Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To give up on my only friend?

56 replies

ObObO · 20/07/2018 13:16

She has always been time-demanding, she’ll text throughout the day and will get upset if she’s not included in things. Then when she’s in a relationship, she goes quiet. She went through a messy breakup which involved us texting every day and speaking on the phone for hours each night. I’d then go to see her at weekends or she’d visit me and I involved her in everything, she even came along on mine and DH’s anniversary break (although she wasn’t technically invited). She’s not had any other friends since I’ve known her but has recently started a new relationship and has quickly become friendly with her other half’s friends.

Before this relationship started, she wanted to go on a ‘girl’s holiday’. So we discussed the dates we couldn’t do, mine was just one week that I absolutely couldn’t get off work, and then agreed a date and both booked the time off work. We discussed places to go and settled on somewhere she wanted. It then turned out that the date we’d chosen clashed with an important work trip DH had to attend so I spoke with her to try and move it but she stressed how difficult it was for her to change dates so we stuck with it and DH had to tell his employer he couldn’t attend (we have no one to help with DC for that long a period).

Then she meets her new man and all goes quiet. I keep checking the holiday prices and letting her know it’s going up slightly every week. When she finally gets back to me she says she no longer wants to go to this place because her new man has been and says it’s awful and it’s now too expensive. Ok I say and begin looking for a new destination.

Whilst I’m doing that, she asks if he and his friends can come along. I say I’m not that keen on the idea as I don’t know them so she says that she’ll have to do two holidays and can’t afford that so might have to cancel ours unless they can come along. So I agree.

I then find a new destination in budget, find the flights, hotel and even excursions for us to do. She says it looks ‘ok’ but isn’t sold on it so I carry on looking. I stress that we’re getting close to our going away date and should book something so we agree to sit down on the Friday and book it together.

Friday arrives and she’s a no show. I then get a text on Saturday saying that her and the others have booked the holiday I found but for the one week in the year I’d said I couldn’t go. I replied in disbelief asking why she would exclude me and she then got annoyed with me for putting her in a difficult position. She ignored me for a few weeks, during which time the holiday happened and she updated every single detail on social media with #bestfriends etc.

After ignoring me for a while she text asking me for advice for her new man regarding a medical problem (I’m a nurse). I was reluctant to help so suggested he see his GP. She then didn’t stop and turned back to being friendly again asking how I am etc so I gave a lengthy reply to try and help plus asked some general questions about her and how she is and she never bothered to reply.

She then did it again. Text me for more advice for him, ignoring my last text.

I’m still so annoyed about the holiday and that I’ve stuck by her for so long and helped her so much and it seems like she doesn’t value my friendship at all. It all feels so dramatic and petty, on the one hand I want nothing more to do with her but at the same time it seems silly to throw away a friendship.

What do you think?

OP posts:
Lizzie48 · 20/07/2018 16:40

@manicinsomniac

What you say is true, but the OP has a DH and DD so she isn't alone. She also did have friends that she lost because of this person. I've had a toxic friend like this, a user, and my life is so much better without her in it.

OP, you will make new friends. As you're a mum, you can get to know your DD's friend's' parents, you could find some friends that way. The school gate can be a good place, too, despite its reputation. I've made a good friend that way, and others I can enjoy chats with. (This has been easier since DD2 started school as she's very popular!)

There are a lot of potential friends around. Without this so-called friend's toxic influence, you'll be in a place to make real friends. Thanks

raspberrysplit · 20/07/2018 17:03

I just kept reading thinking, yes that’s enough, ditch her, and then you continued to add more things.

I’m sorry to tell you this but she’s not your friend. Block her and spend the time and energy you currently waste on her on someone nice.

emmyrose2000 · 21/07/2018 00:28

It then turned out that the date we’d chosen clashed with an important work trip DH had to attend so I spoke with her to try and move it but she stressed how difficult it was for her to change dates so we stuck with it and DH had to tell his employer he couldn’t attend (we have no one to help with DC for that long a period

I am absolutely stunned at this. What exactly did you husband say to his boss about not attending the work trip? Because if I was his boss and he told me the real reason he wasn't going (ie. his wife's friend was having a tantrum and you were both giving into her), then his job would be in serious jeopardy.

ObObO · 21/07/2018 10:40

Thank you for the replies Flowers

I agree that no friend is better than a bad one. It’s not been long at all since I made the decision to cut her out of my life but I can already feel my shoulders relaxing, like a weight has been lifted. It’s really bizarre that I’ve gone along with this relationship for so long and not taken a step back to see how damaging it was. I’m really disappointed in myself.

She used to be the kind that would ring me and my DH if I didn’t reply to her message for a few hours but now that she’s eased off I think it’s a good idea to not reply to any texts for a few days as a PP suggested.

Emmy he told work that he had to look after the DC. This isn’t unusual for him as I work shifts so he didn’t get into any trouble.

This came after it had taken months to agree on a date with Bitchy McBitchFace for us to go away. It was such a nightmare getting the date sorted that the last thing I wanted to do was go to her and ask to change it because she had already said that she could only do that week. This adds to the sting of her then magically freeing up an entirely different week to go away with the others.

I do regret not putting DH’s needs first though. I’m afraid I have dragged him along on this ridiculous ‘friendship’ for far too long, from him picking her up at train stations in the early hours after she’d fallen out with her then partner and decided to turn up in our town to him having to listen to me go on and on about how difficult she can be but then not seeing me do anything constructive about it. I do regret it.

OP posts:
Nanny0gg · 21/07/2018 10:43

Why are you even asking?

She is not a friend, she doesn't know the meaning of the word.

Be very unavailable when this relationship goes wrong and keep it that way.

Ravenesque · 21/07/2018 16:29

Don't be too hard on yourself, ObObO. The future is ahead of you and all of the not putting DH's needs first, the putting up with her for too long are over. You can't change what's happened, but you can learn from it - which you have - and you can now go forward and live a life that's better for you and your family.

I'm so glad the stress has alleviated and you feel a sense of relief. I'm also glad that you called her Bitchy McBitchFace!

Have a lovely weekend x

New posts on this thread. Refresh page