I’m still new to these threads and am currently playing catch up. But this response was so beautifully crafted, well thought out, and designed to prompt thought. There was no ounce of criticism for the difference of opinion. What a lovely person you are RTP.
I also liked your post about her supporters. They, like Alice, are women who’ve been hurt. When you are betrayed it does cause emotional pain, and it takes time to recalibrate your life. Years ago I was cheated on, shortly after giving birth to our baby, who spent six months in hospital, and our baby had a serious medical condition. While I was at our sons bedside, my other half was with his colleague. It was so painful. It took time to cry, to heal, and to move on. But the anger subsided pretty quickly.
What surprises me most is the length of time this has dragged on for. It’s clear things had been acrimonious for a while at home, normal husbands don’t live in the garage! And I believe IG when he says that he didn’t have a relationship with B for many months after the separation. It may feel quicker than it was for Alice because the separation was new. She genuinely didn’t expect him to leave her, but it’s probably likely that IG had left the marriage emotionally some time before he actually ended the marriage.
But most of all AE seems to have painted herself as the woman scorned and won’t relinquish that position. For that she is causing untold harm and lost any of my original sympathy for her sadness.
I don’t know if it’s her real personality coming through or a combination of depression and sadness. She isn’t in a good place but it doesn’t give her the right to behave horrifically on sm towards her ex.