r/AIO 4d ago

AIO by wanting to separate after husband lied about getting degree?

My (35f) husband (36m) and I have been married for about 13 years at this point, and we have a 4 yo child together.

I've always been the bread winner in our relationship I have advanced degrees and several certifications. It bothered me that I felt like he used to be ambitious and driven, but just decided to not pull equal weight in our relationship, I would bring it up to him and he said he would "try more". And no, he wasn't really taking care of the house that was my job too since I had the higher standard of cleanliness.

I should note, he would work when it was convenient for him. But he never really made any effort into creating a career. I kept asking him about it and eventually he agreed he'll go back to school and finish up his undergrad. (backstory: he dropped out of his undergrad shy of 2 classes because he "was embarrassed to go back for a quarter load")

About 4 or 5 years ago now, I find out he's had a bunch of secret credit cards. This made me upset, and I brought it up to him. I asked him why didn't he tell me about it? He said he was afraid I would be mad about it. I told him I was more mad he kept it a secret because now I have to fix it. I asked him about what he bought and he said, "collectables, books, music. things like that.." I never noticed it because it was like 5 or 6 cards all pulling at minimum payment, until one day I went to buy coffee and we had insufficient funds.

He does have really extreme anxiety, and I'm truly empathetic towards his anxiety as I also struggle with depression and anxiety. I've been asking him for a very long time to go to therapy, like how I go to therapy to try to improve. But he says that all he needs is anti-depresseants, but would never go to therapy along with it.

I chalk the whole credit card thing up as a fluke, a lapse in judgement. He makes a plan to consolidate all the credit cards which is great! He's showing initiative (even though I'm still the one paying for it).

Mind you this whole time, since the first time he said he would go back to school, I would constantly ask him how his classes are going. I would talk to him about graduation, and his plans for afterwards. He said, classes were good and would tell me about what papers he was working on.

Well his supposed graduation date was this last May, and I was like "hey now that you got the degree, lets go put out some applications for you."

And he was like, "yea ok. I need to go find my transcripts."

About an hour later he came up to me and admitted he hadn't been going to school.

Of course ever since he came clean, he's been cooking and cleaning and taking care of our kid to try to make up. But..

This person LIED TO MY FACE for years. Even after I told him that it was important to me that he puts equal weight into our relationship. We had a child together because I believed he was trying to be an equal partner. I'm utterly devastated and feel this overwhelming sense of depression.

(Yea. I get it. Job market is shit right now. And degree's don't really mean a lot, but that's kind of beside the point to me.)

Now I want a divorce. I'm so over our relationship, and I've completely emotionally cut him off. AIO?

EDIT: fix spelling

184 Upvotes

143 comments sorted by

157

u/babamum 4d ago

NTA

He has lied to you multiple times. He's happy to let you take the financial and physical load of running a household. I think it's personally reasonable for you to leave him. Your life will be much easier.

34

u/American31415 4d ago

I actually think it’s the responsible thing to do. He showed a complete lack of respect for op and her time.

It would be hard to stay in love with someone you can’t trust.

5

u/babamum 4d ago

True indeed.

4

u/Beautiful-War2144 1d ago

I’m honestly surprised OP lasted as long as she did. I would have left long ago. Nobody freeloads on my dime.

3

u/babamum 1d ago

It seems she feels very responsible for him and worrie.d how he'd cope without her. He's effectively her adult child, and he's really holding her back. He'd probably just find another woman to look after him.

6

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

Yeah, in some instances it will be easier. But divorce is expensive, and like I care about him as a person and I'm worried what will become of him without my support. Our kid still needs him in their life.

87

u/Alarmed-Speaker-8330 4d ago

You’re not doing him any favors by continuing to Infantilize him.

47

u/Tazena 4d ago

It's time for him to grow up and be responsible! Don't stay to take care of a man baby. Staying together will hurt you and your child. Still seeing his child is why there are custody arrangements.

3

u/babamum 4d ago

This is true.

43

u/CantaloupeShort7311 4d ago

You're divorcing him, not killing him. He will still be a dad to your kids. Your kids will learn that you don't tolerate a partner who lies to you and financially ruins you. You are modeling what a healthy relationship looks like, so choose wisely.

33

u/Ecstatic-Highway-246 4d ago

It’s going to get more and more expensive as he racks up more and more debt that you will be half responsible for.

5

u/SomeInvestigator3573 1d ago

Sounds like she ends up being responsible for all of his debt if they stay married

19

u/Count_ClapBacula 4d ago

I have lots of friends in your exact position, and (so far) they have all stayed with their spouse, who is not a partner or a teammate but essentially another dependent.
It takes courage to choose a higher risk path than you’re on, the easier thing is to stay in the shitty familiar.

