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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

In shock, just another one

636 replies

fairygodmotherto3 · 08/07/2010 14:38

I've changed my name for this, please don't shout troll at me, I feel too stunned about this myself. Someone dropped a letter through the door at lunchtime, no idea who, from my dh. Says he's not coming home, he's leaving me because I'VE been having an affair! It said he'd suspected for a while but couldn't take any more. I haven't, no secret meetings, no even mildly interesting texts, no idea when I'd have time to anyway. Tried phoning him, no answer and daren't phone his work, I don't know what to do. I thought we were ok, probably not the perfect marriage but ticking along alright. Got to pick up dd's soon, what do I tell them? Feel so sick and dizzy.

OP posts:
fairygodmotherto3 · 09/07/2010 20:04

Thank you all again for all the support, honestly don't know what I'd do without somewhere to talk that doesn't come with pitying looks. Don't know what else to say, my brain feels full of mush.

OP posts:
MrsMiamla · 09/07/2010 20:33

FG wow! you're an incredibly strong woman, just take every day/hour/minute as it comes

chattymitchie · 09/07/2010 21:30

Hi fairy

been following your thread and am just so on your behalf - your DH sounds like a total arsehole.

When he talks to you he will try to distort reality because he wants to dodge responsibility for what he's done and will try to make it your fault - and sometimes it's VERY difficult to remain focused on the truth when someone is twisting things.

I would suggest that if you are going to talk to him over the weekend, write down a short list of all the things that you know to be true which make it NOT your fault that he has left. i.e.

  1. YOU have chosen to break up this family and harm your beautiful children.
2.YOU have accused me of having an affair yet you never mentioned it whilst we were together, you have obviously found no evidence, yet you have used it as an excuse for leaving.
  1. No matter what I've done, I have never disrespected someone so much, or been such a coward, to end a marriage with a note delivered by someone else.

It may help you to see the wood for the trees when he really starts to lay on the blame and the guilt.

Just keep repeating these points to him, because at the end of the day, you already know that everything he is accusing you of is total rubbish.

Whatever you do, just don't get drawn in to justifying your perfectly reasonable behaviour - it is him who should be made to justify what he has done.

Mouseface · 09/07/2010 22:04

Firstly, sorry if I X post or repeat any brilliant advice already given.

fairy

In no particular order and sorry this is so long........

What time is/are H and PIL arriving tomorrow?

Okay. What follows are hopefully some pointers on how to handle things tomorrow and maybe some things to consider. I hope it helps.

Take it slowly. Don't try to deal with too much in one day.

Hear him out. Make sure he tells you as much as he will tomorrow but don't push him. You have time for all of this to unravel.

Do not over dress or put more make-up on than you would normally wear on a Saturday. It's pointless. He won't appreciate it. Dress as you would normally.

The same goes for the house, same as always on a Saturday.

Try to get an early start on not sleeping tonight!! Go and lie down once the girls are in bed and you feel ready. Maybe read?

Not a romantic novel!

Eat before anyone arrives tomorrow, especially H. You need your blood sugar to be as stable as possible.

Go with the flow in terms of how you address things.

Listen - pause - react. Take your time as much as possible when talking to him.

Be calm. As much as you want to scream and shout, try not to. Keep your dignity.

Cool, calm and collected. If he comments on you being cool, ask him what he expected.

If he's brave or stupid enough to answer, says screaming banshi, yelling, upset etc, tell him you have given him enough of your emotional energy over the years and now it's time to stop.

Don't be Billy Big Balls. Just be firm and level.

Everyone will tell you not to cry. I'm sorry to say that you might. It's not a bad thing. You are not in control of that I'm affraid.

You are still in shock and need answers. So many answers.

You still love him. You may not like him very much but you can't turn your feelings off. It would be so much easier if you could.

Don't beg. Please. It will get you nowhere. Even if he said that he'd come back to you, this would live in your lives for a very long time and would always be raised in future arguments.

He left you. His justification was a smoke screen for what he has done/wants to do.

Imagine the worst case senario and times it by 1000, if not more. That way, you might just be a tiny bit more prepared for anything you haven't yet imagined.

Take you time. Don't let him leave until you have had a chance to say your peace in a calm and meassured manor.

If, once he's gone and you do think of other things, write them down for when you next see/speak to him.

Ask him to be civil to you infront of the girls. He has no reason not to be and of course you must extend the same curtesy back.

Don't bad mouth him to his parents. They will take his side ultimately, even thought they might sympathise with you.

Make notes as others have said in terms of what he wants/suggests BUT DO NOT AGREE TO ANYTHING TOMMORROW.

Tell him you need time to consider everything and will speak to him as soon as you have.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL NOW.

If you cry, you cry.

Be brave. Imagine we are all there, stood with you, helping you to do this.

Put your girls and yourself first.

It will be extrremely hard but it will be over before you know it and on Sunday, yo uwil have your parents there to support you and the girls.

I wouldn't tell the girls anything tomorrow. Not until you have both agreed on how to move forward.

And yes, tell them together. At the house. In the daytime.

But not tomrrow. Tomorrow is for you. And yo need to be clear in your mind so that you can help the girls to cope with this too.

I hope you get some rest. I wish I could be ther with you tonight.

You will be ok. Not anytime soon but before you know it.

I promise xx

Mouseface · 09/07/2010 22:11

Sorry for the shocking spelling in places, been another long day.

thatsnotmyfruitshoot · 09/07/2010 22:11

God, Mouseface, I wish you'd been on my similar thread last year!! That's brilliant advice.

