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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

Wanting to leave my perfect husband

359 replies

Nixiha · 09/11/2024 14:03

Am I a complete monster?

I (31) have been with husband (32) for 12 years and we have been married for 7 years.
We have two great kids aged 4 and 1 and we also have two dogs, one we've raised from a puppy and one that we rescued.

My husband is such an amazing person, he's a fantastic husband who fully supports me, he absolutely adores me, wants to have sex all the time, is a great dad, tells me me loves me every day, tells me that I'm beautiful, makes me laugh and works so hard to support our family.

My heart wants to leave though. It's been clear to me for years that I love him dearly, but as a friend. I knew this when I married him. I felt nauseous the night before, a knot in my stomach and clammy hands on the day and I could barely look him in the eye during the ceremony because he was looking at me with such love and devotion in his eyes. I squashed all of this away because we work so effortlessly together as a team, I knew he'd be a wonderful father, I loved his family and he's still my best friend and I never want to hurt him.

Now married for 7 years with our great kids, life should be a dream but my heart is slowly breaking into pieces. It's dawning on me that no matter how blissfully happy he seems with me, I've sucked the soul out of my husband over the years. The young man I met had big passions, he loved rock climbing, hill walking, abseiling, skiing, kayaking, playing rugby and loads more. He would walk into a pub and immediately befriend every stranger, he was so sociable and friendly.
These days he does nothing. He gave up everything one by one and now he has no passions or hobbies or friends that he sees often. He works in forestry which he loves, but it's such a physical job he is so tired at the weekends he probably wouldn't have the energy to go climbing now. I'm so worried that he's become a shadow of himself by being with me.

In the meantime, I've recently started developing feelings for someone else and the guilt has hit me hard. I can't sleep, I'm binge eating even though food is making me nauseous and I'm crying constantly. The flip my heart does when I see the other guy is how I should have felt on my wedding day. I have never flirted and would never do anything to betray my husband but it's getting to the point where imagining the other man with someone else is devastating to me, but imagining my husband with someone else doesn't make me sad. I just want to see him get the love and happiness that he deserves.

I'm so scared, my head is screaming at me not to hurt him and not to rip our family apart, financially ruining myself in doing so but my heart and conscience are pulling me towards it.

What is wrong with me? Why do I have the most loving and devoted husband in the world yet want to leave him?

OP posts:
something2say · 09/11/2024 14:05

Leave. You did wrong by building all this under false pretences and now its ripping at the seams. Come clean and start again
Itll be alright. X

PullTheBricksDown · 09/11/2024 14:06

In the meantime, I've recently started developing feelings for someone else

Key bit is buried in the rest of your post, which then reads like a justification for what you want to do. I don't think you're a monster but I do think you're being a fucking idiot. At least put some effort in and try counselling before giving up on your marriage.

catin8oots · 09/11/2024 14:08

First reply nails it

Thatscharming · 09/11/2024 14:11

I think you’d be mad to do that but from your thread title I knew you had had your head turned.

Plastictrees · 09/11/2024 14:11

You need to leave him. Counselling is not the answer here - you’ve been seeing him as a friend for years and have developed feelings for someone else. You’re not a monster but the kindest - and bravest - thing to do is to end things now, it’ll give your DH a chance to meet someone who adores him as much as he adores them. You need to give yourself that chance also. It’ll just get more difficult to leave as the children get older.

Nousernamesleftatall · 09/11/2024 14:12

i think you are being selfish actually but it’s your life I suppose. Your poor husband and kids. I believe you are only contemplating this because your head has been turned.

Pickle991 · 09/11/2024 14:13

Poor bloke. You shouldn’t have married him.

Alwayslurkingsometimesposting · 09/11/2024 14:13

With kids these ages I would say it's normal to feel like you're in a rut with your other half, seeing them as more of a teammate than a lover, and for former hobbies to have fallen by the wayside. So the usual advice would be to try to stick it out while you're still in the trenches, get counselling etc. But you say you felt like this even when you married him which makes it different. Are you sure this is the case and you're not mis- remembering in light of how you feel now (particularly about this new man)? If you've really, truly never had romantic feelings for him at all then it may not be fixable and preferable to rip the plaster off now. Don't be too hard on yourself- people make mistakes and guilt will only cloud the picture and stop you seeing clearly how best to handle this.

