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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To be raging angry?

343 replies

IzItMe · 01/01/2023 09:24

Can you please tell me if I am being unreasonable?

My partner has auto immune disease and has been very unwell for some time. I've been extremely supportive of him.

I moved in with him in August, into his 1 bedroom flat after DS went to university. We'd agreed for years the plan was to get a place together, and I couldn't afford to keep my flat and cover DS's university costs which was made much worse by me losing 80% of my income in the pandemic (I was one of the excluded).

When the time came to move in together DP told me he / we couldn't afford a larger flat and he wasn't able to move further out from work to a place we could afford due to being so ill and not able to cope with any kind of commute. This made me really upset, but I accepted it as I had little choice by this point.

This was hugely less than ideal because it meant DS had no bedroom to come home to for holidays and all our stuff has been in storage for six months so I feel homeless really.

I was very unhappy and stressed by the arrangement , but felt my DP was genuinely ill and I'd need to make a sacrifice for a while until he felt better. I am sure it's genuine that he's barely able to get to work (he has rheumatoid arthritis and fibro), so it was hard to be angry with him.

As I said, I've been incredibly supportive through his illness. Sorted all the doctors, done all the chores so he rests, researching treatments and paying for it, cooking special diets and running our life around his illness. I think it would be fair to say my life revolves around his needs and his illness, which I believed was okay because if you love people you're a team- right?

That said, it's been incredibly hard for me to feel I don't have a proper home and over the holidays I've had to basically stay in Air bnbs hundreds of miles away so my DS had somewhere to stay. We couldn't afford to be in our home town and haven't got family with space, so it's been really, really tough.

DP flew up for Christmas but I felt incredibly sad about this. No Christmas tree. No family around. Just basically me trying to find a place I could afford and it's broken ny heart. I didn't complain though, I just got on with it.

For this week, my DS wanted to see his family so we came to my home town. There's no space to stay "together" so he's at my parents and I've been at DPs, 8 miles away.

My parents had long term plans to be away for 48 hours at NYE and obviously I can leave my DS alone at their house for NYE so me and DP arranged to stay at my parents for 48 hours. We planned nothing for NYE because DP was always too ill to go out.

I woke up yesterday and spent several hours sorting food for DPs special diet and getting ready to go. He woke up in pain and started angrily shouting, and was extremely rude to me. He spoke to me with naked contempt, for no reason.

Then he said he didn't want to traipse across town to stay in someone else's house, that he felt ill and wanted his own surroundings. I told him it was funny that he was well enough to work full time and go on a week long holiday, and was just thinking of himself.

I got extremely angry at basically being abandoned on NYE and told him me and DS were in that situation as a sacrifice to meet his needs and that it was his turn to sacrifice. His attitude was "why should i".

As I got angrier, he blocked me at 8pm last night and never unblocked so I spent NYE alone and crying ny eyes out.

AIBU? To feel he's behaved appallingly?

For context, he's behaved appallingly a lot in the past to me, so this felt like the final straw.

OP posts:
Pinkdelight3 · 01/01/2023 11:50

@Pinkdelight3 my partners job is in Central London. It wasn't a choice. It was either 1 income in London or no income elsewhere. Dulwich was a much cheaper compromise. Pre pandemic our combined income was £165k so its not really a valid suggestion to suggest him quitting his job and moving would have resolved anything.

Yeah yeah, my DP's job is in central London too and our combined incomes are around that and we live further out than Dulwich because it's more affordable. Thinking Dulwich is a compromise is something only seriously rich people think. You need to stop thinking that way because you're seriously skint. Same as you need to stop relying on men who call you a cunt and cheat on you and show no tangible proof of doing what they say. You didn't need to suggest him quitting his job and moving. You could have moved without him, which is what I was suggesting - rather than spending the money on storage, move to the place you say is cheaper than your storage costs and is near your son.

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 11:51

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kingtamponthefurred · 01/01/2023 11:52

If your partner has had a medical condition for years, surely he knows enough about the condition to plan and prepare his own meals?

Pinkdelight3 · 01/01/2023 11:52

(sorry for tone - perhaps you can't always 'rely on the kindness of strangers'. I'm going to stop posting/reading it now because this thread is too frustrating)

TedMullins · 01/01/2023 11:52

His job being in central London will no longer be an issue for you when you move out of London without him, will it?

Needtoseethatbiggerpicture · 01/01/2023 11:53

Is your son doing a uni course with placements? He really needs to be working, surely. I am a single parent - I could not afford to support my son at uni but we are fortunate in that he could do the course he wanted close to home so he has a free roof over his head. He clears £1.5k a month working, however, and he does that around a full time course.

IzItMe · 01/01/2023 11:53

@Atethehalloweenchocs my son got DLA as a child bit when he turned 16 they invited him to apply for Pip. At the time we were very well off so chose not to as we felt others needed it more. We tried to apply as our finances got bad but it appeared online he doesn't qualify as he's got no real special needs beyond emotional. For example he gets stressed so I pay for weekly counselling.

@Ursuladevine yes, DP and DS have a bromance and aside from this awful situation DP has always been lovely to him

OP posts:
KettrickenSmiled · 01/01/2023 11:54

NameChagaiiiin · 01/01/2023 11:43

Yeh OP is only playing the woe is me card and ignoring every poster who asks why her story doesn't add up.

PP's inability to read updates isn't OP's problem.

She stated upthread, a few pages ago, that Mr User works in central London, & she WFH.

Hoppinggreen · 01/01/2023 11:55

IzItMe · 01/01/2023 11:43

@Pinkdelight3 my partners job is in Central London. It wasn't a choice. It was either 1 income in London or no income elsewhere. Dulwich was a much cheaper compromise. Pre pandemic our combined income was £165k so its not really a valid suggestion to suggest him quitting his job and moving would have resolved anything.

