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I have to share my story or I'll explode...

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    I have to share my story or I'll explode...

    Hey guys,

    This is my very first post on this forum. I felt like I needed to share my LDR story because of two reasons: first, I really need someone to talk to about it since my LDR has always been a secret and writing this will be some kind of therapy for me. And secondly, I hope it might be useful for other girls who have similar doubts to mine.

    I met him online two years ago, when he was on his military deployment. I live in Europe, he's from the US. From the very beginning of our online conversations we felt this huge connection between us. He was intelligent, funny, we seemed to have similar sense of humour and could talk for hours and hours. And we did. Endless hours of online chatting. We switched from the dating platform to messenger to talk even more. Naturally, soon after he suggested meeting in person. I agreed, but because I'm really careful with people I meet online, didn't decide on the exact date. I told him I would meet him when I feel I can trust him. So we continued messaging. He told me about his job, about the place he lived in, about his brothers, even about his pets, sent me loads of pictures of them.

    After a few weeks, I asked him if there was someone waiting for him back in his country. He was like "well, there was a girl, but I'm not sure". He told me that he did have a girlfriend, but he volunteered for the deployment to kind of escape and give them some time to think about their relationship. He said she was having some emotional problems and was even on some psychological therapy and drug treatment. That he knew it wasn't her fault and couldn't blame her for behaving the way she did but at the same time he wasn't strong enough to go through this with her.

    Then, a few days later he admitted that the facebook account he was using to talk to me was fake. It had his real photos but he changed the name. So I asked him to tell me his real name. He did. Of course, I searched him right away. Imagine how shocked I was when I saw photos of him... with his wife and children. A beautiful, happy family. Then I had a peek at his wife's profile where there were way more pictures of them spending time together.

    I didn't tell him I knew at once. I decided to give him a chance to tell me himself. He did not. The next day I searched his real facebook profile again. He changed his privacy settings so that I could only see his profile picture and basically nothing more. So a few days later, when he was trying to ask me out on a date again, I texted back "I wonder what your wife would think about such an idea".

    He didn't expect that. He said he was trying to find courage to tell me the truth and that he probably would soon but he was too afraid I would stop talking to him. And at first, this was what I wanted to do (and should have done). He told me he had been dreading this moment for a few weeks and begged me to at least let him explain things to me. I agreed.

    He told me that the things between them were far worse than they looked in the photos. That all he told me about his wife's mental problems was true, that sometimes he fears she might be a threat (unintentionally) to the kids because there are days when she's really down and doesn't take care of them and that's why her mum moved to their house when he was deployed to Europe. That he was thinking about a divorce a few years ago, but stayed because of her condition, he couldn't leave her like that. That they stopped sleeping together soon after their last child was born which was about 3 years. Long story short, it was a loveless marriage in his opinion.

    I told him I wasn'g going to meet him in person because I don't date married guys. He said he understood and respected that. But asked me to at least keep on talking to him because he felt he's never had a friend as close as he felt I was to him, that he really needed to talk to me on a daily basis because he felt he could trust me and confide in me and that he felt I was like a soulmate to him, like a friend whom he had known for years although he knew me for a month or two at that time.

    So we talked. And talked and talked for another month. Eventually, he went back to the topic of meeting in person. Said we were having such a great time online and that we should at least meet once, hang out as friends.

    So I agreed to go on a concert with him. When we met, we both felt physically attracted to each other. He's tall and handsome, with sparkling bright eyes and a charming smile. He also told me I looked "even more beautiful" than in the pictures. He started shortening the distance, I didn't object. Before we said goodbye at the end of the meeting, he kissed me. I couldn't resist and kissed him back. And so the affair started.

    I didn't want to meet him too often because I was scared of my own feelings towards him. And I always had this terrible feeling that I was somehow stealing him from the woman he belonged to although he assured me he hasn't been hers for a long time. Not long after, he told me he loved me. I didn't believe him, I told him he was just infatuated and that it was just some physical attraction he was feeling. But he said he knew it was more than that because he wanted me to be safe, loved and cared for no matter if it was with him or with someone else, he just wanted all the best things for me. I asked him not to use such strong words after such a short time of knowing each other because I believe you need way more time to be sure you truly love someone. And saying "I love you" is something you should never do unless you're totally sure you really do.

    We went on a couple of dates. Some of them ended up in a hotel room. The physical attraction we felt went hand in hand with the emotional bond we were creating. We were still talking a lot, laughing a lot, having a blast at the dates. After a few months I was madly in love. He started thinking about building a future together. He said he was angry with himself for not having divorced before the deployment because if he did, he would be able to pursue me the way I deserved - meet my friends and family, tell his dear ones he was dating me, stop doing all this secret dating thing. He told me again that he loved me. That he was absolutely certain of this. Although I knew at that moment that I loved him too, I didn't tell him that. I was afraid. I was careful because I've been hurt in my previous relationships.

