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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Think my relationship is over

210 replies

Tweetiepie1000 · 31/07/2016 20:57

Pretty sure my relationship will be over in the next couple of days!

Huge backstory but too long and complicated.

Been desperate for partner to propose been waiting 13 years! Gone away on holiday and was led to believe he may propose but absolutely no sign of it and only one day left.
I am getting older and he keeps acting like he wants to marry me when we have spoken about it but never has asked. I'm getting too old to have kids so I need to start thinking about my future.
I'm so sad that how I feel doesn't matter. He knows how desperate I am and has said he wants to marry me.

I want to be married before kids and it's really important to me and something I want for myself so am not willing to compromise on it.

I'm sure I'm being U but I just cannot see his point of view at all.

OP posts:
MunchMunch · 01/08/2016 10:24

Why does he need a holiday to propose? If he knows how much it means to you and its something he wants as well, knowing that it could end your relationship if he doesn't then why is he stringing it out?

If he wanted the romance/surprise factor of everything being "perfect", well that'll never happen now as you are either impatiently waiting or ready to leave.

He's a twat and not into the relationship as much as you are. Sorry

beefthief · 01/08/2016 10:30

Some baffling replies here! Wow.

OP says: I want to be married before kids and it's really important to me and something I want for myself so am not willing to compromise on it.

CoraPirbright - 13years!!! This guy has used up 13 years of your young, child-bearing years. He knows what you want but it's only what he wants that matters. He is very selfish. Is that what you really want in a husband?

Yeah, sounds like he's the selfish one here. He's the one saying he's "not willing to compromise"!

AyeAmarok - He's a horrible cruel bastard. Men who do this are total arseholes.

That's utterly disgusting, and you should be ashamed. It's a difference of opinion and one that neither party has properly ironed out with the other. Horrible thing to say.

If it's so important to you, talk to him seriously and let him know how you feel. Or propose to him. You may need to compromise a bit, and clearly this man isn't going to give you the fairytale proposal that you're craving. You, and only you, can decide whether the things he does bring to the relationship are worth compromising over this. But don't be bullied by the LTB crew on here, who only want to see the worst in him. You know him better than anyone else.

beefthief · 01/08/2016 10:31

Oh, you have talked to him. I'm still struggling to see how your expectations and inferences are so far out of whack with what his actual intentions are. Communication problems are seriously the biggest issue here, he doesn't know how much this means to you, and you're assuming he's going to propose when he's not. Baffling.

NothingMoreThanFelines · 01/08/2016 10:32

It sounds to me as if he enjoys having this power over you. Do you really want to marry and have children with someone who cares so little for your feelings and in fact seems to get a kick out of being cruel?

KC225 · 01/08/2016 10:32

Oh TWEETIEPIE. He is torturing you with this. It is quite cruel. He has had 13 years. He knows how much this means to you and he has still not proposed and is still saying next holiday. Do you really think he will set a date and do it.

My DH was with a previous girlfriend for 9 years. Engaged for 6. She left him because he refused to set a date and have a baby. 18 months later she was married and pregnant to someone else and they still together and very happy.

When we got together I asked him about it and he said, I never saw us staying together long term but I thought if we got engaged she would feel more secure. We married 11 years ago 18 months after meeting and he was more keen than I was.

You have to walk away TWEETIEPIE. You have given him so many chances. Big hugs.

JMJHMG · 01/08/2016 10:37

Tweetiepie, please walk away.

He is a cruel fucker for doing this to you.

Don't waste another second with this cruel fucker. Even if he did propose, would you really want to marry him now? I get the feeling you wouldn't.

Arfarfanarf · 01/08/2016 10:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Chippednailvarnishing · 01/08/2016 10:46

Sorry to be harsh, but where's your self respect?

ZansForCans · 01/08/2016 10:48

But beefthief he has told her he does want kids and does want to be married. If he doesn't, and he's just stringing her along, which is what it sounds like, then he's being very dishonest with her, possibly with himself too, but you can't blame her for thinking they wanted the same things when that's what he's said!

I agree with PPs who say he just doesn't want the commitment/change/upheaval/cost and fancies these things in some theoretical, someday/never kind of way but isn't prepared to really face up to what that means for her. It's very difficult, because he can always pass it off as never quite getting round to it and continue to appear to be a reasonable person, BUT it shows a basic lack of respect for her feelings and needs that she has stated clearly.

If he wasn't ever going to give her marriage and kids, he should have ended it but I suspect he's just bumbling along in his cushy life and batting her off with vague promises. It's selfish, heartless and cruel but because he doesn't have to be actively cruel to do it, it's hard for OP to accuse him. The only thing she can do is force a change and face up to the fact that that may mean leaving him.

What matters is to do this while she still has a chance of what she wants.

I know a man who has done this to multiple partners and then just moved onto the next, younger one when the woman got to her late 30s and left. He's generally a nice bloke, if you met him you'd think he was lovely. But he just doesn't take this seriously and only thinks of himself.

My own ex didn't really want to have the kids he insisted he wanted. He tried to claim we could both put it off until we were 40ish. But when I asked if he really wanted them he would seem so sure he did - just "one day". I did the ultimatum thing and we ended up having 2 DC, but you know what - he still basically didn't really care about my feelings and needs, so it was a real struggle. I'd basically cajoled him into it – and while I couldn't possibly wish away my wonderful DC, that does make me sad.

JMJHMG · 01/08/2016 10:50

I think Arf has nailed it. Absolutely nailed it.

Sorry OP. Similar happened to me. I know what you are going through. I left him and had to start again, and its the best thing I ever did.

Girlsthatdance · 01/08/2016 10:53

When is the next holiday op? And why that one and not this one?

I don't like the thought of you going on the next holiday and waiting day by day, night by night for him to finally pop the question and not trusting he even will or even wants to.

CoraPirbright · 01/08/2016 11:00

Beef I do think he is selfish, yes. You are absolutely right when you say it is a difference of opinion. The OP wants marriage then children and, it seems, that her partner wants something else. This is totally fine but the problem comes when he is not honest about what he wants and keeps her hanging in there, constantly hoping, by agreeing that its what he wants too and all his promises of "soon, soon". OP has been honest in her discussions by telling him what she would like for her life - if he was decent, he would have had a serious think about it and come to the conclusion that yes, he wants that too/yes he wants that but not with her/no he doesnt want that/wants kids but not marriage etc etc. Not wanting the same things is perfectly normal and ok, but fibbing and stringing someone along isn't.

ExtraHotLatteToGo · 01/08/2016 11:01

Yes, of course he was going to propose next holiday and you have now spoilt it.

Leave.

You have MORE chance of having a child if you leave than if you stay.

He's had 13 years to make good and hasn't. Anyone you meet now that wants kids will know it's something you'll need to get onto sooner rather than later.

Curviest · 01/08/2016 11:04

I had no idea that MN existed in the 1850s till I read the OP.

SonicSpotlight · 01/08/2016 11:07

You need to pick. Him without marriage or children or the chance of marriage and children with someone else. Plus some self respect.

Lindt70Percent · 01/08/2016 11:07

I don't understand proposals. Surely you get to a point in your relationship where you talk about marriage and decide together to get married. It sounds like you've had this conversation - you've said you want to marry him , he's said he wants to marry you. Isn't the next step to set a date and get married?

I can imagine there would be a few relationships where there would be a proposal that comes out of the blue and is very romantic etc. but surely that's the more unusual scenario?

It seems to me that he's in no rush which can only mean he's not that bothered about you. Don't let him make you feel guilty about raising the subject for all the reasons Arf stated.

ElspethFlashman · 01/08/2016 11:14

At this stage I'm not even sure how much he really loves you.

