Dear Dr. Romance: It is sad that I cannot stop loving him

Dear Dr. Romance:

I told my husband that if he cannot be with me as his wife and does not give me the place that a wife should have that I wanted to go on with my life and file the papers.

He stopped seeing the other woman for a weekend. Then, on the Thursday that followed, he called me during lunch (in front of her ) to tell me that his heart was someplace else and that we should file the papers.

I told him that after more than twenty years he had to call me on the phone to tell me that? Couldn't he tell me in person?

The next day I asked him to sign the house over to me and he signed a quit claim deed. That happened two months ago, and he still has not moved out. I have been sending resumes and applying for a better job for a long time and no positive response. He makes twice what I make and the house budget is very tight as it is.

I don't know if there is anything I can do to save my marriage, I still would like to hug him when he comes home but I refrain myself from showing any emotions. He is very much involved with this person, and I believe the only person he truly loves is himself. He acts worse than my teenage son.

It is sad that I cannot stop loving him. I am like frozen still, like if it is not true what is happening.

What can you suggest I do?

Dear Reader:

You're right to leave this guy. He obviously can't control himself, and he needs to grow up. If you only have one teenage son, he should be old enough to understand. Hopefully, he'll learn from his father's bad behavior and mistakes.

Please register the quit claim deed right away. I hope you had it notarized, because your husband's signature is worthless, unless it's notarized and the deed is registered. Once you have the deed in your name, you can sell the house, and move to something more affordable. Hopefully, you'll have some equity you can use to bolster your financial situation.

I recommend that you go to Codependents Anonymous as soon as possible. You should also get therapy. I know he's the one with the problem, but his problem has created big problems for you, and you'll need help handling them. Asking for What you Want will help you learn how to make him hear you. There's low-cost therapy available through Family Services in your community. Use my Guidelines for Finding and Using Therapy Wisely to find affordable therapy. The Ten Smartest Decisions A Woman Can Make After Fortywill help you understand what you want, make good decisions, and change your life for the better.

For low-cost counseling, email me at tina@tinatessina.com