Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

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

Do I love him? Do I still try and call it a day?

9 replies

FluffyBunnyTails · 19/08/2024 15:36

Hello, I feel I need someone to give me a crystal ball and work out what to do with my life... so I end up here Smile

Bit of background.
Married for almost 8 years. Together for 12/13 years.
2 children - 1 with additional needs.
DH isn't great at communicating. My mental health hasn't been great since our last child was born 3 years ago but I got help so I wasn't as bad.

I found out my DH had been mounting up debt around 20 months ago. Things weren't adding up, his post was going missing, phone calls to the house asking for him and I questioned some things with he lied about to my face. Ended up going through his work bag and found loads of letters, all for debt mounting up to around £30k.
When I confronted him, he said he had taken a loan out but couldn't afford to repay it, then took more and more and credit cards etc. what was £4K ended up being over £30k. I was devastated, I have worked through everything with him. Always stood by him. I wanted us to sit and go through it all, I asked for statements.
He never sat down with me, I never saw statements and I had to chase for updates on how he was getting on sorting out payment plans etc. He tried to go through Step Change but no idea why, it didn't work out and he says he's paying things back individually and sorted it himself. All his wages went into the joint account so I could see what was being paid except some things, like his debt. Which was paid from his account.

My trust and feelings changed as time went on, no extra effort was made by him. For a few months at the end of last year and into this year. He was even more distant, never spoke, not helpful even when I asked and always on his phone. I've never been able to be near his phone, assumed he was playing games.

In March, he was very unwell with his chest and improved but ended up going to hospital. While he was there, I heard a vibration - it was his watch, a message came through from a woman who I had not heard of before. Only a questions asking if she was making things worse... thought it was odd. Looked through his watch and saw a text to an escort arranging a time and date but the messages had no address and indicate he didn't go.
I confronted him the next day. He told me the woman was someone from work, they just message each other and they're friends and he talks to her about how unhappy he is in our marriage etc. That they have had a kiss on a work night out and he also slept with someone else (apparently not the woman from work). It was a one night stand with a random stranger. The escort he looked at but never did anything....
I ended it.. he lived in the house until May and moved out end of May. Since he left I feel happier, more relaxed and can control money etc.
My children are young and of course we're very upset but have handled things better than I imagined.

DH says he wants to try and work things out, says he misses and loves me, wants us to be together again.

I feel I don't want to have a failed marriage, for my children to have a family unit and us all be together. I also feel partly to blame as I'm not a barrel of laughs anymore.

But I also don't want to be in a miserable marriage. I have no trust at all, can it even come back? Don't miss him, have any urge to sleep with him or anything. Not sure if I even love him anymore.
I know I will likely be alone with my child having such high needs but the break from the children is also a huge help (when he has them at his).

Feel so stuck and guilty.

Sorry it's long!!

OP posts:
StormingNorman · 19/08/2024 15:53

Don't miss him, have any urge to sleep with him or anything. Not sure if I even love him anymore…the break from the children is also a huge help (when he has them at his).

I’m not convinced you want him back. That little voice in your head is the guilt talking, and frankly you don’t have anything to feel guilty about.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 19/08/2024 15:54

You are a family unit already; adding him does not create that.

How was any of what happened here your fault?. None of it was; its all on him and he should have been honest with you from the beginning.

He messed up big time and if there is no trust, there is no relationship to speak of anyway. Quite apart from that you do not miss him nor love him. He is your ex husband for good reason and I would keep it that way.

Myfavouriteflowers · 19/08/2024 18:20

In my opinion if you take him back you will regret it.
He showed you previously he can't manage money and he cheated on you -yhat he was in so mush debt and yet was willing to spend money using escorts says volumes about him.
You've done the hard bit ending things and making a better life for you and your children. Don't let him back into your life to spoil things

shropshire11 · 19/08/2024 18:33

A lot of people would say that any one of the escorts, the infidelity and the debt was a dealbreaker - but he did all three (that you know of). An incredible breach of trust.

FluffyBunnyTails · 20/08/2024 12:15

It's so sad. None of the things he did I thought he was capable of. Ever. I still even now, can't picture him chatting someone up.

There is absolutely no trust there. None. I don't know whether that can come back? I see him differently now too, I think I'm just so sad it's come to this. Not what I ever wanted for myself or children and I honestly never ever thought he was capable.

He made sure I couldn't see the messages between him and the woman. I even asked we download the backup... he made sure that didn't happen.

OP posts:
olderbutwiser · 20/08/2024 12:24

Get yourself some counselling to help with your (entirely misplaced but pretty common) feelings of guilt.

He broke up the marriage. He ran up secret debts and had both emotional and physical affairs. Would you marry him if you met him now knowing that? Of course not.

MrsSlocombesCat · 20/08/2024 12:32

Of course the trust won't come back. He's done way too much for the possibility of that. When I split with my ex husband years ago for different reasons he talked me into getting back together TWICE. Both times things went back to how they were in about a fortnight.He wasted almost 20 years of my life.

Rhaidimiddim · 20/08/2024 12:35

You have a failed marriage already. Debts, escorts, one night stands.

Edited to say that you have nothing to feel guilty about, it is mo wonder you aren't a barrel of laughs. You need to look after yourself and your children and let this lost cause of a husbsnd go.

Harvesthome · 20/08/2024 12:36

FluffyBunnyTails · 20/08/2024 12:15

It's so sad. None of the things he did I thought he was capable of. Ever. I still even now, can't picture him chatting someone up.

There is absolutely no trust there. None. I don't know whether that can come back? I see him differently now too, I think I'm just so sad it's come to this. Not what I ever wanted for myself or children and I honestly never ever thought he was capable.

He made sure I couldn't see the messages between him and the woman. I even asked we download the backup... he made sure that didn't happen.

He’s proven himself to be untrustworthy in numerous ways. Moving forward he is definitely not what you and your children need.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page