He certainly has no problem looking at your crushed disappointed face when this has come up numerous times over the past 13 years. He sees your pain, and effectively shrugs. But plays his part just enough so his life isn't disrupted by any emotional silliness like you actually setting a toe outside his door.

Girlsthatdance · 01/08/2016 11:19

I was proposed to on holiday. We chose the ring together when we got back. Just making the point that the ring isn't the issue is it, it's the intention. The proposal doesn't have to be a big planned event, it is often spontaneous.

MrsJorahMormont · 01/08/2016 11:26

I thought he was a twat before but actually now I think he's a bastard.

You have wasted 13 years with this man. Don't waste another day.

He says he wants kids but tbh I don't think he wants them with you.

I also suspect he is trying to protect 'the house' should his elderly relative die and leave it to him. If he's not married it will be 'his' not yours jointly (you may have some rights based on living there for years).

Are you helping him a lot caring for his relative? If so he's keeping you around as a carer. Then if he inherits a nice house you'll find yourself kicked to the kerb while he goes out hunting for someone younger and shinier. It sounds like a bad novel plotline but a virtually identical situation happened to a former colleague who wasted 11 years on a complete oaf who inherited a lot of land and property and promptly cut her off like a wart. He met and married a work / skiing pal within 18 months.

It's time to walk away OP Thanks

Madinche1sea · 01/08/2016 11:28

Tweetie - I'm really sorry to read this.

Fwiw, I think he probably does love you, in his own way. He just sounds like an aimless drifter. Why is he still living with his mother? Is it because he needs to be her carer or simply because he hasn't got his life in order to buy / rent his own place? He needs to be standing on his own feet surely, with a plan for how he will support any children you may bring into the world, before he's in a position to propose.
Also, does he really understand about fertility issues and how things can go off a cliff after a certain age? He may just be nodding along with you when you explain this, but not actually grasping the facts?

Damselindestress · 01/08/2016 11:29

It's always going to be the next holiday isn't it? He's had 13 years to pick his moment! He's being really mean if he makes you feel you have somehow spoiled things by mentioning it. After all this time you are bound to have concerns and should be able to discuss them.

PNGirl · 01/08/2016 11:29

I think if a proposal is a total and complete surprise it's because it either happens quite early/young or very late in the relationship when neither has been much bothered about it before.

Honestly, he probably thinks that being married won't change anything and in his head you're both "still young" with "plenty of time". I don't think my husband realised that mid-30s is when potential fertility issues can pop up because his aunt had twins in her early 40s with no issues.

Have you pointed it out to him with stats that time is not on your side for "soon"?

pinkandpurplesparkle · 01/08/2016 11:30

Tweetie in a lot of ways, you've answered your own question. You know he won't propose on the "next holiday". You know that things won't change. Your current situation satisfies him and he has no reason to make any alteration to that.

If I could encourage you, I'd encourage you to take control of your future. I cannot see that you will achieve your dreams if you are shackled to this poor excuse for a man.... but if you want change to happen, you need to take that first step. Might be hard ... but can you see yourself in five years or ten years, still in the same situation with this guy? Flowers

Stormtreader · 01/08/2016 11:31

As soon as you posted "he had no intention of proposing this holiday", I was immediately going to ask if he then said "I was going to do it on the next one but now the surprise is gone."

Commitment-phobes also have a script, and this one is folllowing it to the letter. I suspect that this is not the first time he has ever said "I was going to ask you to marry me but"...you nagged too much about something, youve asked too much, you wanted us to have the house/car/holiday and now we cant afford it.....

Babynamechange · 01/08/2016 11:35

I was just about to write what MrsJorahMormont said
All that rubbish that he was actually going to propose next holiday whenever that is is really manipulative and nasty. It gives you false hope/keeps you stringing along/makes you feel really bad for 'ruining' it.
Honestly OP, I know it's scary but just walk away Flowers

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