UPDATE ON .....HELP! - Don't know how I should feel or act

@emarie (5442)
United States
February 27, 2011 9:54pm CST
So this is an update on my other post http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2475326.aspx So it has been over a month since this all happened. And I'll clear some things up that came out of that discussion. 1. My husband has made it clear, he REALLY doesn't like her, but feels responsible for getting her & us into this situation. He actually doesn't even know why he dated her in the first place because she drives him crazy. 2. He admits that he was in the WRONG...which is something I've never seen him do before, and I've never seen him grovel so much. 3. I still don't know her actual intentions, but my husband did (in front of me) tell her the reasons why he broke up with her, which kind of shocked her and she said it was something "uncalled for" when I left the room. ...So I've made her sign a Promissory note saying she needs to payback the money which is owed to us including rent and the rental costs. My husband is now saying that if she doesn't have a job by March 15th then she has to leave by the 19th. She has told us that she fills out a few applications a day and calls a few places to check on rental costs. But she seems to want to go to a transitional house where she'll be placed in a program for 45days where she'll be taught parenting skills, and job hunting skills (pretty much what we've been trying to teach her) and if she passes then she'll get an apartment for a year. It made my husband upset because it was going on 40 days since she was here and she STILL didn't have the motivation to look or even listen to us when we taught her something. So my husband thinks it's a slap in the face and everything he put his family through emotionally and financially was a waste because she just 'finding the easy way out.' I told my husband it's fine with me as long as she pays us back the money, if she doesn't I'll take her to court. But since he feels 'responsible' he doesn't want her to fail. He wants her to be successful pretty much to assure himself that what he did was justified. If all this mess resulted in something positive happening, I think he'll feel better. His whole intention was to show his sons what a good man does, although he didn't think it through. But she's been fighting us the whole way. We even told her our financial situation, which is still pretty bad. And all she could say was "I didn't know" although she did know my husband was unemployed for over a year. But it was ALSO my husbands fault for not telling her. She even told us to "ask our Church to pay for our rent because we give tithing" which made my husband SOOO upset he started yelling a little at her. (it was actually then when he realized why he broke up with her). He tells me, she hasn't changed her way of thinking and she's lazy and unmotivated. The only thing that's different, is she cleans up. And that she learned because she has kids because if she didn't...they'd probably have been taken away for neglect. From what he told me about when they lived together, she would leave dishes all over the place, even if it was her day off or she got home before him she wouldn't cook dinner or clean. They had a dog and he would come home and find poop on the floor. So the fact that she can clean up is a good thing because if she was like that now...I would have tossed her out within the first week. But what my husband is having a problem with is me being 'hostile' to her. And because of that she's scared of me. Which I don't care, but apparently it's making things more stressful on him. So I'm trying to deal with that. I really don't like her and I can't be 'nice' to someone I don't like. Should I bite the bullet and be somewhat 'nice' to help my husband out and de-stress him or should I keep on being 'hostile' because it honestly makes me feel better and makes ME less stressed?
1 person likes this
1 response
@skysuccess (8858)
• Singapore
28 Apr 11
emarie, I've read your entire posts and just have a few things to say here. First of all, it is a fact that your husband's ex-girlfriend is already staying in your place and that all of you will be seeing each other everyday like it or not. The fact that she is staying was also partially due to your compromise and "acceptance". Secondly, I want to remind you that it is a jungle outside since the economic tsunami and jobs aren't really easy to come by. Even if there are, I don't think your friend here has an appealing resume that will always be on top of the pile. Otherwise, I don't think you will be writing this second post here. Thirdly, I believe everyone is having difficulties where for a start your husband could be under a lot of stress after being out of job and that his friend had become an added burden to the house. I am sure he is not having a time he'd expected and with your persistence - it will just making more stressed up by becoming the wedge between the both of you. You may say that this is his asking but I am sure (or I may be wrong) things would be the same if the roles were reversed. Helping others is just our nature. So, I wouldn't want to say whose right or wrong here. It is irrelevant and I hope that you will understand. Also, let's not forget that even if she moves out - do you think you could get a good or rather a better tenant? These are challenging times and I don't want to sound bleak but facts are blatant. Through it all, I am wondering if you could initiate a few things for the family. For a start, talking to your husband about your decisions like always about improving the current situation and finding ways to accommodate her. I feel that this form of communication could alleviate the tension within where you can tell him ahead of time and not wedge himself in between. Next, I am wondering if your friend is entitled to any welfare relief which she could claim and help out with herself for a start. At least, she will not be adding a burden to all of you and herself. I do not know if she will materialize her plans but I felt that there are current problems to be solved here. So, please sit down together and start communicating - increasing animosity will not get you all, anywhere and worst of all solve your current problems.
@emarie (5442)
• United States
6 May 11
Sorry for not responding sooner, but it has been busy. You made many good points and I didn't even remember what I had written down after a while. But since I wrote that, she did move out. After the time she was supposed to move out, I made her start paying me $20.00 a day, she managed to get a job at Wal-mart and she had it for about 1 week before she moved out on March 22 to go into a transitional home, we weren't allowed to know the location. She actually only got the job because we talked (well more intervention style) to her and made her call back the places she submitted an application and she got an interview. But I made her sign a contract that she did still owe us money and I made her pay for the gas to take her to the meeting location. Problem is, she was still on the 'probation' period for Wal-mart and once she went into the home, she needed 72 hours to settle, meaning she couldn't leave. They took away her phone so she can't contact her ex or anyone who might harm her therapy. From what we know (what we were told by her) they will place her kids into a school near the home and she will have job & parent training for 45 days. At the end of that period, she's supposed to pass some type of test and if she does she gets an apartment (rent free) for a whole year while she gets back on her feet. If she can't pass the program, she's back out. As of today, it should have been her 45th day and she should be getting out tomorrow. So it's anyone's guess if she would even contact us. She promised she would as soon as she was settled because she said she wasn't trapped there but she hasn't made contact with us. We're amusing she lost her job. She still has some mail coming here and we were hoping she would come by to pick it up. And some of it was from Wal-Mart so we're not sure what happened there. So, that's pretty much what happened. Now reading back what I wrote, I was probably in a pretty bad mood at the time. My husband and me actually started talking more, although now she's out I think any frustration he does have is all centered towards me. We BOTH were stressed out, I was actually so stressed out I missed a period for about 3 weeks and I had the added stress of thinking I'm pregnant with an unemployed husband. I feel we did make a little progress. I'm getting my husband to understand that pretty much 2 weeks out of a month I'm a little on edge so I'll be mad one day and happy another. Yes, I finally got him to understand PMS. But the whole situation some what brought us closer together. But my trust in other people has gone a little down though.
1 person likes this
• Singapore
6 May 11
emarie, We will always have our ups and downs. I am sure your husband isn't really crossed with you directly but more with the entire situation especially him being in the middle trying to appease both sides. Anyway, I am glad that the both of you are getting back on track and without a doubt your trust had indeed been affected but don't let it get to you. Take care and have a nice day.