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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:
wubblybubbly · 30/06/2010 13:19

Dis, I do think I understand your confusion over the affair.

I was in a similar, but not as extreme, position to you at about your age. I think I somehow managed to justify the controlling behaviour, the violence, the cruelty because he justified it by telling me it was because he loved me. Because he was scared of losing me. Because he felt so inadequate and not good enough for me. I allowed him to convince me that his behaviour towards me was because of love. It was a way of making sense of why I stayed.

When he cheated on me, I was stunned. I couldn't understand how a man who loved me so much he was 'forced' to behave in such an extreme manner could risk our relationship by cheating on me. Of course, I came to realise that it wasn't about love at all. It never is I suppose, but we tell ourselves all sorts of things to try to understand why we stay.

It's a long time ago for me now. I didn't have half of what you've got invested in this relationship and it was really hard to leave, so the fact that you've come this far is amazing and a real testament to your strength and determination to build a better future for yourself and your lovely DS.

I'm so bloody proud of you, honestly, I think what you've done is amazing. Please stay strong and surround yourself with all the support you can. It helped me to have alternatives whenever I was tempted to take him back.

Good luck.

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/06/2010 13:30

Marantha - PLEASE STOP POSTING! You say you're going offer an apology, that you understand why OP is like it now....

Then you keep banging on about the affair! Same old stuff that you've been coming out with over the last couple of days....

So many posters have been on here saying that they felt the same in a similar position, that it was the affair that really brought home how many lies they'd been fed.

It's like you've got permanent foot-in-mouth syndrome.....

Mouseface · 30/06/2010 13:34
marantha · 30/06/2010 13:48

cluelessnChaos Yes, it's good that SOMETHING has physically made OP leave guy.
All I'm saying is that is that enough. Y'know, to just leave? Isn't there a risk of her going BACK to him unless she thinks, "Right, what hold has this man got over me?"
It's all very good (excellent, in fact) rescuing her, but unless a person analyses their actions, they're destined to repeat them.

VinnyTheTit · 30/06/2010 13:50

great post wobbly

MrsRhettButler · 30/06/2010 13:50

ooooh mn at its best! UA can i come too? i have wine

dis i hope you will take at least some of the help that is being offered to you and don't feel that you don't deserve it, because you DO and so does your ds.
and anyway mn loves to help people, its what we do best, i wish i could offer you some help but no baby stuff and a tiny house! but if you are ever in bristol i will take you for a coffee xx

marantha · 30/06/2010 13:51

mouseface, if you've got something to say, just say it and stop hiding behind Ineedmorechocolatenow. Please, it's cowardly.

AnyFucker · 30/06/2010 13:52

OK, guys

Let what Marantha said stand as it is.

It is an apology. She could have skulked off and let the nastiness remain (even if the bulk was removed...we knew it was there)

OP has already said she understands that people are judging her as to why she allowed the abuse but appeared fixated on adultery/her precarious financial situation.

Let Marantha apologise and then we can all carry on doing what we do best....supporting the OP.

AnyFucker · 30/06/2010 13:54

Marantha...it really would be best if you left this thread alone now.

You don't have to respond to every post...I am sure you understand your comments have pressed some hurtful buttons, hence your apology. Leave it now.

VinnyTheTit · 30/06/2010 13:57

i meant wubbly of course, i am sure you are not wobbly

wubblybubbly · 30/06/2010 14:00

vinny, just in all the right places!

Mouseface · 30/06/2010 14:09

Yesterday, I agreed that engaging with Marantha and getting wund up by her posts was not helping the OP.

My views on that still stand.

Therefore, I am not responding directly but applaud the comments made by others and agree with them either in whole or in part.

However, I also think that fact that Marantha has apologised is a positive move on her part.

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/06/2010 14:09

This article is interesting. Someone's just posted it in another thread and I thought it was quite apt in this situation.

Does it ring any bells for any of you who've been in a similar situation to OP?

Mouseface · 30/06/2010 14:11

'wound'

Mouseface · 30/06/2010 14:15

Ineedmorechocolatenow

Couldn't get it to load? Is it me or can others not either?

Will keep trying, after I come out from hiding behind you

Mouseface · 30/06/2010 14:17

Ineed

It's loaded now. Must have been the arc of a laptop I have.

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/06/2010 14:18

www.drjoecarver.com/clients/49355/File/IdentifyingLosers.html

Here's the address, you can cut and paste it into your browser if the link's not working Mouseface

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/06/2010 14:18

x-post

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/06/2010 14:20

It's the bit on 'psychotic losers' that's most interesting....

piratecat · 30/06/2010 14:20

sorry, i am pissed right off today for other reasons and seeing that marantha, you don't consider this RL anyway, so it shouldn't hother you, could you point me in the direction of the bit where you apologised.

cos all I'm reading interwebly is more of the same.

no offence, and of course i'm not judging you.

piratecat · 30/06/2010 14:20

bother, it's bother.

Ineedmorechocolatenow · 30/06/2010 14:21

Oh and the 'Guidelines for Detachment......'

chattymitchie · 30/06/2010 14:26

Has anyone heard anything recently from Dis? It's really, really hard not to contact someone who is messing with your head - no contact is the best way forward, but it's very hard to do. Much easier to look back after you've escaped something like this and see that what an XP says is all a load of shit, but far, far more difficult to distance yourself when you're still mixed up in it and they have you dangling like a puppet.

Dis - really hope you're doing ok, you've made a great first step - I found that admitting to yourself, and other people that it's not right is the most difficult bit.

but just think, when you have nothing, possibilities are infinite. You can do or achieve whatever you want now.

marantha · 30/06/2010 14:28

Anyfucker What upset me is the assumption by some posters here that I have never experienced pain at the hands of an abusive partner- I have. NOT anywhere near on the same scale as OP, I must say.
But, yeah, I had an ex telling me black was white and making me doubt my sanity.
No actual physical abuse, but sometimes mental abuse can be bad enough.
And, yes, I was way out of order because I could not see that OP's head is all over the place yesterday,
but why is it right that I receive abuse here (posters telling me to "f* off" -some of whom claim to have been in bad relationships themselves and know how hurtful such comments can be) for pointing out to OP my honest belief that -compared to everything else her partner has done- adultery is neither here nor there?

My ex had a hold over me, he knew my weak spots. Perhaps, JUST perhaps, OP's weak spot is the need to be loved by this guy (owing to awful background) and whereas most mentally healthy people would have run a mile at OTHER stuff he did, she didn't cos need for love is so strong.

Sorry if this makes me "dense".

Mouseface · 30/06/2010 14:31

ineed

I need time to read this. It's making my blood run cold.

It could have been written about my ex and what he did to me.

It's frighteningly accurate.

Thank you, I'll save it and print it out. I think this may help me too.