    Another few months passed and our relationship grew stronger. We were having this wonderful emotional bond, the physical aspects were also perfect. But his deployment was coming to an end. When we met this last time, he told me he was going to see me soon. I told him not to come back unless the divorce is finalised. He was determined to end his marriage as soon as possible because he knew he should have done that a long time ago.

    He went back to the US at the beginning of 2020. Moved to another state. His wife and children stayed in their house. He started a new job and began the divorce process. Then the covid started. He told me the divorce was taking longer than he expected because the courts were shut. But we were still maintaining the contact, messaging every day, occassionally making phone calls. All the time he was assuring me of his feelings. Almost every day he told me he missed me like crazy. That if not covid, he would have visited me many times, but he couldn't travel. I understood that and reminded him that I wouldn't want to see him anyway as long as he was not single again. He blamed covid for that fact too.

    So we were continuing in this LDR because there was no other option. We had a routine of saying good morning and good night to each other every single day. We messaged a lot, kept each other updated on our separate lives. He told me he loved me a lot, that he couldn't wait to see me. We were still madly in love, although on two different ends of the Atlantic. When I had doubts about this relationship and how it's going to be in the future, he was always telling me that he knows it's hard, for him too, but at the same time he knows it's worth the effort. He's always been absolutely certain this was going to work.

    About two months ago the frequency of our conversations dropped suddenly. There were some days he didn't text at all. Sometimes whole weekends. I'm not the kind of person who would constantly hang on a man and force him to tell me everything he was doing but that wasn't his usual behaviour so I asked him about that. He told me he had a lot of work. He also bought a new house and had a lot to do in it, redecorating it and keeping in clean. Every third weekend he was also having an army drill. Plus, there were days he was visiting his kids and spending time with them. All in all, he had a lot on his plate and I didn't blame him for it. But he assured me again that his feelings did not change and that he wanted a future with me so bad, and that missed me every single day, that he was feeling extra lonely sometimes and wished I was there with him. He also said he would make more effort to find time to talk to me regularly because he didn't want to lose me. We talked, but it wasn't the same kind of quality conversations we were having before. Just some "how are you" and "how's the weather". I started to back out because I felt he stopped trying. I thought he just lost interest so I asked him to think about what he really wants. And that if I am no longer part of his future plans, I would not force him to anything. He said he was 100% sure he wants me in his life. And that he always misses me.

    #2
    Today is Saturday. On Tuesday his fake messenger account was gone. I couldn't message him. On Wednesday I got a message from "him". Starting with "Hi, I'm X's girlfriend". She said they have been dating for almost a year and that she discovered he was messaging me recently and that that was probably the reason why he didn't text me a day or two sometimes. She said she now knows that he lied to us both and that she felt like she had to give me heads up. I could only leave a reply, she opened it and soon after the account was gone.

    I didn't receive a word of explanation from him. He's just gone.

    So, that's my story. My heart is now in pieces. I can't uderstand why he lied to me this whole time when he could easily just focus on that girl and stop cheating both me and her. I keep thinking about him and the things he used to say. He was so convincing when he talked about our future together. Even asked me about how I would feel if he got the custody of his children, if I would be able to see myself as their stepmother. It's all so crazy, like a nightmare. I really trusted him. There are so many questions I will probably never find the answer to.

    But I hope that with time the pain in my heart will slowly pass.

    I wish you all a happier ending of your LDR stories. Cheers!

    Comment


      #3
      Is this real?

      I seem to recall the same story from a month or two ago.

      Comment


        #4
        I wish it was not real and that I didn't have to go through the pain and disappointment I am experiencing now. Could you please share a link to the story you've read?

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by majanonim View Post
          I wish it was not real and that I didn't have to go through the pain and disappointment I am experiencing now. Could you please share a link to the story you've read?
          Sorry. I looked back through old posts, as far back as last October, and didn't see it.

          There is just something about your post that makes me feel like I read it before.

          The only advice I can suggest is, since he was cheating on both you and his wife and "girlfriend" all at the same time, is to stay as far away from him as possible. I know it hurts but you will be far better off.

          Comment


            #6
            Thanks OhioJim. Of course my reasonable mind tells me to stop thinking about him and just continue to live my life. But it's hard to tell it to my heart now all crushed. Those thoughts don't leave my head even for a split second and make my stomach twist. I had to share the whole story, go back to the things he's said and done, look for the red flags I could have missed. There were none, he seemed so fair and truthful telling me how much he loved me all this time. Sharing his day to day life, sending pictures. Apparently he was just omitting "one little detail" of his life. It's hard for me to accept the fact that someone can be so two-faced. It's as if these were two different people. I thought we knew each other so well and it turns out I didn't know him at all...

            Comment


              #7
              I am so sorry for you Majanonim. Trust is so important and he has betrayed yours so badly. Of course you believed him. You had no reason not to. But I can't imagine how tough this is for you.
              It will take time and accepting that is your first step. You will have better days and worse days. I hope sharing here has helped a little and feel free to come back and share as often as you want of need.
              Like OhioJim said, if her was cheating, you have dodged a bullet. I know that doesn't help right now but it is something improtantt.
              Take care.

