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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Help - have I behaved terribly or not?

407 replies

dollfin · 29/09/2014 09:45

I am having a horrible time (again) with my partner and I need some sensible advice.

I went to the UK part of a wedding on Friday night (overseas part was in Italy) with my partner, his son and my son. When I arrived there I had no issue whatsoever but my partners family kept asking if I was ok, probably around 20 or 30 times. In the end I asked what they were talking about and it emerged that 2 of my partners exes were going to be at the party. One lady who he has an 18 daughter with and I get on with well and one girl who he was with for 8 years but has no children with. Now if i'm completely honest, I have no problem with the ex who he has kids with, thats his family and she has a special place in his life. I am always friendly with her and we get on fine. The other girl I have a bit of a problem with. The family seem to favour her over everyone in some way, she was invited to the hen do and I wasn't. She is always with my DPs sister as they are still very good friends and I know that she was devastated when she and my DP split up. They split up over 5 years ago now and she hasn't had a boyfriend since. I think she still has feelings for him but I don't know for sure.

Anyway, I tried to put all this aside at the party and have a nice time. It was made very hard because when I wandered up to my partner having a chat with someone, he was also talking about his other ex, DS's Mum. It was all getting a bit much and to be honest, normally I'm so secure and self confident but I was starting to feel unimportant and horrible.

I know that his sister is not very keen on me and when I was having a dance she started asking whether I was ok that my son was with someone he didn't know upstairs (he was with a babysitter i use regularly, he is 3 and she arrived to look after him at 9pm because he was tired and had a full day at school). I told her he wasn't with someone he didn't know, he was with a regular babysitter and he was fine). But this pissed me off a bit. Then she started on with the 'was I ok?' again and at this point I just told her what I thought. I said that I was confused at why Emma hasn't really moved on, I felt a bit sorry for my DP that she was invited to all family gatherings and that our relationship hasn't really had the space to grow and be accepted by his family. She then responded my saying the girl is a family member and I basically should just get over it because shes always going to be around.

She then asked me to go outside with her and used the whole thing as an opportunity to rake up an incident that had happened a long time ago when she had looked after my DS (6months old at the time) and she had taken him out in an unsafe car, past his bedtime and not called me to let me know. At the time I was angry about this and we fell out but I had since thought it was all forgotten about. She brought this up again and made wild accusations about the evening, accusing me of all sorts of things that hand on my heart, I didn't do or say. I got more and more upset outside, kept telling her that I wasn't going to agree with her as those things didn't happen and then my DP came over. He heard the things she was saying and he took her side. We went back to the room and he called me the worst names ever, I'm not even writing them they make me feel so horrible. Everytime I tried to explain to him what had happened he screamed at me and he told me to go home first thing in the morning so I didn't see anyone. I've since had the silent treatment since then and it shows no sign of stopping. I sent him a long email yesterday and he replied saying 'if you contact me again I will be forced to take matters out of your hands'.

I feel completely bewildered and hugely upset. I probably could have dealt with the whole ex thing better but I feel pushed out and like an outcast in his family. The fact i wasn't invited to the hen do and me and my son were not invited to the wedding in Italy was really difficult to deal with. I had had enough of people asking me if I was ok and I didn't have a go at the sister, I just explained how I felt. I feel pretty sure if she was in my situation she would feel the same. She then used that to dredge up something from the past that I have tried so hard to put right, she has made no effort at all.

My DP and I are in the middle of buying a house together, we were meant to be going to Blackpool with my family later this week and I feel dreadful. I haven't eaten anything for 3 days and he will not speak to me. I feel like his sister totally set out to do this and I feel like she is having a really good laugh at me behind my back. She has also posted a picture on facebook captioned 'my favourite photo of the night' and it is her with all of his exes dancing on the dancefloor. I feel in my heart of hearts like she is purposefully trying to be a bitch and make me miserable. I don't know what to do. Help.

OP posts:
CheerfulYank · 30/09/2014 05:14

You can do this.

He is awful and doesn't deserve to be in your son's life.

MexicanSpringtime · 30/09/2014 05:25

Another one hear saying that you sound lovely and you are well rid of him.

musicalendorphins2 · 30/09/2014 06:02

I'm sorry if that sounded cruel. I just believe you are being treated really disrespectfully by his family and he is standing by and not only allowing it, but joining in on it.

MellowAutumn · 30/09/2014 06:45

You are potentially setting your son up for a lifetime of abuse.

Ron99 · 30/09/2014 06:48

This reply has been deleted

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jonicomelately · 30/09/2014 07:05

Ron99
You forgot to say that he'll leave her in the end anyway (how many ex partners and children does this man already have?!) meaning that she'll spend years of her DS childhood tip toeing around a complete waste of space.

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 07:26

Op look at this in a positive step, the day you take back control, and do something positive for you and your ds. It takes outsiders to see what is going on, as you cannot see it, being in that situation. Why woukd you want to live with a man who treats you like dirt, he does not sound like he likes you very much, let alone loves or respects you. You are a mum responsible for a ds, you have to put him first and leave this abusive arsehole. While you don't live with him or have chikdren with him, it is easy,so do it. Stuff the 1000, that's not much in the grand scheme of things.

Ron99 · 30/09/2014 07:30

Joni your absolutely right I forgot to mention that he will dump her. Either for a younger model or the ex-gf. I was more concerned for the child than the old.

LittleBearPad · 30/09/2014 07:38

So pleased you haven't exchanged (and this is in the midst of my own hideously slow exchange process so not something I say lightly. Pull out, stay in your home and send him on his way. You'll be a lot happier in the long run

Krakken · 30/09/2014 08:05

Op look at this man and see him for what he is.
He may be able to talk the talk and win you back after a bout of nastiness but a decent man would not treat you like this.
Don't fall for his words. Actions speak louder.
You know what you have to do. Don't look at hopes and dreams. Look at the reality.

