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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:
letsdolunch321 · 06/08/2018 16:07

Thank fuck you have seen sense and ended it.

ReservoirDogs · 06/08/2018 16:10

I suspect he was cheating on you for the std to appear 6 months later

HelenUrth · 06/08/2018 16:11

Quotes from OP:

"she is (being blunt) noticeably unattractive."

"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)"

"every other person has frankly been a real scrit and "got" so much more."

"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."

"Not one person on here has said that a woman is a failure because she got punched. "

Do you really not see how judgemental you come across as? People can help their behaviour, but rarely their "attractiveness".

He is a horrible waste of space and you're well rid of him. I hope you will get yourself to a place where nothing like this happens again.

But I really think you need to take a good hard look at yourself and your attitude. And stop berating people here because you don't like how they are interpreting YOUR words.

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 16:17

Well. When 100 people interpret them perfectly correctly, and despite umpteen explanations to assist, one/two continue to insist the rest of us are wrong?

They're wrong. Not my problem if they don't want to hear it. I know what I've clearly explained, numerous times, and so does everyone else. I won't be told what I meant, because a tiny minority fail to grasp it, deliberately in one case, until someone else told her to be quiet and stop projecting.

Says enough.

OP posts:
DioneTheDiabolist · 06/08/2018 16:20

He used you because you were easy to use OP. Your self esteem seems to involve nothing more than feeling superior to other women, so all he had to do was tell you how awful his Ex was and how you were better than her and that was it. He didn't actually have to do anything to prove himself to you. He said the right things, you bent over to prove that you were better than her/them and that was it.

Develop a bit more intelligence and some emotional maturity before you enter into another relationship OP.

niknac1 · 06/08/2018 16:24

Haven’t read the whole thread but I think you are well rid, set your sights on a better match in the future.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 06/08/2018 16:24

@Courtney555 - well done for making this decision, and making a clean break. I hope that, in the future, you find someone who treats you as well as you treat them - you need to see your own worth, and find someone who sees it too.

Courtney555 · 06/08/2018 16:31

It just feels so shit. I don't know why.

I've just gone on to the computer to print a postage label, couldn't find where it was saved. Clicked recent documents and it's all pictures of me that are on an old memory stick that were sent, god, about a decade ago between me and an ex.

He must have scoured through my study before he went away and gone through my old stuff.

The pictures are of me, and my ex at the time. Twenty of them. All viewed about 6 weeks ago.

I'm not sure what to do with this??? I actually feel quite sickened.

OP posts:
hottotrotsky · 06/08/2018 21:09

"told her to be quiet and stop projecting"? Er no. She just has a life and isn't glued to MN all sodding day.

You've gotta be one of the most objectionable OPs in recent memory.

hottotrotsky · 06/08/2018 21:15

Shumpa unless a sock puppet hence one and the same ranks alongside OP for objectionableness.

Projecting having 4 DC no. Projecting being jobless no. Projecting having been a victim of DV yes along with a sizeable portion of women who are in no way failures.

You stated a heinous slur but haven't the backbone to own your shit..n

hottotrotsky · 06/08/2018 21:18

Really wish I hadn't revived this thread as saw last post from OP which lapses into "hey carry on giving me some attention" mode.

As you were.

SequinsOnEverything · 06/08/2018 21:22

You have definitely done the right thing! Do not doubt yourself. Do not let him worm his way back in.

Gretagumbo · 06/08/2018 21:33

Well done for ending it with this total ass. Do not sell yourself this short ever again in the future x

FrazzledRockRed · 06/08/2018 21:50

Go to www.baggagereclaim

AnoukSpirit · 06/08/2018 22:09

It's curious how you seem genuinely unable to see the connection between the way you bent over backwards for 2 years to try and do everything he wanted, caved to what he wanted, subjugated your own needs and wants in favour of his demands, were used and manipulated, tried to make everything perfect so he would love you the way you hoped, and generally strung along for two years... and his sister going through the exact same thing in her abusive relationship.

Same journey, different scenery.

ToDarnHot · 06/08/2018 22:11

I had to Google scrit as well.

Arkestra · 06/08/2018 22:25

It's so easy to get suckered into a relationship where you are the underdog. The important thing is that you've recognised what's going on, and you'll be better able to spot arseholes like that in the future.

Better luck next time. Everyone gets bad relationships, but the real suckers are the ones who don't learn the lessons.

Tistheseason17 · 06/08/2018 22:55

Do not take back. Ditch and block.
I suspect you were OW in a crossover period which is why family don't like you.

I'll bet his exes weren't awful either. Common denominator is HIM.

Walk away and feel thankful you did not have jt finances!!! Going through old photos of you with an Ex....plain weird.

Pop the cork for a lucky escape, you can't fix him, neither could his counsellor. Move on and change locks!!

Courtney555 · 07/08/2018 01:03

I feel marginally better think it helped seeing that stuff.

Why it really makes a difference I don't know. But I know half his stuff is already in the shed and the other half will be by tomorrow.

I confronted him, and he tripped himself up lying about it several times in the same conversation. And it was like, God, he's just a complete liar. About everything.

Still feel like a total idiot for being played like a fiddle. But maybe 1% less of an idiot than I did yesterday. And a little more confidence and direction now the decision is done and gone.

Thank you all. Over and out xx

OP posts:
Whisky2014 · 07/08/2018 12:42

Well done op

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