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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:
determinedtomakethiswork · 08/01/2024 09:09

Now that you know what's going on both in his actual life and in his mind, what are you going to do about it?

DontListenToWhatYouveConsumed · 08/01/2024 09:09

The definition of madness is repeating the same actions and expecting a different outcome.
Nothing is going to be different for you @Blindasabatt until to rid yourself of this vile little liar. He really is abusive and you deserve better. Get some help, throw him out and mean it 🌺

Testina · 08/01/2024 09:09

I can’t even vote on this.
You really really need to get therapy to understand why you’re accepting this, and to get out of it.

HalebiHabibti · 08/01/2024 09:09

Please don't stay with this lying, unreasonable assohole. A life alone would be better because you wouldn't then have to deal with all the cognitive dissonance!

notanothernana · 08/01/2024 09:10

Have my first ever LTB. He is gaslighting you, hence your thread title. He is a liar.

TucSandwich · 08/01/2024 09:10

YABU to stay with him.

C8H10N4O2 · 08/01/2024 09:12

Better men are available. You know this so what would help you to end it?

Whataretheodds · 08/01/2024 09:12

Blindasabatt · 08/01/2024 09:02

When we met I had great self esteem, was happy and positive and always saw the best in people. I look back at myself then and who I am now and don’t recognise this person. I’m so worn down by it all, but it’s happened gradually that I didn’t really notice it.

That's how it happens. You don't realise how they've chipped away at your self-esteem and you don't recognise yourself.

Do you have kids?
Is the tenancy just in your name or joint?
Do you have anyone you can talk to in real life - family or friends?

I show him everyday that I want to be there for him, help him in every way possible
Why? He has not shown you the same. He has done the opposite. He has lied and turned his lies into a stick to beat you with. If you seem unhappy it's not a surprise - look what you're living with everything day, you're trying to suppress your natural instinct that the relationship is not right.

People are being blunt on here but will support emotionally and with practical advice if you want to get out of this. You are not the problem here.

RowanMayfair · 08/01/2024 09:12

Getting back together with him was such a mistake. Do you think he's changed and he's no longer a liar?? Please find a way to get him out and get free of him!

Deadringer · 08/01/2024 09:14

My god he sounds nuts. I would not only dump his ass but I would have great pleasure in doing so. Op you can be the person you used to be (but wiser) once you get rid of him.

orangegato · 08/01/2024 09:14

Creepy gaslighting narcissist. He is still fuming at being called out. Leave him!! Why do you want to stay with him? Breed with him? Marry him? Absolute slimy creature.

Sparkletastic · 08/01/2024 09:14

I hope this thread is the wake up call that you need.

Lillygolightly · 08/01/2024 09:14

This is a man who will always lie to you, about all manner of things big and small!

So far he has lied about owning property and having income/expenses for said property, leading you to believe the financial situation was something that it is not. He has actively contributed less financially to your joint expenses because of this due to financial commitments he said he had that don’t exist!!! This is beyond just a lie, this is him lying in order to exploit you!!! A completely unforgivable offence in my book!

He lied about a business trip and where he was for an entire week! Then continued to lie even after you had learned the truth from elsewhere.

His response to all the above is to continually punish you for kicking him out once you uncovered the scale of his lies! I mean FFS the sheer audacity of the man!!!

He punishes you like this and will continue to do so because

a) it deflects from the lies he told, from accepting the consequences and shifts the blame from what he’s done to what you’ve done…kicking him out.

b) make it as terrible for you possible so that therefore in the future you think twice before you refuse to swallow his blatant lies and confront him with the truth.

c) because he is angry you have torn down the facade of who he wanted to pretend to be and now you see he is not that person at all. You’ve shattered the illusion.

Continue with this relationship at your own peril. He is not going to suddenly become an honest and trustworthy human being just because you called him out on a few lies. This is who he is, a liar….who is willing to lie to you for his own financial gain and god only knows what else. He will ALWAYS lie to you…and worse he will always be mad at you any time you call that lie out. It will never be his fault for lying in the first place, it will however, be your fault for not being stupid enough to swallow it, and even more so for having the audacity to call him out on it.

hydratedsusan · 08/01/2024 09:14

Rest assured there is not one move, strategy or path that you could have taken or can take that will not end up with you being in the wrong and him being upset. You cannot 'win', you cannot keep him happy if you 'just did this' or 'had done that'. This man is a lying, manipulative abuser. You can't see it, you believe his pity party and don't have enough good self esteem and trust in your self and actions to see that kicking him out was exactly the right thing to do and doing the same again is the only way forward. He's making you feel bad so you don't do it again and he can cock lodge in your home and spin more lies. This will only get far worse. Do not move forward with him. Do not marry him, do not have a baby. I believe in you, you can see through him, that's why you are writing this. You can get out now and you can build the future you really want.

