A Failed Marraige

krstupid

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Pre Marriage


It was not all rosy and happy leading to the marriage. I am not a faithful boyfriend or anything of such prior to marriage. Due to it I am also not receiving the best treatment as a husband to be and was made to promise many things beyond my ability and expectation of a communal relationship. Such as made to promise that I will employ a helper as soon as we collect the HDB BTO. The HDB BTO selection are to be near her parents only. My parents will never come to my house to stay. The house will be use as a mahjong den for extra income as she will not want to work and the income is use as supplement to her parents as well. She also had a habit of gambling at casino which is groomed by her mother frequently visit casino in Genting. Sometimes she will take money from my safe after she lose all from her trip.

Due to many reasons, just before the marriage, I had actually withdrawn all my savings and ran away. But eventually she came and caught me back making promises to change just to go ahead with the marriage as it will make her and her family lose face if the wedding is called off.

After Marriage

Before Own House

We were married on 8th June 2013. We had stayed together at my mum house for a little while like a week or 2 before she complaint it is too small and made me move over to her parent’s house despite it being very far from my work place. I was earning a salary of $5,000 at the time.

After moving to her parent’s house, we are pressured often to produce a Child by her parents and often I was scolded by her dad especially after his nightly drinking. He needs to drink 4 bottles of beer every night. I was not ready and am still unsure about the marriage yet but we stayed frequently at MBS hotel where she had many points to exchange for rooms. Eventually we had a child and I did promise to be a good husband thereafter with the arrival of the child.

Subsequently we are called for the collection of keys for our BTO and ready to renovate. I had previously opened a design and renovation company in 2012 for her since she is in this industry and wanted her own company where she and her father are director of the company and I am not as I am working. They did not pay a single cent for the entire business and I did not get a single cent back from the business venture and was made to paid the fine for all the improperly handling of company accounts and documents over a period of 3 years where she uses the company money as her own. Thinking that we are able to do a simple renovation but she had a different idea of using the house as a showroom for business. I was also asked to take up a compress renovation loan from both Maybank and RHM bank under my name using the company self-quotation. When both loans dispense to the company, she will use part of it for the renovation and rest for money lending purposes run by her other family member. Despite me not agreeing to it, I will need to agree to the condition to provide all the expenses with her not working which will be more than what I can afford.

Moving in

As soon we moved into the new house, starting from the 2nd day, the room which is the helper rooms and future baby room is ready for the mahjong kaki to play. After finish my day work, I am to help out with the waiting service for the drinks and snack for the people playing mahjong. The helper arrived about 1 week later to help with the waiting service and to take care of the impending baby.

After the arrival of the baby on 21 April 2014, I am delighted and forgot about everything which became status quo and the household expenses increases as well and there were more mahjong day and night with smoking in the rooms and throughout the house allowed, I am again not happy with the situation. Her parents had also moved in with us under the name to help take care of the baby and the mahjong kaki as they are all her friends and relatives.

I was working a day job but am made to take care of the baby at night when he cried at night and diaper changing and night feeding on most night. O’s mother is then sleeping in the same room and same bed with us. 3 weeks after the baby is born, while driving home from work I had a car accident due to falling asleep while driving just before reaching home. It happens just before a schedule for baby photo shoot session which involves her parents are part of the photoshoots as well.

When the baby is 5 months old, we had a trip to Genting where they all for the gambling activities. I am left to take care of the baby with the helper and was told to sleep on the same bed with the baby being in the middle to prevent from falling off. It is something which I can’t get over but I can’t do anything about it as I had previously made a scene in casino before marriage even to a point of begging her to stop gambling and was blamed by her entire family for spoiling their mood and causing them to lose money.

Subsequently I had changed job which requires me to work day and night sometimes. I would spend my time not working with T and would like to shower him and play with him but was pushed away saying I did not know what to do. I did not have the chance to groom how I want my child to be. When I express my unhappiness, I will be told off to look after him full time and stop working while finding my own ways to provide for the family if I want how my child grows up according to what I expect if not then leave it to other and make others live easier. When I wanted to play with my child at night, I remember clearly that O’’s father will shout at T asking him to stop playing with me or he will beat him and I just walk away.

