Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:So, I’m the 25yo in that situation and I’ll tell you the reality (that being said I’m in my 30s, but still significantly younger than H’s ex wife. H isn’t narcissistic but has been extremely immature and had addiction problems).
The only reason it has worked out with H and I is that I have zero tolerance for any BS from him. He knows if he does not pull his weight, relapses, anything, it’s over. In fact he didn’t want kids when we first met; I immediately dumped him and he was like “wait what” because he was used to his ex-wife for bent over backwards for him. He spent over a year trying to win me back.
Building my dream life and being happy are more important to me than being with him, so he knows if he can’t contribute to that, I’m out. I make my own money and I can handle raising our kids on my own just fine. His ex-wife spent WAY too much time trying to convince him to get a better job, to not drink, they even tried having an open relationship at one point to see if that would help. That was her mistake, with men, you can’t cater to them. They’re either on board or they’re immediately gone.
On the flip side, I know he and his ex wife have a bond we won’t. They had a LOT in common and there’s certain things they shared that H and I don’t. Example, H has expressed that he misses having the shared experiences they had, like going to music festivals, reading the same books and talking about it, etc. I will never go to a music festival and I find Cormac McCarthy extremely boring and dumb.
And yea, I know it’s completely possible he can leave me and start over. That’s why it’s so important for women to have their own money and pursue their happiness first, above making a man happy. If he left me and the kids tomorrow, we’d be totally fine and I’d be out dating again within a few weeks.
This is not the flex you think it is.
Anonymous wrote:In a toxic marriage where my husband has habitually cheated on me along with strategic doses of gaslighting and DARVO to keep me confused and manipulating my deep feelings for him. We never had kids as he stalled and hemmed and hawed. Now I am at the end of my fertility but clinging on...why? The gut wrenching idea that he will turn around and build the family I so wanted with some 25 year old girl after denying it to me for years!
I will probably not survive that...
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Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:You know what Op, this is my DH. He SUCKED in a major way in his previous marriage and I do not blame her for getting out, not for one second. In this marriage he is the PERFECT man, father, husband, partner, whatever you want to call it, he seriously grew up and did a complete change from his first marriage. We run into his ex often (live in the same area and work in the same industry) and she freely admits to me how jealous she is of what we've got, btw, she's great and has moved on to a slightly older partner and seems happy. But, do you ever get over your first love? No easy answer to that but I wish you luck.
To quote Gladiator, she will get her vengeance, in this life or the next.
Also PP, you sound incredibly smug and are clearly looking to rub salt in OP’s wounds.
Anonymous wrote:You know what Op, this is my DH. He SUCKED in a major way in his previous marriage and I do not blame her for getting out, not for one second. In this marriage he is the PERFECT man, father, husband, partner, whatever you want to call it, he seriously grew up and did a complete change from his first marriage. We run into his ex often (live in the same area and work in the same industry) and she freely admits to me how jealous she is of what we've got, btw, she's great and has moved on to a slightly older partner and seems happy. But, do you ever get over your first love? No easy answer to that but I wish you luck.
Anonymous wrote:So, I’m the 25yo in that situation and I’ll tell you the reality (that being said I’m in my 30s, but still significantly younger than H’s ex wife. H isn’t narcissistic but has been extremely immature and had addiction problems).
The only reason it has worked out with H and I is that I have zero tolerance for any BS from him. He knows if he does not pull his weight, relapses, anything, it’s over. In fact he didn’t want kids when we first met; I immediately dumped him and he was like “wait what” because he was used to his ex-wife for bent over backwards for him. He spent over a year trying to win me back.
Building my dream life and being happy are more important to me than being with him, so he knows if he can’t contribute to that, I’m out. I make my own money and I can handle raising our kids on my own just fine. His ex-wife spent WAY too much time trying to convince him to get a better job, to not drink, they even tried having an open relationship at one point to see if that would help. That was her mistake, with men, you can’t cater to them. They’re either on board or they’re immediately gone.
On the flip side, I know he and his ex wife have a bond we won’t. They had a LOT in common and there’s certain things they shared that H and I don’t. Example, H has expressed that he misses having the shared experiences they had, like going to music festivals, reading the same books and talking about it, etc. I will never go to a music festival and I find Cormac McCarthy extremely boring and dumb.
And yea, I know it’s completely possible he can leave me and start over. That’s why it’s so important for women to have their own money and pursue their happiness first, above making a man happy. If he left me and the kids tomorrow, we’d be totally fine and I’d be out dating again within a few weeks.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In a toxic marriage where my husband has habitually cheated on me along with strategic doses of gaslighting and DARVO to keep me confused and manipulating my deep feelings for him. We never had kids as he stalled and hemmed and hawed. Now I am at the end of my fertility but clinging on...why? The gut wrenching idea that he will turn around and build the family I so wanted with some 25 year old girl after denying it to me for years!
I will probably not survive that...
