Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Lying boyfriend blames my reaction

303 replies

Blindasabatt · 08/01/2024 08:38

I found out accidentally that my partner had been lying to me about a number of things, some since we first met 3 years ago.

He told me he owned properties and about the tenants living in those properties. He talked about the mortgages rates going up and how he planned to sell them but it just wasn’t happening, as the market was bad.

Turns out it was all a lie and he owns no properties. Made it all up.

Then he went away on a trip abroad and told me it was a business trip. I had a feeling something wasn’t right I rang him when he landed and confronted him. He flew into a rage of how could I accuse him of that and not trust him. Sent me evidence pictures he was where he said he was. He refused to speak with me the entire time he was away (a week) other than messages telling me how annoyed he was at me for doubting him. Then when he came back we ‘worked through things’. He swore blind he was where he said he was and told me about his meetings and his friends he had seen whilst there. I was told I had trust issues and that I could call his friends to prove he was telling the truth. I asked him numerous times about the trip and he got annoyed at me each time.

I found out a year later that he was actually on a boys trip parting in another country entirely.

So I found out about all of this (and more) at the same time. My spidey senses were just screaming at me to look into it all. I was so enraged once I found out he was lying that I went through his things to find more evidence. I’m not proud of this, but at this point I don’t even know who this man is who is living with me.

I was furious and totally devastated to find out that the man I loved so deeply and who I was hoping to marry and spend my life with had lied to me like this.

I packed some of his stuff and threw it outside and sent him a text dumping him. He came over the next day and we talked it through, he denied the lies and tried to spin me a story. I asked him to stay and work it out. He said no that he was leaving as I kicked him out and ‘no one does that to him’ and that he can’t forgive me for that.

We did work things through over the course of 2 weeks and he kept coming back to the fact that I kicked him out being such an awful thing. He came clean on the lies (it took him over a week and he was still trying to deny it and show me false evidence of his lies).

Now we have moved forward, 6 months later, and he is fixated on the fact that I kicked him out. He doesn’t trust me anymore, he says he can’t rely on me after what I did. I admit, I could have handled things better, but I didn’t. I didn’t know who this person was anymore and was scared and disgusted.

He is now cold and distant and unaffectionate and I’m miserable. He says it all stems from me kicking him out like that.

I show him everyday that I want to be there for him, help him in every way possible, but he just says I don’t help, he doesn’t need my help and he can do it all himself and I’m dragging him down with my sadness.

Was my response unreasonable and do I deserve to be punished like this?

OP posts:
everythingthelighttouches · 08/01/2024 18:24

@Blindasabatt

just checking in to see if you are OK?

i imagine this thread has been hard to read even though I promise everyone on this thread is on your team and wants the best for you.

if you are still reading this, I hope you can tell someone you trust in real life and start to make plans to get away.

if you’re not sure what to do next, I’m sure people on here will be able to help.

RedRidingGood · 08/01/2024 19:04

This man is manipulating you. If he cared about you he wouldn't lie. What was his reason for lying? He seems like a pathological liar. Leave him. You deserve better.

NeptuneOrion · 08/01/2024 19:07

Clear case of LTB.

sarahnurse · 08/01/2024 19:08

Gaslighting is very serious emotional abuse and won't change.Please seek support and ask him to leave

HulaChick · 08/01/2024 19:08

If you can see all these things and you don't even recognise yourself, why haven't you dumped him? There is no justifiable reason to stay with him. Get rid of him and get yourself & your self esteem back!

Lizfantasiabailey · 08/01/2024 19:09

Girl you've been together 3 years, that's no time at all. Bin him off, he already thinks you're the villain in his version of events and you've been unhappy for ages. Aren't you absolutely exhausted trying to force something that isn't there?

Bensongary · 08/01/2024 19:10

You seriously need to re evaluate this relationship, this guy will eventually take all your self esteem and any confidence you may have and grind it into dust....

martina1993 · 08/01/2024 19:21

RUN. Run fast
when I was a teenager i lived with someone just like this. He was 19 and had conned his uncle and an older girlfriend at the time to invest in buying a house. He used to walk around like he was God. He made up lie after lie .. one being owning multiple properties- that he left school early because of his intellectual abilities etc .. some of the stuff rang true .. the house we lived in was beautiful etc I was 15. Then I found out he had been using older women who believed his lies to buy him things - he had their cards etc . The level of lies that came out in the end was a whole list. He admitted to most of them and told me about them - crying when we was on holiday and said he wanted to change .. I'd already made up my mind and when I got home from holiday- my bags packed and I moved out. I never saw him again. I do wonder if he did change or whether he continued to treat women and other people like this though. .

My biggest advice is leave and don't look back. You deserve to be happy and you deserve so much more !!

Mrssnee16 · 08/01/2024 19:22

God no OP, you're not being unreasonable at all, he is trying to justify being awful to you by throwing it in your face, an attempt to make himself look like the victim. Total narcissistic behaviour. Kick his ass out for good and move on, you deserve better.

shazwee · 08/01/2024 19:23

Dump the prick...

