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Should I stay or should I leave?

mpantoja0526's picture

So I’ve been married to my dh about 2yrs. When I married him I knew about the oldest child not being his (he met the ex wife when the child was 6mths old), the middle child is his biological child & the youngest daughter he wasn’t sure if it was his (ex wife cheated on him constantly). Throughout the whole time it has always been an issue that the ex wife takes advantage of him & he just lets it be. She’ll call him to pick up the little girl (she’s 12) from school as she has something to do. She works in the same school as the girl so just because she wants to party after work she expects my dh to drive 2hrs from wk to go pick her up & drop her off at home when it can only take 15mins for the mom to drive the girl home herself & then take off to do whatever she wants. To make matters worse, since the ex wife’s boyfriend’s children also go to the same school she expects my dh to pick them up as well & drive them home. A little over 1 month ago my dh decided to finally do a DNA test on the girl & found out it wasn’t his. I feel mixed emotions about the whole thing but I’ve tried to be supportive. I understand he’s seen this child as his own for 12yrs & I would never ask him to walk away from her life or anything like that but I do feel like he should put a little bit of his foot down with the ex wife as far as bossing him around & making him do stuff. Since we found out about the result it has literally been non-stop arguing amongst us as we both view things differently. I have a 6yr old son that’s not my husband’s & I’ve never liked to have discussions when he’s around. The discussions have gotten a bit heated as my husband loves to scream & now my son even knows the truth about the little girl. I’m seriously tired of arguing & fighting but it just seems like he just wants to see his way & no other way. I also don’t feel comfortable with him continuing to let ex wife boss him around to drive children that are not his. Yesterday I finally had it & said that I think we should separate as his lets other people be a priority. He’s over here arguing with me & fighting but the ex wife gets to have a happy life. He spoke to her about him knowing the truth & she basically said “well you already know now, it is what it is”. How is it possible that she gets more respect & consideration than myself? He hasn’t argued with her or screamed at her & still jumps to do what she wants when she wants. I’ve tried talking to him about coming up with a compromise & he’ll somewhat agree to it but then the ex wife calls & tells him he needs to do xyz for the little girl & it just feels unfair. I agree with him still being around & hanging out with the little girl & provide essential financial support for her but I don’t think it’s fair that he needs to go above & beyond for her when the ex wife saids. Am I being unreasonable?

mpantoja0526's picture

I think he was scared to find out the truth. When the little girl was 2 days old he received a call from the wife of his best friend letting him know that his wife was cheating on him. She showed him voicemails but I guess he refused to see the truth. Years continued to pass & every so often he would find out that she was messing around but since he never quite got proof he would let it go. Finally he decided to leave ex wife 4yrs ago but he always had the little doubt in back of his head. I guess now he finally felt like he wanted to know the truth so he finally got a DNA test.

Acratopotes's picture

If you come to the fork in the road and you ask yourself this question, deep inside you, you already know the answer, to leave this marriage and start new.... but you are not sure and wants validation from strangers.

Hon, you have your answer, this will never change, DH is never going to change, BM will always boss him around, and you will have to accept it or move on. You have to decide and then act, I think you already decided but is to scared to act.

Simply do what's best for you and your son, rather start at the bottom now and work your way up again then ignoring all of this and try and do it when you are 60... then it's too late..

Marriage never works if there was secrets and lies....DH knew there was a possibility the kid could not be his, why did he not do something about it, years ago... cause he's still emotionally connected to his Ex wife...

mpantoja0526's picture

You're absolutely right. I guess deep down I know what to do. I seriously feel bad that this marriage is falling apart not because he has cheated or I have cheated but but because outside circumstances force us to. My husband is not a bad person but I just feel like he should get his priorities straight. I'm not sure if he's emotionally connected with the ex wife or not. Quite frankly or at least from what I've seen he only talks to her about the children. The problem is that he allows her to boss him around when it comes to the kids. I get it, he feels it's an obligation as the "father" but he shouldn't continue to allow this to continue after finding out the truth. He didn't do the DNA test years ago because I guess he was always scared to find out the truth.

Acratopotes's picture

He jumps for BM cause she still has his balls in her purse hon... to put it blunt.

And nothing wrong with your marriage ending up in divorce, hey when you got married it was the wrong time for you and DH.... who says 10 years from now, you do not end back together and DH has nothing to do with his ex family anymore?
or who says you do not meet the right guy, next time at the right time?

I always say, love does not concur all, there needs to be companionship/friendship/respect/trust/communication as well, in if one of those things are not present in my relationship, I end it.

still learning's picture

He does have HIS priorities straight, unfortunately you're not one of them.