Tel12 · 09/11/2024 14:17

You've got older, it's life. You've got everything and want to throw it away for a crush. Madness.Your family don't deserve the misery you will inflict on them.

StormingNorman · 09/11/2024 14:19

Leave. You stole a lot from your husband when you married him. Just leave and let him build a new life with someone who loves him properly.

Golden407 · 09/11/2024 14:19

Life does get monotonous as the responsibilities pile up. You want to leave then leave but bear in mind your life very likely won't turn into the fairy tale you seem to be imagining.

coxesorangepippin · 09/11/2024 14:20

Do this fella a favor and leave him

Cavello · 09/11/2024 14:20

Tel12 · 09/11/2024 14:17

You've got older, it's life. You've got everything and want to throw it away for a crush. Madness.Your family don't deserve the misery you will inflict on them.

This! Don't be an absolute idiot and do something you will regret.

Plastictrees · 09/11/2024 14:23

Cavello · 09/11/2024 14:20

This! Don't be an absolute idiot and do something you will regret.

How selfish. She just loves her husband as a friend, she knew this on her wedding day. She needs to set him free to find reciprocal love with someone else.

Spagettifunctional · 09/11/2024 14:25

You would be absolutely crazy to give him up!!
I have a good husband but yours sounds totally wow ! You are so lucky that’s he’s so nice to you

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/11/2024 14:27

If you've never loved him as he deserves to be loved, leave. Give him the chance to find someone who does.

If you're rewriting history because you've had your head turned, get some counselling and work through what's happening.

spoonfulofsugar1 · 09/11/2024 14:27

No dont leave. You're not leaving for your husband's benefit, you've had your head turned by someone else.
Your husband is a different person because he's older, he's a father, he has responsibilities that he presumably didn't have when you met. You haven't sucked the life out of him, he grew up.
You would destroy your family life for a guy you fancy. This is madness.

There are single women and women in shit relationships who would kill for a man you are describing, I'm not saying that's why you should stay, but you will only see how valuable he is, and all the great qualities he has, when you've left but by then it would be too late.

Ticktockticktockclock · 09/11/2024 14:27

You haven’t drained the life from him. This is just what happens when adults have to prioritise parenting. How many women on here have kept up that level of hobbies. Have you? (That doesn’t make it ok, just saying it happens to most of us.)
Seems like you are using that as justification. Like leaving for his sake.
Leave if that’s what you need to do. You are allowed to.

NewGreenDuck · 09/11/2024 14:29

So, you have found someone else? I think really that's what has happened. He's probably more exciting or something.
If this was a man writing all of this what would you think?

CitizenZ · 09/11/2024 14:30

I can imagine if you leave, somewhere along the line you will regret it and wonder why you threw away such a lovely life.

ShrubRose · 09/11/2024 14:30

You are planning on leaving what most people would regard as a wonderful marriage (friendship is an important part of marriage) and an ideal life for someone you barely know. It's your choice, but I personally think it's complete and utter madness and you may well come to regret it.

FriendOrNo · 09/11/2024 14:30

Why can't you be grateful for what you have? Honestly I don't understand people at all.

Butthistimesticktoit · 09/11/2024 14:32

It’s the script, surely? Isn’t that what people are always saying? ‘I never REALLY loved you, not like that.’

MarkingBad · 09/11/2024 14:34

7 year itch? When things become humdrum and a bit samey.

Do you really want to implode the world of you, your DH, and DC jst because of some bored partner crush?

A stable home with a loving father is surely better for family than an unknown passion for someone

Spagettifunctional · 09/11/2024 14:35

Can you imagine taking on step kids (if he has) or missing every other Christmas Day or all the other things you are not thinking straight about ?