I am having a great deal of trouble just being polite to H, now that he has begun the D process (lining up a mediator, who I have not set up an appointment with yet). In order to make this happen, I have to cooperate. How on earth do I go against EVERYTHING I really want to say and do? I would make the world's worst actor. I want to scream at him and tell him how angry I am at what he's done - torn apart our life of 21 years, seeing someone else for the past year while he is still married to me. How does one be nice and polite to someone you want to scream at? At bomb drop, that's pretty much what HE did, while I sat there, shocked, and listened, and cried, and tried to make sense of what I was hearing. I have yet to actually get angry in his presence. I feel like a volcano about to blow, just like he did. I have to do things that are the very last things on earth I want to do (talk to the mediator, make decisions on what I want, spend LOTS of attorney money, etc.). I simply don't know HOW I'm going to do this. Maybe mediation is not possible for us. He keeps acting like we're friends, and we just have to have a few friendly conversations, and then go out for a beer. And if I don't act like that, he's angry again - as if I'm still his faithful wife by his side who is supposed to 'support' him. If I don't, it just reinforces (in his mind) that I 'don't care about him, and only care about me.' I have 'stood' for a year, and put up with the crap he's said and done, and was still willing to take him back, even after all that, OW included.
Mediator is on vacation this week, but after that, I can no longer stall. What you all talk about - lovingly detach - I just can't even fathom now. Am I done standing? I have so little respect for him now. He's like an angry drifter, blaming others for his troubles, lost, with a half-empty apartment...
My God, some of the stuff I read about that some folks on this board go through - really, impossible for me. I guess I just think I deserve better, time's a wastin', and a person shouldn't treat me this way, MLC or not.
Me 53, XH 57 M 20 (+1.5) years, no kids BD June '13 H moved out July '13 Confirmed long-suspected PA Feb '14 H filed for D Nov. '14 D March '15