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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

H wants a divorce. Struggling to cope. AIBU to be considering moving the dc's back home - but away from H?

110 replies

tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 13:40

Sorry this is a long story, have tried to keep it as short as possible -

H has decided he doesn't love me any more, our home life is "mundane," I spend all his money(!) and that he thinks he wants to divorce me, as we "don't make each other happy" although hasn't decided for certain. It's got slowly worse since dc2 arrived, almost 2 years ago. To complicate things, dc1 has mild SN which H has always been in denial over, and has never shared the worry, or work to help dc progress. He has belittled my anxiety over him, to the extent that I've tried to bury it and deal with it alone.

We currently live near H's parents in a remote area and moved here when dc1 was little. H then relocated with his job back to where we used to live (he led me to believe that a company sale would result in a payout for us which would clear our mortgage and enable him to work part time on a permanent basis within a couple of years). He now works away 4 nights a week, has a very senior position with lots of corporate perks and also has interest in a business near our home, which has prevented us all from moving, as he totally refuses to sell this. I know it sounds crazy but I've supported him because I believed he had our best interests at heart, and that hard work now would lead to a better life for us all in the long run.

He's tried to juggle all this for two years while I've slowly gone under trying to manage the children alone. In 2008 he took only 10 days of leave (including bank holidays and full weekend days) all year. My family are a very long way away, and have been very worried but too far to do much to help in a practical way. My IL's have never once offered to have the dc's for me and MIL once told me when I was upset about dc1's health issues that I needed to get on with it, it was "all part of having children."

To make everything worse, it emerged last month that H had been having an affair where he now works. I would never have found out if the OW's H hadn't been on to it (it's all happening hundreds of miles from here) and I'm certain H now has a plan to be with the OW once we've separated. She's now left her H. H's family believe his denials of the affair and (other than a couple of siblings) are starting to close ranks against me, despite our previously good relationship.

H now wants me to move to live near him where his main job is, he says he wants to be hands on and supportive with the dc's (he has never been so far while living with them). I want what's best for the dc's, but can't help thinking that I will struggle in an area where I have no support (other than him), where I'm still hours from family and close friends, and if he then gets together with OW, it will be unbearable to try and stay friends. What I want to do is move near my family, to have support with dc's condition, to make contact with old friends and to be somewhere familiar while I get back on my feet, but this would make it hard for H to see them regularly unless he really makes the effort.

Am I being unreasonable? Should keeping the dc's near their father be the main goal, even though I'd be miserable? Please give me your honest thoughts.

OP posts:
cyteen · 06/08/2009 13:43

Go to where your friends and family are. You need support and, frankly, kindness. Since he's making all these decisions about your future, he can be proactive enough to organise seeing his children.

tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 13:45

Thankyou, I feel I've spent so long being bullied into things, I no longer trust my own judgement. I feel so let down by him, I don't think I could imagine a situation where he helps me, it's so alien to how things have been over the past few years.

OP posts:
myredcardigan · 06/08/2009 13:46

Honestly? I think you should, without doubt, move close to your family.

Unless there is a chance your marriage can work then move to where you will get most support. Bringing up 2kids will be hard esp with the extra support your DC1 may need.

Oh and how dare he say he may or may not want to leave but he wants to to move close just in case he decides not to continue shagging around.

geordieminx · 06/08/2009 13:50

RUN RUN LIKE THE WIND BACK TO YOUR FAMILY. DO IT NOW.

YOUR FUCKWIT HUSBAND HAS LET YOU STRUGGLE FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS, NOT WANTING TO MOVE, BUT NOW, HE AS HE HAS A FUCK BUDDY HE IS WANTS YOU TO MOVE SO HE HAS YOU BOTH WITHIN REACH???

TALK ABOUT HAVING YOUR CAKE AND EATING IT...

Right have calmed a little.

You owe this fucker nothing - he has serious ulterior motives. Why should you move to be close to him and his tart when has done nothing to support you in the past 2 years???

You need your family, and a solicitor.

PurpleOne · 06/08/2009 13:51

YANBU

It's all about him and what he wants!

What do YOU want?