              Comment


                #8
                Thank you D_M for your supportive words. It has helped me. Yes, it is very important that I have discovered the truth now. I should be forever grateful to this girl, who seemed to have more respect for me than he did and I will. If she didn't tell me, he would probably continue his lies, perhaps to the point when I would leave everything I have here and fly to live with him in this goddamn farce. I know what kind of torture she's experiencing now because I have been in a similar situation in the past. I know how much pain I'm feeling now and I imagine hers is even bigger because she was there with him, they were seeing each other regularly and he lied to her looking straight in her eyes. She must have read our conversations in which he often told me he loved me, called me pet names, told me about his kids and divorce details and how much he appreciated my presence in his life. He often said that, after his children, I was the best thing that ever happened in his life, that we have the best memories and that he wanted to make more of them. However, I've always been aware this might not work because of the distance, but I thought the feelings might just die out, I would never ever suspect he was capable of cheating in this horrible way.
                The pain is excruciating but, as they say, time is the best remedy. So, I'm waiting. I'm just afraid that after having been cheated on twice with people whom I really loved and trusted unconditionally, I will never be able to trust anyone...

                Comment


                  #9
                  Hi Majanonim. I am very sorry you are going through this. You have been very unlucky with this individual and I think his behavior verges on (or goes beyond) sociopathic. I hate cheating, not just for all the pain it causes, or the lying, or the disrespect, but of the way it often robs a person of trust, and potentially of good people in their lives afterwards.
                  I hope you don't lose the ability to trust again. There are good people out there and plenty of people who don't cheat. Take time for yourself and heal your wounded heart. You wouldn't run on a broken leg, but would give it time to heal and build up again.
                  Spend time with friends, family, people close to you where you're from, visit this forum if ever you need support, get into nature. Take care.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Hello Majanonim,

                    I read your story and I felt so sad for you when I got to its ending. That's a devastating way for a love affair to end, not only because of the situation but also because he offered no words of explanation or closure for you. That makes it one of the hardest types of love affairs to move on from. I send BIG hugs to you. Time heals all wounds, remember. Be gentle with yourself, and take it one day at a time.

                    As for the red flags, there was a big red flag: the fact that he had children. Had it been just a girlfriend (or even, wife) who he had back home then things might have had more potential. But getting involved with a married man with kids is definitely walking into the flames. Even if he chose to leave his wife, it still would have taken time to sort things out with the kids and for them to heal, too.

                    I speak from personal experience because I was a bit like your guy. I met my SO online while I was still with my partner and I have kids. However, I told my partner within weeks of our contact and knew that I needed to end our relationship. It was very hard and messy and difficult for everyone but we got through it and my LDR SO and I persevered through it all.

                    To continue the relationship with my partner while I got closer to my online SO would have been despicable IMO.

                    I am so sorry he did this to you. I guess because he was deployed and away from home, he felt he had the freedom to "pretend" he had a different life for a while. He did not have to face up to the reality of what he was doing and so he chose to live in a fantasy world with you. It was a very cowardly and irresponsible thing to do.

                    I realise you must be in a lot of pain. Please reach out if you need more support.
                    "The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again".
                    -Charles Dickens

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Hi D_M. I don't believe him being sociopathic is the case here. I think he's completely aware of what he has done to me and her. He's always been so sympathetic to other people, never had problems in social situations. However, I'm not an expert. I am trying to heal my heart day by day, step by step. Yet it's really hard to just quit thinking about a person who's been constantly in your head, soul and heart for the last two years. But today I almost didn't cry - I consider it my little success and a tiny step forward.

                      Vivid_idea thank you so much for your post. You know, maybe it is the exact opposite and it's the perfect way for this relation to end. What I mean is, the fact that he doesn't even try to reach out and explain himself to me proves that I've never been really important to him. Even though he used to say that almost every day in the last 20 months, he's never really loved me. Never. And that's the hardest part. Because to me, not only was he a person I wanted to create a long lasting relationship, but also my friend. I could always talk to him about everything and expose my soul to him. And he would listen. And he would understand. But now all of that turned out to be a lie. He wasn't the person he tricked me into believing he was. And this is what I keep telling myself. That I loved a different person. And that the person I loved never existed.

                      Yes, I was aware I was walking into flames. He has kids but what he's always heard from me was that he should always prioritize them. Not me, not himself, but them. And I've always been ready to give up on him if that was what he would think is best for his children. He knew that because I told him that many times. But we agreed that the time we spend apart would be as long as he would need to sort things out for them.

                      Now when I think of it, the real red flag was the fact that: 1) He hid his real life, both on the dating website and on his real facebook profile. He's never changed his privacy settings so that what he posts is visible to people who are not among his friends, which I should have seen as an indicator that he was still hiding something, and 2) He was married and he cheated on his wife. With me. If he was capable of cheating her with me, why wouldn't he be capable of cheating me with another woman? He made me feel special to him. But it was all just a game for him. The only thing I don't understand now is why he continued playing it for such a long time.

                      Comment


                        #12
                        That guy is a player.

                        Comment

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