Owing to @WontBeFooledAgai, and @cedarwoods posts, this is a spin-off to point out how brazen, emotionless and clueless a WS can be during D-Day and the fall-outs in the aftermath.
As a fBS, during our "talk" on D-Day, the outcome was that he left me to live with his AP. Maybe this was an example of an exit affair all along, but I did give him the "motivation" to leave on D-Day. Politely kicking him out of my house and life.
During our talk, fWH was in another reality. He was caught unprepared. The things he said were simply unreal. The one thing I remember clearly was his intention on remaining in our home, in another bedroom to continue carrying on with his AP. Really? What person (me) in their right mind would ever allow this? What reality was he living in? The one comment that pierced his reality was my telling him I would do everything in my power to make his life totally miserable should he decide to remain. It cemented my need to throw him out of my life on his ass.
His final comment as he left was he felt a sense of relief that he no longer has to hide, nor schedule travels in stealth mode, etc. Wow. Nothing about our 40 year marriage. Nothing. It was all about him.
What he experienced during our separation was the other fantasy. One in which the real living arrangements clashed with the fantasy of the cheater’s expectations. One where the cheater realizes what he threw away, what he misses, what living with the AP really was like. What was once "cute" was now frustrating. The loss of freedom to do as he pleased. The dilemmas surrounding visits with his family, his adult children, his grandchildren and me (to finalize our separation). The loss of privacy. Feeling like a guest with benefits. Yes, there were waning exciting moments. Sex, travels, activities, love. Unbelievably, he still footed the bills for the travels. There was some splitting of house expenses but I think this cheater realized he was taken advantage of his financial generosity during the actual affair. Strange, as his AP was very well off.
He settled for his AP, because:"that's where I want to be."
Over time, the cheater wanted to return to the familiar me. He did compare his life with AP with our life. I will generalize here, IMHO, many cheaters do compare. But there are absolutely no winners. Only survivors.
In ending, I will quote my fWH: " the grass is not greener on the other side". Ya buddy! You had to destroy lives in order to see that! My fWH was such a stupid, selfish acting man.
I'd like to add a caveat, his mum who passed away two weeks after my mum passed away, told me that she is grateful that I took him back. She also added he is a selfish person. Yikes. I can't wrap my head around her comment. But it almost gives me a vindication that what I saw was in fact real. Not my imagination.
I’d like to think that this story gives some insights to others.