The1stWife ( Guide #58832) posted at 11:35 PM on Monday, February 9th, 2026
Why are you continuing to try to work with him? He is so inconsistent that it only causes YOU more pain.
One minute he is all in and the next he reverts back to the lying cheating jerk he is now. My fear is that you will be working very hard and he will not be working in the marriage at all.
Worse yet, he will be cheating again in some way shape or form.
180.
Ignore his false promises.
Protect yourself.
And I’m not sorry you gave him your full fury. He needs to hear it and honestly it’s good you got it off your chest. At least he knows how you really feel. So if you decide to D he’s not blindsided and telling his mommy "I didn’t know how she felt. I thought things were good"!
Survived two affairs and brink of Divorce. Happily reconciled. 12 years out from Dday. Reconciliation takes two committed people to be successful.
Pogre ( member #86173) posted at 12:16 AM on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026
Yeah, I'm not buying it either. Not to mention, depending on the counselor it may or may not not go well. Some counselors will take a "save the marriage at all costs" approach, even if it means partially blaming the betrayed spouse for the affair. Which is complete garbage.
That's why individual counseling is recommended first. You both work on yourselves individually. BS works on getting over the trauma and WS works on what's broken that made them decide cheating was a good idea. Then you try marriage or couples counseling to work on communication.
A nice guy act after only 2 weeks isn't enough. A month isn't long enough. It's going to take years to rebuild trust. Years of very consistent complete transparency and honesty with everything. If he's waffling on providing emails, texts, or whatever that's not transparency. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.
I think breaking from the 180 to chew his ass is a forgivable and understandable "slip" in this case.
Where am I going... and why am I in this handbasket?
fareast ( Moderator #61555) posted at 12:35 AM on Tuesday, February 10th, 2026
Don’t feel bad for going off on him. He has been emotionally abusing you. Stick to the 180.
Look your WH is broken. He is blameshifting to you which is a typical cheater tactic. Nothing you have done or haven’t done in your M caused him to cheat. From what you have shared, he cheated because he wanted to. Period. He lied to you. Deceived you. Lied to his work colleague AP and after he tired of using her for sex, he dumps her, and he wants to have you accept all of this and and accept him, while he suffers no consequences. Huh?
Be careful of marriage counseling. A counselor often wants to focus on fixing your M. Your M did not fail, your WH failed you. Your WH needs IC and massive work on himself to figure out how he became so broken that he could cheat on his W, endangering his DD’s intact family. Consider that your M, like everyone else’s M had issues. Look at your M as a house in need of repairs for a leaky roof or a balky furnace. Instead of working with you to repair your house, your WH unilaterally decided to pour gasoline on the house and burn it all to the ground. Now he is desperate to rebuild the house, or so he says. But before you move forward in MC to address issues in your M, you want reassurances that your WH is no longer capable of arson. Take care of you and your child. Always value yourself. You deserve a partner you can trust and committed to you and your child. Good luck.
[This message edited by SI Staff at 1:15 AM, Tuesday, February 10th]
Never bother with things in your rearview mirror. Your best days are on the road in front of you.
StillLivin ( member #40229) posted at 10:06 PM on Wednesday, February 11th, 2026
Good riddance. He just did you the biggest favor. Right now, you're in shock and probably feel like you're sinking in churning water. You WILL heal.
If he can't even do the bare minimum than FTG.
I still remember talking to one of my Army brothers about my now ex. He said something so profound when I asked him if everything I'm doing to save the marriage doesn't work, what do I do? How do I get him to get his head out of his ass?
He said, "There's absolutely nothing you can do. And if he doesn't figure it out, then he doesn't F'ing deserve you Sis! FTG."
I didn't see it then, but my ex did me a favor. I'd already wasted years on a man that didn't deserve me and didn't have my back. He freed me from being loyal, faithful, and loving to someone who never deserved it. I wouldn't waste even more precious time with dead weight around my neck.
In a few years, you're going to look back and wonder how in the F was I sobbing in the fetal position over THAT GUY? Seriously, him???
I promise. Just ask me how I know. Today sucks because you haven't healed and gained valuable self insight. But you will one day.
[This message edited by StillLivin at 10:08 PM, Wednesday, February 11th]
"Bitch please a good man can't be stolen." ROFLMAO - SBB: 7/2/2014
Starant (original poster new member #87015) posted at 11:02 AM on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
Thanks again everyone.
This man is on another level. He comes up to me and gives me some of the passwords i asked for but not all of them. Then says he will give the rest soon
Then switches again and says i don’t know if i want to married and have the responsibilities etc. and i don’t know if i can honestly do marriage counselling because I’m not 100% i want to be married anymore and i don’t want to lead you on. Then says im not mature enough and i don’t know if i can be happy with everything that comes with marriage like accountability etc
I am literally gobsmacked. How does someone with a child choose not to grow up? I said to him maturity is a choice. He is 29 this year. In some ways it’s young but i think its old enough to make good choices?
I bet this he is going to change his tune again. Wouldn’t be surprised.
i have asked a lawyer to give me some advice on how much money i can offer him so i can keep the house.
In Australia you have to be separated for 1 year before a marriage can be terminated. I kicked him out since found out about AP and its coming up to two months
The1stWife ( Guide #58832) posted at 11:08 AM on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
Survived two affairs and brink of Divorce. Happily reconciled. 12 years out from Dday. Reconciliation takes two committed people to be successful.
jb3199 ( member #27673) posted at 4:51 PM on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
Does the separation need to be documented? As in, do you need to file for a legal separation?
BH-50s
WW-50s
2 boys
Married over 30yrs.
All work and no play has just cost me my wife--Gary PuckettD-Day(s): EnoughAccepting that I can/may end this marriage 7/2/14
BondJaneBond ( member #82665) posted at 6:36 PM on Wednesday, February 18th, 2026
Hoping you have a recognized separation so you're counting down to the one year for divorce. Marriage is not a crap shoot. You're either in or you're out. He'll drive you crazy with the back and forth. It not only reflects his own indecision about what he wants in life - and his own fundamental immaturity and unwillingness to shoulder responsibility even for his own child - but it's ALSO A CONTROL MECHANISM. If you keep someone in a state of uncertainty you can control them and manipulate them to do what you want - or what you don't want. It's a way of being in charge of the situation, it's whatever his whim dictates. You can't set a clear path forward because he moves the ground under your feet. And it also keeps him the central figure in the relationship, it all revolves around him and what he wants at any given point. You have to continue to break through this - you are the central figure in your own life, you and your child. He needs to learn he ain't all that. I don't think no contact (NC) is probably practical for you at this point, but go as little contact as possible. You need to be sure in your own mind and you don't need to be undermined by his fluctuating bullshit. Set your path and keep moving forward. You are the only one who can be in charge of your own life and he's either helping you pull the weight, or he's not. He's not. This is about your life and protecting your child. If he doesn't want to be part of a family and it doesn't look like he does, then he can go to hell. You and your child are the central figures here.
As tough as this is now....in a year or two once you are past this point and divorce....you will actually feel much better that you don't have to contend with this man baby trying to undermine you repeatedly. You can make a better and much secure life on your own. Try to set goals for the future for yourself. You CAN do this and life will be much better on the other side. He makes you weak.
What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger. Use anger as a tool and mercy as a balm.