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Relationships

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How many marriages survive infidelity?

84 replies

iusedtobeasize8 · 16/07/2024 13:52

7 months ago I found out my husband of 20 years had been having an affair. He completely denied it at first and tried to explain away evidence I had found but I knew in my gut that I was right. I threw him out of the marital home and was completely heartbroken. He eventually admitted to meeting someone else but denied that anything physical had happened as the other woman didn’t want to get involved while we were still together. All lies of course. Through much digging I finally found out who she was and I messaged her - she blocked me. She is nothing like me at all and I do wonder what the attraction was but he has since told me that it could have been anyone who paid him some attention. After I threw him out they continued seeing each other for around another month until he realised that he didn’t actually want her and he wanted me all along.
Since then he has tried to build bridges with me and our children. We’ve been to marriage counselling which has helped but I still can’t get over the way he’s treated me. He apologises all the time saying he was in a bad place at the time. I don’t trust him and feel 7 months on I could still throttle him for what he has done to our family. My counsellor says it will take take time but if me and DH are invested in making it work it will. I’m not so sure. I do love him deeply otherwise I wouldn’t be trying to repair the marriage but what if love isn’t enough? Has anyone had experience of this and it has all worked out? Or am I best to just get on with my life. Kind replies please - I know what he’s done is horrendous but it’s hard to switch feelings off after 20 years. Thanks

OP posts:
UrbanDieter · 17/07/2024 20:07

I'm 18 months it's OK. I still get angry. I have access to his phone when I want.
We talk more, I do a lot less and have time for me.
Husbands car has a recorder that he dosent know about. I occasionally like to share what I know with her work collegues & friends.
I'm prepared to leave, I feel like an actor playing the part of wife and mother.
I should let it go & get counselling, but that's easier said than done

iusedtobeasize8 · 17/07/2024 20:30

Yes it is easier said than done Urbandieter 😔. How do you track his car without him knowing?

OP posts:
Loubelle70 · 17/07/2024 20:32

I was cheated on after 25 years. When i went into the relationship i said cheat and youre out... he did and he was out. Excuses are excuses..he made a choice to cheat.

FairyMaclary · 17/07/2024 21:28

Unmet needs theory.

My question for the therapist would be - ‘Well my need for honesty and reliability has not been met. My postman is always on time (reliable) and never steals my post (honest) how will fucking him help our marriage?’

Sack the counsellor. You cannot instill the values of faithfulness, commitment and honesty into a person by giving them oral sex, cooking them steak and playing football with them every evening after work. It’s nonsense.

If he believes in fidelity how can YOUR behaviour influence him? I am faithful for me. I want to look at myself each morning and like who I see. I’m not the smartest or prettiest or funniest, but I am honest and reliable and I try and do right by me. My integrity is important to me. My husband can be an arse, he annoys me. But I am faithful for me. I want to like me! My husband is collateral damage to my CHOICES and values.

By saying you not doing x or y so cheating was justifiable he is saying his behaviour is conditional on your behaviour. And this is a worry going forward. He thinks your behaviour can alter his choices around honesty and faithfulness. That would be too risky to reconcile with. It’s nonsense thinking. My husbands behaviour cannot make me cheat! I choose to cheat or remain faithful. But there isn’t anything he can do to make me betray my values - he isn’t that powerful.

What books have you read op?

I believe reconciliation and divorce are both valid options. I also believe I’d walk out of an unmet needs counsellors office immediately.

He needs to understand why he believes fidelity is conditional. Why does he believes in monogomy except in certain situations? I am faithful but not if you don’t shag me enough. I am faithful but not if Brenda from the checkout flirts with me. I am faithful but not on a stag do when my wife will never find out. That is a choice. He has a but in his monogamy. Why?

If he values honesty and commitment and integrity then Why did he give those values away for a shag and some smoke up his backside (ego kibbles)? Why did he betray himself and his values?

iusedtobeasize8 · 17/07/2024 21:51

FairyMaclary · 17/07/2024 21:28

Unmet needs theory.

My question for the therapist would be - ‘Well my need for honesty and reliability has not been met. My postman is always on time (reliable) and never steals my post (honest) how will fucking him help our marriage?’

Sack the counsellor. You cannot instill the values of faithfulness, commitment and honesty into a person by giving them oral sex, cooking them steak and playing football with them every evening after work. It’s nonsense.

