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#930047 07/17/01 10:45 AM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3
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Joined: Jul 2001
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Can someone help me?<BR>H and I have been married 2 yrs(we are both 32 no kids). <BR>H is an avid sports freak (plays baseball and golf) and I love horses. At Christmas H bought me my first horse. It was a good winter activity for me - but since we live in New England, his activities has to wait until warmer weather came. I spent a fair amount of time with the horse (4 or 5 days a week 2 hours at a time)which H didn't seem to mind. He never really complained about me being at the barn..but sometimes would make joking comments about him sending her to the glue factory <g> <BR>We went about our usual activities until the weather warmed up and he started baseball. In early May, he made mention of running into an old girlfriend when he was practicing for baseball. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. Then his behavior changed. He looked angry all the time and was acting very distant towards me. <P>5/15 we were out and I asked if anything was wrong...he denied anything was wrong. I told him I was feeling very insecure, confused about his attitude changes..denial. 5/27 I went to ride;him to golf. He called me at the barn to say he got a late start golfing and wouldn't be home until late. When I got home from riding,I realized I forgot something at the barn and hit*69 and a womans answering machine picked up..I hung up and hit redial again..this time she picked up and I said Gee I must have the wrong number. Her name came up on the caller ID, so I called information and got her address. She lives in the next town. I later asked my H about her and he said how he mentioned her to me before and I asked why is she calling you on a holiday weekend...He said she called about a friend wanting to play golf with him. I could tell something was not right. We got in a fight because he felt I was accusing him of cheating. I thought he was contemplating it because of his behavior change.<BR>(How dare I accuse him?!) The fight lasted several days because I was in tears. I could tell something was up. Because of my "accusation" he said his feelings had changed for me and wasn't sure he wanted to be with me. He said there was no one else. <P>In the meantime, I tried to be the "1950's" wife - having dinner ready, housework done etc. to no avail. I leased out my horse to someone - so I'd be home more for H.(I wasn't even riding at all...I became so depressed that if I looked at her I would cry) My H was staying out at all hours, not leaving notes or calling, picking fights with me...telling me he wanted to work on the marriage, then not wanting to work on it...I love you...I don't love you... etc. I did not dare ask him where he had been..or he'd lose it. The vasilation back and forth was maddening. I would throw up in the morning, not get anything done at work. I thought I was losing my mind. Lost 20 lbs, which I did not need to do. My dr. put me on paxil which really helped. I've been seeing a cousilor. Any time I'd mention counsiling to my H, he'd explode, saying I was pushing him and he didn't want to talk. <P>I let it go for a while..keeping my eyes opened. I accessed his cell phone bill and saw he had been talking to her since the beginning of May. I kept copies of the bill and just observed. I kept a record of what he did during the week and matched it against the bill and found patterns. Then on 6/16 he took off with no note. Hours past and I knew something was up. I drove by her house and his car was in her driveway. Freaked out, I took a picture as proof. He called later that evening like nothing was wrong. I asked how his day was, what he did etc. He said he played basketball all day. I casually asked what else he did...he said "oh nothing else" LIAR! Well I kept my mouth shut..knowing he'd make up some lame excuse..but I did pick a fight with him that evening and asked him to leave. I told him I can't take this back and forth non sense and maybe he should leave. He did, but came back at 4 am. <P>6/22 - Later that week he said he was sorry for the last month and wanted to work things out. I was skeptical about it seeing how this has been my life for the last month. The kicker was that I accessed his email (lucky guess on the password) and there were suggestive emails and e-greeting back and forth. She was supposed to meet and watch him play b-ball in another state over the weekend. Not knowing that I accessed his notes, I asked him if I could come that weekend and he said no...he was going out with the guys afterwards and it would be much fun (Nothing that I hadn't done during the 7 years we've been together every weekend every summer)Nothing personal, he says. We went out to eat later that night and I am ready to puke. When we got home and I asked him if he really wanted things to work out and he asked what I was talking about. I said if you want to work things out you must tell me the truth. He was playing Bill Clinton denying everything then anything physical;that he only talked to her on the phone a few times and that was it. I am ready for divorce at this point. He goes away that weekend and I did my own thing. He sent me a nasty email asking what's going on with us and that he has done nothing but talk a few times on the phone and a few emails and if I am ending this for that reason I am wrong. I caught up with him later in the day and we had it out. Again he only admited to the calls and a few emails...until I started quoting the emails and <BR>e-greetings. I let him have it! The tables have turned..he has begged my forgiveness, gone on and on about how sorry he is...how he'll never do it again etc. He says I wasn't around because of my horse and she showed him attention. He says they kissed (as if it really matters...it's all the same in my eyes). He has gone to cousiling (A few times alone and once together). He has move in with his Mom, (it's been 1 week) because I am unsure about where I want this to go and he can't take my indecision about our relationship. (Although he's not 100% on working it out either) He says he has not spoken/seen/emailed her (I checked his mail and saw nothing - won't know about calls until I see the bill)<P>I love my H, but am terrified at the prospect or, if I decide to work it out, will he do it again? I know no one can really answer this, but I am hoping for some feedback from you all. Your thoughts?<P>Thanks<BR>Dev<P>

#930048 07/17/01 10:55 AM
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,206
A
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 1,206
I'm sorry that you are going through this hell of infidelity, but you are wise to come here!<BR>Firstly - check out all the info on this site.<BR>Secondly - two books I like are Surviving an Affair by Dr. Harley, and After the Affair by Janis Abrams Spring. It would be good for BOTH of you to read.<BR>If he truly wants to work on your marriage then contact with OW has to stop completely and a good thing to do is write a no contact letter - together if possible.<BR>Continue with counselling.<BR>You can recover - but it will be hard, with many ups and downs, setbacks etc, but you CAN do it.

#930049 07/17/01 11:03 AM
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 10,060
W
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 10,060
Dev - your story is not unique at all. He's reading right from the script and is playing the part perfectly.<P>You can salvage this if you want to, but it will take a lot of work. You will feel like you're the only one trying at times. But the work can pay off big time. Browse this forum and you'll read of success stories that started off much worse than where you are right now.<P>Start by getting copies of "Surviving an Affair" and "His Needs/Her Needs." Read, read, read.<P>Until you get up to speed on the strategies, please stop arguing with him. Do not confront him about his errors. Start looking inside of yourself to identify other things (in addition to the attention you paid your horse) that contributed to the environment that permitted him to rationalize his affair.<P>WAT

#930050 07/17/01 11:06 AM
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 695
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 695
If you don't take action now and start plan A'ing him he will do it again. If you don't set down the joint policy agreement then you will be lied to again. Being that she lives in another town you may want long distance removed from your phone and use phone cards. There are alot of things the two of you can do. His email if he doesn't need it should be closed or changed. His spending habits need to be monitored. If he wants to work this out then he will abide by the guidelines the two of you agree to. I wouldn't settle for middle of the road. Your quite lucky that the A is so new short lived. You two can make it through this. Just some thoughts. Others may disagree.


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