23 Women Share The Relatable Moment They Realized Their Marriage Was Actually Over
Their eyes had finally been opened to the truth about their marriages.
Thought Catalog | Unsplash When a marriage is done, it's done, and you just feel it. When a bad marriage has finally reached its expiration date, you know it's time to pack it in.
We spoke to women who shared the relatable moment they knew their marriage was actually over: this relationship was done for good — from drug use to affairs, each reason was the tipping point that led to an eventual divorce.
Women reveal the relatable moment they realized their marriage was actually over:
1. 'He left me pregnant, sick, and alone'
"When I was pregnant and sick with our second son for two months before he was born and my husband came to visit me once. Once. Barely called, too." — Lisa M.
2. 'I started not to care if he came home from work'
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"When I didn't care where he was when he didn't come home from work . . . I knew." — Pat C
3. 'I did it all — he still found something to complain about'
"When I realized I did 90 percent of the work in the home, earned 95 percent of the money, paid all the bills, managed child care, and food shopping . . . and when I said I was overwhelmed, he told me to try running my own business and see how stressful it is!" — Sue E
4. 'He wanted me to get pregnant, then asked me to abort the baby'
"When he begged me to give him a child because he had none and he was 39. I got pregnant, and he begged me to abort the baby. I found out he has two kids in another state he doesn't see or pay child support to . . . " — Crystal F
5. 'The loneliness started to become too much'
"When the loneliness became so painful." — Natalie O
6. 'I couldn't handle the intense emotional and psychological abuse'
"After years of emotional and psychological abuse and torture . . . I accused him of lying about something (about money, unbeknownst to him) and he admitted his affair. It was my ticket out!" — Rachel L
7. 'He gave me proof of an affair'
"When I saw the text 'Can I still call you?' from the other girl in his phone." — Tracy C
8. 'He was barely working, and I became the main breadwinner'
"He said 'maybe' he could look for a job in a different field, his old field since he hadn't found any work in his 'aspirational field.' Meanwhile, I was completely supporting us financially and couldn't take time off with our soon-to-be second child." — Danielle T
9. 'He didn't find me attractive anymore'
"When he told me he fell out of love with me and wasn't attracted to me." — Caren C
10. 'He hit me'
"When he put his hands on me." — Heather W
11. 'I lost respect for him'
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"When I lost respect for him." — Maureen B
12. 'He took our kids' college money'
"When he spent the kids' college money." — Jean B
13. 'His gambling problem'
"He was gambling every day while I was pregnant with our second child and supporting him through grad school." — Lauren S
14. 'I started to cringe at his touch'
"When I cringed at his touch." — Jennifer R
15. 'His bad character was becoming hard to ignore'
"When he said his motto was 'deny it to the end.'" — Dawn A
16. 'He was a control freak'
"When he accused me of cheating on him when I was texting a girlfriend from work . . . on my birthday." — Dana D
17. 'He started to hide assets'
"When I discovered he was hiding assets and income under phony trusts, including my car that I drove and the house that I live in . . . " — Laura L
18. 'I resorted to begging him to love me'
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"When I found myself begging him to love me." — Angela A
19. 'He showed no interest in our baby'
"When he wouldn't hold our newborn daughter." — Sara D
20. 'He abandoned us'
"When he just left us and didn't come back." — Hannah R
21. 'He was absent during our pregnancy'
"When he wasn't around during our pregnancy and when he was, he was mean and abusive." — Lisa G
22. 'He started cheating with a younger woman'
"When I caught him with a younger woman." — Cindy B
23. 'My son didn't ever to be like his dad'
"When my 6-year-old son said he would never treat his wife the way his dad treats me." — Dena L
If you think you may be experiencing depression or anxiety as a result of ongoing emotional abuse, you are not alone. Domestic abuse can happen to anyone and is not a reflection of who you are or anything you've done wrong. If you feel as though you may be in danger, there is support available 24/7/365 through the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-7233. If you’re unable to speak safely, text LOVEIS to 1-866-331-9474.
Laura Lifshitz is a former MTV personality and Columbia University graduate currently writing about divorce, women’s issues, fitness, parenting, and marriage. Her work has been featured in the New York Times, DivorceForce, Women’s Health, Working Mother, PopSugar, and more.