We had a holiday with just us and the helper without her parents around and it was a happy time. That is the only one time. After her parents moved in with us, my weekend is always waking up to the sound of mahjong and am not allowed to sleep late even I work late as need to wake up to help with the house. I am not allowed to watch TV in the living room as the mahjong kaki will complaint, I am disturbing their game. Sexual intercourse is also non-existence as there are never alone time and the bedroom door can’t never be lock since the mother will need access to the cashbox for money changing service for the mahjong kaki.

Even though it is my house, I have no position and no say to anything. When my family and mum visit me at my house, they will not feel welcomed and often seeing I don’t have enough to eat when I finish work and get home. After the first year, they had told me about it and stop visiting me and their grandchild. I am like an additional servant that is at home to bring water and do all sort of things after the helper sleep for both O and her mum. I am told that I have to be filial to her parents as she is the only daughter and even, I don’t look after my parents there will be other siblings to look after.
 

krstupid

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The Affair


My job requires me to be working night job and usually get home when near morning since I’m working the construction for live hotel and works stop before breakfast service starts. There is a colleague who will spend time working late with me and the feeling takes off from there. I ended up not going home until morning or for 1 to 2 days sometimes which bothers no one at all at home. I only miss my child and spend some time at home with him and will leave home again. Since even I get home early, there will be no food left for me most of the time, I start to don’t even eat at home and eating outside most of the time with the colleague and eventually we start sleeping together a lot. It is at this point I start to feel happier being outside than being at home. I do love my child a lot and know it is wrong though but yet it is the only thing that makes me happy.

At this time, I already have no say in the house and no say in the upbringing of my child. T is enrolling all kind of enrichment classes even I do not agree I have no say in it since I am not making enough it is all provided by her. The household expenses with T enrichment class is about $6,000.00 per month and my salary is $4,800. I am paying the compress loan and the housing loan thru my HDB alone. My CPF was wipe out as her proposal during the purchase of the HDB.

The Ultimatum

Towards to end of 2015, I wanted this outside relationship to stop and that my project is finished and will be leaving the job thus use this opportunity to end it. I proposed a holiday trip but it turns out to be a trip for the entire family with her parents and aunt and decided on Hong Kong which I did not wanted but its because her cousin is there so everyone agree on Hong Kong and I am then made to pay for the trip. O had put up the proposal to and told me it would be better as there will be people to look after T while we able to enjoy the holiday. It was before I commence work for my new job.

During the trip, all the schedule was according to what they wanted and her mother never left us alone. During noon nap for T, we were all made to go back to hotel. During night, we are not allowed to go out and to look after T. Coming back to Singapore, I had totally regretted the trip. It made me even more unhappy about the whole arrangement and the marriage. At the same time, I am ending the outside relationship and wanted everything to start anew with O and I had started my new job in a new company as well. I was hoping a together time with just the 2 of us and talk things out have make the family normal. I proposed to have another short trip to Thailand 3 days 2 nights with just the 2 of us with her mum help to look after T for a few days. She tried asking her mom she got angry about the request and threw a temper saying we are selfish wanting to go play and enjoy while leaving the child behind for her to look after. We are only allowed to go if we are going to bring her along. This is at the end of Jan 2015.

In 2016 during Chinese New Year, we spent our days in her parent’s house as all priority are given to her family side and only after then house visitation to my parents are allowed as usual. I had request for the mahjong activities to stop and to live a normal live but was demanded to make more money and don’t expect them to work to make ends meet. They are helping me with the household expenses as I am not making enough. They had made a proposal to me that I am in a position to be able to collect kickbacks from contractors which I had rejected and does not want to jeopardise my job as I had met a good boss and a good job. I endured all the unhappiness to have a happy new year with T which I know if probably the last time.

