Anonymous
2.
“I was recovering from my fibroids surgery and was feeling so weak for two weeks.
He didnt know how.
Id been cooking for him for six years at that point.
Thats when I knew.
So, I shut down and planned my exit.
Today, Im with someone who helps me without me asking.
Im so much happier.”
“I realized I was married to the wrong man when I was pregnant with our firstborn child.
He told me to get up and read to the unborn child.
I told him I was tired and that he could do it.
He told me he didn’t need to do it because I needed to do it.
He continued to say no because god ‘wanted me to do it.'”
He didn’t apologize or console me.
He didn’t read the two chapters to the unborn child.
“I knew before getting married.
I was fond of him but not in love.
We argued on the way to our honeymoon.
I remained in the hospital for 31 hours of labor.
He made it back in time for the birth.
I left him three years later.”
Isobel S., Facebook
5.
To top it off, in the end, she called me selfish."
Paul D., Facebook
6.
Taylor L., Facebook
7.
I was still bleeding, so I refused.
Jan J., Facebook
8.
“He was standing at the bar with his friends during our reception.
I ran up to get him to dance with me, and he poured beer down my dress.
I spent the entire night dancing with my friends and family, except for ONE dance.”
Krista B., Facebook
9.
I had also just caught him on a dating site where he said he was just window shopping.
He never said why until I asked him 15 years later.
He thought I was cheating because I was on the Internet every day.
But I was preparing for a new job as a teacher, which was something totally new to me.
This time, I said yes to the divorce.
I left virtually everything with him and his lawyer with questionable ethics.
“So many red flags.
While we were dating, two years into the relationship.
he told me, ‘I don’t know if I will ever love you.’
I can’t stand to see you like this.
At least go put a wig on.’
He only came to two chemo appointments with me.
I had to drive myself.
On my last chemo, a celebration, he wouldn’t even come.
He cheated on me and had a disabled 9-year-old son.
He has never told his parents about the child either.”
“He never apologized for anything.
Everything is always my fault.
I am currently in counseling, and he will not go with me to work on our marriage.
He is the reason I am there.
I bought our house, and he will not leave.
I’ve asked for a divorce, and he just laughs and says no.
I work a different shift, so I don’t spend much time with him.”
“I ignored a lot of red flags and married him anyway.
We hadn’t even left port yet.
I was six months postpartum at the time.
My pelvic floor is still different, and that baby turns 3 in four days!
Not even close to the worst of the red flags, though.”
Samantha T., Facebook
13.
“I was sick in the hospital recovering from surgery.
He couldn’t handle the stress of me being hospitalized for so long.
He said it was embarrassing that the nurses told him to encourage me to walk more.
He said he had needs, too.
He filed for divorce after meeting someone at work.
He’s still miserable and throws tantrums at me every chance he gets.
“I got sun poisoning and was very sick on our honeymoon in Hawaii.
Then, on the way back to California, he made a stop to see his old girlfriend.
We finally decided to take three weeks apart to see how we felt.
That’s when I knew he didn’t care if I ever returned.
popcornicecreambourbon
16.
“We met in college.
I got him through several tough classes.
They were online and I was doing his work and my own.
I should have known better then, but I hoped hed grow up and be an actual partner.
That was the best decision ever.”
“When my mom died and he didnt say one word to console me.
He never hugged me, even when he looked at me while I was crying my eyes out.
Then, on top of that, he did not attend the funeral.”
“It was during the ceremony.
As we kissed, I thought to myself, ‘I’ve made a mistake.’
There had been SO many red flags, with more to come.
One night, after arguing, I suggested he go.
And leave your keys.'
In the days that followed, I didn’t even cry.
I was so empty.
I got over the whole situation relatively quickly.”
“Right after we were married, we went to the beach.
I pulled my hair out of my face with a headband.
He said, ‘You dont have the face for that look.’
I responded, ‘I dont understand.
Are you saying I need my hair to cover my face?
It sounds like you dont like my face?’
He refused to respond.
I knew then I shouldnt be married to him, but I spent 32 more years with him.
The abuse got worse and worse over time.
He would call me names daily, hit me, and worse.
I am grateful to be alive, divorced, and happy at 55!”
“After we had children, things slowly began to change.
She would disparage me in front of them, calling me every name in the book.
She never offered up any positive interactions or support.
She even said that she never shouldve married me.
I countered that and said we wouldnt have had our great children if we were never married.
She said she stood by that remark.
I knew it was over, and we separated a week later.
Shes continued to turn the kids against me in every possible way since.
She is evil.”
Caroline J., Facebook
22.
“We had been married for about 18 years.
My husband’s demeanor changed.
It became all about him.
It took until our fourth child was 1-and-a-half before I opened my eyes and realized what was happening.
Conveniently, he left his cellphone at home the next day!
It was all there on his phone.
“I was very sick on our honeymoon with a high-grade fever in a foreign country.
My (now ex) husband went windsurfing.”
Ellen L., Facebook
24.
“My ex-husband only danced with me ONCE at our wedding reception, and it was the scheduled one.
He literally never asked me again, just danced with some guests.
WARNING WARNING WARNING .”
Suzanne P., Facebook
25.
“I think I really knew before the wedding even happened.
I had to walk on eggshells with everything around him.
I never knew what would set his temper off.
He started seeing someone on the side, and I begged him to end it.
They were getting emotionally involved, and that’s not something we agreed on.
He got angry and said I was ‘standing in the way of his happiness.’
During the process of us separating, he threatened to hurt me multiple times.
We were together a little over six years, married for less than one.”
“When my dad passed away.
Money was tight, and my parents lived in Florida.
He did not want me to go to his funeral because flying was expensive.
I pretty much made up my mind that I wanted out two weeks after the funeral.
“We dated for only a year before we got married, but he was amazing during this time.
Two weeks before our wedding, I met his parents, who were awful to me.
The following day, on our honeymoon, he started yelling at me and became very passive-aggressive.
“Fast forward 27 years.
He expected me to work and contribute even though I was in intense pain.
The passive-aggressiveness never stopped.
I waited until the kids moved away for college and called it quits.
I should have ended it much sooner, but I didn’t know how to survive alone.”
28.And: “I married a widower with adult children a little over two years ago.
We were both near retirement age when we married.
I knew my marriage was off to a bad start when he said nothing about us during the reception.
He never looked at me with a loving gaze during the wedding.
He never showed any care or consideration for my feelings.
I was very lonely, and he would totally ignore me.
She said it was her deceased mother’s ring (I had no idea).”
It was a very stressful life.
I realized he didn’t care about me and was not concerned for my welfare.
He would also gaslight me repeatedly when I asked that my feelings be considered.
Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