Your family will always be there for you - move closer to them. Sounds like you need the support.
Good Luck

beanieb · 06/08/2009 13:54

Go back to your family until he decides what he wants. Hopefully with the separation it will take you out of what is obviously a depressing envirnoment and help you to work out what you want.

BonsoirAnna · 06/08/2009 13:58

In your position, I would move back near to family and friends. You will be much happier! Keeping DC's near their other parent is a good goal, but it shouldn't be an absolute priority if it means that life in all other ways is impossibly difficult.

tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 13:59

Thanks again, I wondered if people would think I was being selfish. I cannot believe how he's managed to so totally disengage from any responsibility for his family. He cannot see that leaving his dc's at 3 and 1 will have any negative effects. He's not interested in how hurt I feel, he says "relationships evolve" and I just need to accept it. He wants to be amicable about it all and implies I'm being unreasonable for not wanting to be friends in future.

He's been so horrible, I'm ashamed to tell people what I've put up with. I remember coming back from a run once and saying to him "guess how far I've been" and him just simply replying "I don't care." That was so typical of his disinterest in me. It's just starting to come out now, and it's such a relief to know that what I've been going through isn't normal or right. He really has neglected us, to the extent that some weeks he's barely phoned home while he's been away at work. I used to have to beg him to phone, as if there were some emergency nobody would know.

The irony is, that I thought he was such a workaholic he'd never have time to play around. I'm starting to wonder if what I know is the tip of the iceberg. It makes me feel utterly sick as he presents such a lovely front to the people who's opinion he's bothered about.

OP posts:
posieparkerinChina · 06/08/2009 14:03

I'm so sorry, get out quick and be with people who care about you. Take care of yourself and the dcs and have a good look at your finances, photocopy everything like statements. I have a feeling a man like this will leave you high and dry. Make sure you are protected financially. Is everything in both names?

posieparkerinChina · 06/08/2009 14:04

Get good advice from a solicitor now.

myredcardigan · 06/08/2009 14:06

Oh he sounds like a tosser. Don't just leave him. Get a solicitor. Please! Make sure you get every penny you are entitled to. Selfish bastard.

mrsboogie · 06/08/2009 14:06

Move back to your family. Make your plans, find a house, do it all and do it now without even telling him what you are doing. Do not allow yorself to be bullied into fitting in with his plans and those of his bit on the side. Move whatever money you can into into an account of your own.

Yo have two choices - start your life again in an area you know and where you will have support, away from this useless husband and father.

or move to where he and his ladyfriend are just so that he doesn't have the bother of travelling to see his kids (that's all it is) she has probably told him how convenient it woud be for them both if he didn't have to spend every second weekend on the motorway). Be lonely and unsupported and watch him reap the benefits of all of your hard work with someone else.

If he has never been hands on or supportive before he won't start now. These plans are being made with two things in mind 1)his convenince and 2) his future with her.

Do not accomodate them. Do what is best for you and your kids. Do it now.

If

myredcardigan · 06/08/2009 14:07

Tip! If you pay for a solicitor, don't use your debit card as you may not want it to show on your statement just yet.

3littlefrogs · 06/08/2009 14:10

YOU should start divorce proceedings. Name the OW. Don't let this manipulative man bully you any more. His family clearly don't care about you or your children. He is trying to further isolate you from all sources of support.

Move near to your own family and start afresh.

tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 14:12

I think most things are in both names, but he is incredibly financially savvy so there could be assets I'm not aware of. I know his earnings though, and they're very high, so hopefully we can come out of it with that side of things sorted, if nothing else. I also know his parents would be down on him like a ton of bricks if he didn't fulfil that side of things, no matter how they feel in other ways.
Just booking a solicitor's appointment. Feel sick. Why is he doing this? I think he must have something wrong with his morals to think this is right.

OP posts:
mrsboogie · 06/08/2009 14:20

he is legally obliged to declare all of his assets in a divorce

why's he doing it? because he can. Because he thinks he can have his cake and eat it.