Right after CNY is Feb of 2016, I went home 1 day and asked O if the mahjong can stop and also can we discuss about the upbringing T to reduce the expenses and live a normal live. She said no and I I will divorce her and will leave the house by end of the week and will start sleeping in the living room. She did not agree and asked me to move out immediately. Her parents were there as well and did not say anything to ease the situation but asked me to pack what I need to move out and move all the things I want out asap since I had decided to divorce. I move back to my mum house the very night while getting my colleague to help with the moving of stuff over the next few days.

The Divorce Process

She had called me to go back and talk things out after I had move out but I decided not to and this is the first time I had do things against her wish. She had also threatened that I will never see my son if this is what I decided. She had then found out about the affair previously even though I had already ended the relationship. With this information in hand, she no longer asked to talk things out but talk about her demands and if I don’t agree, I will never get to see my son. Her initial demand is a monthly maintenance of $4,000.00, and I continue to pay for the house using my CPF but withdrawn my name and rights to the house as well as continue to pay for the renovation loan and to give up custody for my son.

It is impossible for me to agree as my salary at the time is only $4,000 a month. During these periods she continue to harass me with all kind of demeaning message that im not fit to be human. To a point I had suffered depression and had to seek treatment and was trying to kill myself on occasion. My family had encouraged me to cut ties and give up my child and I can have another one in future. I just couldn’t bear to do it as its my first born and only child whom I love dearly. I had intended to fight for custody of my child and staying single if I need to. She had sought lawyer and asked me to give up hopes on this as the court will always favour the mother and I don’t have a house and not family able to look after T and also, I can’t use her gambling habit against her as she already blacklisted herself to show the judge she had changed.

In the end I work out my expenses and agree to give an allowance of $700 after repaying the renovation loan of $1,175.00 and to give up the ownership and any rights to claim of the house if she sells. I did not want to give up the house rights to claim as it is almost entirely paid by me but she made me give up by saying I had left the house and only right to leave behind the house for T so his environment does not change and she will put T’s name in the house leaving it for him so even if she sell it will benefit T as well. With this, I let my guard down and agree to it and requested a transfer of $12,000.00 back to my CPF. I had asked for the arrangement to be written down but she had refused and mentioned this is between her and T there is no need to have is recorded which will be bad for T. With all set, my lawyer had looked at the request and told me that its too much and he is able to help me fight for a better condition which I declined hoping to end it as soon as possible and it is all for the better for the child.

I had left the house on 2016, and being less than 3 years of marriage, we waited till exact 3 years to file the Writ for Divorce and received the Final Judgement on 2017. I had never felt so much relieve in my life and never being happier for all this to end and able to start fresh. The arrangement for me to bring T on a weekly basis also allow me to have more time along with him and we were both so happy even till now we are close and able to speak about anything he not able to speak with his family.
 

krstupid

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Post Divorce


My life had completely changed after divorce, I have something to look forward to every weekend and im able to have savings again despite not much left. Sometimes due to work I had to even bring T to work. As I do not drive, my weekly travel arrangement is from Boon Keng to Yishun or Woodland and then there back to Boon Keng and vice versa when bring him back. Usually, 4 trips take about 5 to 6 hours on train and bus. I do not have the excess money for taxi; thus, it is usually done using public transport unless I need to work and claimable which my boss understands the situation given the expensive fare, he said nothing about it. For the past 8 years I had brought him every week when possible unless and even bring him to site work or meeting if allow just to have him by my side.

At some stage of his preschool, a teacher commented about his behaviour and ability to speak and recommended for a check up and then he was diagnosed with mild ADHD and require speech therapy few kinds of treatment which causes a lot of money. I do not believe in such and tell O that it will be outgrown. I was accused as a non-concerning father and refuse to give money to treat the child. I had a relapse on my depression again with all these and gave in to give an extra money from few hundred to few thousand at times when I had bonuses. The request for more money to treat the child or for extra enrichment class always happens few times a year and will be demanded fiercely during year end when I had my bonus. It had always been like this.