Don't you know that you are there to support him, his kids (bio or not), his relationship with BM and also his relationship with her children. He's screaming at you to try to keep you silenced and in your place. I think he knew the truth a long time ago but has just been in denial. You're supposed to support his dream of perfect fatherhood and act like the test never happened. How dare you question his servitude to BM. What are you his actual wife or something?!

hereiam's picture

I seriously feel bad that this marriage is falling apart not because he has cheated or I have cheated but but because outside circumstances force us to.

But it's not really the outside circumstances that are damaging, it's how your husband is dealing the BM. The fact that he is not biologically the girl's father really means nothing at this point, he has been the girl's father since she was born and has been bending to the ex's will, even before the DNA test, no?

The issue is that he lets the BM use and manipulate him, to the detriment of his relationship with you. He does not have to jump when BM says jump, just to prove that he loves his kids or that he's a good dad.

That was a promise that my DH made to me, that he would never let BM use his daughter to manipulate him. And he stuck to that, even though BM used it against him. He loves his daughter but has never let BM use that to keep his balls. God knows she tried.

I think you know the answer to your question. If you feel that your husband is not going to change, do you want to continue to live like this?

Aniki-Moderator's picture

"...he should feel the same as you..."

That sums it up.

The entire thing...nicely said, sueu2!

mpantoja0526's picture

I don't expect for him to feel the same way as I do. I completely understand he's going to continue seeing the little girl & having a relationship with her; I get it. The thing is that he expects me to feel the same way. I even suggested a bit of time for me to adjust to the situation which I don't think I was asking for much. I said that I can go stay over my parents house for the night on the night that he brings over the little girl that way he still keeps his routine & spends one on one time with her. He completely said NO & even got mad about that making me feel like my feelings didn't matter. I've tried to be his support system in all of this but it feels like he doesn't put a bit of his part in giving me a bit respect. He'll drop whatever plans he has arranged with me when the ex wife calls to request he picks up or drops off or takes the little girl somewhere. I'm not saying he needs to stop doing things completely but I also believe he needs to put his foot down with the ex wife when it comes to listening to everything she wants. If there's anyone that has been understanding is me when last year I took a week off work to take care of that little girl since the mother wanted to go on vacation with her boyfriend & my husband didn't have anyone else to take care of her. I get his has an emotional attachment to this little girl but he shouldn't expect me to feel the same sort of attachment to her. Obviously, after finding out the truth I don't believe I should be the way I used to be as in taking off work or adjusting my schedule around the little girl when the mom has something to do & my husband can't make it. I'm not being unreasonable with him when I ask for a bit of respect or at least validate my feelings. He can't say that I'm asking him to stop talking to the girl or seeing her or providing for her financially; not at all. All I'm saying is that he doesn't have to jump when the ex wife wants & do whatever she wants. If that's going to be the case, then he can remarry her or go live with her.

DaizyDuke's picture

I'm wondering why he bothered with a DNA test, if he is going to continue his relationship with SD and BM status quo? What the heck was the point??

CLove's picture

What stands out to me is the screaming. That is an issue - your husband cannot have a civil conversation about things, and is escalating it to a lower level. That tells me that there are respect issues between you two. Yes, boundaries must be set with the BM, who feels like it is ok to inconvenience both you and DH, and lives her life according to her own wishes, needs and desires without consideration for anyone else (that is what I am getting from your post). I don't see this as a reason to breakup, however.

If you need space for other reasons, that might be advisable. He needs to place you and your son as the priority, not the BM. I feel for the kiddo, who thought your DH was her bio-father. I hope she is doing well with all the chaos.

Your question about the unreasonableness of your feelings that BM is placed on a pedestal and receiving more respect than you - well you and DH should address that in couples therapy. I still do not think, IMHO, that would be a reason to leave your marriage.

mpantoja0526's picture

The girl doesn't know anything. The ex wife said that she'll rather tell her that my husband died than to have her find out the truth. That's just crazy because my husband still has a biological son with her so how is she going to make him die to the little girl & not to the actual son. I honestly don't know what to do with him as I can't seem to get through to him as far as understanding the big picture. He's making it out to be his way or no way & I honestly don't want to live like that or feel resentment later on in life. I view things I guess differently & also look at what does the future hold. We were planning on having a child together before all of this truth came out. Are we supposed to lie to our child to because the ex wife states how things should be run? What if my child were to find out in the future that the sister he/she thought was really isn't? Will my child hold resentment towards me. Also, I feel like if he just takes off to do whatever the ex wife wants at whatever time she wants then what will happen if we were to have a child. Would he just take off on us upon call or break appointments with us due to her. I honestly don't like to shout & most of the time he takes my peaceful tone as something else but shouting is not going to help in any way. My brother's girlfriend is a psychologist & I have spoken to her about the situation hoping she will give us good advice. I have suggested a few of her suggestions but he ignores them & states I just want to listen to other people. I honestly don't want to fight anymore over the same issue & don't want to put my son through arguments that have nothing to do with him. I feel trapped in my own home feeling like I can't express how I'm feeling because then it will just upset him.

CLove's picture

So, not only does BM have a major sense of entitlement, and control, your husband is not willing to work on things with you.

You have to decide where to go from here. I had a conversation with SO that escalated into me shouting, where I argued that just because someone is born or gives birth, doesn't or shouldn't mean that they are at all entitled to get whatever they want. He heartily disagreed, and said his children are indeed entitled. I tried explaining in different ways what I meant and what I was railing against and every time, he still stood his ground. I had to decide to stay or leave and I decided (for now) to stay. It remains to be seen if his opinion will change when time progresses.

That's still very sad for the kidling. A unhealthy situation, lies breeding more lies. So, like I mentioned, you need to decide if you are willing to bring a child into this sick dynamic of BM calling and DH dropping everything to please her. You still have a choice in this, and better to make the decision now rather than when you have a child of your own.

CLove's picture

Simple things. His children, and he apparently, feel like because they were born, and because they are his children, that everything that is his is theirs. They do not have to do anything, no chores, no helping, they simply exist, therefore they deserve to get things they WANT.

I am talking non-essentials here! Not a roof over the head, clean bed/home to live, food on the table, sundries...not like that. I'm talking $50 Jordan tennis shoes, cash in the bank (for the jobless 18 yo), pets, dishes washed for them, dinners cooked with no help, just served on a platter. Things of that nature. I never ever felt as a kid that if dad bought a table, it was OUR table, and that I could do anything I wanted to it and never felt possessive about stuff that mom and dad bought for the household. Yet I am observing this in the Skids, and with their dynamic with Dad. I am guessing that this is normal, but it is not how I grew up. I grew up working, doing chores, and helping out a lot. And understood that I could use the items in my parents household, but it was ultimately my parents stuff. It wasn't an OURS thing. But this is an odd thing about the entire entitlement issue, there are lot of gray areas.

mpantoja0526's picture

I agree with you!!!! My child is 6yrs old & I teach him that he also has to do things around the house. He picks up his clothes after he takes a shower, I make him wash his dish & make him do his bed. I also have him help me around the house with simple things like dusting, cleaning the table...etc. His daughter is 12yrs old & doesn't do anything!!! I have to be the one to be picking up after her, washing her dishes, doing the bed & even picking up her clothes after she's done taking a shower. When I bring it up to SO he states that since her mother doesn't teach her then she doesn't know. Ummmm, she's been coming over every other weekend for almost 2yrs, I think she already knows how things are at my home so there's no justification for her not doing simple things.

ChiefGrownup's picture

You do not have to do the picking up. Tell dh you expect it done. Him or her, it will get done.

These dads kill me. Just because her mother didn't teach her doesn't mean dad can't. Children are fully capable of understanding different rules in different venues. That's why they know there's no yelling at church, and you have to sit in your own seat at school, and when you're at your friend's house you keep your feet off the furniture and when you're at gramma's you have to wash your feet before getting in bed (my gramma!). Dad could teach her to pick up after herself if he wanted to.

In any case, you don't have to do. Tell him if he doesn't want kid to do it to do it himself. You're not the maid.

ETA Plus I've already said leave anyway and I still agree with myself. Leave.

ChiefGrownup's picture

"Yells" "yells in front of 6 year old" "Only wants his way" "jumps when bm says to" "I took a week off work to care for kid" "I make suggestions based on professional advice, he [invalidates my input]"

Ummmmm. Yeah. Leave.

You also asked why bm gets all the respect and you get none. The answer is "because she demands it."
You are asking for respect. There is a huge difference between asking and demanding. See how the results speak for themselves between the two methods?

It seems your dh is a s*it rolls downhill kind of guy. Sure, he's basically "nice' in many ways. But bm treats him like crap and he sucks it up but turns around and treats you like crap. He has already indicated he would never listen to a therapist. So there's no where for you to go with this marriage but out. In my humble opinion.

mpantoja0526's picture

He actually left the house last Friday as the arguments were just too much. Late Saturday night he texted that he really missed me, that he was sorry for everything & he was willing to do whatever it takes to get us back together. He texted on & off on Sunday & early Monday morning (even wishing me a nice day to work Monday morning). I have not heard from him since Monday morning (has not called or texted) & I'm just going to let it be. I'm not reaching out as apparently he's doing quite well & I'm just taking this time to enjoy a bit of peace & quality time with my son.

Acratopotes's picture

stand strong.... either he works on the relationship or he stays away, currently it sounds like he's booty calling you but he's not sure how to say to you...

I'm horny can I come over?

ChiefGrownup's picture

He's let 2 days go by without contacting his wife. Yeah, he's working "so hard" on getting her back. Please file or change the locks or move out or whatever it takes to erase this man from your life permanently.