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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To feel I've been played

170 replies

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 00:18

Sorry in advance for a potentially long thread.

Have been with OH for two years now. He lives with me the majority of the time.

At the start, he'd been out of a 7yr relationship for 3 months. I was with someone I loved dearly, but was leaving the country so it ended. The main difference being OH was dumped and was bitter about it. My then bf and I did not have any animosity.

OH and I really hit it off. I wanted to keep it casual. He insisted on a relationship, so I agreed to try and see where it went. It was lots of fun, summer romance. Then one afternoon, he sent me a photo of the ex as he was cleaning his flat one day saying "hard to throw away" (this was 4 months in) and I found it not only insensitive, but also insulting as she is (being blunt) noticeably unattractive. He was still obviously bitter. So I made extra effort, cooking really nice meals, doted on him, even arranged a therapist.

Shortly after, he then refused to make any acknowledgement of me on social media... Which usually I wouldn't give a toss about, and his explanation was "I don't do social media"... Except he had hundreds of pictures of everyone BUT me. All exes, friends, family. I wasn't even acknowledged, you would never know I existed. When pointing it out, I was snapped at. To this day he has never initiated a picture of us together. I believe two exist.

I cover all household expenses. It's my house I guess... But it's not just me living in it. In the two years when I've pointed out he makes no contribution, he uses the strange excuse that he can't as we don't have a joint account. In the last 12mths he has made some contributions to grocery shopping.

He has no outgoings. If he's not here, he's at his familys, with all bills covered by them.

His family are rude and dismissive to me. Came to my house once, to pick up their car that he drives, as he'd gone away for work, and behaved in a manner as such I felt awkward in my own home. I brought it up, and after refusing to believe me, he eventually spoke to them. They lied, he called me a liar and as a result, I don't go to any social events so they don't have to acknowledge their behaviour. They've met me twice. I've invited them to dinner, and they didn't even respond.

He's never taken me out. Not once. On the very very rare occasions we have been anywhere, it's a local Chinese or something at my organisation. I pay most often. He's certainly never arranged anything for me.

His birthday, I bought him a whole new snowboarding wardrobe. My birthday (he works away) I didn't even get a card. I did get to sign for something he'd bought for himself and had sent to the house though!!

His ex was a cheat, who gave him an std, and yet she was given the world and he won't hear a bad word. He passed this std on to me as well, which I was so decent about, telling him, it's OK, these things happen, and I feel very few women would have been as calm as I was. He was of course apologetic. I've never had anything before. It wasn't his fault, but I feel it's one more example of me giving my all when I really had every reason not to, and his constant feeling entitled to nothing less from me.

I'm a qualified professional, with my own house, car, great job... And I "get" nothing so to speak. No thoughtfulness, no dates, no flowers, no little surprises. If I point this out, I'm "obsessed with the ex" which is honestly, laughable. I explain that I'm drawing reference to show that he obviously understands how to do nice things for other people, why am I treated so differently. Again, he rants that I'm digging up his past, to avoid the question.

He's very molly coddled. At 33. The sister, 40, is an absolute failure, (4 kids, no house, no job and a drunk boyfriend who's hit her in front of said children) but they are both treated as prodigal children by the family, and they all make excuses for why none of them are ever at fault... So I do understand that his upbringing plays a part here, but not in the way he disrespects me in so many ways compared to all previous relationships.

Am I being plain stupid in pursuing this any longer? He isn't a bad person. He's fairly good with my son. I'm just fed up of bringing everything I do to the table, which he's quite happy to take, and his ungrateful actions in return.

Am I sounding stupid. Am I holding out for someone who's never going to treat me any differently and always have an excuse why?

I ended it today. Aibu?

OP posts:
spottybetty · 06/08/2018 08:56

Why on earth did you accept any one of those things, let alone all of them, in a relationship?? You've been a huge mug and accepted your partner's cocklodging and his family's shitty behaviour for far too long.

I recommend you do the Freedom programme so you don't end up with another loser.

But you also like a cow. Criticising another woman's looks and lifestyles?? Nice.

twoshedsjackson · 06/08/2018 09:05

I hadn't come across the term "scrit" (live and learn) but I knew "cocklodger" - if someone needed that term defined, they could just be referred to this thread. What a relief you must be feeling that you saw through him.
Scraping around for positives; the fact that you have no joint account (original excuse, that) does at least mean that he has no access to a joint account which he can drain.
I agree with the point made by other PP's - I wonder if you are going up on that pedestal as we speak, as a curiously inverted incentive to his next partner to prove they are so much more "worthy".
I wonder if his avoidance of social media is because he has a horror of you potentially meeting some of his exes, and, God forbid, comparing notes; I suspect you'd find some actually rather nice, exasperated women who could work through the same "script" with you, point by point?

