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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

I'm going to have to move aren't I?

186 replies

AtlasObscura · 11/04/2019 17:36

Namechanged ....

I love where I live but do sometimes wish people would just fuck off and focus on their own lives.

This is a bit long but I need to rant.

Background - single mum of 4 children, all now flown the nest or at Uni

I work from home and wifi went down on Monday so I decamped to the nearest coffee shop in village to use their wifi. Spotted a few other neighbours there too with the same idea so looked like I wasn't the only one with shit wifi maybe?

Anyway, doing my thing and in comes a woman who I know to say hello to. A friend of a friend, not a close acquaintance at all and I know next to nothing about her. She's with another woman who I don't recognise at all.

They order lunch and then ask if they can join me. I should have explained that I was working (and there were plenty of other free tables) but instead said that it was fine so they sat down.

Friend of a Friend (FOF) starts asking me how I am and we exchange bit of polite conversation. She then starts asking me about my 4 children.

More than just a 'how's family' type question but a bit more searching and she seems to know more about them then she should given the fact we barely know each other.

Now for some more background:

About 18 months ago, a man stopped to chat to me on my dog walk. I know he lives a few streets from me but don't know his name or anything else about him but we often pass when out walking the dogs to say hello (as you do when you have dogs!). We've been passing each other in this way almost daily for the last 10 years at least.

On this particular occasion, he seemed more keen to chat than usual and asked me about one of my daughters in particular and asked how she was doing.

His comments made it clear that he knew which country she lived in at the time and which Uni she was at and a few other details that I can only assume he got from looking her up on her FB page.

It was bloody creepy (she was 20 at that time and he must be in his late 50's at a guess), so I ended the conversation and mentioned it to my daughter and she tightened up her social media accounts to top privacy level.

Anyway, it came about that FOF is distantly related to this man and so when she started asking me about the children in the cafe I was wary and deliberately vague.

She also seemed to know quite a bit about them though, they are all abroad at the moment in different countries either on gap years, or working or on an Erasmus programme so she started asking me questions about that, who was where and doing what. I'm still trying to be vague ...

She asked whether I missed them (of course I do)

Whether I resented them leaving me on my own in the UK (erm of course not, I am enormously proud)

Then she asked how I could afford to support 4 children and afford flights out to visit them etc and support them through Uni (massive assumptions being made here that it's me having to finance these things but essentially no one else bloody business)

So I gave a vague jokey reply about 'kids eh' and 'thank god for Easy Jet'

but this wasn't enough and they clearly wanted more info, FOF looked at me really expectantly as if to say 'well - how do you manage it'

So I'm feeling really on the spot at this point, I'm a really private person normally and now I'm cornered (quite literally in the corner of the cafe).

I didn't want to be rude so I decided to make what I thought would be a really obvious joke and hope that they'd get the hint that this conversation wasn't going anywhere .....

Me: you really want me to explain in detail how I afford to support my children?

FOF: yes, I'm amazed at how anyone can afford it (again, massive assumptions being made by her that it is me that necessarily covers all these costs)

Me: I'm a sex worker I'm not

FOF: Really??? Hmm

Me: yes it pays really well and it's really flexible although I was surprised that someone of my age and with my waistline would find the work

FriendofFOF : Are your clients anyone we would know?

Me: Well it's not the biggest village so yes I would imagine so.

I dont know why I continued contributing to the conversation as she clearly hasn't taken it to be a joke.

This all happened on Monday but she has now been telling everyone since that I am sex worker as the rumours have started and I can only assume that people actually fucking believe it.

I've been avoiding my usual dog walking route in order to avoid creepy neighbour.

I dont know what my AIBU is, I like living here, I feel settled here and it feels like home but I now clearly have to fucking move.

I'm a stupid, STUPID arse and shouldn't be allowed out in public - I don't know how to handle this as I am an awkward moo in social situations and I just know that any further attempts on my part will just end up making things 100 times worse.

Think of the love child of Miranda Hart and Mr Bean and you will just about be able to picture my level of social skill in public Confused

I just need to get this off my chest - apologies Sad

OP posts:
GottenGottenGotten · 11/04/2019 19:38

This is why I don't understand British people. I'm American and that would obviously be a joke

I don't understand Americans either. I met one once, and they had no sense of humour at all. She believed that we live in igloos in the north of Scotland. That was obviously a joke.

GottenGottenGotten · 11/04/2019 19:40

Op, I think you are bloody marvellous.

Sounds like something my mother would do. When the bank asked her what she was taking money out for (I suspect they were making sure she wasn't being scammed) she replied 'would you believe I'm getting a boob job?' The poor bank teller didn't know where to look.

PanamaPattie · 11/04/2019 19:40

"Extra head on his beer" Fnar.