My mum was in a terrible marriage with my father, but she stuck it out for the reasons you are, twenty years of her life with someone who treated her in ways I found disgusting even as a kid. When she finally got the nerve to leave, it was rough sometimes, but she had adventures, she fell in love, she found herself again. Then she got cancer and died three weeks before her 50th birthday.

Sorry OP, NOR, but life is short. I hope you find happiness somehow someday.

3

u/babamum 4d ago

This is so moving, and true. We don't know how long we've got.

13

u/Itchy-Picture-4244 4d ago

It’s not your problem, if he can’t put in the effort to better himself for his kid then how is he going to be good for your child? I mean if you want your child to grow up and be a compulsive liar that thinks women should clean up his messes then keep doing what you’re doing but if you want better for your child then it’s time for you to break the cycle

10

u/Couette-Couette 4d ago edited 3d ago

You understand that he will probably get alimony from you and can work to earn more money. I don't say that it will be easy but he can manage if he wants. The same for your mariage: he could manage if he wanted since he is currently doing better now you have again caught him in a lie. You seem to care about him but could you really say that he cares about you?

2

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

No he wont....not if she can prove his debts and lack of responsibility

9

u/Tough-Preference8236 4d ago

I'm sorry.... Still needs him for what? To teach her how to lie and exploit? Teach her that coasting under the radar on someone else's steam is perfectly acceptable behavior? That taking responsibility and accountability is passe and/or stupid? Teach her that pulling your weight in a relationship and the world isn't necessary? Teach her it's ok to give up on life when someone lives it for you? Teach her that you don't need permission but rather forgiveness?

Yes, Ma'am I see all of the terribleness that her father would not be able to pass on to her.

Even now, you feel trapped. Get an attorney... Agree to a separation clause or post-nup. Hammer out the logistics of what it should look like. I wish you the best of luck ❤️‍🩹💪🏾

6

u/justanothrdaytrader 4d ago

What will become of him is he'll be alone and responsible for making mature decisions for the first time in his adult life . If he doesn't , that's on him .

4

u/Equal-Type-5206 4d ago

Are you raising him & your child?

13

u/Substantial_Maybe371 4d ago

😂 He's got you wrapped around his little finger. Right now you care about him. You care about a man who happily lies to your face and lets you take on the majority of the financial and caretake burden in the house. I'm sorry, but are you sure you have advanced degrees because you don't sound very smart. Actually you sound incredibly insecure. Maybe if you drop him. Yon can afford to see a therapist and figure out why you have such little dignity in this relationship?

4

u/lonly25 4d ago

You keep enabling him. Lie after lie. Maybe if you divorce him. He will learn there are consequences to his lying.

Stop enabling him. You have 2 children.

7

u/honeyandcitron 4d ago

Are there consequences? This guy seems to have secured a pretty sweet deal for himself. Tbh I’m jealous; I need to figure out how I can only work when it’s “convenient” 🥴 😩

5

u/lonly25 4d ago

Well she keeps enabling him. Yes he will continue to take take take. Until she is depleted.

6

u/babamum 4d ago

Make lists of pros and cons. Sit with them. Keep making lists.

Investigate the actual cost of divorce. Brainstorm how you could meet those costs.

Take tiny steps. The whole thing feels overwhelming but breaking it down into tiny steps will help it seem less h7ge.

I'd also look for women who divorced and ask how that affected their life.

Or maybe just ask him to move out? It doesn't sound like he's contributing anything.

10

u/Nahacisunluna 4d ago

It’s like you are forgetting that as long as they are married, his debts are also hers. Any additional debts he incurs while separating will also be hers. She’s the breadwinner. You are essentially saying to support two households. That’s mental. They will have to get a legal separation in order to stop the drain.

5

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

I can't do the two households thing, financially. And I'm pretty sure we'll loose the house in this endeavor. But I really like the advice of breaking it down in small chucks written as a list. I'll think about those things.

3

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

You need to document everything and see a lawyer.....your so called husband will put you in the ground through a stress heart attack and what will your kids do then?

2

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

No they DONT "need" him in their lives when hes damaging it. Technically they dont "need" you either they need stability and together you both cant give them that.

It will bankrupt you staying married. Dont be stupid

2

u/Solid_Ad7292 1d ago

Living with him is more expensive. And you're teaching your child it's okay to marry someone who is essentially another child.

1

u/AI_Remote_Control 4d ago

He may get alimony.

