Originally Posted by
taoplr
You have a very generous heart. I believe that because you have felt that it would be OK for her to have a friend. At the same time, you are worried that this friendship will damage your marriage, and you are right. As it is now, her friendship will damage or destroy your marriage. But you would be wise to see this about yourself and know it is a strength.
As difficult as it is, NoHelp4u's idea that getting a job that lets you be at home might be the best answer. You could be forced to decide which you are going to save... your job or your marriage. I hope that this doesn't happen.
Talaniman's suggestion is very smart: as her husband, you should be introduced to her friend. She will show you what she is feeling. If she says yes, you can then meet him, look him in the eye and sense what there is between him and her. If she doesn't want you to meet him, or continues to hide phone calls, you have a serious problem and should see a marriage counselor with her. You might feel that seeing a counselor brings shame on you, but today it's the same as going to the doctor.
One of the most important things you can do while thinking through your situation is to not get angry. Your generous heart is a great strength because it makes you able to understand her, the way she sees her situation, and the same for your daughter and for your own mind. It is a mistake to only look around yourself for what you will change. Part of your generosity goes to you and looking into yourself will become a great event.
With this understanding, you can figure out the best thing to do for the whole family. Anger kills that ability. For example, she's there with your parents, but they don't have a close relationship. She has your daughter, but 13 year-old girls can be difficult. Does she have friends? Where does she get understanding and comfort? She will either get understanding and comfort from you or from somebody else. Have you been sensitive to that?
You can forbid her to see him, or to talk with him, but you can't control her feelings and needs. While you are away, you could write to her, send her things, be with her in spirit. You can listen to her more deeply when you are there with her. You can pay more attention to her than you are used to, and find out more of who she is and what she feels about things. That's what her new friend is doing. You can do it better.
If you must keep this job, you will have to insist that she bring her friend out in the open, and you will have to find ways for her to feel good about you when you are physically away. You need to grow greater trust over time, not more restrictions. For that, both you and she need to change. Your situation is uncommon, and the changes you make to fix it need to be creative.
Does this make sense?
tao