Casualty · 30/09/2014 08:06

Please pull out of the sale. If you go through with it and buy a house with him, this horrible family will feel they have a right to come over and then treat you like shit in your own home.

Blu · 30/09/2014 08:16

dollfin, I have just re-read your OP.

Just keep reminding yourself that however horrible his sister is, she is not the problem, he is. There are places, especially at the end where it almost reads as if you think that if only the sister wasn't behaving so meanly, it would all be OK between you. But it wouldn't. She only has the power she has because HE is the problem.

"Everytime I tried to explain to him what had happened he screamed at me and he told me to go home first thing in the morning so I didn't see anyone."

Why do you WANT him to talk to you?

He has been humiliating you.

Don't be distracted by the bad behaviour of the sister.

See this as a turning point, gain some strength and belief in yourself.

Much sympathy during this really hard patch.

Bouttimeforwine · 30/09/2014 08:23

Please don't be weak by staying with him. Show him you are strong. You are not a failure by walking away. In fact, quite the reverse. By giving him more chances you are setting yourself up for failure.

Don't fail your son. He is the important one in all this.

jasper · 30/09/2014 08:24

I don't understand .

He effectively chucked you but he expects the house purchase to go ahead?

please can you explain.

He sounds dreadful

dollfin · 30/09/2014 08:25

Ron99, I think you are being a bit harsh to be honest. It's fine that you have an opinion, fine that you are giving me advice. But don't presume anything about my decisions and what I am thinking, nor talk about me in the third person.

For what it's worth, I have never ever been in this situation before. I've had plenty of nice relationships throughout my twenties that weren't like this. unfortunately I was swept away by somebody who I genuinely believed was the love of my life, I really did.

Coming to my senses is just difficult, not impossible and recently I have very much been questioning everything, something I would never have done before. Yes my self esteem may be lower than usual, yes my heart hurts quite a lot but I am up with my son, playing with him, getting him ready for school, preparing for his swimming lessons later. I am not a bad Mum and I will do the right thing, sometimes things are just hard at certain times in your life.

I don't deserve to judged in a sneery way about what I may or may not do. To be fair, you don't even know me.

OP posts:
Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 08:29

Op if you move in with him, you will be even more isolated. It will be like a prison, not a dream home. He will bring his family over, they will probably treat you like dirt and he will support it. They treat you that way because he allows it. At least in your own home you have your sanctuary.

Bouttimeforwine · 30/09/2014 08:31

TBF I think 99% of us are very sympathetic op. Many of us know how it feels to have your heart broken and your dreams come crashing down. It will take time to come to terms with it all.
I think what everybody is feeling, is the urgency with the house thing.

Are you sure he can't sign things and pay further money, getting you both in deeper, without you being involved? You might think nothing is happening for a day or two but is he hurrying it along still?

dollfin · 30/09/2014 08:36

No I am ok where the house is concerned, I've been dealing with all the paperwork etc. I have a stack on the dining table due to be returned and it's all just sitting there, the calls from the solicitors have been unanswered. i'm not worried about the financial side, it's all within my control. It was more that we were half way through a process and now it feels like the rug has been pulled from under my feet. I'm just feeling a bit shocked and bewildered thats all. But better this morning I have to say x

OP posts:
dollfin · 30/09/2014 08:37

And I am very grateful for the advice.

OP posts:
Bouttimeforwine · 30/09/2014 08:42

Glad the house bit is under control.

Well you can't just switch off your emotions. It's going to take time. It is hard, but you will come to terms with it. Hope does spring eternal but
I think you've realised he's not going to change. Take time to get your head round it all. I think a few months down the line you'll be thinking what a lucky escape you've had.
Thanks

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 08:43

Op trust your instincts tgey are there for a reason, I am glad it's coming to you how bad the situation is. Your ds is number one, his family treat him differently in a bad way, your partner will endorse that, and support his family over you and ds. This is not what you want. No wonder he has many exes.

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 08:45

Spend today contacting your solicitor and withdrawing from both sales, your circumstances have changed now and you are no longer able to go through with the sales.

Bouttimeforwine · 30/09/2014 08:56

Start steeling yourself for his charm offensive when the solicitor tells him that he can't get hold of you. He'll start getting worried and will do his utmost to get you to change your mind. He'll be lovely and apologetic; you are going to have to be so strong. Hope you can do it op. You haven't really got a choice though have you? If you fall for his charm and promises that it will never happen again, then there will be a similar thread from you, a bit further down the line.

He's a perfect partner as long as everything is going how he wants it to. When real life or you, get in the way of that, it's obvious he turns nasty or manipulates you until you give in and everything is hunky dory in his little world again. Sod you and your little boys feelings or wishes. It's already been like that until now, and will continue like that, only he'll get more demanding as he has you more tied to him and further in his power.

Stay strong. He'll be contacting you sooner rather than later.

jonicomelately · 30/09/2014 09:02

I think everyone is 100% on your side dolfin I hope that gives you the confidence to make the right decision for you and your DS.

Asteria · 30/09/2014 09:09

Good luck OP, I have had the rug pulled out from underneath me in the past - it is devastating. Keep in mind how he/they treated you whenever you feel your resolve weakening. Presumably you have money from the sale of your house? At least you have a safety net. It is rubbish, especially given you are homeless, but any man willing to put a mother and child in that position will happily continue if you go back to him.
Concentrate on your child and enjoy being a mummy - that is what got me through.
Good luck

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