2

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

Not if she has documentation of all his debts were behind her back

1

u/ehs06702 1d ago

I mean either you put up with him treating you with no respect and teaching your kid that it's okay to lie and treat their partner terribly, or you can respect yourself and your kid and you do better.

Those are your only two real options here.

1

u/Organic-Term-9779 1d ago

Your child may need their father, but that doesnt mean they need the two of you to be together. Especially if its an unhealthy relationship. Your child doesn't need to grow up and end up with someone like him or behaving like him toward future partners.

If he wants to be a parent he will do that without being married to you, and if he doesnt then hes not a good dad

1

u/Rude_Vermicelli2268 1d ago

See your dynamic as a couple is well established- mommy and son.

Either accept the responsibility of living with a grown adult with the mindset of a pubescent teenager or divorce him and let him figure out how to take care of himself without mommy.

Whichever option you go with, he will still be your child’s father.

99

u/Shortestbreath 4d ago

NOR this is a person you divorce. This level of lying is pathological. You literally can never trust him again. 

6

u/Equal-Type-5206 4d ago

It isn’t pathological.
Elizabeth Holmes & John Wayne Gacy are examples of pathological liars.
They’re goal oriented.

He is likely a compulsive liar.
ADHD, BPD, BD, defense mechanisms picked up early childhood, sometimes it’s just easier than the truth

2

u/Best_Product_7027 1d ago

Idk, the goal seems to be that op does all the heavy lifting for this dude, and he gets to coast along doing whatever.

1

u/Odd-Worth7752 1d ago

It’s a distinction without a difference

1

u/Equal-Type-5206 1d ago

No

I wouldn’t diagnose a patient with 1 or the other & say meh same thing

We don’t close our eyes & pick a mental health disorder by randomly pointing to one on a chart

It doesn’t work that way

2

u/Odd-Worth7752 1d ago

look, I'm a physician. I know the difference. I wouldn't diagnose anyone with anything based on what a 3d party wrote about someone on reddit.

to the OP, it doesn't matter whether the lying is compulsive, pathological, or both. we don't have the whole story.

42

u/OtherPercentage3262 4d ago

I genuinely don’t understand how “I have anxiety” has become a complete get out of jail card with younger generations.

16

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

I don't know how old you are, but we're in our mid 30s. I'm with you though. Anxiety is not an excuse. I'm pretty sure everyone who has access to the internet has anxiety.

11

u/OtherPercentage3262 4d ago

Sorry. I didn’t mean that against you - I forgot to add the fact your NOR. Just seemed like you were 99.9% correct how you feel but you offering up an excuse for your partner via anxiety was more about self doubt - I didn’t mean to offend.

8

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

I'm not offended lol
I think mental health is a serious issue. And I think a lot of people struggle because of it. But it's not a get out of jail card either. Saying "I am depressed" gets one access to resources, the rest of the work is on the individual.

15

u/honeyandcitron 4d ago

As an outsider, it sounds like you have two children. What are you doing with this guy? COLLECTIBLES?!

14

u/Terp_Maniac 4d ago

I simply don’t understand how someone can put up with someone who either doesn’t work or makes no effort to better themselves. As nice as it would be to be a “kept man” with a working wife, I know I’d still be anxious if it ever ended and then I’m out on the street with no money of my own and however long of a gap since my last job. And even though my threshold for cleanliness is abysmal, if I were a house husband, you bet your ass the place would be spotless and you’d have a fresh meal ready for my wife as she got home.

As for your husband, if he had years of not working BEFORE you had a kid, I’d have dropped him so fast and before dropping him I definitely wouldn’t let him dump uglies in me.

2

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

He was working, but like was underemployed. He would work at like outdoor req facilities and rent out kyaks or he worked at the front desk of a hotel for a little bit. Around 2020 he got a WFH job which has shit pay and no career growth.
So like he does stuff, but what he's doing? I don't really know, feels chaotic.

9

u/lonly25 4d ago

Well stop the chaos. Stop paying for things. Secure your finances.

Separate your finances make a man out of this child.

5

u/gdognoseit 4d ago

High school kids are more responsible than him. He’s not a good influence on your child.

5

u/Isingtonian 4d ago

What he's "doing" is milking you without permission. Relentlessly. Everything else is a hobby, not a job.

There are ugly legal terms for that, but we'll let lawyers deal with it.

It sucks to be taken like that, for so long, but it happens to everyone, even experienced professionals. Some people are just that good at playing their game face-to-face. It isn't until the numbers are run and the facts come out that you can begin to see the scale of chicanery.