New Relationship

I had entered a new relationship in Aug 2016. It was full of difficulties because of my position with debt and an ex-wife that will call every now and then and also a child that I need to bring every week no matter what. My GF who is also my wife (PY) is not the most understanding person in this situation. She also does not get the blessing of people around her and her family members. We still manage to be together despite working out different arrangement, I still insist on picking T every weekend and this is the only thing I will not give up no matter what changes I must do. I am willing to make her happy and be perfect but I can’t give my T in any situation and she cannot accept then the relationship will be over which is clear for both of us.

In the end she accepted my situation where I am a divorcee and a difficult ex-wife and every weekend my priority will be the father of T as well as a debt to repay and child-maintenance in future and no savings with near empty CPF for housing if we were to marry. I’m grateful for my wife for everything for trusting me.

We got married in Oct 2018 and purchase a house in 2018 and move in to our house in Jan 2019. At this time, I had changed job for a higher salary as the commitment and expenses increase with a house and a new life. The child support did not reduce despite increase in commitment but I just find ways to earn more. The job did not last long and I am not working for a few months, during these periods, I continue with the maintenance of $700 per month with no reduction but is not able to provide extra when she O demanded as usual with her demeaning language. She always cites the same reason which is treatment and enrichment.

In 2018, as soon as the matrimonial house had reached its minimum occupancy period, she had proceeded to sell the house. Prior to that, the house is only use for playing mahjong and income from it and she and T had moved to Woodland O’s parents’ house. She had sold the house in Yishun and bought over the Woodland house from her parents at a price higher than market rate so her parents can purchase another HDB at Toa Payoh. Her reason is that hoping T can be enrolled at the school there and her parents can be debt free and have extra income from rental of the flat since they lose the income from the Mahjong activities in Yishun. I was left in awe at such arrangement and realised all the agreement mentioned during was a sham. It is simply to show that she did have any earning from selling the matrimonial house. My parents know about it and was also furious tell me the whole marriage was a scam.

No Income Period

After losing my job, i had decided to start my own business after a few months, it was not easy and I had no income for close to 1 year but still continue to provide with the same amount of child maintenance. It was also during this time where covid starts and I had totally zero income which is putting a lot of stress on my wife and I since we both decided to start our own business. Even though I did not reduce or cut the child maintenance, O actually asked for an increase due to need of private tuition due to covid restriction. I am not able to provide and have to endure all the remarks again as usual. It starts to take a toll on my new marriage no matter how understanding my wife is. We are both living and surviving from our savings during this period and had live frugally reducing to 1 meal a day and no-extra spending. We had wanted to have our own child to complete the family as she wanted but our income does not allow us to do so. It’s the kind of live we are living to the extent we save every single possible due to unknown and face everything as couple as family.
 

krstupid

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Current Situation


When business starts to pick up after covid, we start receiving a salary of $1000 per month then $2000 to the current $4000 per month. During all these times, O would bring T to different doctors to certify his condition and bring him to different treatment which cause a lot which she said she can’t afford and asked me to split the bill yet they still went to different holiday every year such as Japan, Korea and now Finland in 2023. They are also renovating their current house and T is also old enough to tell me O bought a new Rolexes as well. I did not question her about anything as it had nothing to do with me as long as I paid my child maintenance and do my part.

Every now and then T will be staying at my house when they are going on cruise for gambling. They will also bring T along to cruise with the maid looking after him. I don’t mind this at all but my wife is not very happy with such arrangement not because of T staying over but because he is being treated like a ball and push over when they want to go gambling. Every now and then O will bring T to see some specialist and consultant to validate his ADHD issue and need all kind of therapy and courses. When he is with me and my family and friends all does not see any issue with him at all and feels its just part of growing up. Main problem is playing a lot, non-attentive sometimes and only will only do things that interest him. I don’t see what is the problem at all. He had to be on medication now to be attentive and calm himself from psychology. When he is with me there is totally no problem and i see him normal completely

When business picks up, we had our son in Aug 2021. The commitment increases again and we work even harder to provide and live better since. O had never stop asking for more money and I had informed her I have another child to feed she just mentioned that is my problem and I have an elder son which is sick and need treatment and need money. Simply demanded more money or she will message nasty things and called to disturb the peace at home which my wife is very unhappy about it and kept asking me when will it stop. It had been 8 years and after we are married for 5 years it still feels like I have to answer to another woman.