![]()
You have a kid with this guy you are giving him the power to make the REST of YOUR life miserable. Just don’t do it.
Find a better partner for goodness sake
Worst DCUM reading failure ever, FFS. Hey, PP? OP said this: "We never had kids."
Don't try to contribute until after you actually comprehend an OP's posts.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In a toxic marriage where my husband has habitually cheated on me along with strategic doses of gaslighting and DARVO to keep me confused and manipulating my deep feelings for him. We never had kids as he stalled and hemmed and hawed. Now I am at the end of my fertility but clinging on...why? The gut wrenching idea that he will turn around and build the family I so wanted with some 25 year old girl after denying it to me for years!
I will probably not survive that...
![]()
You have a kid with this guy you are giving him the power to make the REST of YOUR life miserable. Just don’t do it.
Find a better partner for goodness sake
Worst DCUM reading failure ever, FFS. Hey, PP? OP said this: "We never had kids."
Don't try to contribute until after you actually comprehend an OP's posts.
Anonymous wrote:So, I’m the 25yo in that situation and I’ll tell you the reality (that being said I’m in my 30s, but still significantly younger than H’s ex wife. H isn’t narcissistic but has been extremely immature and had addiction problems).
The only reason it has worked out with H and I is that I have zero tolerance for any BS from him. He knows if he does not pull his weight, relapses, anything, it’s over. In fact he didn’t want kids when we first met; I immediately dumped him and he was like “wait what” because he was used to his ex-wife for bent over backwards for him. He spent over a year trying to win me back.
Building my dream life and being happy are more important to me than being with him, so he knows if he can’t contribute to that, I’m out. I make my own money and I can handle raising our kids on my own just fine. His ex-wife spent WAY too much time trying to convince him to get a better job, to not drink, they even tried having an open relationship at one point to see if that would help. That was her mistake, with men, you can’t cater to them. They’re either on board or they’re immediately gone.
On the flip side, I know he and his ex wife have a bond we won’t. They had a LOT in common and there’s certain things they shared that H and I don’t. Example, H has expressed that he misses having the shared experiences they had, like going to music festivals, reading the same books and talking about it, etc. I will never go to a music festival and I find Cormac McCarthy extremely boring and dumb.
And yea, I know it’s completely possible he can leave me and start over. That’s why it’s so important for women to have their own money and pursue their happiness first, above making a man happy. If he left me and the kids tomorrow, we’d be totally fine and I’d be out dating again within a few weeks.
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:In a toxic marriage where my husband has habitually cheated on me along with strategic doses of gaslighting and DARVO to keep me confused and manipulating my deep feelings for him. We never had kids as he stalled and hemmed and hawed. Now I am at the end of my fertility but clinging on...why? The gut wrenching idea that he will turn around and build the family I so wanted with some 25 year old girl after denying it to me for years!
I will probably not survive that...
![]()
You have a kid with this guy you are giving him the power to make the REST of YOUR life miserable. Just don’t do it.
Find a better partner for goodness sake
Anonymous wrote:So, I’m the 25yo in that situation and I’ll tell you the reality (that being said I’m in my 30s, but still significantly younger than H’s ex wife. H isn’t narcissistic but has been extremely immature and had addiction problems).
The only reason it has worked out with H and I is that I have zero tolerance for any BS from him. He knows if he does not pull his weight, relapses, anything, it’s over. In fact he didn’t want kids when we first met; I immediately dumped him and he was like “wait what” because he was used to his ex-wife for bent over backwards for him. He spent over a year trying to win me back.
Building my dream life and being happy are more important to me than being with him, so he knows if he can’t contribute to that, I’m out. I make my own money and I can handle raising our kids on my own just fine. His ex-wife spent WAY too much time trying to convince him to get a better job, to not drink, they even tried having an open relationship at one point to see if that would help. That was her mistake, with men, you can’t cater to them. They’re either on board or they’re immediately gone.
On the flip side, I know he and his ex wife have a bond we won’t. They had a LOT in common and there’s certain things they shared that H and I don’t. Example, H has expressed that he misses having the shared experiences they had, like going to music festivals, reading the same books and talking about it, etc. I will never go to a music festival and I find Cormac McCarthy extremely boring and dumb.
And yea, I know it’s completely possible he can leave me and start over. That’s why it’s so important for women to have their own money and pursue their happiness first, above making a man happy. If he left me and the kids tomorrow, we’d be totally fine and I’d be out dating again within a few weeks.
Anonymous wrote:You know what Op, this is my DH. He SUCKED in a major way in his previous marriage and I do not blame her for getting out, not for one second. In this marriage he is the PERFECT man, father, husband, partner, whatever you want to call it, he seriously grew up and did a complete change from his first marriage. We run into his ex often (live in the same area and work in the same industry) and she freely admits to me how jealous she is of what we've got, btw, she's great and has moved on to a slightly older partner and seems happy. But, do you ever get over your first love? No easy answer to that but I wish you luck.