That’s irrelevant, what matters now is what you do.
This man is not the solution to your problems, he is actually part of them.
What are YOU going to do?

CovertImage · 01/01/2023 11:55

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That's fucking obnoxious.

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 11:56

KettrickenSmiled · 01/01/2023 11:54

PP's inability to read updates isn't OP's problem.

She stated upthread, a few pages ago, that Mr User works in central London, & she WFH.

She’s been asked multiple times

how does this man get on with her son
how come she got ZERO help during covid

and other questions

all of which she has steadfastly refused to answer

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 11:57

IzItMe · 01/01/2023 11:53

@Atethehalloweenchocs my son got DLA as a child bit when he turned 16 they invited him to apply for Pip. At the time we were very well off so chose not to as we felt others needed it more. We tried to apply as our finances got bad but it appeared online he doesn't qualify as he's got no real special needs beyond emotional. For example he gets stressed so I pay for weekly counselling.

@Ursuladevine yes, DP and DS have a bromance and aside from this awful situation DP has always been lovely to him

And your son is not even vaguely aware of the shit show of a history the two of you have?

balzamico · 01/01/2023 11:58

Not only is today the first day of 2023, it is the first day of the rest of your life.
Take back some control, move to somewhere you can afford and where your son can have space and stop berating yourself for what has passed. This man is toxic and you will be able to thrive and rebuild away from him.
Block him for now and stay at your parents if that's possible

HeckyPeck · 01/01/2023 11:59

This reply has been deleted

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Somebody clearly doesn't understand what it's like to be in an abusive relationship.

Ignore comments like this OP. Some people just like to be spiteful.

You should definitely take your friend up on her offer. Your partner is an awful person. It sometimes takes a long time to see that when you're in the relationship and they're so good at convincing you you're wrong. I've been there and done that. Don't beat yourself up about it OP. Move on and then you'll look back and breathe a sigh of relief that you escaped.

KettrickenSmiled · 01/01/2023 12:00

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 11:56

She’s been asked multiple times

how does this man get on with her son
how come she got ZERO help during covid

and other questions

all of which she has steadfastly refused to answer

She's 'steadfastly' answered all of those questions.

If you spent more time on your reading comprehension & less on making unprovoked & unwarranted ableist attacks on OP, maybe you'd have less need to keep embarrassing yourself.

BellePeppa · 01/01/2023 12:00

As others have said, you are really nothing more than his carer. Don’t stay with him because you feel sorry for him. To be honest the lifestyle you’ve chosen in order to be with him sounds awful and your own son has been left with nowhere to call home. I’d be calling it a day and start rebuilding my own life.

HeckyPeck · 01/01/2023 12:01

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 11:56

She’s been asked multiple times

how does this man get on with her son
how come she got ZERO help during covid

and other questions

all of which she has steadfastly refused to answer

It's not an inquisition!

How about trying to help someone who's clearly in an abusive relationship rather than sticking the boot in?

It's costs nothing to be kind.

IzItMe · 01/01/2023 12:02

@Onnabugeisha I wasn't angry at him for not moving to a bigger place. I accepted that sacrifice and looked after him.

I was angry that he couldn't be bothered to go 8km to spend new year with me because he said he was more comfortable in his own surroundings.

Me and my son would be too! But if he's my partner, and I suck it up 365 days a year to be there for him, why can't he do it for 48 hours?

How selfish can you get

OP posts:
MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 01/01/2023 12:04

If your income is only £7k a year you'd qualify for benefits and your son should get the maximum student loans.

Take up your friends offer, leave this gas lighting bastard and start 2023 as you mean to go on.

IzItMe · 01/01/2023 12:07

@Pinkdelight3 I was a single parent running a travel events business with an autistic child. I lived in London because my family / parents did and I needed DS to have care during frequent work travel along with a stable education. I wouldn't have been able to continue without my parents support I'm afraid.

OP posts:
BadShepherd · 01/01/2023 12:07

You said you “flew up” for Christmas which makes me think your son is at uni in Scotland. There are many, many towns in Scotland where you could rent a lovely 2-bed for under £700/month and if you’re WFH it’ll help you get back on your feet AND be close to your son.

FWIW, you have an auto-mine disease and walk with a stick. It’s never made my knickers fall off, lie to people or demand they cook me special food (and all the rest).

500 miles between you and that common-or-garden abuser would solve nearly all your problems in one fell swoop.

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 12:07

I think the OP knew his behaviour was appalling and could have left and indeed she did

but

he represented her financial saviour so when he kept saying “he would sort the problem” (note… not - I love you or I will change) and she went back - she did because she firmly has the pound sign fixed in her eyes

Ursuladevine · 01/01/2023 12:08

and I suck it up 365 days a year to be there for him,

oh bollox you do. He works full time in central london in the office

ittakes2 · 01/01/2023 12:11

I don’t agree with his behaviour but you have left your home and moved in with him to save money to give to your son. Your son needs to find a way to fund himself. You need to move out and leave your partner to the life he had before you moved in

BreakinTheRoolz8126342 · 01/01/2023 12:13

Your son had nowhere to go during the Xmas uni holidays

Nobody offered him a sleeping bag on a sofa or a blow up mattress at your DPs or your parents ?

-

If someone loves & cares for you, they will move mountains & miles to be with you

Your "DP" can't be bothered to spend one night with you ! Zero effort

ZERO EFFORT !

Take it that this is the end of this relationship

Stay at your friend's & find a place to live for yourself.