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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Oh no, it's her

200 replies

OhffsHelp · 25/02/2020 15:12

Name change as lots of details.

So I have an ex, it was a very immature relationship that happend when I was in my late teens and he was early 20's. We'd only been together a handful of months when he suggested we get engaged and made noises about trying for a baby. I was understandably freaked out and dumped him.

But ex had a friend, we'll call her Jess. Jess was very controlling with ex. She'd insist he came on drives with her when we were having date nights. She'd turn up at his house and demand he came outside for a smoke, while I was sleeping over. And she was obsessed with telling him I was jealous of their relationship, honestly I didn't give two hoots. When we broke up ex implied they had been sleeping together the whole time, which wasn't surprising.

But anyway, we broke up, moved on. A few years have passed, but...

Jess is currently moving in next door to me as we speak Shock
I don't think she knows I live here, I'm slightly panicking and having visions of her snearing at me anytime I take the bins out in my PJs. Or judging me through the window as I'm unattractively gardening. If she's still friends with ex, no doubt he'll be there all the time too, maybe they're a couple and he'll be moving in too.

Please tell me I'm being ridiculous and she won't recognise or care about me!

OP posts:
bluehairandheartbroken · 25/02/2020 16:06

Oh Christ that's awkward isn't it. I hate to say it but is there any chance she already knew you live there? Sorry, I'm probably being ridiculous, it's just very Single White Female Grin

In all seriousness though god I'm sorry what a nightmare for you. Do you own or rent? If it really bothers you, how possible would it be to move?

whiskeylullaby2 · 25/02/2020 16:06

This is my worst nightmare!!

pretty impossible to 'not recognise her'

Good luck- please keep us updated

ScrambledSmegs · 25/02/2020 16:07

And unless you're an amazing actor I wouldn't bother pretending not to know her either. People are pretty good at spotting fakery,

faracrossthepond · 25/02/2020 16:08

@OhffsHelp OMG this sounds awful. I always dread some awful toxic person from my past moving in next door..

Even within half a mile would be shit tbh. But next door?! Noooooooooooo! Shock

Am I alone in thinking it's very odd that she has moved RIGHT NEXT DOOR to you? An amazing coincidence IMO. Could she have done it deliberately?

You could pretend you don't know her, but I don't think she will believe you. I think you are in for a rough ride with this woman. I'm sorry to say this, but I don't think any of this is a coincidence. I bet she knows you are there, she knows who you are, and she knows that you know who she is.

All the best, but I think moving house is going to be the only option here...... Flowers

Troels · 25/02/2020 16:09

Oh you have to go with what Lady Monica said. Do it before you see if they are still together. Then if he turns up you are still chatting to her you can say Whoops, sorry x I had no idea and walk away chuckling.

pussycatinboots · 25/02/2020 16:09

Hang on, so it's her and HIM??
Oh well...
"You did me a favour all those years ago..."
"He was like an incompetent neanderthal in bed"
"He did get all of that sorted out, then?" glance over shoulder
"Sorry, got to get back to Big Dave - now HE's a proper man" Grin
skip inside and have very noisy shag(s) with DH

That should shut her up Grin

Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket · 25/02/2020 16:09

Nightmare. I agree with pp, act like you can't quite place her/ don't really remember it.

LucyAutumn · 25/02/2020 16:09

Oh no, totally awkward! Definitely play it cool though.

chineseny · 25/02/2020 16:13

Ah that's unfortunate...

Can you move house?!

lightyearsahead · 25/02/2020 16:13

Make sure you look absolutely fabulous at all times.

TheSmelliestHouse · 25/02/2020 16:16

omg what a nightmare. Hope you are able to pretend to not remember her, or just ignore them

YoTheGinPussyOfStMawesOnThigh · 25/02/2020 16:18

Pretend you don’t remember her and leave it to her to say something. Shrug and say something about having a shocking memory for faces and wander off smiling vaguely.

Have loud conversation later on with DP involving lots of laughter and comments about how some people age so badly.

lunar1 · 25/02/2020 16:20

Your going to have to find a way to make their house seem haunted, I see no other solution 🤷🏻‍♀️

PeepeeDarling · 25/02/2020 16:22

Oh god op get those matches out 🔥

AcrossthePond55 · 25/02/2020 16:22

You mention 'they'. If she's moving in with a spouse/partner it's quite possible that she's going to be just as anxious to avoid mention of Mr Ex as you are.

I'd go with others' suggestions and just act as if you don't know her. If she recalls herself to you, act a bit puzzled then say "Oh yes. I remember. You were what's-his-name's friend." as if the whole relationship was a matter of supreme indifference.

BumbleBeee69 · 25/02/2020 16:25

She's not moving in with your EX is she ... omg

yabadabadontdoit · 25/02/2020 16:28

Oh god, I’ll bring the matches. I’m assuming you’re not still in the same house as you were when you knew them? That would be single white female.

FizzyIce · 25/02/2020 16:32

Worst nightmare .. I’m another that would feign amnesia and act like I had no idea who she is .
You’ll be ok ,op. You have us to think of wacky ways to get round any upcoming awkwardness in the future Grin

FreezerBird · 25/02/2020 16:37

I'm going slightly against the rest of the thread here in that I think it's possible this is less of a big thing than you fear.

It seems likely to me that if she was like this with ex when he was with you, she was like it with him when he was in other relationships too. So you might be one of several women who played the same role in her dramas, thus less significant.

I have an ex who I was only with very briefly, but for various reasons it was a very significant relationship for me. I'm sure it wasn't at all for him. I've ended up living near him and every time I see him I'm sure I'm more bothered by it than he is - in fact I don't think he's bothered at all.

So I think this might be more of a thing in your head than it is in hers.

Either way, Bright And Breezy is the way forward here. The more you do it the easier it will get until it's just normal. Also - don't try to avoid it as the longer it goes before that first encounter the bigger deal it becomes.

Bright and Breezy.

HerRoyalCarbyLess · 25/02/2020 16:38

Well. That's awkward

redwoodmazza · 25/02/2020 16:41

Smile and say hello, through gritted teeth, and keep the moral high ground.

Lovemusic33 · 25/02/2020 16:41

How awkward and what’s the chances of that happening?

Chances are he’s not around, he probably cheated on her too (if they ever were an item), it’s pretty hard for a male and female to be just friends without one of them (usually the man) stepping over the line, chances are they fell out and he’s nowhere to be seen, maybe in the future you can laugh and joke about what a dick he was?

In the meantime just play it cool to suss out the situation, mainly by curtain twitching.

PixieDustt · 25/02/2020 16:43

Place marking this! I need to find out what goes on! 🍿

Maybe (PLOT TWIST) she was obsessed with you and always wanted you but ex was in the way! Now she's moving in next door and she can tunnel out a secret hole to your bedroom.

I'm just kidding and making it light hearted. I'd see what she does first before i say hello!

pinkyredrose · 25/02/2020 16:48

Omg! Of all the people who could've moved in. Are you sure she's definitely moving in, not just helping someone? clutching at straws

Bibidy · 25/02/2020 16:55

It's not ideal but you should be OK OP, her obsession is with him not you, she's probably moved on to hating his new partner now!