years post affair discovery. I feel stupid even typing this out because I know it’s going to seem mad and I will look like a total idiot. DH cheated on me before we got married (ONS). Then continued to have multiple affairs throughout our 10 year marriage. Some lasting several years. I found out about all of them in one go - only the latest… but when I confronted him, he confessed to everything.

He did this whilst I was pregnant with our 2 young DC. Whilst my mother was dying of cancer. When I found out I was in so much shock I couldn’t function for about six months and tbh I was dealing with the death of my mum and couldn’t cope with my family falling apart too.

Part of me thinks he must love me if he’s staying. He swears he won’t leave. We’ve had counselling. But we’re 2.5 years in and I just wonder if this is it. I feel like I’m lying to myself sometimes, he’s still lying to me, and it’s all an act. I found pictures of the latest OW saved on his phone a few months ago, since deleted (or moved). It may have been an oversight but part of me doesn’t even want to know. I don’t think I can deal with it.

Does the anger ever stop? I had thought by this amount of time down the road it would be better. But sometimes I feel even more angry than when it first happened. Other times I feel ok. But it never seems to actually go.

For those who tried to reconcile did you eventually throw in the towel? If I’d known it would still feel like this after so long I’m not sure I would have tried to stay. I don’t know if it will get better. Am I kidding myself to think this is even fixable after what he’s done? I feel utterly stupid.

OP posts:
Twiglet13 · 12/03/2024 09:45

I’m guessing the general consensus is it’s unfixable after that level of betrayal.

I appreciate all of the advice. So much easier to say than do but I worry I’m just in denial here. There’s so much panic and trauma after the events it feels like things are getting better and then after a while it starts to hit home.

OP posts:
Rania78 · 12/03/2024 09:52

Twiglet13 · 12/03/2024 09:45

I’m guessing the general consensus is it’s unfixable after that level of betrayal.

I appreciate all of the advice. So much easier to say than do but I worry I’m just in denial here. There’s so much panic and trauma after the events it feels like things are getting better and then after a while it starts to hit home.

OP, this makes total sense. It is normal to feel like this.
my advice to you is not to make rush moves. Focus on yourself and prepare mentally, physicaly, financially. And dump him after a few months. Life is too short and there so many great men out there who could make you happy.

beatrix1234 · 12/03/2024 10:05

I was with my ex for 5 years, one day while on a work trip he had a one night stand, I was completely heartbroken, he confessed, he totally regretted it, I cried. We decided to move on as a couple and put this behind. Two months later it was all forgotten and went on to have a very happy three years together were we never talked about his one night stand. 3 years later we separated for other reasons.

my point is: you never moved on from his infidelities, you’re till bitter and angry (I don’t blame you, he’s probably still cheating). The relationship never got to heal. You’re not happy and deserve much much better than this shyt sandwich you’ve been served.

SpouseMouse · 12/03/2024 10:20

Tonnes of sound advice and the voice of experience in here, yet OP still in denial and refusing to listen and see. Best of luck getting what you truly want OP but take off the blinkers and ear defenders and start to have some self respect. Unhappy parents staying together is absolutely not a good environment to bring children up in, btw.

Hellsmells · 12/03/2024 10:25

OP, he won't change. And you are very unlikely to stop feeling this angry or ever be at ease. No one I know who has been through similar ever has anyway. You might find different ways to deal with/bury it though.

If you are staying, get regular sti checks. Can be done easily enough by post.

If you think you might leave then move at a pace that you are comfortable with. Start training for a new career to give yourself more options.

Topicmanger · 12/03/2024 11:36

Hellsmells · 12/03/2024 10:25

OP, he won't change. And you are very unlikely to stop feeling this angry or ever be at ease. No one I know who has been through similar ever has anyway. You might find different ways to deal with/bury it though.

If you are staying, get regular sti checks. Can be done easily enough by post.

If you think you might leave then move at a pace that you are comfortable with. Start training for a new career to give yourself more options.

Edited

Just to say that STI checks don't pick up HPV, so you need to make sure you have the HPV vaccine.

BlastedPimples · 12/03/2024 11:48

Yes, panic and trauma after such discoveries really puts you in a spin and everything is foggy and you're in emergency mode. Almost paralysed with distress and fear and worry.

You don't feel safe. It's absolutely horrible. But you can have freedom. You can do it. You can be free of someone who has treated you so horribly and in all likelihood, will again. I'm not saying this to upset or panic you. Rather to encourage you to prepare. Arm yourself and ready yourself so that you can take back your power. It's there, waiting for you to harness it.

I was there in October 2022 when my stbx had a three hour screaming fit at me and assaulted me. He was having (another) affair which I only found about in January 2023. And about the other affairs. He was very abusive to me when he was seeing other women. I can only piece it all together now in retrospect.

Of course he is very sorry blah blah. But he is a cheating man with no moral compass. Will say all the right things. We are divorcing.

Like you, I was a sahm with patchy work history. 4 dcs. 4 dogs. Also stbxh had managed to scupper two attempts I made at retraining.

But I will be free and so will you. Hopefully you can do it without the horrible dramatics caused by your h so that you can be calm, focussed and effective.

Just get a job. Any job. Doesn't matter how junior. Get started. You start asap then in six months you'll be so far ahead from where you are today. And build. Visit a solicitor. Pay for it from your new wages. Find out what you need to know.

Scotty84 · 13/03/2024 14:18

A bit of background. Many years ago, I was a serial cheater. My long term partner was lovely, we laughed so much together, we had real connection, basically I thought the world of her, but I cheated on her. Not once, many times, with a number of different people. I didn’t want to be with these different women, not saying I didn’t have some feelings, but I was cheating for one thing, to stroke my pathetic ego, to feel good about myself. Importantly, it was nothing whatsoever about my partner, she had nothing lacking at all. It was all about me. I look back at this time with so much guilt and regret, I see myself as the egotistical piece of crap I was. I gained nothing from any of those relationships except to realise that I was selfish and was actually just living an awful shallow life with little meaning. The only real meaning was with my partner who eventually, did the right thing and left me. I was devastated and would have done anything to get her back. It didn’t come to this though and I settled down with someone else. From the start of this new relationship, I knew I would never cheat again, I could see how wrong it was and how the only real quality of life was to be gained through real love and connection.

A year ago I was on the receiving end of all this. Karma, you may think - utter devastation I say. I found out how the hurt of cheating feels from the other side when my wife turned out to be a serial cheater. It is a crushing, disabling hurt like nothing else. So I now see it from both sides. I know that my wife loves me, I know that it was nothing about me, I know that it was all about her ego and a need to be desired. She feels utter remorse and regret and hates herself for it. So what do I do? I know that serial cheaters can change, I did.

So, OP, is your marriage worth saving? Infidelity aside, do you laugh together, share life and have real connection? If you really do and you really feel that DH can and will move past his awful ways then you need to do yourself a favour. Stop thinking you may leave him and chose to exercise forgiveness. Not for him, but for you. Your anger and hurt may make him feel ashamed, but it is you it is really hurting. It is you that is spending every day thinking about this. You cannot change the past anymore than I can, he cannot make it better any more than my wife can. It is a debt that cannot be repaid. There is no amount of punishment you can give or penance he can take that will make up for what he did - I know it sucks, but there isn’t. So if (and only if) everything else about your marriage is worth saving, try to stop thinking about what he did - it was never and can never be justified, but thinking about it won’t make it go away. You are stuck in limbo, not thinking about it will help bury it in time. Break out from it and feel good about yourself and the massive person you are for moving on. This is easier said than done, I am doing okay, but I know I am doing the right thing, and life is really good much of the time, but I still have downtime. Lots of marriages survive this, they really do, if you both work on it, your marriage can be better than it was. Good luck.

Hellsmells · 14/03/2024 19:52

Scotty84 · 13/03/2024 14:18

A bit of background. Many years ago, I was a serial cheater. My long term partner was lovely, we laughed so much together, we had real connection, basically I thought the world of her, but I cheated on her. Not once, many times, with a number of different people. I didn’t want to be with these different women, not saying I didn’t have some feelings, but I was cheating for one thing, to stroke my pathetic ego, to feel good about myself. Importantly, it was nothing whatsoever about my partner, she had nothing lacking at all. It was all about me. I look back at this time with so much guilt and regret, I see myself as the egotistical piece of crap I was. I gained nothing from any of those relationships except to realise that I was selfish and was actually just living an awful shallow life with little meaning. The only real meaning was with my partner who eventually, did the right thing and left me. I was devastated and would have done anything to get her back. It didn’t come to this though and I settled down with someone else. From the start of this new relationship, I knew I would never cheat again, I could see how wrong it was and how the only real quality of life was to be gained through real love and connection.