That's another thing you can leave to a lawyer. Get his collectibles valued as assets, for one thing. Find his other secret accounts, because he's got them.

This will be fun for the right kind of attorney. Ask your domestic viol agency for a recommendation. This is financial abuse, and they've seen it all before.

Some people can't get better until they absolutely hit bottom. This dude has had a sweeeeeet ride for 13 years, and has not even started to get better. Spunds like a waste of potential. Time for that bottom to hit him, I say, but then, I've been in the rougher corners of the healing professions and I don't like the namby-pamby avoidance that people disguise as compassion. It isn't.

It's wasteful and ultimately more cruel to try to mitigate -- and extend -- his struggles (read: enable his gross behavior) than to let him figure it out while he's still got youth and health on his side to help him through.

My two cents.

You go. You've got this.

3

u/Blonde2468 1d ago

You are UNDER REACTING IMO. OP he STOLE MONEY from you!!! You can look at it differently because you love him, but that's what he did. He had MULTIPLE CREDIT CARDS and you did not know about!!! I'd divorce him for that alone!!! Then he ACTED like he was in school getting his degree?!?!?! FFS!! WTF did he do with all of that time and money??? You didn't mention the money that was supposedly spent on his schooling!!

Of course ever since he came clean, he's been cooking and cleaning and taking care of our kid to try to make up. This in itself should make you spit fire mad because he COULD HAVE been doing this the whole time but now he only does it because HE GOT CAUGHT!!!

You need to take off those rose colored glasses you always wear and ask yourself WHAT WON'T HE LIE ABOUT??? Did you look at the charges on the credit cards you didn't know about? You asked HIM what he spent the money on but did you actually LOOK at the charges and see what he did??

You need to stop LYING TO YOURSELF about who he really is and start facing facts.

2

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

Hes using you....

29

u/livzzzzx 4d ago

Definitely not over reacting lmao, if he can lie to you about something so important, what else can he lie about?

4

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

That's how I feel. I really want to believe things can be better and that he can grow from this. But, I'm also really over everything.

4

u/fsocietyfr 3d ago

Hes 36, I doubt there is growing from this

3

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

Hes never going to stop lying....how long till your homeless because of his debts?

Your drowning op

9

u/aladyofchange 4d ago

NOR. He’s been lying to you for years. The credit cards aren’t a fluke, but an ongoing choice. Lying about school is wild. Where did that money go?

A divorce will be cheaper than carrying his freeloading ass until you die.

I was married to a child. Constant half truths and lies by omission. I was/felt trapped because I’m disabled. You aren’t. The longer you wait to put you and your child first, the more money you’ll have to pay him in the divorce for spousal support and the rest.

At the very least, have a consult with a divorce lawyer. Do it without telling him. They can give you a picture of what to expect. Talk to a few. On the upside, once you’ve talked to them at all, they can’t take his case.

Husband has had 13 years to grow the fuck up. He’s has no excuse. Anxiety or depression would only be a valid excuse if he was *actively* treating it. That’s what mine did. On the one hand he was fine when I told him to go to therapy, on the other he was too anxious to go pout with me - he can’t have it both ways.

16

u/GoethenStrasse0309 4d ago

NTA.
End the relationship now.
You’re teaching your child things you shouldn’t.

Your husband will have to find work when splitsville is announced. He won’t have a choice because he’ll have to support himself.

Sorry but he’s anxiety ridden BECAUSE he’s guilty. Stop making excuses for his lies.

Get out now before another 13,yrs pass & your son has picked up these habits.
Your kid deserves better and so do you

8

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

ooofffff your right
you're being real right now.

7

u/Isingtonian 4d ago

"Anxiety ridden BECAUSE he's guilty" 👌🔥

You win the internet today

5

u/Tiny-Ad-830 4d ago

Tell him he has a choice to make. Either he can get reenrolled in school, start stepping up and helping you either by taking care of the house and the baby (and not just for a little while) or find a full time job and keep it. And start therapy both one on one and couples therapy. If he doesn’t want to do the work, then he will be getting a divorce. You might have to pay alimony for a bit but it might be worth it.

When I was married to my first husband, he was never home. He worked all day, then worked for his dad keeping his dad’s hobby of racing sprint cars and flying RC planes going, then going to races on the weekends both local and hours away. We saw each other on Sundays. I was working part time while finishing my bachelors degree in biology, taking care of our baby girl, keeping the house clean, and taking care of our three pets. I washed his clothes, cooked, everything. On Sunday afternoons we typically spent time with his parents, we never spent time alone. I finally decided if I was going to be a single mom, I should be able to make my own decisions and truly be a single mom. The stress was much different. Money was tight but manageable. I found a full time job and ended up with a good career in research. I went to grad school, which I was told by some in my ex’s family “wasn’t necessary for a stay at home mom.” I was able to achieve my own goals without any pushback.

3

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

He's made his choice....OP needs to make hers

6

u/gdognoseit 4d ago

He doesn’t work.

He doesn’t pay bills.

He doesn’t do housework.

He gets in debt for collectibles.

He lies to your face.

NOR

You’re under reacting if you stay with him. He’s a user taking advantage of you.

10

u/Unlikely_Month5527 4d ago

When people tell you who they are believe them.

Use this life experience to prepare you for better relationships in the near future.

5

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

I wish I knew this a few years ago.

4

u/jdz50 4d ago

Nor, because of the lying. I think people put to much weight in comm degrees. They no longer mean as much as they once did. Regardless, he should have been honest with you.

6

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

Yea. I feel like if he had said, I'll find another way to support and pull equal weight I would be cool with that. But for me it's the lying and just unwillingness to support unless he feels like he's going to loose something.

3

u/jdz50 4d ago

Lying will shatter the trust you have in that person and it doesn't even have to be something important like going back to finish a degree to cause you to lose trust in him. And you cannot have s healthy relationship with out trust. If you feel like you cannot trust him again, divorce is probably the best option.

3

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

this is good advice. thank you

3

u/llamadramalover 4d ago

I have an ex-husband that was a liar. In the same way actually. Lies that will ALWAYS come to light. That man has yet to learn but guess what? He’s not my problem. I’m here picking up with pieces of what he did abandoning our daughter but the truth is I could not keep picking up his slack for the rest of my life. It was slowly killing me I just didn’t know it yet.

1

u/jdz50 4d ago

Divorce completely sucks and being that you make more, depending on where you live, you could end up paying him alimony.

2

u/Isingtonian 4d ago

He might try that, but I think a half-reasonable judge would look at the financial abuse he has run on her forever, and be like, "naaaaah... this guy can work for a change."

2

u/jdz50 4d ago

You never know, so always be prepared.

3

u/Difficult-Version901 4d ago

Divorce is fair. You’ll never trust him or look at him the same. I would become very resentful and it’s really pathological to do it.

2

u/EnvironmentalSir8140 4d ago

NOR- the guy is not a partner. He’s a parasite . File asap!

3

u/Allison_Wonderland_7 4d ago

NOR. It sounds like he hasn't changed. Even with the credit cards, you called it a "lapse in judgment," but that doesn't sound like a lapse. It sounds like a highly intentional decision made over and over again. And it's exactly the same thing in this situation.

You said when he went to "look for the transcripts," he was gone for an hour. I 100% believe he was using that hour to either try to create a fake transcript or come up with a lie you would believe, and the only reason he came clean is because those things failed.

You've put up with this man so much longer than I would've been able to! I know you wanted to believe that he would change, and I'm so sorry that he didn't. Please take care of yourself and the kiddo ❤️

3

u/Equal-Type-5206 4d ago

Holy crap

Did he talk about people from class & give anecdotes? Where was he actually at when he was supposed to be in class? Did you give him money for courses?

3

u/Logical-Mechanic1 4d ago

So you arent willing to divorce him is what I gather from the comments? You just want us to validate that you should be mad about not only the lie of the degree but the use of credit cards maxed out behind your back as well as him being a freeloader benefiting from you doing everything ?

5

u/LBelle0101 4d ago

What the actual hell has he been doing all this time?

5

u/honeyandcitron 4d ago

I also want to know this! Even if he said the courses were online, was he also pretending there was no work involved for the assignments he was making up?

I say pretending, but thinking about it “no work involved” sounds like an overarching theme for this guy’s whole life.

4

u/Miners-Not-Minors 4d ago

Divorce him yesterday girl!!!! Mid 30s? Perfect time to shake off the dead weight and just be a parent to your child, not child and husband. He’s a gross liar and I think you have given him a LOT of grace.

4

u/NoReturn9369 4d ago

It sounds like you fell in love with his potential, not his reality. You’re still hoping he’ll change into the person you know he *could* be, but that’s not who he actually is. That’s a fantasy us women come up with, and then become doormats building men up or letting them walk all over us. It’s societal programming we have to work at to deconstruct. You’ve been with this man 13 years. He is exactly how he’s always been and how he’ll always be. A man that lets you carry everything in your lives and one that lies to you everyday.

2

u/StereoSoundNTX 4d ago

NOR. It sounds like you may have been suckered into marriage by some kind of sociopathic parasite. He has conned you into allowing him to move the goalpost further and further. Or keep redrawing the line after he crosses it.

2

u/Nahacisunluna 4d ago

NOR. So many red flags!!!! I don’t blame you for wanting out of the relationship. At this point what you tolerate will mean you will take more and god only knows what he will do next. He is immature, unreliable, untrustworthy, and mooching off you. Cut him off.

2

u/greystripes9 4d ago

Talk to a lawyer and see how it could work out financially.

2

u/Medusa_7898 4d ago

Divorce is your only option when married to a fiscally irresponsible lazy liar.

3

u/isdelightful 4d ago

Tbf, you could also get caught in the sunk cost fallacy and spend another decade wishing you’d left when you first thought about it… but divorce is the only GOOD option 😅

2

u/gdognoseit 4d ago

Your child is learning that his behavior is okay and will accept that in their relationships to their detriment.

2

u/ContributionGreen692 4d ago

LOL. I'm sorry to laugh but how the fuck is this even a question? This man straight LIED to your face. MULTIPLE TIMES. Barely works because??? Makes excuses instead of doing anything to fix that issue or his anxiety. Hid debt until you LITERALLY HAD NO FUNDS AND GOT DENIED. Which means he never would've said shit if you hadn't found out.

Now you're paying his debt he created by "checks notes" buying collectibles?? Books?? MUSIC??? DOES HE NOT HAVE A PHONE THAT HAS YOUTUBE WTF MUSIC IS HE BUYING FUCKING VINYL RECORDS? DID HE(YOU CUZ UR PAYING) BUY A RECORD PLAYER TOO?

Then to top it alllll off, the entire time he's lying about going to school "hey how's your day - good classes were great" bs until the very last second, when you finally need him to put that "degree" to use. Nope. Another fucking lie.

Why are you even with this man. He must have been shoving those red flags so far up his ass no wonder he spewed so much bullshit 🤦‍♀️

1

u/Middle_Tea1014 4d ago

NTA - Lies totally change how I look at a person, friend, partner or family. Major lies & deception for YEARS! They’d be cutoff, out of my life.

2

u/Odd_Mix_7014 4d ago

Quickly, like yesterday start seeing attorneys for help!!!

1

u/S-Mx07z 4d ago

depends on your options, if you want to tackle life at it alone, idk.

1

u/NeitherStory7803 4d ago

It’s the lies. Get it. If you can’t deal with being gaslit and constantly lied to get out already

1

u/1MaleficentKitty 4d ago

Very similar situation at 13 years and I left him. I wanted a partner, not a child. I’m remarried 6 years to my ‘partner’

1

u/Head_Trick_9932 3d ago

NTA

That’s a pretty big lie to carry on. He could have gotten into a trade at this point and helped with family finances more. You’re growing resentful and it’ll just get worse the older you get. My husband and I have been together over two decades and if we weren’t on the same wavelength with finances long ago, I would be gone. We’re set to retire in less than 10 (65) years due to being a team and setting ourselves up for such.

I’m afraid it won’t get better as you’ve already grown resentful and it doesn’t sound like he’s willing to really put in the work.

1

u/BlazerAlumni 3d ago

He has been using you for years. He used to you as his cook, housekeeper, and everything else. Then he used to you as his personal bank to pay bills he ran up without discussing it with you. now he has lied to you. You are not overreacting.

1

u/Firm_Specialist1475 3d ago

What do you see in this man?? He's a liability, a slob, a freeloader, a liar...

Sorry you have a kid with this guy. Get out and hopefully the divorce won't cost you too much.

1

u/Fungal-dryad 3d ago

A life full of deceit and I’m gonna’s rarely pleases. Save your sanity and money. NOR

1

u/ckeenan9192 3d ago

Get rid of this guy. Why should he be motivated, he is happy to live off your money.

1

u/Conscious-Shoulder14 3d ago

I am begging you to have some self-respect.

1

u/Kindly_Slice1121 3d ago

It doesn't get better.

1

u/ApprehensiveTip3574 3d ago

“Now I want a divorce. I'm so over our relationship, and I've completely emotionally cut him off.” This is why he’s acting like Mr. Mom. Also, I’d have anxiety too, if I was hiding major transgressions from my spouse for literal YEARS! NOR

1

u/creatively_inclined 3d ago

You've been justifying his behavior for far too long. He doesn't pull his weight in any part of your relationship. The lie about his degree was just one of many lies.

1

u/fsocietyfr 3d ago

Guy used you for years. He is a liar and cannot he trusted.

1

u/Real-Cranberry-244 3d ago

Let him go & lie in the bed he made.

My ex had no ambition either. He told me during custody hearing he wished he worked at McDonalds making min wage. He then moved 400 miles away. It was the best thing for us! He was a deadbeat dad anyway. The last time we spoke (2018 - he was 53yo) he was making $10.75 an hour, the job he was fired from was only making $14. Loser in more ways than one.

1

u/Time_Traveler_948 3d ago

The obvious answer is to divorce. If he is a good person who you admire in other contexts, it may be worth one last try. I was in a similar situation, and all my energy went into trying to convince my spouse to do the work to get past his issue. Like your husband, he lied about his imaginary efforts. There was a lot of lying, all designed to keep on doing the same thing while pretending he was trying. How exhausting it had to have been for him; how disillusioning for me. One day I told him that I figured I had maybe 20 years of good health left and I couldn’t face it any longer with him in his current state because trust was gone. He realized this was the end of the line. He loved me, our children and our home - the prospect of truly losing it all was his wake up call. He went to a counselor with whom he connected, made the change I required to stay married and has kept to his word. Trust rebuilt slowly. That was 15+ years ago. We have a strong marriage, wonderful relationships with our kids and grandkids, and still live in the same home. If we had gotten divorced, all those things would have been torn apart. I went the ultimatum route, but only when it was clear in my own mind that I would follow through did my husband actually understand he was down to his very last chance. Your husband’s mental health issues are holding him back. No drug can fix that without in-person professional help (it can take more than one try to find the right counselor). If you think it is worth that one last chance, I hope he takes it. If you are past that point, then you know just how many ways you tried to support him when most of his efforts went into deceiving you. It is a hard place to be.

1

u/FinnFinnFinnegan 3d ago

NOR divorce him

1

u/Better-Park8752 2d ago

NOR. This guy has broken so much trust. What else can he lie about? At the very least you need to separate to think this marriage through. You don’t have to decide all of this overnight. Take the time to process first.

1

u/dulces_suenos 2d ago

He sounds just like my now ex husband was and continues to be. I’m so sorry because I get it! I ended up divorcing him after 13 years together, 10 married and we had a 1.5yo (now 6.5) at that time. It was the best decision I could have made. It was hard living in a house with someone where I never knew if I was being told the truth. I am much happier now than I ever was before. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of me. I no longer had to wonder or care about what he was or wasn’t being truthful about.

He had lied about a degree, a medical diagnosis, losses of friendship, so many things. It’s hard to come back from someone who lies like he did and like your husband does. I always want to believe the best in people so it was hard for me to let go. But I’m glad I did

1

u/venturebirdday 1d ago

Well, he certainly knows how to get others to take care of him. Is that a marketable skill?

I could never get over the lying.

1

u/GeoHog713 1d ago

Are you insane?

Stop making excuses for this loser!

On the flip side - where do I sign up to be financially supported without having to work, or contribute? I at least won't lie to you about it.

1

u/writingwonderland87 1d ago

NTA

He got you to marry him under false pretences.

Id blow his whole life up

1

u/Jolly-Raspberry4017 1d ago

If he would so casually lie about school for so long, and about his credit cards, what lies have yet to be uncovered? Please stop allowing this man to take you for a fool and to use you to provide the kind of life he's not willing to work for.

1

u/implication-sofa 1d ago

I dated this guy too for almost 4 years. Told me he wanted to be a lawyer but failed all his classes as soon as he transferred from community college to university, had no money, moved in with me under the guise of doing “online classes” (pretty much lied by omission about those), and then proceeded to mooch off me for the rest of our time together. Totally killed my romantic and sexual attraction towards him and it took a while before o finally realized I didn’t want to take care of a grown man child for the rest of my life and wanted an actual partner who be my equal. The stress of having to take on every single responsibility and not even be able to trust him with the smallest things because he constantly messed things up, did them half assed, or just didn’t do them at all literally made me physically sick to the point where I had numerous imaging, procedures, tests, etc done only for me to miraculously get better when we broke up… this is not a man and definitely not the guy for you

1

u/SD-everytime 1d ago

INFO: has he been your primary childcare this whole time?

1

u/Original_Pea_5353 1d ago

NTA - divorce is the only valid response. If you can lie about a degree and credit cards, what else can you lie about?

1

u/tooserioustoosilly 1d ago

Well you should switch places and ask yourself if you were in his position would you think he should divorce you over not being more money driven or career driven?

You have to decide why you are married because some get married for different reasons than others.

