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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

P cheating, please could somebody help, I don't know what to do (long, sorry!)

870 replies

dismantlethesun · 28/06/2010 07:27

Argh

Background- I was OW briefly. DP told me he and wifey had been separated for 7 years, they had not

We moved in together after 6 months, it became a fiery relationship because he hacked into my emails and read that I had said he was controlling

He banned all friends. He banned relatives. He banned staying 5 mins late at work. Banned certain clothes and shoes. Stopped me progressing in my career.

Began to falsely accuse me of things. Always false. Began to be very violent.

Reverted to old drinking habits. Drinks A LOT.

I got pregnant (one year in) and he got even more violent.

I suspected him of an affair because I found a message on his phone but he denied it then beat me up badly.

I really loved him. He was so good at controlling me, being ver 30 years my senior.

Had DD, he was awful. I told him I was leaving and he said if I left he would lie to social services and say I was a bad mother. I said, but I'm not I'm a great mother, he said 'I have police connections/etc etc they won't believe you'

So I stayed. During that year he nearly killed me with a wine bottle and with other acts of violence. He grabbed DD once when she was crying but I jumped in and fought him off her. He punched me hard in the head and strangled me while I was holding her. When DD was almost 1 she became acutely unwell and was admitted to hospital. She was there for 3 months and then she died.

He was never in the hospital, he was in the pub on his laptop, or somewhere else. He would tell me he was fcking a barmaid, then say he only said it to wind me up, he told me he was fcking a colleague, then said he only said it to wind me up. He would not let me stay in the hospital with DD overnight, because he said if I did he would leave and not pay rent so I'd be homeless (I was on extended maternity leave) and I got scared and thought DD wouldn't be able to be discharged if he did that as we'd have no home to go to. So I stayed.

She died, he turned up briefly to shed a false tear. I got pregnant immediately- I reget this now, but it was a one-off and I was extremely upset.

I went back to work, he became violent again, kicking me in the stomach hard. I bit him (one time) in self defence to get his arms off me as he was holding me down to kick me. The police were called and they let him go because he has 'connections' and he reported my act of defence. The only time I've ever fought back.

Baby was born. Blabla. He's now been made redundant. WE have no s*x life at all because he is so much older and is diabetic so it's pretty useless. But he has always said 'it works fine when I want it to' My grandma died, my best friend died the other week, and DP has destroyed all my other friendships except for a few in Canada.

I have just found a memory stick with his emails on it from work. I looked at it because he indicated he was emailing his wifelet (he wasn't) and he had hidden the stick. I read lots of it, including his sent emails which mentioned a new secret account. I logged in (same password for everything) and he has been having an affair since before DD was born.

WHat do I do?? I am scared. I am in rented accomodation that is more than my full time salary. DC2 is 5mths old. I have no income other than statutory maternity pay. I have no family now really and all my friends gave up 4 years ago. I am 24. I have ruined my career by having babies and being so unprofessional. Hell, I don't even know if I want to be in my career. I want to go back to uni. Or leave the country. Or right now I jjust want to curl up and die, quite frankly.

I honestly do not know how to handle this- he is still married to the ex as well, so I'm not entitled to anything if we split. I have a low income even when working full time. No childcare.

Thanks anyone, he's going to wake up in a minute and I'm going to have to pretend I don't know I really believed him when he said I was his soul mate etc. He said he loved me. I hoped he would change. I am mortified that I have been so stupid and didn't leave when DD was small.

OP posts:
marantha · 29/06/2010 10:33

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DeFluffy · 29/06/2010 10:34

Clueless - exactly, fantastic post.

Mouseface · 29/06/2010 10:38

Cluelessnchaos - brilliant post. It would appear that alot of the posters on this thread, myself included, have been in Dismantle's shoes on one level or another.

One positive I can see straight away is that we all left, we all survived and rebuilt ourselves into the people we are today.

Not easy, no way but it's do-able. You can survive without the person who tries and sometimes succeeds in destroying you.

You can make it.

I hope that you do Dismantle.

xx

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 29/06/2010 10:38

marantha - how can you accuse her of being 'coldly calculating'? You seem to have picked out one snippet of her posts about worrying about herself financially, when she's only on SMP and having to worry about rent.

Have you read the posts from others who have been in a similar position who have said that this is just how they used to think when they were in their situation?

It must be lovely to know with such surety how you'd react in any situation

cluelessnchaos · 29/06/2010 10:39

Yes I have read every word and I have read the detached way in which the op speaks, exactly like I did in the same situation, you dont need to apologise I am not asking you to, just to have a bit of empathy for someone who is struggling atm, can you imagine how confusing the last couple of days have been for op, and this thread has been her way of getting the crap that is in her head out, I have also read that the op has gotten out of the house and am really happy that she has taken that step, op I would urge you not to have any contact with xp, worst case he will hurt you badly, best case he will manipulate you into feeling sorry for him and take him back, please have no contact with him at all, good luck.

marantha · 29/06/2010 10:43

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OneTwoBuckleMyShoe · 29/06/2010 10:45

Dismantled I hope you are safe and ringing WA this morning, if you go back to the flat then I dread the headlines in your area

ladylush · 29/06/2010 10:48

I disagree Marantha. I haven't been in her shoes but I do understand where she's coming from. If you'd been in a situation like hers where you'd been emotionally and physically abused for years (by parent, then partner)how exactly would you be capable of rational thought? What would your reference point be? She's been kidding herself for years - that's not going to disintegrate over night. It needs to be broken down gradually. I think that process has started and imo we need to encourage that. What you are doing is not helping.

ladylush · 29/06/2010 10:49

Oh and the cash thing is imho just a red herring - a reason to put off what she needs to do.

