Quote From: lizliveI wish I had great advice, unfortunately I'm in a similar situation - not to that extreme though. This is my first post. I signed up to respond to your post. All I can say is WATCH OUT! There's so many problems I see here and things that could backfire. It's a can of worms that can get out of hand in a hurry. The biggest issue I see if that this is a must and it's an extreme must that suggests other issues your partner has. If he loves you than he loves YOU and needs to keep his fantasies in check. Has he said why this is such a big deal? Is he prepared for the aftermath - what if you find someone else in the process, what if it's not as great to watch you do this as he thinks it is, etc...
My DH had been strongly suggesting for me to sleep with other men for a couple of years. I was like you and found it wrong on multiple levels. He didn't say he wanted to watch, he didn't have any 'rules' for it other than I couldn't love that person. He swore that he didn't want to sleep with other women. He thought it was rev up my libido.
I shrugged it off for a long time. And even felt a little put off that he would be okay with sahring me that way. Then last fall I finally thought I'd keep an open mind. We'd been having some issues and were getting better so I thought maybe it would be okay - even though I still really struggled with it. To buy some time and make sure that I would stay in control of the situation I said that I wasn't ok w/him sleeping around, I would have to know and feel comfortable with this person & they'd have to be safe (meaning clean, nice, and w/little risk of the word getting out).
Several weeks later I mentioned one of my male friends as a 'possiblity', but I was still very iffy about it for a number of reasons. DH kept pushing for me to tell this friend how he felt and see if there was an option for that. I did, but was clear with my friend that I wasn't sure that I was okay even though DH was. As we started talking about the possibilty and getting to know each other better we realized that we had feelings & that this wouldn't just be sex. We decided to stop going down that slippery slope. I didn't tell DH, b/c i didn't want to hurt him and I wanted to keep my marriage and not persue other routes. DH confronted me and I admitted to having a crush. All hell broke loose. He threatened to leave. I broke the only rule - even though it wasn't on purpose and I was against the idea to begin with. Even though I didn't act on those feelings I broke his heart. On top of other issues we were already dealing with this has been horrendous.
Now on top of having a crumbling marriage I have to distance myself from a friend who didn't choose this. DH and I put him in an akward position.
After the blow-up I found that DH had signed up for a swinger/hook-up sex site. He had e-mail accounts that I didn't know about. He was taking MBA classes and going to the same bar to have a beer to 'unwind' after every class. He still wanted to go 'check out' a night club that catered to swingers. He even suggested that we have a shell marriage and date/have sex with other people. He went nuts secretly spying on me - searching through my stuff, SIM card Reader, Keylogger, trying to hack into my acounts trying to find out 'how I really felt about him'. Meanwhile I keep thinking what is he hiding?
My life is pitiful and I wouldn't be in this place if I had stuck to my guns. Even if it doesn't go this bad for you is this how you want to start over in your relationship - him forcing you to do something you don't want to? What will it lead to down the line sexually or in everyday events?
I know, I feel that way with every bone in my body. I know how my ex is, he's done all the computer hacking thing on me too. I don't trust what he says yet i try and make it fit my sense as well.
Since we've separated, my life has changed dramatically, for the better in every sense. I've accomplished one of my life's biggest goals and have alot of people depending on me to lead them into a better future and at the end of the day I couldn't possibly respect myself if i did what he is asking of me regardless of keeping our family together or not. I know what i have to do but it is so hard and scary.. my life, my beliefs, and my self respect mean too much to me to compromise.
I guess i just needed to get this off my chest because it isn't something you want to talk to your family members about thats for sure. I've kept this in for so long keeping the shame with me...
I don't want this kind of relationship, I want someone who want me and only me. I've told him that recently yet he still wants to come around and keep the same relationship with hopes i'll change my mind. We've gone through so much together in the last couple years, things that hurt so much that lead to our broken relationship, broken heart, and broken trust. I wish I could type it all out but that would end up being a novel...
Thanks for the advice and the chance to vent.. i really needed that..
And to you liv, thanks for sharing your experience and I wish you the best in whatever you decide..
Sorry for taking so long to respond,,,, my life is crazy busy right now.. but great crazy busy!