Sounds to me like he has been bottling a lot of concerns n little problem n other stresses for awhile because he knew how much you were already going through and wanted to be your "rock" - which caused more stress on him (not your fault) thus causing more internal tension as well n now that he sees things are settling down for you - all those things he was keeping in n all that tension is pouring out. He probably did want to "escape" the stress n tension but wanted to be there for you as well n thats most likely at least part of where his comment about the cheating n freedom came from - but the fact he can still be open n honest with you n says he wants to work on things now when he is calm is a good sign - unless he is a controlling personality? So it's your call - yes, it was a bad fight n very hurtful things were said n it shows there are serious things that have been being hidden n now being brought to light - do you want to work on them with him or not? It won't work at all unless both of you put 1000% of yourself into it..relationships are all about working together to figure out how to resolve issues - its easy to stay together when things are good, its how you manage to work through the bad times that makes you stronger or weaker as a couple....

Sometimes just giving each other a little space or "me" time helps a lot too - a relationship is about trust as much as it is love, n a person needs to retain their independence to maintain their happiness n keep their relationship healthy...