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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:
hhhhhhh · 30/09/2014 13:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MaryWestmacott · 30/09/2014 13:26

Can you e-mail the solicitor, tell them you want to pull out of the sale, it might not be too late.

Create a new subfolder in your in-box, label it "missives from the twat" and forward his messages to it. So you've kept them if you need them in the future, but don't give them headspace.

Focus on the practical, the house, packing up any of his stuff, distangling any links with him, and the emotional side will get easier, I promise. Keep busy with 'ending this relationship' and your heart will catch up with what your head is doing.

Then dust yourself off, buy/make yourself a big cake and celebrate the best party you ever went to, the one that made you get rid of the twat before it was too late to run away.

NewEraNewMindset · 30/09/2014 13:26

Dear soon-to-be-ex-abuser,

Thank you very much for your long and expansive email detailing all of my many and varied failings. It must have taken you quite a while to log all of that and transfer it to the written word, so I appreciate your effort.

Sadly I can't agree with how you seem to view me. It's sad that you feel this way but I've also been thinking for quite a while now that we aren't really compatible outside of the bedroom. We have certainly had some fun but apart from being a pretty face there is little else personality-wise, that you have going for you. So I agree it is best to terminate our relationship at this stage before we start entangling our finances and sharing a residence.

With this in mind I contacted the solicitor today and have instructed them to cease work on the contract as I will be pulling out of the sale of X property and remaining in my house. Obviously this is going to result in expenses for the work done to date, of which I will expect you to pay half.

I know we still have loose ends to tie up and I'm hoping we can do this as amicably as possible. When you feel ready then ease feel free to drop me a line and we can organise a time for you to come over and pick up your stuff.

All the best,

Dollfin

SlimJiminy · 30/09/2014 13:29

Have you been in touch with the solicitors yet op? Please do that as soon as you possibly can. Stop the sale of your own house and tell them you won't be going ahead with this purchase. You will look back on all this and wonder why the hell you put up with it for so long. Honestly. Get out while you can. It doesn't take long before you start to see things more clearly. You will feel AMAZING for having the courage to break free from him, really you will.

MexicanSpringtime · 30/09/2014 14:30

Oh Dollfin, thank heavens for mumsnet. I really feel for your situation. Your heart is broken. Right now it is one moment at a time, then one day at a time. Go on automatic pilot and do the estate agent stuff today, for you and your boy.

Everyone is telling you that this is a lucky escape and it is, though it doesn't feel like that now. But I just think that if you hadn't been able to share this problem on mumsnet and get other people's perspective you would be just as miserable now, but probably ended up saying you were sorry for something you didn't do and going into a long, long cycle of this treatment. Which would be horrible if it were just you, but a hundred times worse bringing a child into it all.

You deserve so much better

bananaleaf · 30/09/2014 14:51

I really feel for you OP. I was in a similar relationship which I ended after he verbally abused me at his cousins wedding (final straw). Took me 5 years. Please be glad this is only 4.

This is not what love looks like.

Hang in there, things will get better.

You will look back with relief at having got out of it. You definitely deserve better than this.

I only pray he leaves you alone as that's when it's hard to be strong, if he comes back with promises of change etc. please remember he won't change.

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 15:00

How are you Dollfin?

emotionsecho · 30/09/2014 15:04

I am so sorry to hear he is still trying to damage and destroy you dollfin, he's showing you his true colours and they are not pretty.

Cry for the loss of what you thought you had, don't cry for the loss of what you actually had with him.

You know deep down you are not the person he describes in that email, now show him.

He really doesn't deserve you, you are so much better than him. Leave him to his numerous exes and toxic family, HIM AND THEY ARE NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU.

Go to Blackpool with your son, spend time with people who love you for who you are and who want the best for you.

Your love for your son is unconditional, you want the
best for him, having this man as part of his life is not it.

Pick yourself up off the floor, stand tall and proud and leave this twat miserable and defeated knowing you were too strong for him to conquer, believe me that will be the best revenge because it will eat away at him constantly.

dollfin be the one who got away, the one who was too smart, savvy and strong, the one who saw through him.

LeftRightCentre · 30/09/2014 15:20

Jesus wept, that someone would consider moving their child, an innocent little kid, in with an abusive twat. That blows my mind.

wotoodoo · 30/09/2014 15:29

4 years?

your poor son is 3 so he has only ever known you as abused, downtrodden, a humiliated shadow of your former self.

Thank god you have seen the glint of light you need now and while your son is still v young

.

dollfin · 30/09/2014 15:49

Sometimes 'abuse' is a very odd word. If you could have been party to a vast majority of our relationship, I doubt you'd say that, my DS has a good relationship with him and his son.

