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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU and short-sighted not to apologise?

17 replies

AnxiousWreckAgain · 20/07/2021 13:03

Best friend and I have always been like chalk and cheese, but I have no family and she's always been like mine.

She has three kids, and got married and divorced before we were 20. She gave up college, learned to drive and got a house. She was exciting and threw crazy house parties and nights out.

I did college and uni, worked a full-on corporate career for a while, moved abroad for work, came back and started a company that now employs a few people. I'm a lot "duller", I suppose.

She's always been quite head-strong, and it's always been her way or no way, which was fine when we were younger. She hated my corporate career, stopped talking to me entirely for the year I was abroad, and has always hated my business. Her headstrongness is a big cause of anxiety for me. That has been worse in pregnancy, as I can't medicate it.

But she's my oldest friend, someone who has always been there, and I like her a lot.

The cracks started showing four years ago, when I got engaged. She was over the moon for me, but had a big fight with her partner about why he hadn't proposed when we met up... and then later said she didn't want to get married. She was difficult about my wedding, took over a lot and hated how low-key it was. She left early, but gave a lovely speech and seemed happy for me. She didn't talk to me for a few weeks after it.

I'm now pregnant with my first. I organised a nice way to tell her, at an event that she wanted to go to, but she cancelled the day before. I told her on the phone, which she complained wasn't 'special' enough.

We've had a stupid non-argument about a birthday event four weeks ago. I organised something easy, she couldn't go, she changed the booking to another time that I couldn't make, and neither could other mutual friends. When I said we'd leave it, she sent me a long message saying she felt I didn't care for her anymore, and she had thought better of me than behaving how I am. I didn't reply.

It's now four weeks later. She didn't get in touch on my birthday, we're in groups together but haven't said anything to each other since. She's told other people that we've fallen out. Most mutual friends have made contact, one has not.

As far as I know, she doesn't want more children, but she's generally stopped confiding in me recently so I don't know for sure. I'm very low-key and hope I haven't rubbed anyone's face in anything. Most people don't even know that I'm pregnant.

My instinct is to do nothing. I'm okay... It's pretty crazy at the moment anyway, my business is insane, we're moving house, I'm pregnant and dying in the heat Grin I miss her, but maybe we've just grown apart...

But I'm wondering if I'm being short-sighted? I do have GAD, and bipolar, and although I feel stable, I wonder if that might affect my view, and I'll wonder if I should have tried to 'fix' things later down the line.

OP posts:
allthepeoplethatcomearound · 20/07/2021 13:28

She hasn’t ‘always been there’ - she stopped talking to you when you went abroad working for a year.
Sometimes friendships run their course and maybe by not replying to her message about not caring for her anymore you’ve proven to yourself you’re not bothered in marking the effort to maintain your friendship - not saying you’re in the wrong at all, she does sound pretty intense.

Eskarina1 · 20/07/2021 13:36

I think you might be past the point in your life where you can have a friend who makes everything about her. You list all the special things in your life that she's created negative feelings around. I agree with pp, sometimes friendships run their course.

tallduckandhandsome · 20/07/2021 13:40

I remember your other thread, I think you're right to leave her to it, she is tantrumming because you're not running around after her anymore.

Debetswell · 20/07/2021 13:41

You're soon going to have a dc to care for.
You don't need this attention seeking, immature woman in your life.
I don't know how you've put up with her this long.

SummerHouse · 20/07/2021 13:43

I think with mental health you have to protect yourself. Is she overall a positive or negative influence on that? I think the answer is quite clear. It's sad but particularly now, you need people that are in your corner no matter what. Not people who think it's ok to fall out and not speak for great lengths of time. She is too much hard work.

AnotherDayAnotherCake · 20/07/2021 13:50

She doesn’t sound particularly supportive, in fact I think she sounds rather jealous.
You don’t need to have a big fall out, just let it fizzle out.

InTheNightWeWillWish · 20/07/2021 13:50

Do people actually get upset if you don’t tell them you’re pregnant in a “special” way? I’ve told everyone over the phone and nobody has had (or appeared to have) an issue with it.

She’s not your friend. She stopped talking to you because you went abroad. She stopped talking to you after you got married. She’s stopped talking to you again now you’re pregnant. She has resented your success - obviously there are different paths for different people but we should resent the path that our friends take if it’s different to ours. Please don’t doubt yourself over not continuing this friendship because of your MH. She’s a pretty awful friend, regardless of your MH.

proopher · 20/07/2021 13:51

Leave her to it. From what you've written, she definitely hasn't always been there for you - could you be seeing the relationship through rose-tinted glasses?

She sounds extremely hard work, if she's stressing you out I would just leave her to it, stop putting yourself out and see what happens.

3scape · 20/07/2021 14:03

She doesn't sound close enough now to trust with your feelings etc. Sometimes this is how friendships go. She sounds quite hard work and yes SOME effort is needed for friendships, but there's a limit

Whatinthelord · 20/07/2021 14:15

She sounds like a self obsessed nightmare.

Why would you need to make telling a friend your pregnant special for them? Literally no one expects that unless they’re slightly odd.

I’d leave it and put your energy into the more healthy relationships you have in your life.

FatCatThinCat · 20/07/2021 14:15

I think if you need to medicate yourself to cope with a friendship then you don't really have a friendship at all.

MedusasBadHairDay · 20/07/2021 14:20

@FatCatThinCat

I think if you need to medicate yourself to cope with a friendship then you don't really have a friendship at all.
This. She sounds like hard work, and not like a good friend at all.

I had a friend like that, and while it hurt to lose her as a friend at the time, with a bit of distance and time I realised I preferred living without her constant drama.

maddiemookins16mum · 20/07/2021 14:22

I’d have dropped her years ago.

WellLarDeDar · 20/07/2021 14:31

I think the cracks were showing earlier than 4 years ago... I'd say its more like from day 1...

antwacky · 20/07/2021 14:39

She sounds such hard work and quite jealous too. I know somebody just like this and their behaviour becomes very destructive over years and it really messes with your head. Leave her be and concentrate on yourself Flowers

WomanStanleyWoman · 20/07/2021 20:37

Isn’t your pregnancy YOUR special need? Why would you have to worry about making it special for her?

She didn’t talk to you for a year; she’s decided your career and your business are too dull for her (why would it matter to her?); she made your engagement about her… she’s no friend.

People like that never change. Be glad you’re rid of her - and if she tried to worm her way back in, cut her out.

WomanStanleyWoman · 20/07/2021 20:38

Special news, not need!

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