If he believes in fidelity how can YOUR behaviour influence him? I am faithful for me. I want to look at myself each morning and like who I see. I’m not the smartest or prettiest or funniest, but I am honest and reliable and I try and do right by me. My integrity is important to me. My husband can be an arse, he annoys me. But I am faithful for me. I want to like me! My husband is collateral damage to my CHOICES and values.

By saying you not doing x or y so cheating was justifiable he is saying his behaviour is conditional on your behaviour. And this is a worry going forward. He thinks your behaviour can alter his choices around honesty and faithfulness. That would be too risky to reconcile with. It’s nonsense thinking. My husbands behaviour cannot make me cheat! I choose to cheat or remain faithful. But there isn’t anything he can do to make me betray my values - he isn’t that powerful.

What books have you read op?

I believe reconciliation and divorce are both valid options. I also believe I’d walk out of an unmet needs counsellors office immediately.

He needs to understand why he believes fidelity is conditional. Why does he believes in monogomy except in certain situations? I am faithful but not if you don’t shag me enough. I am faithful but not if Brenda from the checkout flirts with me. I am faithful but not on a stag do when my wife will never find out. That is a choice. He has a but in his monogamy. Why?

If he values honesty and commitment and integrity then Why did he give those values away for a shag and some smoke up his backside (ego kibbles)? Why did he betray himself and his values?

Edited

This makes so much sense. Thank you x

OP posts:
FairyMaclary · 17/07/2024 22:00

Good luck op. Infidelity causes ptsd in victims. Your priority is you and your mental health not the marriage and not your husbands poor choices. Look after you and do what you need to do to heal.

maclen · 17/07/2024 22:15

Why would you want to forgive him?... What message is that sending to your kids?...

BePinkPombear · 17/07/2024 22:20

Thank you FairyMclary for explaining unmet needs better than I could yesterday! My brain was mashed from work, I was going to get OP some resources but you explained it really well

https://www.reddit.com/r/AsOneAfterInfidelity/comments/jka1dq/affairs_happen_because_of_unmet_needs/
This thread has an interesting discussion about unmet needs, and you’ll find a whole host of opinions on it, although it might be a bit overwhelming

best wishes OP x

SwordToFlamethrower · 17/07/2024 22:20

No, love isn't enough. You need trust, respect and honesty too.

So really, you have nothing.

iusedtobeasize8 · 17/07/2024 22:22

maclen · 17/07/2024 22:15

Why would you want to forgive him?... What message is that sending to your kids?...

I guess I feel sorry for him. He is in rented accommodation while I’m in the marital home. He pays half of the mortgage but nothing to me for the children. He has a lot of debt and I suppose I don’t want to see him in dire straits.

OP posts:
lifesrichpageant · 17/07/2024 22:23

I know of a few marriages that have 'survived' affairs for the short term (eg while kids are young, for financial reasons etc) but most/all have imploded anyway over time. They either couldn't recover from the initial loss of trust or they were incompatible to begin with.

iusedtobeasize8 · 17/07/2024 22:24

Thank you so much for replies. I appreciate it x

OP posts:
HamiltonHarty · 17/07/2024 22:30

I think the proportion of people who stay together would be different from the proportion who stay together and are happy. My dad stayed with my mum after she had an affair, because he didn't want to lose his house and to keep up appearances, but she bullies him, (and bullied me when i was a kid) so I wouldn't really call it a success.

HamiltonHarty · 17/07/2024 22:39

I found this "Extensive research conducted by the American Psychological Association found that 53% of couples who experienced infidelity in their marriage were divorced within 5 years, even with therapy. The study says that couples who have been unfaithful are three times more likely to separate than monogamous couples."

mayorofcasterbridge · 17/07/2024 22:42

iusedtobeasize8 · 16/07/2024 17:01

My DC were very upset at first and didn’t really want anything to do with him. I actually encouraged them to keep in contact with him and told them that he’d made a mistake and he is still their Dad. They have since thawed towards him but are against me taking him back. My DD has told him that she accepts his apology to her but she will never forgive him for what he has done.

I think you need to bin him for the sake of your children.

Angelina1972 · 17/07/2024 22:53

Yes my husband had an affair when we’d been married for 8 years. We are still together and happy at 22 years of marriage. It’s a distant memory now. I don’t really think about it unless I come across threads like this, or when friends or family have been affected by infidelity. In which case I’m mobilised into supporting them and passing on my wisdom and lived experience.