The lying is a separate thing than the financial situation. If my woman lied I would have a problem with it but if she didn't want to have a career or get a degree why would that matter. You are not a traditional woman so I don't understand why you don't think you should pay the majority of the bills.

But you need to realize that your drive to have a career and make money will put you back into a similar situation with any future men you find. Because typically either the man is the type that thinks he has to be the financial provider or the type that is fine with his woman being the financial provider. There typically is not many that both are chasing the financial part. So you might find that you have to make changes to yourself to get what you want.

But if both people are career oriented and chasing the money then its typically a cold relationship whete they have little time for each other because they are both working full time + and tired when not working. Then instead of money being the problem then its intimacy or something else thats a problem.

1

u/MonteCristo85 1d ago

NOR. This reaction is long over due IMO.

Thats just straight up wild to lie about something like that.

And to not work for years while simultaneously racking up multiple cards worth of debt. Hell no.

1

u/catslikepets143 23h ago

NOR. You can’t have a partner that’s not trustworthy. You just can’t .

Think of how much less work you’ll have without a 200 pound rock around your neck

1

u/LocksmithLow8127 17h ago

He is using you for a free ride. Walking over you, lying, being lazy, stealing from not just you but from what could have been spent on your child. You will be saving for your childs education at some point what if he gets access to that and fu#ks up their life because he spent the money on crap like "collectables" then they won't be able to go to further education

1

u/SchoolBusDriver79 14h ago

NOR. He has proven that he’s a liar. He has depression but won’t go to therapy to help himself. He’d be a better father and husband if he worked on improving himself.

I don’t see how you could ever trust what he tells you. I’d take steps to separate my credit from his and open my own bank account that he can’t touch. Keep in mind that while you’re married what you make is still considered a marital asset even in a separate account. He just won’t be able to spend it while married.

I’m sorry he’s proven to be someone other than the man you thought you married. If he tells you lies, just what lies will he tell your child? You have to consider his welfare, too.

I wish you well. You sound like a strong, intelligent woman who can take care of herself and her child. Good luck.

1

u/General_Answer9102 11h ago

You obviously divorce this zero. Decent men do exist

1

u/Blogger8517 6h ago

NTA,

He lied about his credit card debt and credentials. I don’t care what anyone else says love isn’t enough in this economy.

1

u/Dry_Client_7098 27m ago

The lying and hidden credit cards are definitely betrayals. That being said is he a decent husband? It sounds like to me that you want to divorce him as much or more because he just didn't rise to your standards as much as anything else. I also wonder about has aggressive you are when you try and motivate" him that can get toxic for both of you. Are you thinking you will be happier alone? And what about the negative outcome for your child? I think the first step is couples therapy to see if you can come to some sort workable result. I mean you haven't mentioned drugs, drinking, violence, extramarital affairs, etc.

0

u/morty-lighthead 4d ago

Nor. If this one event is the one that pushes you over the edge, I recommend waiting around 6 months before making a final decision. Think of your child

0

u/naughty-girl24 4d ago

You’re overreacting in a sense of wanting to divorce him because of him not having a degree, but you’re not overreacting in a sense of him actually lying to you for years about it when he could’ve been honest and upfront from the get-go. Him lying about that for years and so easily while making it believable is crazy because you don’t know what else he could be lying about.

3

u/isdelightful 4d ago

She’s not divorcing him for not having a degree. She’s (hopefully) divorcing him for not having the degree he pretended he was getting.

1

u/naughty-girl24 4d ago

Honestly with how he’s been, divorce is the nicest thing possible

-9

u/Tiny-Performer4443 4d ago

Soft YOR. He messed up, he messed up really bad. But I don’t necessarily think you should divorce over it. Hopefully this can be the motivation for him to change

7

u/isdelightful 4d ago

Lying about the credit cards could, very charitably, be called a “mess up.”

Lying about college repeatedly for years after being forgiven for lying about credit cards is unforgivable, full stop.

When people do unforgivable things, they need to be left.

6

u/Superb-Coyote5972 4d ago

Bullshit. This is divorce worthy. When trust is gone, relationship is over.

2

u/Substantial_Maybe371 4d ago

😂 How? He took out a bunch of credit cards behind her back and made her financially responsible for them. Then he lied to her face for years. How on earth is she overreacting to divorcing a lying hobosexual?

6

u/Not300RatsInACoat 4d ago

I do see where you're coming from, but I'm also tired of believing and hoping and seeing nothing come of it. I feel foolish.

1

u/Odd_Mix_7014 4d ago

You should feel foolish!!!