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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Psycho MIL - take 2

167 replies

LolaL · 11/06/2018 18:04

Hi everyone, I posted this --

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3249894-MIL-from-hell-bring-popcorn-wtf-do-I-do-with-her?pg=14

-- a few weeks ago. Since then, things have been quite good. We've had a few issues (her slagging me off to my mum, she's super super manipulative and it sparked a massive argument between my mum and I). I had a text from her re the hairdresser for the wedding and I text her on the morning of a hospital scan to wish her good luck - but otherwise had absolutely no contact at all.

DP has been the happiest he's been. He has had an occasional phone call with her and popped into the house to ask his dad for some help with the car, but aside from that, that's it.

Weekend just gone was his stag. A really lovely weekend was organised for him (just what he needed!) and he came home yesterday pm bouncing, despite his hangover lol. Showing me photos/videos, telling me what they got up to etc. Really happy.

I met up with SIL over the weekend and she told me that she too has had no contact, bar one phonecall to discuss seeing grandkids (initiated by SIL). Throughout the whole phonecall, MIL repeatedly slagged off the whole family, mainly me. SIL sounded like she did a great job in trying to keep on topic and discuss the kids however it eventually ended with SIL saying that she would not tolerate listening to this and put the phone down. SIL told me about this conversation and I decided not to share with DP, not to upset him.

This morning, DP called MIL on his way into work, just to check in. I think the child in him wanted to share what a lovely weekend he'd had. She told him that she was so glad that he'd had a lovely weekend because she was now on anti-d's and wanted to kill herself all weekend, how lonely she was.... (FIL didn't go on stag so she wasn't alone...) and how upset she was that I didn't reach out to her over the weekend and plan something with her.

Aside from seeing SIL, I had a lovely, very busy weekend spent with my friends and hobby.

DP then called me, really upset, saying how he felt so sorry for her and that he was sad that I'd not reached out to her this weekend. I pointed out that I didn't understand why this weekend was an exception, how was I to know she was feeling lonely, she had FIL, absolutely no difference to any other weekend and even if I wanted to, I had hobby commitments so would have struggled for time.

He ended up getting angry saying how he can't cope that I hate his mum, I started crying, completely out of the blue, I was sat on the sofa catching up with work emails. Ended the call. 10 mins later he text saying he loved me and was sorry, I didn't reply, was upset.

I replied half an hour later saying I loved him but this is really getting me down, our wedding is 4 weeks away and he cannot let his mum manipulate him, or interfere in our relationship. He said she isn't and loves me like a daughter?? I said very hard to believe when she's said some v nasty stuff about me to SIL and told him what was said. Maybe I'm expecting too much, but if I had heard someone talk about DP like that, I would be straight on the phone, asking why they'd said this. Anyway, his response was "take it with a pinch of salt."

I then got v v angry that he couldn't back me and was again letting her control and interfere. I completely saw red and did call her a "psycho controlling bitch" which was probably the most PG thing I had in my head!!!

Anyway, this has continued back and forth all day, him saying he feels unsupportive me hating his mum, me thinking wtf he is letting her control and ruin our relationship. BIL has had a chat with him and agreed that he thinks she's trying to ruin the wedding.

Absolute mess. I don't know what to do. My head is saying run, my heart is staying stick with him.

This sounds pathetic and that I'm overreacting but I really do feel like this is the final nail in the coffin.

OP posts:
LolaL · 14/06/2018 13:47

PP's - you're all so, so right.

NC is the only way... even my DM has warned DP that the only way our marriage is going to work is if MIL stops playing such an influential role in our relationship (her polite way of saying, you need her out of your life).

I'm all for DP speaking to her and maintaining some sort of relationship as long as it has no impact on our life. If he can't do that I'm going to have to walk.

And I'm certainly not bringing kids into this until we are singing from the same hymn sheet.

I have decided to keep a record of nasty comments, actions etc too. I can be explosive when I bottle things up and if I have a solid record of comments, actions, how they made me feel, how they caused x argument about y, then DP will have more to go on to go NC.

I am upset that he is going to be seeing her over the weekend though :(

OP posts:
jamoncrumpets · 14/06/2018 13:50

She's saving her trump card until just before your wedding, OP. Just wait and see...

LolaL · 14/06/2018 13:54

@jam - absolutely...... fully prepared that there's going to be some kind of medical emergency etc.

