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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:
Angelsrose · 08/01/2024 09:25

It's time to say goodbye. A relationship should be enjoyed, not endured, especially at the boyfriend stage. This guy has no right to "punish" you and if he's so unhappy with what you did, he should have left by now. And yet here he is! Please let him go, you're wasting your time.

Startingagainandagain · 08/01/2024 09:25

You need to end this now.

The man is a serial liar. You can't build a life with a man like that...

Also I would be extremely concerned that this guy is a narcissist and/or sociopath and that the abuse would escalate over time. These types of people build completely different persona to hide their true self and are skilled liars.

XiCi · 08/01/2024 09:27

Absolutely crazy to take him back, what on earth were you thinking? Get rid of him as soon as is humanly possible. Tell all of your friends and family what is happening so you have some support.

Whatineed · 08/01/2024 09:27

You're with a complete sociopath my dear.

This moodiness is all to punish you for having the guts to try and take control of your own life and to put you back into place so you'll stop questioning his movements and whereabouts. And not begging him to stay. That's why he didn't come back initially, he needed you to beg.

When my sociopathic (according to his military medical records) ex left it had to be his decision as I knew I'd never hear the end of it if I told him to leave.

He told all our mutual friends that I'd "made him leave" and was astounded and disgusted that I'd just stood there, calmly asked for the house keys and didn't beg him to stay.

You have a choice - to live a less stressful life, without lengthy silences, sulking, punishments for things you can't quite understand;

or a life full of constant mistrust, awful "surprises", cruelty, lies and a complete lack of care over the hurt they cause, a life spent hunting, researching, and spying on your partners life because there's no trust. You also open yourself up to financial abuse and mental exhaustion.

The lies don't get smaller the longer the relationship either by the way.

Please protect yourself. I can't tell you what it cost me in my marriage.

PaminaMozart · 08/01/2024 09:28

Women Who Love Too Much would be an extremely useful read for you, @Blindasabatt

Willowpuss · 08/01/2024 09:28

YABU to stay with him and keep " working through things". He's shown you who he really is....Run!!!

SpringleDingle · 08/01/2024 09:28

WOW! You are being totally unreasonable for taking this crazy loon back. How long is his nose?? Once a gigantic liar always a gigantic liar. Dump him quick before you dragged any further into his crazy fantasy world.

MorningSunshineSparkles · 08/01/2024 09:28

The only thing unreasonable about what you’ve done here is the fact that you took him back. Honey kick him the hell out and build a life with someone that isn’t going to lie and gaslight you. He’s an abusive POS and you deserve better Flowers

ACynicalDad · 08/01/2024 09:29

You can't build a life with a compulsive liar, he's emotionally abusive, just move on.

Henbags · 08/01/2024 09:30

Is this a joke?
You just listed all his lies and then state that you “want to be there for him”.
Read that back and have a word with yourself.

LogicVoid · 08/01/2024 09:32

You're unreasonable not to have got rid, stayed rid, moved on.

GenXisthebest · 08/01/2024 09:32

Just finish it OP! He is a lying manipulative scumbag. You can't trust him and he is ruining your self esteem.

Needtogrowsproutsfordecember · 08/01/2024 09:34

Op you need a slap round the face with a wet fish imo. . And get sti checked too.

mumda · 08/01/2024 09:35

He's lied massively. He's a cock lodger not paying his way. And he's being a twat because you forgave him.
If you hadn't forgiven him you'd not be dealing with the monster now.

Get rid properly.

HackneyMum1 · 08/01/2024 09:35

He sounds awful to be gaslighting you in this way. This is emotional abuse OP.

Tangled123 · 08/01/2024 09:36

OP, you can’t really love this man because you don’t really know who he is. He has been pretending to be someone else so the person you fell in love with isn’t real. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with someone who lies to you and then gaslights and manipulates you this extent? You need to stand up for yourself.

JustJoinedRightNow · 08/01/2024 09:36

OP please get some self respect and dump him. Seriously

Kellogg1 · 08/01/2024 09:37

Hate to say it OP but he’s treating you like a mug and you’re acting like one. Find some confidence and stand up for yourself. Why are you allowing him to get away with his lies? Pay next to nothing towards bills etc? Blaming you for being angry at something he’s done wrong? He shifted the focus of his 3 years of massive lies the way you were (understandably) reacting to them.

What are you getting from this relationship other than anxiety?

Hate to see women lowering themselves to this with half rate men who don’t love them. I’ve done it myself in the past and I can’t understand it still! Believe me when I say life is better once you start backing yourself.

BodenCardiganNot · 08/01/2024 09:38

Do you feel you can't be without a man? Even one as bad as this?

Ohdearohdearohdea · 08/01/2024 09:38

Don't get pregnant by him.. you'll be trapped!

Renamed · 08/01/2024 09:38

Yabu because you took him back. Why?

Hallesmellie · 08/01/2024 09:39

What did I just read?! Why why why would you stay with him?! Tell someone in RL who can help you go through with kicking him out again. Get some counselling.

Kewcumber · 08/01/2024 09:40

Tangled123 · 08/01/2024 09:36

OP, you can’t really love this man because you don’t really know who he is. He has been pretending to be someone else so the person you fell in love with isn’t real. Do you really want to spend the rest of your life with someone who lies to you and then gaslights and manipulates you this extent? You need to stand up for yourself.

☝This

You don't love him, you love the idea of him you have in your head which is a combination of who he pretended to be and who you want him to be.

Are you scared of being alone? Can you accept that there are better men out there?

VanityDiesHard · 08/01/2024 09:43

In addition to all the other excellent advice you have received, I would add this: get tested for any STDs. You don't know where someone like that has been.

Bakensmile · 08/01/2024 09:43

I voted YABU purely for the fact that you are still with this ‘man’. Have some self respect and know your worth, walk away.

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