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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think my "friend" needs to back off

95 replies

Backoff85 · 16/10/2017 05:36

NC because very outing. Feel a mixture of anger and guilt.

The back story is a year and a half ago I became close friends with a guy, N. He happened to be in an open relationship and I was reluctantly brought onside. Our "strand" of the relationship only lasted 2 months because I began to get very frustrated with what I saw as hypocrisy and unfairness. It doesnt matter though, because after just 2 months of this I moved to the end of the country and things ended between us.

Fast forward to last week: for the first time in a year I'm back in town and have loads of people to see. I've been with my DP, who I very much love, for a year and things are going great. Me and N have been in casual infrequent contact for the year, friendly contact but not very deep.

N announces that he has taken all the days off I'll be here off from work. I find that really intrusive and disrespectful actually, as if I didnt have anyone else to see.

On the first day I got here, I spent all afternoon and evening hanging out but had to cut the evening short at 11pm because I felt awful and was coming down with something - he did thia reallt sad puppy dog face that made me feel so bad.

The next day, a friend was coming to join me in town overnight so we could catch up. We included him on our night out but even then he spent tue whole day pressuring me to meet earlier. I met her off the train at 3pm and at 5.30pm he was like "shall we meet for dinner now at the indian?" I didnt see his message til 7 and replied to apologise and he said "no worries, shall we meet there in half an hour?"

It's like...arrrrgh its fucking Saturday evening and im here for 4 days, let me fucking breathe!

So Saturday the 3 of us went out and finished at 5am - he was gutted when I sent him home but didnt say anything :-/ On sunday morning i felt like an absolute wreck and it wasnt a hangover...my illness had intensified since I'd stupidly tried to push through it since i was visiting. So yesterday i woke up with it having developed into a fever and like a chest infection. I felt absolutely awful. Nevertheless, he expressed sympathy but asked if i wanted to meet up. Obviously i said no.

Today is my last full day and i wanted to spend it having a long lunch with my closest friend here, then walking around by myself just letting my mind reminisce, going to a few independent shops here and very possibly if i feel.well enough get a bus for early tea with another friend before going home early.

But last night he's texted two plans for tomorrow (both of which involve the great outdoors - sorry but i dont know exactly how many times i have to be fucking clear about the fact i am ill).

Im torn. On the one hand this is someone i used to be close to and i used to hold hom dear and feel i should make an effort to "honour" that friendship.

On the other hand theres the sickness thing, but more than that, i feel very angry, insulted and almost diarespected that he seema to be pushing his agenda on me. His girlfriend (the one who wanted them to be in an open relationship) has had countless lovers the past year and he hasnt, so....
What pisses me off is he knows because ive been very clear that i am in love with my DP and we dont do open relationships.

I honestly have no idea if N is hassling me out of his friendship feelings or romantic feelings, i genuinely couldnt say - possibly a blurring of both.

But im angry ive felt hounded during this stay, and that my last day may inevitably be spent bowing to the wishes of a persistent man IYSWIM.

Any thoughts? :-^

OP posts:
Allthelightsgoout · 17/10/2017 19:38

You shagged him for a bit knowing he was in an (open) relationship so had no expectation he'd do anything other than shag you.

You kept in contact with him then when you came back into town he (wrongly) assumed you'd probably shag him again with no expectations of anything else as you had before. You weren't very assertive.

Now you have been. Great.

Backoff85 · 18/10/2017 08:39

@sonjadog

After the crying smiley he sent another text asking if he could at least pick up his jumper.

I was annoyed at myself for not having given it bacl before and also annoyed at him because it's just a normal charity shop jumper - he could have just asked me to post it back.
I considered leaving it at a pub but instead texted him and said we could meet for a coffee before my train home the next morning.

He arrived at station with a very meaningful present (which i refused). I apologised for not having been clearer. He cried and said he had waited all year to talk things through with me. I felt bad but also irritated - he had known about my DP all year, and also knew I hadnt felt particularly well treated when in an open relationship with him. I felt annoyed at being forced into handling his feelings when mine hadnt really been taken into account a year earlier.

Anyway - lesson very much learnt.

OP posts:
CoraPirbright · 18/10/2017 09:48

He cried and said he had waited all year to talk things through with me

What a crock of shit!! Has he not heard of a phone/Skype?? Or, if it was important enough to make him cry then why didn't he come up to you to 'talk it through' before a whole year went by?? What a tosspot.

Backoff85 · 18/10/2017 09:50

@CoraPirbright

Exactly. At no point in the year did he try and come and visit so....