My current salary is $4000 per month with director bonuses depending on the profitability of the business. I have a housing debt which my CPF contribution from my salary is not enough to cover and debt from car loan. There are other expenses in my family and for the younger son as well which I have commitment to. Frankly speaking, my salary is not enough but am relying on the bonuses to cover the expenses through savings and my wife do share a huge part of the burden as well. It is unfair for me to provide extra maintenance under such situation and my wife had to take on an even larger portion for our family expenses.

O had written to me requesting for additional child maintenance stating that starting from next year Jan 2024 I will need to pay her additional $300 for T’s private after school care due to his condition. I really hate the way of treating him as a special needs kid. If I do not agree to her request, she will get court order for me to split all bills with her in accordance to court direction. I am sure she had sought consultant for sending me such message as it is beyond her level of command for English. I had not agreed the way she spent during our marriage and I had decided to walk away from the marriage but yet now I am made to pay even more for things I had never agreed on how my child are to be brought up.

I am not looking to reduce the child maintenance in this case but I am not willing to pay the extra amount to be fair to my current wife and child. We are not living frugally and saving all for O to take it away from us like this. It is not fair that her overspending habits which causes me to walk away from the marriage and she is using the same method to try to destroy my current marriage. It is becoming an issue for my family with her constant threat and demands. Will the court be giving her anything she demand and expect me to split the bill half no matter what she expects from T as she had full custody of him and my job is to pay and provide at the expense on my life and wife and other children? I would not say she is treating T no good but it is beyond one’s ability and means which is also the reason I decided on the divorce cause I couldn’t take it anymore.

Any single Dad out there having such issues? Im writing to vent my anger as it is very difficult to keep thinking of it alone. Im just thinking if i dont give the money maybe my son can be treated normally and grow up naturally. I dont dare to live normally like bringing my family to holiday frequent spend to make my family better all because if O found out, she will think i have money and demand more from me and my wife had to suffer with me and not able to go frequent holiday which she enjoyed before our marraige. i really hate myself for changing her life even though she does not complaint and willing to go thru thick and thin with me.

Thanks in advance
 

krstupid

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Can summarise?
a bit hard. basically ex wife asking for more money for child maintenance to a point affect my current marraige and live. can ready in details will be much better as summarize may not be fair to the story.
 

HelloEllo

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Go overseas and live there.. start afresh. Come back in 5 years time and maybe u might feel better. You can still pay your monthly commitments through bank transfer. But without seeing your son and her, it may break off whatever emotional ties and you can think clearer. Beats being depressed here.

Buy a one way ticket, sell your possessions and go off
 

krstupid

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Go overseas and live there.. start afresh
that is what my wife is asking as well as she find that it never ends and wish that i can stop suffering from this. we are eligible for Australia migration. Im reluctant to as our business is here and frankly speaking we are not that young to start afresh.
 

HelloEllo

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that is what my wife is asking as well as she find that it never ends and wish that i can stop suffering from this. we are eligible for Australia migration. Im reluctant to as our business is here and frankly speaking we are not that young to start afresh.
Business cannot run from Australia meh? Hire one staff run lor while u take a short 5 year retreat. Can teams call occasionally to check on things

Or try one year first and see how.

Poor business decisions due to stress won't make you successful
 

krstupid

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Business cannot run from Australia meh? Hire one staff run lor while u take a short 5 year retreat. Can teams call occasionally to check on things

Or try one year first and see how.
lol.. i ruun a traditional business need physical presence.. also because i still wish to see my elder son. thats the hardest part to not see him also which i cant let go
 

articland05

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dun give in to ex wife
if she persisted go court then u gotta prepare for war...rem Woman Charter is not on ur side but if u and ur current wife has a kid then things might shift to ur favour even if go court. judge will always rule based on child greatest benefit

probably the outcome if go court is child maintenance will increase but not the amt ur ex wife wanted
 
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