He can't control himself in these type of situations and isn't the physically abusive type.I couldn't work out what was going on at first, I was devastated when the silent treatment started and being the person I am, starting reflecting on my own behaviour to see whether I had got things wrong.

If someone knocks you about then its very easy to say, oh, I would never put myself in that situation but when someone screws with your mind, its so much more difficult.

I am ok. I am not very happy, but I am ok.

OP posts:
Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 15:50

If you been with your partner for 4 years, your ds is 3. How does that work?

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 15:52

Dollfin, if you were to live with him, it would be difficult fir him to keep up that charade permenantly. His act would have dropped at some point, for your ds to witness on a regular basis. What are your plans doll?

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 15:53

The more you are nit with him, the clearer your mind will be, and you will hopefully see things for what they are!

dollfin · 30/09/2014 15:53

My DS is 4 at christmas, my DP and I have been together 4 years coming up in march. We've been together 3 years and 6 months to be precise, DS was 3 months old when we met. Sorry for confusion.

OP posts:
dollfin · 30/09/2014 15:58

I am just really down. He emailed me and said that he was so stressed and anxious by everything that I had put him through that it made him forget the anniversary of his dads death on sunday. It just makes me laugh as he had posted a status on sunday saying 'If Carlsberg made Sundays.......' He obv posted that to annoy me but forgot it was the anniversary of his dads death. and now thats my fault!

Also he said that I had created issues that were 'insurmountable' with his sons mother. All that happened was that I said, 'please can we talk' when we got back to the room and i got a diatribe of abuse back from him. How is any of that my fault?

Apparently I have lost my mind and am crazy and he hopes that I can come to my senses.

OP posts:
Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 16:03

No Dollfin, you tell him it's over. He is still trying to blame you and make you feel bad. If you continue to buy that house and have a relationship, you will be making the biggest mistake of you and your ds life. When you feel yourself waver, read your posts, look at the support on here.

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 16:05

You have to tell him it's over you are no linger buying that house with him. And contact your solicitors. Have you contacted them today. Gave you contacted him.

emotionsecho · 30/09/2014 16:07

Yes dollfin screwing with your mind is so much more difficult to pinpoint which is why he does it, it causes you to look at yourself, doubt yourself, defer to him. It also allows him to paint a picture of you to others that he wants, when you step out of this picture in front of his family he turns on you because you are destroying his carefully constructed picture.

It's abuse.

It's not you, it's him.

dollfin · 30/09/2014 16:09

I haven't contacted anyone today. I dropped DS at preschool, cried for most of the day and have now wiped the tears and picked him up. We are now watching Curious George and having sandwiches. Early night is on the cards.

A long time ago I suffered from anxiety and I'm having to be careful as for the first time in about 10 years I felt the old things happening again. Palpitations etc. I need to calm down and I need to take one day at a time.

I am hoping to contact solicitors etc tomorrow.

OP posts:
Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 16:13

That's fantastic good on you doll. He is a nasty piece of work, it ain't going to get better, in fact it will get worse if you move in with him. This space has allowed you to think clearly, have a good cry, to move forward to more positive beginnings.

Aeroflotgirl · 30/09/2014 16:14

Have a Wine or Brew Cake and Flowers, enjoy the rest of your day

emotionsecho · 30/09/2014 16:14

Tell him you have come to your senses and want nothing more to do with him.

Nobody, and I mean nobody should treat you like this.

You are his scapegoat, he will always find something to blame you for.

You have done nothing wrong.

LeftRightCentre · 30/09/2014 16:24

The 'you're crazy/mad/insane' is classic emotional abuse. He's a gaslighter.

The Freedom Programme.

dorasee · 30/09/2014 16:25

Walk... and never, ever, ever look back. They sound like they are mentally unstable, these family members and these types will always be stirring the pot. Your DP sounds irrational and damaged and as others said, he is not on your side. And there's the end.
Leave, leave, leave.
As for 'Emma'... f* her. Don't give this trouble maker a second thought. What a sad f**ker, hanging around her ex like an albatross 'round the neck. Get a life, the lot of them. It's just such a shame that you have invested so much in such a messed up man. We've all done it and these types really take some getting over. It's downright abusive what his parting words were. What a king-sized prick. Sorry, but he is.
You poor thing. I really, really feel for you. You're a nice person being made to feel like the jerk here.
He's getting in the way of the happy, fulfilling life you could have and should have with someone else. I had a similar situation years and years ago. I walked while my feelings for this guy were still strong and it took some getting over. But within 2 years of leaving I was married to someone else and expecting a child. Best walk I ever took!