I have a "wake up" story...this couple were my ex-in-laws...or more affectionately - my outlaws. LOL!
Anyway here's the short version:
H&W were HS sweethearts, got married at age 19.
Had 3 kids in the next 5 years.
When kids were ages 11, 9, and 7, H left W for the W of a good friend of his. He said all the usual script...not in love with you, don't think I was ever in love with you, blah blah blah.
H did a couple of back and forths, reconcile with wife, then back to OW...finally H&W were divorced for good and W moved on.
For the next 10 years, the H was now stuck with and married to OW, who - as it turned out - is a total alcoholic rager. Nice. H completely destroyed his relationship with his 3 kids. They had previously adored him, now they are all in therapy for the horrible things that happened during the divorce, but also after with OW. All during the affair and divorce, H claimed that the kids would be "just fine" and said things to his W (when she would voice her concerns) like "don't tell me a THING about MY kids...we are tight...this is all your problem, the kids are fine". Again, nice. Time told the truth...the kids are definitely not "fine". He and the OW continued to be horrible to them for several years.
The W moved on and eventually was happy again, remarried, and is doing well. (The whole ordeal, though, as everyone here knows, really shook her to her core).
Finally - H woke up to the extent that he realized he was married to an alcoholic rager, apparently when she received her third DUI and had her license revoked for life, and almost went to prison for assaulting a police officer.
He finally divorced OW after a 10 year ordeal.
Apparently, he also finally fully woke up.
One day he called his ex-wife and told her he was sorry for everything, he knew she had moved on and he was happy for her, he now could see back at what he had done. To my knowledge, he has tried to tell his kids the same, but they are pretty much like "meh, whatever dad, we KNOW who you really are".
The whole story was a nightmare, for all involved, including the H. However, he was the only person in the story who wasn't innocent, the rest of them were so innocent and it just crushed them. Thankfully, they have all recovered as well as possible.
I heard the OW is in really bad shape, drinking herself to death and her own kids have nothing to do with her.
This story should not be seen as a triumphant victory for the victims...just a completely sad story on all angles. :0(