I agree with other PP it took me about 5 months to feel emotionally safe and about a year not to feel pure fury. At times I felt like giving up on the marriage. Then I felt awkward for a few more years when friends kept mentioning it even though I’d moved on. For years now though it doesn’t upset me at all.

Hope this helps.

Copperoliverbear · 17/07/2024 22:54

Personally I would not forgive him, the fact he said it could be anyone who gave him attention, so potentially could happen again and the fact he went running to her once you threw him out, instead of staying on his own and try to work things out.
It's a no from me

BouquetGarni224 · 18/07/2024 00:18

AmandaHoldensLips · 16/07/2024 17:24

Coleen Rooney.
Victoria Beckham.
Tanya Ramsey.
And countless others choose to stay in the marriage for whatever reasons.

I think infidelity is definitely survivable if both parties want to work through it. Still a shit thing to go through mind.

Are you saying these women are examples to follow, in any way?

That because they (and loads of "ordinary" women) have stayed with cheaters, that's that's somehow valid in terms of staying with a cheater?

If it's about women staying with cheating men being relatively common. ... And what? Lots of totally undesirable, unhealthy, unwise things are common.

Something being common doesn't make it ok/good/wise/healthy.

(Oh and on those particular women... I'm afraid I don't think VB is mentally well, CR is a particular type of woman whom I don't know why anyone would want to emulate, and TR is not just married to a cheater, she's married to an obvious misogynist who stated he hasn't changed a nappy in his life, in spite of having 5 (?) kids, and did you see his interactions with that Aussie female interviewer?! He is not a decent man in any way. So how are they examples to follow or see as valid?)

XChrome · 18/07/2024 00:19

FairyMaclary · 17/07/2024 21:28

Unmet needs theory.

My question for the therapist would be - ‘Well my need for honesty and reliability has not been met. My postman is always on time (reliable) and never steals my post (honest) how will fucking him help our marriage?’

Sack the counsellor. You cannot instill the values of faithfulness, commitment and honesty into a person by giving them oral sex, cooking them steak and playing football with them every evening after work. It’s nonsense.

If he believes in fidelity how can YOUR behaviour influence him? I am faithful for me. I want to look at myself each morning and like who I see. I’m not the smartest or prettiest or funniest, but I am honest and reliable and I try and do right by me. My integrity is important to me. My husband can be an arse, he annoys me. But I am faithful for me. I want to like me! My husband is collateral damage to my CHOICES and values.

By saying you not doing x or y so cheating was justifiable he is saying his behaviour is conditional on your behaviour. And this is a worry going forward. He thinks your behaviour can alter his choices around honesty and faithfulness. That would be too risky to reconcile with. It’s nonsense thinking. My husbands behaviour cannot make me cheat! I choose to cheat or remain faithful. But there isn’t anything he can do to make me betray my values - he isn’t that powerful.

What books have you read op?

I believe reconciliation and divorce are both valid options. I also believe I’d walk out of an unmet needs counsellors office immediately.

He needs to understand why he believes fidelity is conditional. Why does he believes in monogomy except in certain situations? I am faithful but not if you don’t shag me enough. I am faithful but not if Brenda from the checkout flirts with me. I am faithful but not on a stag do when my wife will never find out. That is a choice. He has a but in his monogamy. Why?

If he values honesty and commitment and integrity then Why did he give those values away for a shag and some smoke up his backside (ego kibbles)? Why did he betray himself and his values?

Edited

Great post.

BouquetGarni224 · 18/07/2024 00:28

iusedtobeasize8 · 17/07/2024 22:22

I guess I feel sorry for him. He is in rented accommodation while I’m in the marital home. He pays half of the mortgage but nothing to me for the children. He has a lot of debt and I suppose I don’t want to see him in dire straits.

If only he was as considerate towards you.

Some people have breakdowns due to being victims of infidelity, some end their lives, some suffer depression, some anxiety, some suffer a type of PTSD.

But you're supposed to be stable and also feel sorry for the perpetrator of all this pain, stress, sadness, destabilisation etc.

Feel sorry for yourself.

roses321 · 18/07/2024 10:49

iusedtobeasize8 · 17/07/2024 07:33

He says he ghosted her. But she was actually the one who deleted and blocked him on social media.
I know they had made plans for the future together. And they’d told each other ‘I love you’.
He says he’s disgusted with himself but he essentially chose her over me which is another reason I can’t forgive him.