A year ago I was on the receiving end of all this. Karma, you may think - utter devastation I say. I found out how the hurt of cheating feels from the other side when my wife turned out to be a serial cheater. It is a crushing, disabling hurt like nothing else. So I now see it from both sides. I know that my wife loves me, I know that it was nothing about me, I know that it was all about her ego and a need to be desired. She feels utter remorse and regret and hates herself for it. So what do I do? I know that serial cheaters can change, I did.

So, OP, is your marriage worth saving? Infidelity aside, do you laugh together, share life and have real connection? If you really do and you really feel that DH can and will move past his awful ways then you need to do yourself a favour. Stop thinking you may leave him and chose to exercise forgiveness. Not for him, but for you. Your anger and hurt may make him feel ashamed, but it is you it is really hurting. It is you that is spending every day thinking about this. You cannot change the past anymore than I can, he cannot make it better any more than my wife can. It is a debt that cannot be repaid. There is no amount of punishment you can give or penance he can take that will make up for what he did - I know it sucks, but there isn’t. So if (and only if) everything else about your marriage is worth saving, try to stop thinking about what he did - it was never and can never be justified, but thinking about it won’t make it go away. You are stuck in limbo, not thinking about it will help bury it in time. Break out from it and feel good about yourself and the massive person you are for moving on. This is easier said than done, I am doing okay, but I know I am doing the right thing, and life is really good much of the time, but I still have downtime. Lots of marriages survive this, they really do, if you both work on it, your marriage can be better than it was. Good luck.

They really don't. When you destabilise someone's reality it has lasting effects.

Mnk711 · 14/03/2024 20:39

@Scotty84 I don't know a single marriage that has survived cheating, the only ones still going are bitter and hateful and absolutely would be over if the parties involved weren't terrified of being alone. Whilst it might be possible for a serial cheater to change it is also often the case that they don't and that they continue to lie to their partners, so it is a huge leap of faith to continue to trust someone who has cheated.

OP for me the issue isn't so much that he's cheated, it's that he did so when you were pregnant and your mum was dying. He has displayed downright cruelty in doing so. IMO this is a large part of why you are angry, because your heart was broken by your mum's death and again by his cheating. He has demeaned your final days with your mum and undermined the wonders of pregnancy for you. He's taken something from you that you will never get back, no matter how well behaved he is now. I couldn't forgive this. It also sounds from your messages like he's pushed you into sleeping with him again when you didn't want to, that too is not the behaviour of someone who loves their partner and is genuinely sorry. I think you need to leave OP. Start getting everything prepared bit by bit and hopefully it will help you feel strong enough to go.

Anyoneanywhere · 14/03/2024 21:39

My anger went when I let go and left.

If i was to think about it now I feel nothing. Complete indifference

Holding on can sometimes cause yourself more harm then letting go..

Scotty84 · 15/03/2024 20:17

OP, just about everyone on here is telling you to leave. Not sure that was really the answer you wanted. Marriages that are worth saving, can be saved. See my comments above for some thoughts on how to bury the hurt. There are some very useful resources out there, but you have to look past all of the ‘leave’ comments on the internet. Hope you do okay, I am working my way through stuff and getting there. I know of at least 2 other strong marriages that have survived this. Staying is not for everyone, but staying needs commitment from you both. Good luck

TwilightSkies · 15/03/2024 20:38

Marriages that are worth saving, can be saved.

This man has had multiple years long affairs. Cheated on her while she was pregnant. While her mother was dying. He’s broken his vows from the start. It really doesn’t sound worth saving to me.

PinkLemonade555 · 15/03/2024 20:59

Scotty84 · 15/03/2024 20:17

OP, just about everyone on here is telling you to leave. Not sure that was really the answer you wanted. Marriages that are worth saving, can be saved. See my comments above for some thoughts on how to bury the hurt. There are some very useful resources out there, but you have to look past all of the ‘leave’ comments on the internet. Hope you do okay, I am working my way through stuff and getting there. I know of at least 2 other strong marriages that have survived this. Staying is not for everyone, but staying needs commitment from you both. Good luck

Thoughts on how to ‘bury the hurt’.

denial, then. Sounds… healthy.

