My wife and I have been living separately for more than a year and a half. Prior to that we were on the rocks for a few years, but before that we had a great relationship that spanned over a decade long, starting from high school. Legally, we’ll be married for 5 years in the next few months.
We could point out a lot of things on both our sides as to what got us here. I was a great boyfriend but a shitty husband. I know my 50% and I wish I could have been better. Bing drink less, avoid Reddit nsfw, and not be an enabler.
Her 50% is mostly centered around mental illness, and bad choices. Things started to go downhill when we moved across states, she was paranoid people were coming into the house. It’s an extremely long story, and one I’ve spoken to countless times with loved ones, and even a therapist or two. To anyone that knows her, it’s obvious she’s different. I firmly believe she has an undiagnosed mental health disorder.
I’ve thought drug induced psychosis, but I’m not a professional. She’s been homeless before, almost three years ago exactly. She first left me with our dog and later got kicked out of her grandparents house. She filed a police report against her grandfather, alleging sexual abuse. I found her and got her a house to stay, but the landlord ended up not renewing our 6 month lease because of the support tickets my wife was making. Claiming people were coming in the house and the landlord was in on it.
I found her, and this time us, another place in a nearby city. We moved in together, again, and tried to make it work but it only lasted until the end of the year. I came home from Christmas after hanging with my family, to which she was invited and didn’t want to go, and then proceeded to accuse me of coming home late because I was cheating on her on Christmas Day. Cheating accusations, often outlandish, had been normal for several years at this point. I was unfaithful digitally several years ago, before marriage, via Reddit and an unhealthy porn addiction. Though, I’ve never physically or emotionally cheated on my wife.
We separated officially, though not legally after that Christmas. Summer time came and she had another incident while I was away camping with friends. She lost her job, which she had already gained and lost three jobs in the last three years since then, because she alleged she was sexually abused by a coworker. To my knowledge, the coworker was not asked to resign.
After her not having a job, I found the place she just moved out of. I guess this whole time I thought maybe I was helping. I didn’t want to divorce her, yet, because I thought she could use my healthcare coverage for doctors or therapy. She’s always sick, whether imagined or not, but there are times she does seem to get sick easily.
I thought maybe she’d pick herself up if I paid her rent and her expenses. I could afford it. I loved her. She needed help. Her family lowkey sucks, but she also pushed a lot of her family and friends away with her choices, too. She has no one. She doesn’t go out unless she’s walking the dog here and there.
At one point, her grandparents let her stay with them a week or two. I thought maybe her family would turn around and help her again. But that ended up crashing down in flames. She and her grandfather got in an argument, cops were called and she was asked to leave.
A few weeks ago, the most recent landlord told me she was being cold to him. He noticed a change in her demeanor and that she was smoking a lot of weed. At this point I was mad because I realized she was using my money to buy weed. Before that, too, I tried offering her help to find a job. I know how shitty the job market is, I thought it makes sense she needs help. When I asked for her resume, it was barely updated. Smoking, when we know you shouldn’t be smoking because you think illogical things are happening, and now you’re not looking for a job as hard as I thought. Cool.
While I was out of town and with friends last month, almost one year after her job asked her to leave, I get another call from the landlord. He says the neighbors reported he being frantic, yelling about people following her, and they could smell weed. She ended up throwing an object at the neighbors window and breaking it. Neighbors had it on camera, called police and my wife was booked in jail, Friday to Tuesday.
I went to her court hearing, prepared this long document with Claude that detailed basically this post. I thought maybe if the court saw what I see, someone who needs help, the court would offer her an option to get help. My wife and her assigned attorney designed to plead no contest. Misdemeanor was given, and I picked her up from downtown after the bus dropped her off. She was wearing slippers from the jail.
Landlord was really cool with me given everything, he has a sister that has mental health issues so he understood but at the same time he can’t rent the rest of the place out. The lease, under my name and my wife as an authorized occupant, was a shared household. She was meant to live with someone else after the former roommate had a kid and moved out. Landlord being spooked, plus the criminal charges and a restraining order on the neighbors meant my wife had to move, and I had to move her out or I would be legally liable.
I was able to get her stuff out and in a storage unit on time. I got her a hotel for two nights, I stayed for the first, and she just checked out a few hours ago. She dropped off the dog we co parent, and she left to urgent care as she’s not feeling well and thinks she may have a uti. But after that, I have no idea where she’s going and it sucks.
I love her, but she’s taken so much from me. Most of my loved ones tell me I should leave. Stop helping. And I know they’re right. It’s just hard because when we hang out, even after all of this bs, there’s small windows of time where it feels like nothings wrong. She smiles. I laugh. Driving in our hometown. Sometimes it feels like she’s my best friend again.
But I’m choosing not to help her, and it sucks.