Ninabean17 · 06/08/2018 09:09

What peakpants said. I must be a failure too, two children and don't own my own home. I don't even have a degree, what was I thinking!? You were right to get rid, op, but you need to look at your own attitude.

Aspergallus · 06/08/2018 09:12

Well done for finishing it. It can be hard when you feel like you’ve built momentum in a relationship and might be throwing something away...

But please STOP with analysing his behaviour, his family’s behaviour, his ex-gfs. The only thing you can meaningfully look at and change here is WHY, WHY, WHY did you commit in these circumstances? It sounds like it was words (wanting a relationship) rather than any real actions that sucked you in, and if you’d really paid attention to his actions this wouldn’t have gotten past a few weeks.

There were so many red flags here:
Him insisting on a relationship from early on
Slagging off exes
Not acknowledging you on SM
No interest in bringing you into his family

You need to look at why you continued to behave as though this was an adult relationship when he was not reciprocating. Even when it wasn’t what you wanted in the first place! Do you usually find you go along with what men want? Some of your comments about womens attributes suggest a somewhat sexist and unequal idea of how relationships form.

ChristmasFluff · 06/08/2018 09:14

Courtney555, I agree with those who said he hasn't played you because he was an obvious shit from the start. Also those who say how you can tell what a bloke will say about you by what he says about his exes. I definitely disagree with people going on about the size of your ego - anyone with any self-esteem at all would have dropped this scumbag when he sent that oh-so-insultingly captioned photo of the ex.

To tolerate all his crap, plus the crap from his family, is not healthy and speaks of a lock of boundaries. Putting yourself last in a relationship and constantly looking out for the other person before yourself also shouts out 'codependency'.

And generally, when someone really isn't a bad person, you can usually find something more praiseworthy to indicate this than 'he's fairly good with my son'. He is a bad person, and your son doesn't need that sort of male role-model in his life.

PitchBlackNight · 06/08/2018 09:28

That sounds like a waste of two years. It sure why you put up with it so long.

Churrolicious · 06/08/2018 09:30

You've done the absolute right thing. He sounds like a pisstaker!

YouTheCat · 06/08/2018 09:40

My exh held his ex up on a pedestal. Told me how wonderful she was - slim, clever etc. How they were going to had been trying for a baby and then she cheated on him. I suspect the reality was she didn't want a baby with him, she broke it off with him and met someone else but he still classed that as cheating because he hadn't wanted to end it. He was living the single life, while enjoying the benefit of her supporting him too. I wish I'd met her and got her side.

OP, his next 'victim' will be told how wonderful you were and how they will never live up to you. He's a gaslighting, free-loading twat and you are well rid.

Lalliella · 06/08/2018 09:47

Can’t believe you didn’t tell him to sling his hook long ago. YABU about the sister though. Victim blaming much.

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 09:52

I have to say, it you lot that are obsessed with the looks part.

These women have been cheats, these women have lied, these women have scrounged, these women are unattractive.

Isn't it funny how you all jump to the unattractive. Interesting. Then drag the thread in that direction.

I find it quite simple, a spade is a spade. I'm short. Fact.

I'm sure they had they're good points, still cheated though. One had a really good figure, but not a nice face and stole money. Rather than assume I've gone solely on his information, understand I haven't.

The sister is not a poor abused little victim. Believe me. She is spiteful, manipulative, has 3 very obese children and refuses to give them a healthier lifestyle. Lives off handouts from the parents, grandparents. Told her eldest who saw her get hit that she had to withdraw her statement from the police, and has plans to abandon two of her children so she can live with him in a another country, and they quite rightly won't go. Failure because she gets hit? Don't be so stupid. Failure because of how deliberately selfish and entitled she is at her children's expense. Yes.

Didn't realise this much clarification was required on the "side" subjects.

I've blocked his numbers, it's actually quite nice having woken up to none of his nonsense.

And I am seeing it as nonsense now. And as someone said earlier, it's actually embarrassing now I've taken a step back. I'm sure the next one is already hearing the sob story.