OP posts:
Zaphodsotherhead · 14/06/2018 14:12

Would outright telling her that you know she's going to plan a 'medical emergency' work? Like your DH says 'and don't you dare have a 'heart attack/massive depression/serious illness on our wedding day or the day we leave for honeymoon!' Especially if said in front of lots of people. Will give her the heads' up that it's expected, so if she does pull that stunt everyone will know it's manipulative rather than real and she might just have to rethink her 'pay attention to MEEEEEEE!!!!' strategy.

LolaL · 14/06/2018 14:15

@zaphodsotherhead YES that's an absolutely fantastic idea. Likely best coming from BIL/SIL than DP. He's definitely not the right one, but they or even me would be a fantastic option.
She is having therapy after recovering from a cancer scare, so it's awful awful awful to say to her, but none of us would put it past her.

OP posts:
jamoncrumpets · 14/06/2018 14:18

My MIL had a stroke before our wedding. And yet we couldn't get out of her when/where she'd been in hospital, or how severe it was.

worstmotherintheworld · 14/06/2018 14:33

She's having therapy after having a cancer scare?? So, she didn't actually have cancer? That sounds overly dramatic. I can imagine she may have another "scare" in the foreseeable future.

Flowerpotbicycle · 14/06/2018 14:38

Therapy for a scare 😂 Jesus Christ! She sounds very melodramatic

QuiteChic · 14/06/2018 14:46

I also predict the "Can't you seen DS, that woman just isn't right for you - ever since she's been around you've been moody and unpredictable. I just can't talk to you these days".

The added bonus was offering him the contents of her bank account to help him escape ! On our wedding day !

Goldmonday · 14/06/2018 15:30

Therapy for a cancer scare my god what a fucking lunatic

Lizzie48 · 14/06/2018 17:06

Your MIL sounds like my DM where the waterworks are concerned. She's very manipulative. But it's taken me many years to see that; my DSis said that about her in the past, but I couldn't see it, as she always seemed to be doing things with the best intentions. Now I see that she was only happy when we were playing to her tune. I'm 48 and I'm only now seeing it.

It's very hard to see it when it's all you know. And also, no one likes to hear criticisms of our parents (or siblings for that matter) however much we might know deep down that it's the truth.

However, your DP expecting you to call his mum for him while he was away on his stag night was totally wrong. If he was that concerned, why didn't he call her himself?? He would have had his mobile phone with him. Why would he think it was down to you to do that? Hmm

Motoko · 14/06/2018 17:09

Talk about a drama llama, therapy for a cancer scare?! FFS.

Dobby1sAFreeElf · 14/06/2018 17:19

Therapy for a cancer scare? Scare?
I didn't know that was a thing. I'm due some.

Vanessatiger · 14/06/2018 17:21

One word: RUN!

You’ll find a stronger DH! Don’t bother marrying him. Honestly, I wish I would’ve run. We only escaped her claws after she passed. She was a horrible MIL, made everything about her.

QuizzlyBear · 14/06/2018 17:28

I totally sympathise with you OP and I've been exactly where you are right now.

My DH proposed when we were on holiday (planned) and called his DM and DF to tell them his plan the night before. She cried for an hour on the phone before going apeshit and telling him if he went through with it he'd never be welcome in her home again. It's not the first or last time she's dramatically threatened to disown him.

Luckily he ignored her and did it anyway!

Then she didn't speak to me for two months (forgot to disown her son of course) before getting irate that I 'hadn't included her in the wedding preparations' and insisting that 80% of the invites should be for her family (despite me paying for the whole thing).

MIL then spent the next two years letting herself into our house at all hours with ridiculous pretexts, arranging for builders to do work on our house that we'd not agreed, rearranging the furniture to mirror her house, calling several times every day, constantly criticising our housekeeping (you people live like pigs!) and even called the police to report me missing twice when I didn't answer the phone to her. All the time badmouthing me to her huge extended (not at all batshit) family, who I now know and thankfully they love me. My DH and I have always said that if we ever split up, it would be because of her.

The only thing that made living with her as my MIL bearable was moving away. Now she can't 'pop over', I can avoid answering the phone if I don't want to speak to her and she's more 'out of sight / out of mind' which is a massive relief. My DH also has a much better relationship with her and doesn't constantly tiptoe around her, so I'm happy for him too. My suggestion? Move. Now!

GreenTulips · 14/06/2018 19:16

Take it she didn't return the dress then OP?

I think you and DF need to be firm and let him deal with her and her silliness. It's not your job to call her or reassure her.

Have you considered recording phone calls so you can listen calmly later on? So you aren't caught up in the moment? Makes dealing with situations after easier (and you can then replay them back to her)

rogueone · 21/06/2018 07:22

LolaL how are things now?

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