One day in 1999 my wife came home from work and told me that she wanted to separate, just out of the blue. I thought we were as happy as two people could be, but I was wrong. She took our children (Luke was 9, Daniel was 6) and went to her mothers. I sat on the lounge and cried like I have never done before, and that night I tried to take my life. I rang my wife and her parents and told them what I had taken, then went and lay down on my bed to wait for the time to come. I had a picture of my two boys on my chest and that was my reason to live, from what I have been told, I somehow rang an ambulance and the rest is history. My wife told me when I asked her why she did not help me, her reply was she didn't care. My god, what is happening? Only the night before my wife and I made love as the loving couple I thought we were, and now we are no longer together, WHY??, I still to this day have no answer. She has hit me with an AVO, and I am the gentlest guy going, she has since made my life a nightmare, WHY?? I adored my wife, and I told her I loved her everyday for 13 years. I am a devoted father and get on wonderfully with my boys, but they miss me terribly. One month after our separation, she moved my children and herself in with a man I have never met, yet I have no say in the matter. I have noticed a change in my boys personalities, they have become quiet and withdrawn and are scared to say anything against their mother and their situation. I moved to Sydney (Australia) into my mothers house only because I had nowhere else to go. All I got was a bag of clothes. 

She sold our $18,000 car, she got the bond back on our house, she gave away my dog and the other family pets, and she had a huge garage sale of all our belongings. I never got a cent or even a phone call to see if I wanted my dog or any furniture. I am still trying to cope with the split, I will tell you this though, my ex-wife now, deserves an academy award, because I had no idea this was coming. Not one of her family will speak to me, and everyone seems to be getting on with life as though I never existed. 

I don't understand why people are so cruel, and I don't understand why someone deserves to go though so much pain. I love my ex-wife (regardless of what she has done to me) and I think I always will, could someone out there please tell me why I deserve so much hurt when it was her who wasn't happy. I know she probably left me for this mystery man, but my children are suffering also. I have done everything for 13 years to make my wife and my children happy and look where it has got me. How can people you thought you knew be so cold hearted and cruel? I just hope karma gets her. What goes around comes around.
                                        Thanks for listening,
                                             Tony Bowden.
tonybowden@hotmail.com.