Mouseface · 29/06/2010 10:51

marantha - sorry but Clueless is right. You don't think of the 'normal' stuff. You don't really think at all. You don't see the reality of your situation.

I stayed because I had nothing, I mean nothing of my own. My clothes were bought by him, make-up, he even bought my tampons FFS so I didn't have to go out of the house!!!

It doesn't work like that, you don't compute, you just exist in a world 'he' has created for you.

The OP is thinking aloud when she posts. Of course it doesn't make sense to you. Why would it.

Maybe you should steer clear of this thread if you have nothing constructive to say.

GypsyMoth · 29/06/2010 10:53

marantha....you havent much of a clue here have you???

having been through this myself,i recognise alot of things. you have to dis-engage,bit by bit,til nothing else matters.....i used to look around my home thinking,' i could live without that/easily get another' . this was all about leaving behind what i'd spent years building up....a home. op has had little time to plan in her head yet. but she is doing....slowly....i really just want to tell her that 5 years on i have replaced everything i loved from my previous life (except i havent been able to find an avon lady)!! its all back as it was....minus the fool of course,him!

newnamethistime · 29/06/2010 11:04

Marantha - I wish you would stop. You really don't have a clue. You have no experience of this and are not helping.

tabouleh · 29/06/2010 11:11

dismantle - hope you are ok - please ignore marantha - she is just one voice on this thread who is not 100% sympathetic/behind you

marantha that's great that you are going to leave this thread - if you want to start an AIBU to not understand why people find it hard to leave abusive relationships - then do so - that will be an appropriate place for people to explain to you.

marantha · 29/06/2010 11:12

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CantThinkofFunnyName · 29/06/2010 11:13

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Ineedmorechocolatenow · 29/06/2010 11:15

You think she's 'staying with him for a bit of cash?'

You are barking

DarrellRivers · 29/06/2010 11:15

Have reported your post can'tthinkifafunny name
Stop the personal attacks

jesuswhatnext · 29/06/2010 11:17

PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

STOP BICKERING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS IS NOT!!!!!!!!! HELPING THE OP.

DeFluffy · 29/06/2010 11:17

this is not helping the op. Marantha is entitled to her point of view without being told to fuck off. Can a line justs be drawn now please.

Dismantle - hope you are ok, let us know when you can and remember there's n awful lot of practical help here at mn waiting for you.

cluelessnchaos · 29/06/2010 11:18

marantha really not doing yourself any favours, I honestly wasnt trying to have a go at you, just wanted to let you know what it feels like in an abusive reationship, I wish I was in a position that I didnt understand, none of us want to put our kids in danger but you luckily cant understand what its like until you live there, when my ex punched me so hard that I smashed my head on the door frame I left my dd1 with him while I went and got staples in my head, the hospital staff were shocked that I had left her with him, but my judgement was so poor and I could only see how poor once I had left and rejoined the rest of the world.

Mouseface · 29/06/2010 11:19

Can't - Pleaase don't get angry.

You are helping. Keep doing so.

CantThinkofFunnyName · 29/06/2010 11:19

To others, sorry I have been absent from here this morning. I have tried to call OP several times but phone was switched off and now just rings. I haven't left a message. If she has the phone with her, she will know it's me.

I have also spoken to a friend this morning who is a local police officer and has been a sufferer of domestic violence of both the physical and mental nature.

I received some very useful tips about how to handle the situation if OP calls me and asks for help, who to call etc. I also stressed that the P has police connections, ex army, security knowledge and lawyer. She was not at all surprised and said that is often the way and they are the worst and the most dangerous kind. You cannot underestimate the power that someone like this can hold over another human being and it takes a lot of time and counselling to build yourself up again afterwards.

However, it is absolutely clear that no-one can go to OPs aid, including WA. She has to make the physical move herself and then we can help her to help herself.

mamsnet · 29/06/2010 11:22

oh God..

HoopsAndBaby · 29/06/2010 11:22

I have been following this thread, and am incredibly scared for OP, I absolutley cannot imagine living the life she does, I have shed a few tears for her and would like to help in any way I could, if she needs baby clothes then I have lots of boy clothes.

It makes me so angry that some blokes think that they can treat women this way.......

I hope the you are safe OP and wish you all the luck in the world xxx

tabouleh · 29/06/2010 11:25

welldone can't - not sure what else you can do?

if we could track OP down to a location then what could we do - could our fears be reported to the police?