Whattodowithit88 · 15/03/2024 21:02

He won’t leave you because you put up with it or sideline it. At the end of the day he gets away with it and has done what his done and your still there, so you will probably still be there after the next one too, so why would he leave you? Cake and eat it.

PurpleFlower1983 · 15/03/2024 21:05

No the anger doesn’t stop, it can sometimes hide for a while, sometimes a long while but it never goes away.

PinkLemonade555 · 15/03/2024 21:11

I think the reason a lot of people try to reconcile and then fail is that there is kind of a period of time after the horrific aftermath where it feels
‘better’ because one party might be trying harder for a bit. Most issues have been rugswept. Both people want to pretend it’s fine to try and feel some control after the trauma. They don’t want to ‘give in’ and admit defeat. Too scary to be apart. Desperate for sense of ‘normality’.

but then a few years in and nothing has fundamentally changed. The reality starts to creep in once you begin to feel safe enough to actually face up to what happened rather than run away from it because it was too painful.

someone who cheats multiple times and doesn’t give a shit about your grief or you being pregnant with his children doesn’t just not love you. Part of him must hate you to do that. It feels actively horrible and vicious. I don’t know how you stay with him, there must be a hell of a lot of pretending.

RubyOtter · 15/03/2024 21:13

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Feelinfedup · 15/03/2024 21:59

My heart breaks for you , but if your still asking "if you should stay or go" your just not emotionally ready to leave the marriage. I've been where you are , it took me four yrs to finally end the marriage, you see my head was telling me to go but my heart was telling me to stay and until your heart catches up with your head you'll remain in denial .. Your also grieving the man and the marriage you thought you had and it's almost impossible to think clearly when your grieving. I firmly believe it is harder than a death as you dont have that deep betrayal when someone dies .. You have to go through all the stages of grief until you emotionally detatch from him . Once I found out my stbxh had started another affair after he saw the hurt he previous affair cause ,something just clicked and suddenly I just knew I had enough and I was worth more . He is now begging me to try again but that ship has sailed for me . Amazingly i don't hate him ,actually part of me feels sorry for him as he threw away a marriage of 30 yrs and a wife that adored him .. I choose my mental health and peace of mind and darling I'm sorry to tell you but you'll never have peace of mine if you stay in your marriage as you'll never fully trust him again and a marriage without trust is like a house without a foundation, it will crumble down around you .
I wish you the very best in the future xx

Scotty84 · 15/03/2024 23:04

PinkLemonade555 · 15/03/2024 20:59

Thoughts on how to ‘bury the hurt’.

denial, then. Sounds… healthy.

Thanks for the encouragement. Just a different opinion, OP was looking for thoughts on the hurt caused by affairs, I’m trying to work through that hurt and I know others that have been successful. There are other ways rather than simply leaving. Affairs are wrong and utterly selfish, but it doesn’t mean you can’t get past them.

TheInfusionist · 16/03/2024 08:19

"not having sex with him would be the same as ending it anyway because he’s made it clear a sexless marriage wouldn’t work and that’s something we’ve had to work on a lot since this all came out."

This is awful. What kind of self-obsessed uncaring specimen thinks he gets to set the agenda when he's behaved so badly? This isn't him 'working on a lot' in the relationship, this is him holding a threat over your head so he gets what he wants.

I'm revolted on your behalf. And I can tell you from experience, that although separation is hard, the relief and freedom that comes afterwards is immense.

Dinkiedoo · 16/03/2024 08:40

You wont leave even if he has more affairs.
One of my friends is the same.
His first affair was when their son was a baby. That baby is now 30. Hes had many affairs since. Swears it will never happen again each and every time.
Do you want this life for yourself ?

BlastedPimples · 16/03/2024 09:29

He is a shit person. Leave him.

LorlieS · 16/03/2024 15:05

I think some of the reason why women put up with these awful men is because they have a comfortable lifestyle, perhaps not working, and in all honesty don't want to give this up?

New posts on this thread. Refresh page