Fairy, this must feel like a waking nightmare. I'm so sorry it's happening to you, but you will ultimately be better off without a man who's capable of such cowardly, cruel behaviour. You sound to have amazing strength and you will come through this. I did, and the thought of being a single parent also scared me senseless. Do you know, the reality is 10 times easier than carrying a dead weight in the marriage.. thinking of you.

Mouseface · 09/07/2010 22:30

I'm glad you are no longer going through this thatsnotmyfruitshoot.

Rindercella · 09/07/2010 22:31

Fairy, wishing you lots of luck and strength for tomorrow.

verytellytubby · 09/07/2010 22:42

Mouseface - can I adopt you!?

Fairy you are doing amazingly well! You sound so strong. Keep going.

chenge · 09/07/2010 22:56

Mouseface,,would you like to be my family--???

Fairy,what an amzing woman you are,,just remember,nothing stays the same,,THIS TOO SHALL PASS AND YOU WILL BE HAPPY AGAIN,

he is just an ASS,,and its better that he goes now,imagine if he was gonna drag you and then do this when you are in your 50s,,either way im pissed off on oyur behalf,,

stay strong,,,

ItsGraceActually · 09/07/2010 23:03

All the best for the weekend, sweetheart. What amazin advice you've been blessed with here. Use it.

Eat food.

x

msboogie · 09/07/2010 23:06

have been reading this thread and wishing the OP well but got nothing to add to the fantastic advice already given. Please, OP, listen to mouseface and mathanxiety as their advice is absolutely, amazingly brilliant.

sowhatis · 09/07/2010 23:14

fab advice from posters, thinking of you and your girls fairy x

Jacaqueen · 09/07/2010 23:17

FG I am in awe. You are doing so well. I know it may not seem like it but you are.

You have received some fantastic advice on this thread but I have to single out Mouseface for particular praise. I dont know your story but you are amazing. It warms my heart to think that there are people out there like you who can help in times like these.

aristocat · 09/07/2010 23:25

fairy
just been reading your thread too and cannot believe what a t*at he is.

you are doing so well and there is so much good advice on here for you.

be strong

kalo12 · 09/07/2010 23:25

hi fairygodmother, keep well.

what strikes me is that he has irrationally accused you of having an affair - one possible explanation is that there is ow putting pressure on him, he wants to go away for a weekend/holiday with her, can't get out of it, wants his cake and eat it, - at same time he wants a get back in clause,

comes back after the weekend, all apologetic, i thought you were having an affair so went off with another woman for revenge, didn't know what i was doing etc

just a possibility - i know what spinless things men say/do to justify their bad behaviour.

keep strong

rupert22 · 09/07/2010 23:41

not been on the site for a year or two, am so sickened for you, what a coward. He is not behaving like a man.

Hope you get through tomorrow and get some answers, not the fairy story he wrote. This isnt the guy for you, and that means good days are ahead, with the right one. It feels like you will never climb out of the morass of pain, but you will.

Thinking of you and your girls

mathanxiety · 09/07/2010 23:49

Well it's almost tomorrow, hope you're resting.

Remember this from Thatsnotmyfruitshoot -- "the reality (of being a single mother) is 10 times easier than carrying a dead weight in the marriage.."

Please also remember, and this may seem scary, your H has had goodness knows how much time to plan this, but it's all completely new to you, and while you are devastated he will try to take advantage of you (because he's a cad), so don't agree to anything.

If you want to throw him off balance feign no interest whatsoever in what or who has caused him to behave so badly, but I know how much you probably need to know what the heck is going on -- however, be prepared for the feeling of banging your head off a brick wall because chances are he will never honour you with the truth.

bumpsnowjustplump · 09/07/2010 23:55

hope you are resting fg.. Thinking of you..

Bellebelle · 10/07/2010 00:33

FG - just read all of this thread and wanted to say how sorry I am that you and your girls are going through this.

My dad did something almost identical to my mum 20 years ago (accused her out of the blue of having an affair when it was actually him, was extremely cold about it all). He was and still is a complete coward and I know that he regrets to this day leaving his family and all that he's missed. My sister and I were only a little bit older than your DD's when it happened and my mum was not together at all, we witnessed her having a full on emotional breakdown but I really don't think that it's had a long term effect on me or my sister and the result was that the three of us are incredibly close. So the point I'm trying to make is that while you should be strong for your DD's not to worry too much about any long term effects. So long as they have you and they know that you love them they will be fine.

I know how many wonderful men there are out there but it never fails to amaze me how many selfish twits there are out there who deal with things in such a spineless way.

Bellebelle · 10/07/2010 00:35

That's meant to be twats not twits! Bloody polite spellcheck

ifancyashandy · 10/07/2010 00:36

FG my admiration and thoughts are with you.

Really hope you're getting some sleep.

Remember, as many have said already, you are worth 10 million of him and he never ever deserved you.

kittya · 10/07/2010 01:30

When I first started to read this, only three posts in it reminded me of a situation my friend found herself in. I did not think OW (I usually do) but thought OM. In my friends case it was OM who was doing all the dirty work for her husband. Its just a thought and I notice it has been mentioned on here.

The bottom line is, its not your fault. Any of it. Take care and I hope you get some answers this weekend.x

valiumSingleton · 10/07/2010 09:01

"the reality (of being a single mother) is 10 times easier than carrying a dead weight in the marriage.."

I totally agree with this.

BelleBelle, did your father ever acknowledge that he had accused your mother of the thing he himself did? Did he ever explain that, or try to!?

Mouseface · 10/07/2010 09:19

fairy

Thinking of you. You can do this, really, you can.

Stay strong. xx

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