Nofunkingworriesmate · 11/04/2019 19:42

Is weird dog walking man FOF husband ????
I assumed he was stalking YOU via your daughters open Facebook

Nofunkingworriesmate · 11/04/2019 19:43

Oh and those two women snipped your WiFi cable in order to lure you to an interrogation in the cafe

How999 · 11/04/2019 19:43

Who are these horrible simple minded people asking such impudent questions, and who was the creepy man who knew too much about your daughter? Are they from some cult?

Are some villages really like this? How awful.

You shouldn’t move, they should fuck off to the far end of fuck Hmm.

Cherrysoup · 11/04/2019 19:43

I once told an American that I had to go back to the U.K. for haggis hunting season. Honest to god, he believed every word I said. Batshit.

Whilst I applaud your very funny answers, OP, what if nice single man hears the rumour and runs away? I’d be very quickly finding friend and be telling her you can’t believe how gullible/intrusive/downright fucking rude you found her, hence your obvious lie about your job. I’d be worried that you will actually be approached for your ‘services’.

snarferson · 11/04/2019 19:45

You are amazing!

Lalliella · 11/04/2019 19:49

OP you are an absolute legend, I love you! There’s no need for you to feel embarrassed at all. That woman was a nosey CF. You should have asked her if her husband was getting that nasty rash seen to 😂

user1497997754 · 11/04/2019 19:50

I once told some stuck up twat at a polo match that I was a prostitute ....he was being very annoying....I had drunk body weight in vino collapso.....it was funny at the time lol x

JohnMcCainsDeathStare · 11/04/2019 20:04

I'm in awe at you plus there is the beautiful bonus that some of these tedious gossips may not ever speak to you again.

The thing is, these are the people who have small lives and cannot comprehend that there are other ways of life. There is a huge Universe, more knowledge at our fingertips than ever before but that is all they do. It adds some spice to their lives...

dragoning · 11/04/2019 20:25

OMG OP you sound amazing. Hope you told your kids. They'll be so proud Grin

PineapplePatty · 11/04/2019 20:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

churchthecat · 11/04/2019 20:57

extra head on his beer GrinGrin

Chloemol · 11/04/2019 20:59

Just say oh you must have heard that from xxxx. You know she was being really rude about asking very personal questions I was t prepared to answer. But at least now you know that you can’t trust her with anything you say don’t you

LordPickle · 11/04/2019 21:13

Awww OP...now I feel bad for my first response. You sound lovely and I do understand village life. It can turn against you quite quickly.

I suppose it's easy for me to say "fuck people" when it's not my problem, but a few years ago I cried when I couldn't find a parking spot at the gp. Blush

I still think you should hold your head high and if someone mentions your sex work, you should laugh hysterically and act like they're an idiot for not getting a joke etc.

The only way forward from this is to be extremely confident. You have nothing to be ashamed of and you're fabulous. 🙌🏼

Morticiaismymumgoal · 11/04/2019 22:02

You will probably be the subject of much village gossip. You will also probably start getting subtle enquiries from some of the village men, just shout 'BLOODY HELL IT WAS A JOKE!!!' At them in their faces in public and just sit back.

PregnantSea · 11/04/2019 23:20

Embellish the story. When you next see her tell her that you are actually a secret agent, and you just say sex worker as a cover. Then tell her that you are marrying someone in the Italian Mafia and it was meant to just be for work but you've only gone and fallen in love with him and you're heartbroken because your assignment is to kill him on your honeymoon. The future peace of Britain is in your hands but you just want to run away to a little village in the Italian countryside and raise his mafia babies in peace.

justilou1 · 11/04/2019 23:29

OMG, you are my absolute HERO! Why you didn’t tell her and her nosy friend to bugger off so you could work when they sat down at your table, I don’t know..... HOW RUDE!!!

Also, if they spread the rumour that you are a sex worker because they didn’t understand sarcasm, can’t you threaten to sue them for defamation?

BabyDarlingDollfaceHoney · 11/04/2019 23:45

You told people you're a sex worker and now people think you're a sex worker.

Jammydodger1981 · 12/04/2019 00:15

What an excellent summary BabyDarlingDollfaceHoney. I’d have never understood the thread without it 🙄

In other news, water is wet etc.

WonderWorm · 12/04/2019 01:32

I know people are high fiving you but I'm cringing for you and your kids.
Why didn't you just say I don't want to discuss my finances or just say you work in IT or whatever it is you do?
As for embellishing the story further or explaining in laborious detail that instead of just not answering or telling someone your actual job so you instead declared you're a sex worker... it'll make you look unhinged. I'd not be bothered what you did for a living but I'd start to wonder if you had other issues after hearing that.

RhiWrites · 12/04/2019 02:27

This is an easy fix, isn’t it?

Tell the story to the most gossipy person in the village shop. They’ll correct the records for you.

RhiWrites · 12/04/2019 02:29

PS the line is “it was a joke! She just kept going on and on about how I could afford to raise my children so i made a joke and now she’s taken it as gospel, isn’t it bizarre?”

snitzelvoncrumb · 12/04/2019 02:31

I think they will be laughing at the fof, of course you were joking.

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