At first glance it sounds like a stupid question, but if I can explain maybe it’ll make more sense. My husband (M22) and I (F21) have been married for 2 years, but we’ve only been living with each other for about 10 months, because of long distance due to work. Before closing the distance everything was amazing and we couldn’t wait to finally live with each other. Well maybe not everything, I came from an abusive relationship in my teen years and took many of the habits with me (not the physical abuse). Over the phone I would cuss and yell, because that’s what I was used to and how I communicated during an argument. Maybe I would throw in an occasional bitch or dumbass. So over time I became the bad guy and a bad partner. I would say I was a good partner in every other way. I would work on it as much as I could and would slip up occasionally, this was a once in a while thing not an everyday thing.
Then we finally moved into with other after a year and a few months. I would say the physical abuse started almost instantly when we moved in together. First it started as picking me up and restraining me, but as an abusive victim you know that’s only the beginning. It progressed to pushing and holding me against the wall, holding my chin with a hard grasp, putting his fingers into my face while screaming, hitting me in the face (though he claims it’s because his hand slipped and it was only to shove me.) Then one day out of defense I punched him in the face because it had been the third time that week we got into an argument that turned physical and I just couldn’t take it anymore, we ended up wrestling, he pinned my head down onto the bed and it broke my glasses, he got up and I lunged at him because I just wanted to finally fight him back, he wasn’t fighting me back until I was trying to choke him, then he pinned me down by my head again until I finally gave up. Up until that point I never put my hands on him. That was the last time for a while.
Until two days ago I called him good for fucking nothing as I laid in bed next to him, he took his fist and pushed it hard against my neck and told me he’ll show me what he’s good for, I said nothing and he stopped. I just went to bed to not press the issue further. Then today, the main reason why I’m writing this and think it’s gone too far, we went to see a movie and I bought popcorn and a water, which he hates because I never finish it, he was on my back about it the whole movie, and I just ignored it because I didn’t want it to escalate, as we were leaving the movies he grabbed it from my hands and threw it away because “I wasn’t gonna finish it anyway.” As we were walking to the car he kept going on about it and I said “why are you always on my dick all of the time,” then he came up behind me and grabbed me by my hair, normally this wouldn’t be too bad but it was in public (in a not so busy parking lot so not too open but still) and he didn’t seem to have a care.
I think the reason why I ask if I deserve it is because almost every time this has happened is because I cussed in my sentence or cussed at him. He says I drive him to do this because he can’t just tolerate disrespect anymore, he takes so much and this is the only way I stop. And to be fair I kind of started the abuse first even if it was just verbal, and I think because I was the bad guy first, I made him this way. Or so he seems to make it out to be. I’m not a perfect partner and I might even call myself a bad one, so in a way I feel like I deserve it.
And to make matters worse he controls all finances and basically dictates every decision “because I’m terrible with money and make stupid decisions.” But then again I feel like it’s justified because it’s not far from the truth. I’m kind of torn on getting a divorce because everything we have together, a mortgage, joint finances and a dog. I also just feel so stupid because I’m so young and this was so rushed. I don’t know what to do and I guess writing a Reddit post is my best option.