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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Smitten ‘friend’ won’t let go….

192 replies

turnedworm · 24/06/2022 10:11

Grab coffee - might be a long one!
I met a man a few years ago - and became friends. He already had a (slightly older) female friend and we all did weekend social stuff. I soon noticed she was living her life around him - not even seeing her family locally in case she missed out on a moment in his company. FOMO. Our other friends have for a long time taken the piss out of her obvious smitteness.
Long story short - he and I got together last summer. She wasn’t happy - declaring she ‘knew that would happen’ & was jealous and wished it was her. There was a confrontation. He said no one was to be allowed to come between us. He didn’t want to end that friendship but it couldn’t continue as it was.
As a resut she and I have never seen or spoken since, which I’m ok with as that’s a better option than being in the company of someone who is not an authentic friend & is jealous of me.
Soon after he stopped mentioning her (purposely) allowing me to think the friendship had been scaled back or ended - but I had suspicions - & asked him. He got very angry and defensive said he wanted to see her as they are friends and things are different now & that she now accepts ‘& supports’ our relationship. (I’m not convinced - just think she’s wily enough to want him to think that or risk that he’d not be friends with her) He said he didn’t tell me as I ‘hate’ her. I don’t hate her at all but I think she is toxic to our relationship. He agreed it was an error of judgement not to tell me.
I was massively upset at the omission & we agreed if he was to see her he has to be open with me.
When we’re not together (and we are together for up to 4/5 days a week) he has maybe once a week (I’m not certain that he does tell me) been going to hers as she ‘has always relied on him when she ‘needs help’ with jobs & they have catch ups & food at hers.
I think they still text every day - she texts him good morning, updates about her day, and goodnight - and they speak but never when I’m around.
I am starting to feel very pissed off - that there is 3 in this relationship. He says I’m being very unreasonable as they were friends before I came along & he refuses to acknowledge that she fancies the pants off him. As that would be an acknowledgement their behaviour is not on. He says she has Lost out on so much as she doesn’t get to join us any more and she doesn’t see as much of him as she would like / needs to whilst I get to spend loads of time with him. My view is that her jealousy is what got us into this situation. He has other friends - even exes - that we are both friends with and I don’t feel any concerns about them.
They hug & She pecks him on the lips when they greet and leave! she is so besotted she’s never had a relationship since she became friends with him - about 9 years ago. - as no man matches up to him.
I think she’s very toxic and waiting in the wings to pick up the pieces if we don’t make it through.
they have never had a relationship as he has never fancied her. Is it his ego? Am I missing something?
I am starting to feel like the situation is uncomfortable and may be a deal breaker and yet he is amazing in so many other ways. Last time I raised it he told me I was ‘on thin ice’ but he is the one on thin ice with me. Don’t want to be raising it again unless I’m on solid ground!
do I just need to get over myself?
Any advice please?
AIBU?

OP posts:
akissbeforebed · 24/06/2022 10:15

Walk away

Guiltypleasures001 · 24/06/2022 10:16

His ego must be the size of a mountain

He's the common denominator op leave them both too it's too much agro to go throw

shropshire11 · 24/06/2022 10:24

This is a tough situation. Your boyfriend is not dealing with it at all well. However, in his defence, when you have been close friends with someone for the best part of a decade, it is not easy to just call time on it - even if it is just a close friendship and not romantic.

What crosses the line here is a) his dishonesty about seeing her and b) the regularity of seeing her. If you can agree that he will be totally open with you, and maybe see her 1-2 times a month, then that would seem more reasonable.

it also strikes me as fairer on the other woman - she needs to move on with her life and centre it less on a man who is a) committed elsewhere and b) doesn’t seem romantically interested in her. It would be a kindness to de-escalate the friendship. If he’s reluctant to do this, it implies that he likes the attention and stringing her along, and he likes having the two of you competing for his attention. Not good.

I wish you the best of luck with it.

AllFreeOwls · 24/06/2022 10:27

He's telling you you're on thin ice with him to keep you in line. Stop dancing to his tune.

billy1966 · 24/06/2022 10:30

Why on earth would you find him and his huge ego attractive?

You are very silly to be wasting time on him.

Dump.

CounsellorTroi · 24/06/2022 10:31

I don’t normally throw the word gaslighting about, but he is absolutely gaslighting you by refusing to acknowledge his friend has romantic feelings for him. And he’s not being fair on her either. She has wasted nine years of her life on him. I can’t see what’s in this relationship for you tbh.

AnonymousMizs · 24/06/2022 10:32

You're on "thin ice?!" Well OP, I think if I were you I'd leave him to skate the lake with his other lady friend and find one of the other fish in the sea that respects you. He didn't tell you because you knew you wouldn't approve. What else might you not approve of that he decides to not tell you about? Kisses on the lips is not on. Good morning/good night texts every day are not. Ask yourself honestly, is there any element of not wanting her to "win?" There's a natural tendency to it that can blind your objectivity. In a nutshell I'd tell him your thin ice has cracked and you're cutting him loose!

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 24/06/2022 10:33

Thin ice!