Hopefully since they are two cheating liars getting together there is double the chance that this new relationship will end up with one of them f*cking the other one over.

tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 14:21

He has actually suggested that I could file on grounds of his "unreasonable behaviour", that doesn't seem to bother him in the slightest. I'm starting to realise he is slightly unhinged. TBH his total detachment and extremely selfish perspective makes me wonder if there are some fundamental issues going on, which would fit in with how dc1 is presenting in terms of having social interaction difficulties. H has always been selfish, and disinterested in the perspective of others but having the dc's seems to have tipped him over the edge, he just didn't see why his life should change, and did everything possible to make sure it didn't.

Unfortunately I've been naive enough to try and protect him from the workload of the dc's for ages, as I didn't think I could cope alone if he left. Now I can't see that it would be any different.

OP posts:
TheOldestCat · 06/08/2009 14:22

I have no useful advice to share, but I'm sorry this is happening to you. As I say, no relevant experience, but my gut feeling from your posts is that moving to be nearer your family would help a lot and you would have the support you deserve and have obviously been lacking from H.

Best of luck to you.

posieparkerinChina · 06/08/2009 14:25

Do you know anyone who is good with accounts or digging into people's accounts? I would ask them to take a look at his. Syphon a little cash now just in case things gets messy.

mrsboogie · 06/08/2009 14:26

so, really, if you think about it, you won't be much worse off without him?

also this gives you the chance to meet a decent man some day.

He is probably suggesting unreasonable behaviour because they don't want you citing adultery.

Get away form him and then make your own decisions. Don't hand him all the power.

tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 14:29

OW has cheated on her XH before, H knew and couldn't see a problem given that it was just a holiday fling. Alarm bells should have rung for me loud and clear then.

And according to OW's H, my H was cheating on me with another woman last year - apparently OW had told him all about it! H totally denies this and is claiming OW's H is fabricating it, but it fits right in with some odd behaviour here. I found a condom in the washing machine one day (he blamed the dc's for taking it from his drawer and carting it downstairs, I was always at that explanation but couldn't think how else it got there as I couldn't believe he was cheating)he also started to get very attached to his mobile, made any excuse to leave the house in the evening (and probably call her) - he'd develop a craving for a Pepsi, and have to go to the supermarket for it, for example. I've been so blind. I really trusted him.

OP posts:
tiredoftherain · 06/08/2009 14:36

posie, I had the opportunity to syphon cash a while ago, I really wish I'd taken it. Fortunately, my family are in a position where they've been able to set up trust funds for the dc's, so long term I know they'll be looked after by my side. I earned well a few years ago, but am 4 years out of work, so don't expect to go back in on the same salary. Hopefully I can support myself if I need to though.

Mrsboogie, I wondered if you had to prove anything to cite adultery? I have a couple of texts admitting she stayed in his hotel room, but no more evidence and he denies any physical contact!

I know you're right about the future, although I can't imagine meeting anyone else at the moment. I don't trust my instincts right now, I think if anyone is remotely nice to me I'll find it difficult to understand. How crap is that? He's totally undermined my confidence to the point that I feel nobody else would ever want me. Yet I know I had my share of attention when I was working, and that friends all tell me I will meet someone else.

OP posts:
mrsboogie · 06/08/2009 14:38

I think you are well rid of him.

I'm sorry, I know it hurts and is horrible and you have a load of sh*t to get through before you come out the other side but I really think that one day in the not too distant future you will look back and be glad to have got rid of him.

mrsboogie · 06/08/2009 14:49

I don't know I'm afraid. I know someone who is divorcing his exW on grounds of unreasonabe behaviour and adultery is one of those grounds I think. Don't think he had to supply much proof if any. I think that the other person would have to contest it if they object to the grounds. I have never even been married so am not best placed but someone will know.

You should try to get away from him and get sorted out before you make these decisions as he will be less able to pressurise you or bully you then.

lizziemun · 06/08/2009 15:44

I would reply when 'he says "relationships evolve" and I just need to accept it.'yes i do but you have to also accept how much you have hurt both me and our DC. repeat as necessary untilhe understands.

As well as seeing a solicitor i think you also need to go to GUM clinic/doctor to be checkout just incase heb has passed on a STD.