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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU - I told my ex I never loved him (and meant it)

22 replies

roofusdoofus · 23/01/2024 06:08

My ex (33M) very recently reached out to me for closure. Our relationship didn’t directly end, but we never spoke after I (24F) asked for space.

He felt that I wasn’t into him but was afraid to let go, which explains why he supported my request for space and made no contact.

I decided to be open and honest with my ex. I explained that throughout our relationship, there were too many incidents that resulted in a cause for concern.

Honestly, he seemed dumbfounded?

I had no problem reminding him of each and every incident. Problems I have highlighted in the past and expressed frustration with.

I.E. - we were so incompatible sexually, but my ex made me feel embarrassed by my sex drive but also out to be a sex addict to his male colleagues. When we went to Amsterdam, we mutually agreed to go to the Red Light and I suggested a peep show or live show. After complaining about the prices, he wanted to go to a live show but made it out to his colleagues that I begged him to go and he wanted to leave but I insisted that we should stay. I previously visited Amsterdam and went to a live show so I had been there, done that. His colleagues then made sexual comments about me that he laughed about. How do I know? He openly told me thinking it was the “funniest” thing ever.

There’s many, many, more issues but we would be here forever! 🥱

I didn’t raise my voice and I wasn’t out of my way mean. I used each incident to portray the attributes and qualities he had that I didn’t like, and to illustrate how longterm (and short term) we weren’t well suited but probably more lonely instead.

My ex and I used to exchange ‘I love you’ like most normal couples. He asked if I meant it or if I ever meant it, I explained that our relationship (>12 months) was relatively short term and while I wasn’t ever “in love” with him (which I openly said during our relationship), I did “love” him and could appreciate some time we shared together, so I explained that the love was more appreciation rather “love love”.

He felt “hurt” and “used” but overall was “satisfied” with his closure and gave a half arsed apology about the pain and hurt he caused. He said that “I just never got his sense of humour” otherwise “a lot of the things would’ve been ok”.

…. My friends told me to run from Day 1 & I should have listened.

Was I unreasonable? Some friends said I could have left the comments about love out, but I have so much resentment towards my ex that I refused to lie about loving him. Apart of me feels a bit immature, and maybe I am a bit, I know I still have a lot of life learning to do (I’m in my early twenties) but I also don’t want to be a dick either. The other side then is I don’t want to be walked all over like that again.

OP posts:
BarbieDangerous · 23/01/2024 06:17

You’ve already said all that you wanted to say so it’s not like you can go back and un-say it anyway!

Meadowfinch · 23/01/2024 06:32

It sounds like your boy friend was disloyal and indiscreet, and you felt embarrassed and unable to trust him. That's a perfectly good reason to leave. And he needed to know. Maybe he will behave differently in the future.

Obviously you didn't love him or you wouldn't have left.

Now forget about it & move on.

Olika · 23/01/2024 06:45

I wouldn't worry about it. You were honest with him and in the end of the day he's the one who reached out to you needing closure. Hopefully he's got that now.

Flufferblub · 23/01/2024 06:47

He asked, you answered. Block him and move on with your life

ExtraOnions · 23/01/2024 06:48

You were unreasonable to go to Amsterdam, and pay to watch a potentially sex-traffic woman, assaulted.

I would run a million miles from anyone who thought that was entertainment

Waterfallsandrainbows · 23/01/2024 06:53

You do know most of the women and men in the red light district in Amsterdam have been trafficked at some point.

It’s tourists like you that make the rest of us Brits look bad.

He’s had a lucky escape. You have not been mean you have given him a lucky break.

kisstheblarney · 23/01/2024 06:58

It's done now.... I hope he also responded with the things he did t like about you ?

Waterfallsandrainbows · 23/01/2024 07:01

Where are you insisting your next boyfriend takes you Thailand?

C1N1C · 23/01/2024 07:25

Wow, this took a turn...

x2boys · 23/01/2024 07:32

It was a,short term relationship it didn't work out move on

barkymcbark · 23/01/2024 07:34

He asked, you were honest back, you can't really say fairer than that.