Bananalanacake · 08/01/2024 09:15

Why let him move in so quickly, have a relationship without living together.its obvious he wanted to sponge off you.

Cosywintertime · 08/01/2024 09:15

Are you actually going to do anything about it? Like end it. Or are you going to continue to let him mistreat you, and pay for the privilege?

TheCatterall · 08/01/2024 09:16

Take a leaf out of his book and gaslight him.

you didn’t kick go out. That was a prank. Deny everything. Even when he shows you proof. He’s misread the situation. Double down. Tell him he’s being hysterical. Tell him he’s mental. Needy. Go through the book of things they normally do to us.

@Blindasabatt this is an unhealthy relationship and he’s probably lying about the financial situation as well.

He’s gaslighting you every time so that you jump to his tune and just do as you are told for fear of him leaving when he’s absolutely not worth a second of your time.

CrabbiesGingerBeer · 08/01/2024 09:17

To answer your actual question, you were not unreasonable to kick him out.

You were, however, VVVU to take him back and let him emotionally abuse you for a normal reaction to his preplanned campaign of deception.

My advice is boot him out and this time make it stick. Just be glad you aren’t married to him so he’s got no claim on your property / income.

If you are co-owners of the house / on a joint tenancy, get legal advice first but do what is takes to break up with him.

Cakeandcookies · 08/01/2024 09:17

In the nicest possible way .. BIN HIM! Your spidey senses told you something was up, you have numerous amounts of proof, he is a compulsive liar and yet you took him back again and now he is gaslighting you. You love him, but it doesn't sound like he knows how to love or show respect. Do you want this to be the rest of your life? I know you think there will be nobody else but there will. You need to end it, heal and find someone who is honest and deserves your love and time. It isn't this man (if we can even call him that). You deserve so much better. Hugs to you. Be strong and move on. 💗💐

passiveaggressivenonsense · 08/01/2024 09:17

He's punishing you so you never dare call him out on his lies again ( he will lie again !)

CatOnAMushroom · 08/01/2024 09:20

Listen yo your instincts OP and get out of this sorry mess. He will get worse and worse from here. You deserve better. You may benefit from some counselling to move forwards

everythingthelighttouches · 08/01/2024 09:20

I’m sure the OP is just taking this all in. You are lucky OP as you have found a group of women here who will support you and give you loads of advice about how to get away from this absolute sociopath.

If we’re sounding harsh it is only because 1) we want you to understand what an absolute arsehole this guy is
2) it sounds like you are relatively early in your relationship and can leave quite easily

I don’t want to scare you but given the extreme lying and gaslighting, you would absolutely be able to do a Clare’s law check. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he had done this before to someone.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help#:~:text=nearest%20Safe%20Space.-,Check%20whether%20someone%20has%20an%20abusive%20past,your%20'right%20to%20ask'.

Domestic abuse: how to get help

Find out how to get help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help#:~:text=nearest%20Safe%20Space.-,Check%20whether%20someone%20has%20an%20abusive%20past,your%20'right%20to%20ask'.

StoppitRightNow · 08/01/2024 09:23

Good lord OP, what a Prince!!

Obviously - DO NOT MARRY HIM. Dump him immediately. This is the absolute BEST your relationship will ever be, and you know the following:

  • He's a liar.
  • He is incapable of supporting himself like a grown-up (so will be a shit provider if you have kids)
  • He cannot discuss things like an adult and has to be right.

You, my love, are dating an absolute clanger of a narcissist.

Get out now, while you can.

What he will do when you dump him is cry, promise you marriage/children because he knows you want this, make up more lies about his finances and then probably say he can't live without you. The second he is out he will start lying about how awful you were.

What YOU are going to do is NOT FEED THE NARC. You will grey rock everything. No matter what he does - you stay calm. You stay firm. It is over.

And guess what - you will have learned a lot from this twat - you now know everything you DON'T want, so somewhere, out there, is your Mr Actually Right. And he is going to be cool as shit because you are cool as shit for exiting this absolute car crash of a 'relationship'.

Hatty65 · 08/01/2024 09:23

End it. He's a controlling, nasty fantasist who brings nothing to the relationship. I cannot believe you've tolerated this shit for as long as you have done, frankly.

Bonbon21 · 08/01/2024 09:24

You are a mug.
Get rid.
You need to get back to being you.
You know you dont deserve this, so just stop it all!!
It is in your power.

Will being alone be worse than this?

Really??