Shaking my head at myself lol. But thank you for pointing out what is now so blooming obvious xx

OP posts:
gottastopeatingchocolate · 06/08/2018 09:55

Yes, OP, you did the right thing.
I suspect that despite the way you speak about yourself, your self esteem could use a boost? I would recommend some "me" time before you embark on another relationship.
He sent you a photo of his ex saying "hard to let go of" - you made extra efforts to please him, despite feeling hurt and insulted.
He has actually made it easy, in that there are no joint accounts and no connections on social media.
I agree with PP - you have to take everything he said about exes with a pinch of salt, and not stress about the lies he is most likely to say about you. No contact with him or his family will be the quickest way to get over it and move on.

Mrsmadevans · 06/08/2018 10:00

Be extremely glad you didn't have a joint bank account OP , he has no claim to your home or your money. I am so glad you have come to your cake and milk m'dear, well done, now go and enjoy your life. Flowers

bumhead · 06/08/2018 10:05

Wow.
You're just not getting any better. You're vile.
You should probably phone him because it sounds like you're well suited tbh

Funnyface1 · 06/08/2018 10:05

Congratulations on getting rid of the worst thing in your life. Don't even consider giving him the time of day after this. Enjoy.

AgathaRaisonDetra · 06/08/2018 10:08

I wonder if there has been a name change fail at some point in this thread?

PeakPants · 06/08/2018 10:50

Yeah, the point is that cheating etc is behaviour that can be helped. What someone looks like is random genetic luck and has no bearing on someone's worth as a person. Clearly not in your head though, where you're outraged that you, a pretty person, should be treated worse than a minger. The injustice of it all.

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 11:06

If you could not divert my thread onto something that's really not been said by anyone, but jumped on and assumed several, that would be lovely.

Yes, I agree, it does suck that he's already lining up the next one. Which inevitably he is. He's got money for the first time in months, and due back from work in about a week. It's so petty and unimportant, but it grips my shit so badly that he'll be wining and dining and splashing out, playing the "baller", treating whoever to nights out, dinners, and for two years I didn't get anything to show any appreciation. Just coming home to find a takeaway, or candles by the bath, nothing fancy, but once would have been good.

I don't know why I'm so fecked off. I see the obvious good riddance. Maybe it's a difficult pill to swallow now I realise what an absolute mug I've been. And for two years. Shame on me.

OP posts:
Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 11:14

YouTheCat

That's very interesting, I got the whole "the ex wanted kids with me and I wouldn't let her"

It's probably like you say. She didn't want to know. Doesn't excuse the cheating, nothing does, but I tell you, if anyone I've ever met, deserved the karma, this guy gets first place.

OP posts:
cholka · 06/08/2018 11:15

Yay, this isn't a problem - you've solved it! I can't work out what you got out of the relationship. Just don't let him back and make sure the next person you get with is less of a leech!

lasttimeround · 06/08/2018 11:22

Op - ive not read the full thread but thought I'd add my 2 cents to the mystery of why did he treat women much less nice to him so well and you so dismissively.
I think some people have blueprints of what love and relationships look and feel like that are hugely twisted. To them the drama of unhealthy couplings feels like passion and therefore love. And they cant really respond to someone whose nice to them, treats them well etc. Nor can they reciprocate.So basicall its not about you. He sounds screwed up. No amount of consistently loving behaviour fixes that unless they can register that as loving behaviour.
You are well rid. Keep it that way and dont torture yourself ronderi5ng what was wrong with you to merit poor treatment. The only question to seriously ask yourself is why did you accept poor treatment for 2 years?

For years i thought people who were nice to me were too dumb to see how shit i was, so i despised them and hung out with people who treated me horribly because that was what i thought i deserved. There were a few gems in my life who didnt fit that pattern but i couldnt 'see' it.

Cloudyapples · 06/08/2018 11:26

Op if he was living with you make sure you get the locks changed before he gets back

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 11:29

Last time round

Your message makes me want to hug you xxxx

OP posts:
hottotrotsky · 06/08/2018 11:33

The sis is a failure because she has 4 DC, jobless and is a victim of DV??

You sound fucking charming. Kind of see where they're coming from.

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 11:37

Why don't you read on and realise I didn't think anyone would be silly enough to think that. It's been clarified.

Ridiculous.

OP posts:
lasttimeround · 06/08/2018 11:41

Its a horrible place to be but you can't fix people like that. They have to fix themselves. So dont go back with him to help him cos you understand him now!!

Instead figure out why youre connecting with someone like that. I suspect it indicates issues with self esteem and bashing the other women to try to 'objectively' argue you should have been treated better than them because you are better is also low self esteem talking.
These things happen - be happy you only did 2 years.

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