Thanks for all replies- they’ve been very helpful.

FFS get out sweetheart.

You're being gaslit from all angles on this one.

First by your shit counsellor (who has a vested interest in "helping" because they are taking your money)
Secondly by your shit husband, who yeah... got dumped when he went into shock over being kicked out.

I know you're here trying to find a way of accepting the situation, trying to find a way of reconciling, but listen to what your heart REALLY tells you.

This is not what you wanted, it's not what you want to deal with and I can tell you now, you are throwing money at a situation that isn't going to heal, it'll cost you your inner peace and you'll never trust him again.

I'm sure you have responsibility in the situation, I'm not going to say otherwise, but at the end of the day every single adult human being is responsible for the choices they make, and when you are married, you go to the altar, you say your vows, and if you break them then that is a choice.

His choice was to stick his dick in another woman, and then plan a future with her to boot, to lie to you multiple times, to ONLY want to come back when he'd been found out and discovered the grass wasn't greener.

This is one situation where I will squarely say filefordivorce. Divorce him.

Would you be heartbroken and have to build your life back up? Yes. Would it hurt like hell? Yes. Would you be depressed as hell? Yes.

What do you want though? A torrent of pain as a result of making that choice, or a very slow drip feed of pain for fucking YEARS of your life, wondering what he was doing on his phone on holidays, when he's working late, when you're just sat there watching TV on a Monday night?

Not only that, and I hate to guilt you with this, but you are SHOWING your daughter that this is acceptable, and your daughter will likely go on to believe that "well, mummy put up with it, so perhaps I should put up with it".

Counselling isn't going to fix it, not unless the counselling is from YOUR counsellor, not a couples counsellor but someone who has a vested interest in YOU and only you, someone who asks you why the fuck you want to stay with a person who has repeatedly lied, clearly only follows their own self interest and has betrayed you, your children and their own character.

Ending a marriage is gut wrenching, it's horrific, heartbreaking and soul destroying, but you're not the one who chose this path, he did. He has destroyed your peace, the sanctity of your home, and he's exposed your children to this as well. He's a piece of shit. He isn't worthy of the responsibility of a husband.

It's the repeated lying for me, and the fact he comes crawling back when his bit on the side ditches his pathetic ass. But that's ok, because YOU'LL take him back.

He's sorry he was caught, he's disgusted that he put HIMSELF in this situation, I don't give a fuck what he tells you.

Yeah i've been down the counselling road before after this kind of thing, and let me tell you now that no other human being can magically take this away because they have a piece of paper that said they've done a course. It doesn't make them God, it doesn't mean they have the ability to fix this for you. People fall into the trap of counselling hoping for a magic bullet, there isn't one. Now you're on here because why? The counselling isn't really working because you actually know the answer, you know damn well this is unacceptable, you know you don't trust him and you want to ease that feeling - well you can't. Nothing can for long.

Get out.

FairyMaclary · 23/07/2024 09:45

@iusedtobeasize8 How are you?

Candlelights1 · 23/07/2024 10:37

OP, I would be far more focused on your children who don't want him to come home.
What he has done to them is horrendous.
He didn't just cheat on you, he cheated on his children and threw THEM aside.
Your daughter is absolutely traumatised from the stress of not knowing what to do.
I don't use the word lightly.
She doesn't want him back.
Respect her in this matter.
Do not bring him home while feelings are so strong.
I could possibly forgive for myself, but I wouldn't ever forgive the pain of my children.
My classmate years ago at 14 discovered her father was having an affair with a neighbour. She bawled in the loos and asked me what to do. I of course hadn't a clue and said I wouldn't say a word (bad advice🤷🏻‍♀️) to anyone.
It blew up months later and her parents separated. She had a very complicated relationship with her father and it left her very fxxked up, unmarried to this day.

Do not underestimate the damage to your children particularly your daughter. Arrange some safe space counselling for her so she can heal.

You all deserve so much better than this weak pathetic man.

Angelina1972 · 26/07/2024 22:39

Yes @iusedtobeasize8 how are you feeling? X

iusedtobeasize8 · 26/07/2024 22:46

Not good Angelina. I’m so confused. He’s trying to win me back but I feel like crap. I found pictures of them together online (they were at an event) and that’s really triggered me.

OP posts: