My wife (29f) asked me (33m) to divorce. I want to make it right- i love her but we are fundlamentally different. Can we make it work?
I never thought i would be here, but here i am.
Me and my girlfriend met briefly while travelling, fell in love, and had done long distance for 2 years. We skipped a bunch of the friendship phase i suppose, and we jumped right in and continue to meet 3 times a year to reestablish the connection we had, and she has moved in with me for the last year. I thought we would do great, sure, fights here and there but i thought it was something we were working on, and we would grow together.
A week ago, she asked for divorce.
She told me she does not love me anymore.
I was dumbstruck and did not know where that came from.
I did not sleep that night and now i processed i was a terrible husband. I shunned her family, friends and her for my ego and my principles.
I am very introverted. I enjoy small gatherings of very close friends, i am a homebody where i enjoy doing things at home i wanted to focus on her and her only. She on the other hand is extroverted, yearning to find community, to give and enjoy spending time with alot of different people. She eventually wanted children, i want children too but not as much as her.
Throughout our relationship she supressed what made her her, supported my needs and quiety started resenting me as i resisted meeting her family, friends and refused to be a part of her life that way. I now know that was very foolish.
She thinks we are totally imcompatiable, she doesnt love me, and we are not the same person anymore, and that she outgrew me.
We have been going to therapy the past 6 months and i am commited to her to makes the changes and to show her i truly understand i have wronged her and i want to make it right. She wants a trial seperation to collect her thoughts, and wants me to do the same as she doesnt think i know who i am anymore.
Shes right. I feel like a camelon, who molds and never really lives for myself.
The past year i was very stressed with work, and while she wss looking for a job, i dismissed her concerns and refused to support her in ways that mattered. I thought i was a good husband, providing her with things that she needed, but i neglected her emotional sides completely.
We are going on our 1 year anniversary trip. We want to make it our last hurrah.
Can we make this work?
I love her in that we have so much history, and for the first time in my life i am seeing her for who she truly is, and i am having alot of fun discovering what a beautiful , thoughtful person she is.
I think she is ready to leave, but because i really am trying she is not giving up yet.
One thing that she mentioned is that she did have drunken sex with her coworker. I know why she did it, she needed a connection, something i refused to give, and i get it. Obviously it hurts, but for me this is a mistake that can me amended. She tells me she has connection with this man, and he listens to her and actually sees her.
I am now doing the same. During this time, we promised to stay exclusive to each other while we try to make it work, and i know she will.
Our marriage was actually quick without a wedding, more of a oh she needs my benefits, i love her so we'll do it as i didnt really believe in the idea of marriage.
We never fully discussed it haha. We thought we were doing so good, or so i thought since everybody was telling us how we succeeded so much in long distance, how we travel so well together, but living together? I was terrible at that.
I want to continue to love her and stay comminted.
Is there hope?
Tl;dr : wife doesnt love me anymore, i want to try and make her stay. Will it work
Posted Jun 27, 2026, 10:34 AM UTC · locked