How about fuck off!

lurkingattheback · 24/06/2022 10:37

Walk away. You're not his top priority. Don't let him know it's because of her you're splitting. He will never understand.

He may get with her initially after you split, but she's clearly just his safety net, building his ego until he finds someone else.

Find someone more mature that fully invests in you.

CloseYourEyesAndSee · 24/06/2022 10:39

she doesn’t see as much of him as she would like / needs to whilst I get to spend loads of time with him

wow! You are his girlfriend and I can't believe he thinks like this. He really wants his cake and eat it. Intense friendships with the opposite sex especially where one person fancies the other cannot continue the same when one person gets into a relationship!!
my DP's best friend is a woman and whilst neither of them has feelings (both are engaged!) he is still mindful that he sees her when I'm busy and doesn't spend the time they would usually be chatting shit on WhatsApp with her when he's with me. It's basic respect.

Viviennemary · 24/06/2022 10:44

He is loving having two women chasing after him. I don't think she can be blamed for clinging on to the friendship as they were good friends before you met. You can hang around waiting to see if anything changes but it doesn't look promising. Or call it a day on your current relationship with him. And decide whether or not to remain friends.

PetersRabbitt · 24/06/2022 10:44

His initials are not SL are they? If so, pm me! 😂

Whosthebestbabainalltheworld · 24/06/2022 10:49

Sounds like he’s both keeping her on the back burner and feeding his ego with their friendship. The continual texting and over-reliance for support/stuff would be a no-no from me.

Can’t see how you could live with this long-term, OP, and sounds like he’s almost threatening you to behave or else his fabulousness will disappear from
your life. Not exactly a balanced relationship.

Keep your dignity and exit stage left. He may reflect and come running back, but if he doesn’t, you have your answer anyway.

NoseyNellie · 24/06/2022 10:51

Viviennemary · 24/06/2022 10:44

He is loving having two women chasing after him. I don't think she can be blamed for clinging on to the friendship as they were good friends before you met. You can hang around waiting to see if anything changes but it doesn't look promising. Or call it a day on your current relationship with him. And decide whether or not to remain friends.

^this! Stop putting all the blame on her - he’s being a knob

WhereYouLeftIt · 24/06/2022 10:56

Oh for fuck's sake! Are you blind!?!

Your boyfriend is enjoying having two women fighting over him ENORMOUSLY. So much so that he ensures it is all kept on the boil. Have some self-respect, recognise what a narcissistic arse he is, and walk away from this total shit-show!

Georgeskitchen · 24/06/2022 10:58

Way too many complications. Would he be behaving this way if the "friend" was male? Would he hell. I would end it as she'll always be the spectre lurking in the shadows

beastlyslumber · 24/06/2022 10:58

So he's been stringing this poor woman along for nine years. (Meanwhile, her 'friends' laugh at her and take the piss. Nice.) Now he wants to triangulate you, so he can control you both by threatening each of you with the other.

Ditch him immediately.

billy1966 · 24/06/2022 10:59

MrJollyLivesNextDoor · 24/06/2022 10:33

Thin ice!

How about fuck off!

This would be my response to any man brave enough to say that to me.

What a twat.

OP, find your self respect....fast.

Curiosity101 · 24/06/2022 10:59

Please don't put all the blame on her, he's encouraging/allowing this to happen.

Personally I'd agree with others and suggest walking away. I think you're kidding yourself to think this will end with you and him in a healthy happy relationship and with her in a completely platonic friendship with him. Even if she was to get a partner (and then probably not be interested your partner anymore), if things fell through she'd likely come straight back.

I'd be willing to bet you're worth a lot more than what you're getting. Please try to find someone who respects you.

AssignedSlytherinAtBirth · 24/06/2022 11:01

I think the messaging good morning is weird. Who does that with a friend? He needs to scale it back. Except he doesn't, does he? He loves the attention.
You know exactly what's going on here (assuming he's not lying to you), and you have the choice of accepting it or leaving. He is BU that he won't scale it back and give her the chance to replace him with someone she can actually date.

Maves · 24/06/2022 11:05

Get rid fucking hell

DamnUserName21 · 24/06/2022 11:15

It is 3 in the relationship, OP, so you are right on that score.
He is having one with you and one with her and she is getting the full blame for him, quite frankly, leading her on.
I don't like the tone of 'on thin ice' either. Who does he think he is?!
And of course he can be 'amazing' otherwise he wouldn't be able to pull the strings of two women if he was always unpleasant.
It's not a healthy relationship and you'd be very wise to end it.

Vikinga · 24/06/2022 11:16

Tell him if he was truly her friend he would distance himself from her to allow her to move on.

Rosehugger · 24/06/2022 11:19

He sounds like an immature walking ego pain in the arse who enjoys playing one of you off against the other. I couldn't be arsed.

AppleRottonCore · 24/06/2022 11:36

You should have said your DP won't let his "friend" go and not the other way round.

He loves the attention of her fancying him.

Get your pride back and dump his stupid arse. Do you want to be with a man who disrespects you all the time and tells you you're "on thin ice" to keep you in line.

He sounds like a complete loser.