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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:
tortoiseonthehalfshell · 30/06/2010 04:13

And hey, don't apologise to us, please, you owe us nothing. That quip about us wanting to beat you up made my blood run cold. I suppose everyone who's ever supposed to have loved you has done that, right?

dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 04:14

x-posts

DS is a darling, so contented. I am glad he is here, I wish DD was as well, but at least something good has come out of this hellish time. So I guess it's not a waste of time, DS is a good thing.

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 04:15

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dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 04:19

Yes that's a bit 'Jung'ian isn't it

He is very similar to my mother in lots of ways. My mother has not hit me since I was very small, but in the emotional abuse ways they are the same. I have a very nice aunt, and um.. er.. that's about it I guess. My grandma was lovely- she was desperate for me to leave him but I didn't know about this affair so I didn't. Rest of my family have disowned me for not naming DS after my (late)father, they are that petty and nasty!

OP posts:
tortoiseonthehalfshell · 30/06/2010 04:26

Might be worth (when you have more time and energy, not now!) checking out the Stately Homes threads in Relationships, if you haven't already. Lots of very fantastic posters and conversation about abusive families.

Glad to hear that your lovely son is happy. Five months is a wonderfully adaptable age in that regard. Another reason to do this now and not later.

dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 04:30

OK- to bed, DS sleeps through but wakes up very early!

I guess I feel bad for being so hesitant and so stupid. I know people will be angry with me.I just didn't want things to turn out like this- so I don't want them to be real (issues!) and I can't I just can't get over his infedility. It's nicer to think he really didn't have sex with her,but I know from the emails that they did I guess this means he really doesn't love me. And never has. How could you do this to someone you love, right?

I feel bad leaving him when he hsa lost his job- he wants my help for all these applications and letters and forms

and without this sapping my energy I am left with the reality that is a messed up non existence alone, with DS who doesn't deserve such a useless mother, a financial disaster and a dead daughter. I can't believe she has gone. She was my best friend. He wouldn't even pay for her grave

am really going to bed now, am ranting, thank you again

OP posts:
dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 04:35

sorry, I can usually spell properly

my stepfather was bad for a while, banging my head on the wall hard, trying to strangle me once, accusing me of taking drugs when they foud a 'smint' sweet on the floor.But basically I haven't lived with my mother since I was 11 or 12, so it became less of an issue.

I'm also scared that P knows so much about my past he will tell everyone- he has threatened to tell everyone everything- my family, my employer, even the press. I am concerned that he will in revenge. (nothing bad but he will exaggerate)

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 04:36

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 04:38

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dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 04:39

x

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savoycabbage · 30/06/2010 04:51

Please don't feel you have to apologise all of the time. We are all here for you and we want to help. None of this is your fault and you are being so strong with everything that you have done so far. If I was you I would take some of the help that has been offered to you. That is a part of MN, a really wonderful part. There are people on here who would be happy to help you. I feel like coming from Australia to help you

He is trying so hard to reel you back in with his good cop bad cop routine. Please don't let him. You must do what is best for you and your baby. You will get over this and move on.

Newbeginning1 · 30/06/2010 04:52

dis - i hope i've not missed you. It's taken forever for me to log on. I really hope that you are safe and that you don't go back to P. I know it will take a lot of courage and strength but you have it in you. I've left my mobile number on the other thread so get in touch so we can plan our escape to that meditteranean island My passport is in my bag

Love to you and J xx

cluelessnchaos · 30/06/2010 05:55

Nice to hear you posting op, what you are feeling us entirely natural you have built your life around his lies and control over many years, you have built a codependant relationship based on the one you had with your mum, I knew he would be switching the charm on not because he loves you but because you have taken the power from him and he wants it back, in simple terms he has low self esteem and thinks anyone with him is worthless, that he needs to force them to stay and if they do then they are worthless and subject to his abuse, when you stand up to him it makes him think that you are not quite worthless and it makes him want you back to boost his own ego, as soon as you take him back you are just dirt on the sole of his shoe and the violence, infidelity and control will escalate.

I think it's great you have spoken to rl people and to a certain extent it doesn't matter if they are crap or not, you took that step and took back a little more power. I know it seems like it would be easier to just go back and pretend nothing had happened, I know you are tired and want to switch off your brain and not have to stay in a strange place but there are so many amazing friendships and relationships waiting for you, do you want this man as grandfather to your grandkids, you have survived so much already and will survive this, the bad stuff can be all behind you. I know you don't want help and you want to do things on your own but you are doing the really important stuff we can't put one foot in front of the other for you, only you can do that, anything else is just stuff, whatever help you take now you will be able to give back ten fold in the future.

dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 05:56

Gah, still not asleep! Newbeginning that is looking like a very good plan right now!!

I have been shamelessly trying to hack into his facebook account. He has two- and turns out she has one with a false name (I searched her email). I've never been allowed on facebook by him, he has hit me so many times because there are people with the same name and he accuses me

No success, probably not worth my effort, I guess. But I know there will be something more there which may stop me dithering like this

I also know where his laptop is- do I get it and hand it to the police, in case there's stuff still on there?

I don't care now if he has a CRB problem, do I? He'd make false allegations against me though if I did this.

He's often said how he can legally kill me and never be done for murder (this is his specialist subject, he wrote a textbook on it) oh

sorry I'm just sort of venting- don't read it, just thinking aloud

OP posts:
instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 06:00

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dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 06:00

oh clueless thank you. That bothers me, that you are all being so nice to me. I'm not used to it, that's why I can't say yes please help- I'm just not really used to niceness

I hated my mother and she ruined many years of my life, why would I choose a partner like her? I thought maybe it was the older man-father figure thing on some weird level but not this twisted

woah I need therapy, I thought I was sane

OP posts:
dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 06:03

also when he has been known to hit me he shouts out 'ouch stop attacking me' as loud as he can. Perhaps hoping for a neighbour to hear him. I don't ever ever touch him. I run upstairs. I try and stop him getting in the bedroom door. I think he is trying to get me into trouble when he is the abuser.

He is desperate for me to go back and type his job applications and tribunal documents

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 06:03

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 06:05

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dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 06:07

It's all clicking into place now, slowly, each incident in the past (in relation to this affair) that I thought was very odd- well, it was and now I know why. Each absence. Each spell of serious abuse. There was another girl too, she left a message on his phone once and then I heard it and he beat me up so badly when I was pregnant with DD/ I aske dhim why he had done this and he said 'I didn't want you to hear it and get hurt' but then afterwards said it was nothing.

when I think of his violence I don't really care, it is normal now, but to think of him as unfaithful really hurts me so much

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dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 06:09

not flippant at all, hey this is cheap therapy- don't the private psychiatrists charge 300GBP an hour?!

IOU

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 06:10

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tortoiseonthehalfshell · 30/06/2010 06:10

"He is desperate for me to go back"

Dismantle, are you still talking to him?

dismantlethesun · 30/06/2010 06:12

NOt now but I spoke to him late last night.

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instructionstothedouble · 30/06/2010 06:12

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