NikNak321 · 08/01/2024 19:26

Oh my word I don't know where to start with this. I'm going to be brief...this man is psychologically abusing you. He is a pathological liar (probably a sociopath) and is messing with your mind to the extent you think that up is down. When he gets caught out he responds by gaslighting you all the way instead of taking responsibility. Google 'Gaslighting' and there's no turning back. You are miserable because this man has done a number on you and you know you should leave. Pack this crazy man's bags and follow it through this time 👍

Sending hugs ❤️ ps Go on women's Aid website for support if you need it 🙏

Mandy90d · 08/01/2024 19:26

Absolute narcissist!! He has caused this but yet manages to make you feel bad for it. How can you even try to make it work with such a liar

Mossley · 08/01/2024 19:30

You are not being unreasonable, your partner is clearly a pathological liar with no self insight. He lied to you and continued to lie to you even when you were presenting him with clear evidence of his lies.

He has no accountability and has pushed the blame on to you with no sense of responsibility and he's unwilling to analyse the reasons why you threw him out.
His reaction is childish with no adult reasoning and he's clearly worried more about his bruised male ego " No one does that to him "

Having experienced a similar relationship in the past, I can only say from my experience, it doesn't get better, they don't grow up and rationalise like a mature adult, they instead gaslight and blame you for everything.

Sadly, you are clearly in an unhealthy, dysfunctional relationship and I think you need to take control and move on as painful as that is. Know your own self worth, create boundaries and as painful as ending a relationship is, the pain subsides over time. Ask yourself when was the last time he made you happy, when was the last time he showed some level of love, empathy and caring for you - I suspect not very often.

Deceit is toxic and it's routed at the heart of your relationship because it's normal for him to lie and that's because he doesn't respect you enough to be truthful and consider you as an equal when making choices. Please be kind to yourself, listen to others and take decisive steps for you to ensure your happiness. Don't rely on him to make you happy because the evidence says he never will. You deserve better.

RohanDavidson · 08/01/2024 19:35

Dude is a liar and a gaslighter. His life as a liar is easier when you're gaslighted into working to make things up to him rather than the other way around.

This relationship will not improve, he has very bad personality attributes that rarely go away.

Teacherprebaby · 08/01/2024 19:42

You are insane for staying with a proven, not once, but multiple times, total liar.

Griff1963 · 08/01/2024 19:43

Ged rid, NOW!

Galatea79 · 08/01/2024 19:43

I don't think I've ever read a story where a 'man' deserves to be dumped more than this..and I'm a man. One question I'd have to ask though is what were you thinking in giving him a second chance..after spinning more lies...and now trying to pin his bad behaviour on you? Dump his ass and quick.

tinytim2016 · 08/01/2024 19:48

Sounds just like me years ago, get rid of him he's not worth it, he's living off you until he finds something or someone better, get rid and build your confidence, be strong in yourself and build a better future.

piccola15 · 08/01/2024 19:49

In my opinion if someone lies to me that's it, I cannot trust them again. It's not about whether they would do the thing they lied about again, it's the fact that they don't mind lying. Also it sounds like is absolutely manipulating you back under his control because finding out about the lies gave you strength he doesn't want you to have, so he has tried to turn the tables. I think you need to get out of there ASAP. I have just watched my sister go through a relationship with a liar and she is seriously struggling to function because he has made her feel mad x

Bee1991 · 08/01/2024 19:54

He's a narcissist, Get away from him as quick as you can!

Sometimesharshbutalwaysfair · 08/01/2024 19:55

Bin and move on.

You deserve better.

A leopard never changes....

Welcome2thecircus · 08/01/2024 19:57

Google gaslighting and trauma bond.. You need some time away from him completely, and instead surround yourself with healthier friends and work on your self esteem. You will soon look back and be amazed why you put up with this. Walk away. It will only get worse.

CherryDio · 08/01/2024 20:09

I've been through very similar, apart from we were married 24 years with 4 children before I found out about all the lies. Major, major lies and everything was apparently my fault. Anyway a short version is that I'm now on my own with the kids and he's shown his true colours to others as he has no input to his kids care etc and although it's hard being on your own again, it is so so worth it.
You will be so so so much better off without this lying, gas lighting, narcissistic waste of space. Even if he's got you in a position where you're not trusting your own judgement, trust other people's on here. Please leave him and find someone lovely who'll treat you so much better x

Lavenderblue11 · 08/01/2024 20:20

It's gaslighting at its finest. He does all the lying, (massive lies not little ones btw), and you're the unreasonable one for throwing him out? He's probably cheated left, right and centre, so sorry. Do you believe the 'boys' holiday was really with the 'boys', if so, why would he need to lie? It looks like he might be paving the way to do another disappearing act by the way he's treating you. Don't worry, he'll be back once it's gone tits up with his new 'relationship'. Get rid, I know it's really hard but you need to do this for your sanity.
P.s. you need to also go 'no contact' or he will drag you back in. Change his name in your phone contacts to 'lying shit' or the like, then when he rings you, you won't be tempted to answer. Good luck.

SamW98 · 08/01/2024 20:21

I dated a liar who lied about such stupid petty unimportant things and then swore on his kids lives he was telling truth.

I found out that he’d lied about something far bigger and looked me in the face swearing it wasn’t true without flinching.

That’s the thing with liars. You can never really trust a word they say. By the end if he told me it was raining, I’d still open the window and check for myself. Once trust is gone it never comes back.