A week ago, I retained an attorney, expecting to file a contested divorce. My wife has threatened many times to make false accusations, keep my child from me, and to ruin me financially, so the idea that she'll go for an uncontested, collaborative process is insanely unlikely.

It's fucking surreal going home every day and playing nice like I'm still the doormat I've been for the last 14 years. I feel like a snake by sneaking around and setting this exit up, but I don't feel like I have a choice.

Multiple instances of physical abuse, one resulting in her arrest.

Ongoing emotional, verbal, and psychological abuse. Gaslighting, blame shifting, moving goalposts, the works.

Repeatedly tells me that she doesn't even want to be with me, and it's my job to convince her that I'm worth keeping around.

Cool. I'm ok with not being enough for someone like that. I'll start over and build something new.