If he wanted closure you did him a favour by telling him the truth. Hopefully he will take it on board and be better with his next gf. If he gets the hump, then he wasn't really after closure, he just wanted you to rub his ego.

Forget and move on.

Waterfallsandrainbows · 23/01/2024 07:34

I’ve been to Amsterdam many times and never felt the need to go to a sex show or the red light district.

Why? Because at 24 I had worked for 3 years with men and women who had been trafficked and abused and I was not worrying about how upset my ex was because I told him why I didn’t like him anymore.

This woman has her priorities wrong she says she wants to learn more about relationships when she should concentrate on making herself into a more decent human being and stop frequenting sex worker areas full of exploited fellow human beings.

Muchof · 23/01/2024 07:37

I cannot see why that conversation needed to happen, but it is done now. I don’t see that he walked all over you as you say. It is pretty disgusting that you suggested a peep show and a live show, you need to educate yourself.

Gazelda · 23/01/2024 07:39

I'm with the others over the Amsterdam thing.

And I do feel it was unkind to tell him you'd never loved him. Was it necessary to be so hurtful? He'll never trust a word that any future girlfriends say.

The relationship is over. You weren't compatible. He was a dick over his what he told his mates. No doubt you made mistakes too.

Move on, it's done now.

NeedToChangeName · 23/01/2024 07:42

Safe to say, this thread isn't going as OP expected

I agree with PP about red light district and trafficking. But, she sounds young and naive about that

I wonder what OP hoped to achieve from this conversation. It would have been kinder to say "I have plenty happy nemoiries, at the time I thought I loved you, but ultimately didn't feel we were compatible"

I assume you told him at the time how you felt about him making fun of you. Nothing to be gained by raising it again. And, disingenuous to pretend it's to aid his future relationships

theduchessofspork · 23/01/2024 07:44

Forgot about it.

Don’t say I love you and not mean it in future

MaybeTooLate · 23/01/2024 07:46

He asked, you answered. Over-analysing a relationship that has already ended is a waste of time.

I’m with the others about the sex show. Maybe spend a bit more time thinking about your morals and a bit less thinking about your ex.

HalloumiGeller · 23/01/2024 07:52

I don't really think you going into so much detail with him was needed tbh, I feel that was more for you than him, to get it off your chest at it were.

I didn't go into that much detail when I split with my ex of 12 years! A simple "I don't love you anymore" was sufficient enough for the relationship to end. We did talk about other things a little, but I didn't feel it helped anyway as I knew our relationship was over, all it did was make me feel angry at the time. But every couple is different, some need to do that to have closure and move on.

MissTrip82 · 23/01/2024 08:13

You sound extremely immature . Why on earth stay with someone for a year if you disliked him so much, there were so many issues, you weren’t compatible sexually and you didn’t love him? Why didn’t you have any thought about how the women you paid to watch in Amsterdam came to be there? Why repeatedly say ‘love you’ and so on to someone you say you didn’t love? Why did you imagine that saying such hurtful stuff about never loving him would constitute closure for anyone at all?

Please take some time out before your next relationship and think about how you treat other people.

MrsBennetsPoorNerves · 23/01/2024 08:22

I agree that you sound extremely immature, but you're 24, so maybe that's forgivable. Time to grow up now though.

Also completely agree re your activities in Amsterdam. Please educate yourself a bit on trafficking and stop perpetuating this horrible industry.

Pleatherandlace · 23/01/2024 08:39

He asked for feedback and you gave him some. As long as you weren’t deliberately cruel I think it’s fine. Hopefully you can both learn lessons from this relationship and do better in the next.

Willyoujustbequiet · 23/01/2024 08:48

ExtraOnions · 23/01/2024 06:48

You were unreasonable to go to Amsterdam, and pay to watch a potentially sex-traffic woman, assaulted.

I would run a million miles from anyone who thought that was entertainment

This.

People in glass houses....

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