I felt bad and am sure his "sadness" was genuine in part, but also think its just a bruised ego

OP posts:
Danceswithwarthogs · 18/10/2017 10:08

Yep, you can't be friends with this person....

Either he is genuinely upset and continuing contact is stringing him along

Or

(More likely) He's trying to manipulate you and will ultimately undermine your healthy new relationship.

I'd go NC for the foreseeable.

TheMaddHugger · 18/10/2017 10:11

"I apologised for not having been clearer."

Pretty sure you were very clear. he maybe thought that you just seeing him in person again would 'Swoon' into his arms

ReanimatedSGB · 18/10/2017 10:12

Definitely drop all contact with this bellend. He is extremely manipulative and selfish, and what's mainly behind his behaviour is that he considers you his property. You're that toy in the back of the toy cupboard that he rarely wants to play with, but no one else can have it.

You don't owe him anything. Just ignore him from now on.

Jux · 18/10/2017 10:50

Leave him to his manipulative crocodile tears, and thinks no more of him.

Aeroflotgirl · 18/10/2017 12:42

You need to stop all contact now with him, and be assertive with him. If I were your dp, I would not be very happy that this is happening.

Willow2017 · 18/10/2017 16:22

well i give him 10 /10 for persistence.

What a crock. He knew what he was going to say when you met it wasnt about a jumper.

Do not conact him again.

Leave him to wallow in self pity and find someone else to massage his ego.

Backoff85 · 21/10/2017 09:54

UPDATE:

Interesting. One of the things i always associated with this guy was how gentle and kind and almost passive je was.

Since ive got back i can sense his tone shifting
First he sent me a message saying he felt lost.
Then he said he thought i wanted to be in an open relationshio secretly but didnt have the balls - i ignored
Then he said what if i was in the "primary" relationship - i said i couldn't be bothered and he said "sums you up".

Okay.

So now i have 100% confirmation: this giy was nevery friend. Im a total idiot. I thought we were friends and then slipped into an open relationship but no. Actually he doesnt care about me as a friend at all. Ive been foolish. Thats ok though. Im a bit disappointwd but ok.

I thought id just update you on this but i also thought it was interesting to note: this guy makes a massive song and dance oit of being a socialist and a feminist and blah blah blah.
Turns out underneath jes as manipulative as they come, if not more. I also find this an aggressive way of dealing with women who wont sleep with you. And last but not least, its hardly the live and let live attitude i would have expevted from someone in an open relationship.

OP posts:
aaaaargghhhhelpme · 21/10/2017 10:14

What a twat.

Well done op. You can see him for what he is. Now he can no longer take up more time or headspace.

Take care Flowers

Nazdarovye · 21/10/2017 10:31

Why do you feel guilty for this man? He belongs to the past. Tell him you've seen enough of him plus you are ill. If he doesn't like it, tough!

And what does your current partner say about all this? You revisiting past lovers and all?

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 21/10/2017 11:23

I can't stand the cohort of men who distort feminism and liberalism to demand women offer up their bodies. Then act like they are women's champions. Creeps.

I find they like to mansplain feminism, sexism, racism, etc. Anyone who disagrees with them is sneered at. You feel you can't debate really because Mr RightOn is always right and gets sneery when you disagree.

splendidisolation · 21/10/2017 12:01

@RunRabbitRunRabbit
Yep. Men who tend towards discussing feminist theory or pretending to give a shit about feminist issues need to be avoided like the fucking plague.
Better to concentrate on the ones who quietly go about their lives treating the women they come across with respect and kindness.

Meandtwo · 21/10/2017 12:28

hmmm... you kind of asked for it though didn't you? I mean come on - you really thought some guy you were in an "open relationship" with (christ almighty) wanted to be your bestie? Grow up, you can't keep friendships with people you've shagged. It was really inappropriate to meet with him in the first instance and terribly disrespectful to your DP. Lesson learnt I hope.

splendidisolation · 21/10/2017 12:43

"hmmm... you kind of asked for it though didn't you?"

Seriously?! Wow. Woman to blame in entitled male pushiness shocker.

TheLegendOfBeans · 21/10/2017 12:52

Wow @meandtwo

Hope your finishing school provides refunds

Motoko · 21/10/2017 13:00

Glad you've seen him for who he is, lesson learned. Don't beat yourself up about it though, making mistakes is how we learn, so you're now a bit wiser.
Time to block him and don't give it another thought.

Branleuse · 21/10/2017 13:12

Im glad you felt more able to be assertive. Did it feel a bit liberating?

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