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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Ex appears to have ghosted me, I'm devastated

413 replies

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 15:55

It was me who left. It was for various things, the first one being stalling on commitment.
The second was that he was quite critical of me, like I'd get a new haircut and he'd burst out laughing and say it looked like (insert X cartoon character)
Or he didn't like me using shop bought sauces so one time he deliberately hid the one I'd bought so I'd have to make a new one.
I felt like the cooking thing was a huge deal for him.
Our tenancy was ending soon and he seemed hesitant about us finding a new place to live.
Or on several occasions, he'd go out all night and not even tell me he'd gone out, I'd just come back to an empty flat.
He heavily berated me when he found out I had 1.5k of credit card debt, even though I was managing to pay it. He also told his parents something about my credit which I really didn't like.
I'm trying to justify why I left, but the main one was that I didn't feel I was his 'one" and that he was quite critical of me even though I did so much for him.
He really wanted me to be an avid reader. I do read, but I'm much more into non-fiction, I'm not massively into literature. I'm 'book-smart' I guess you could say, but I am just not someone who constantly reads novels sadly.

We stayed friends. We would still message all the time, he seemed upset at first but I wouldn't say he tried to win me back. I often felt I'd made a mistake, we had so many wonderful times together. We spent 5 hours together the other week.
I guess it was strange to still speak to your ex every day.. anyway, despite being the one to message me last, he's ghosted me. Just stopped reading and replying to my messages.
I am devastated.. I still regret the break up, we were together a long time. I'm 34 soon and I panicked.
But I didn't expect this. Everyone said I'd done the right thing leaving, but I still hoped we could work it out.

OP posts:
NinaPersson · 04/07/2024 16:06

Nothing you have said about him sounds nice. You made the right decision leaving him.

You are right that you’re not his ‘one’.

cupcaske123 · 04/07/2024 16:06

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:04

But maybe he was right. I am a bitch. I deserve it. That's how I feel ATM.

So he was also calling you names?

He's probably met someone else OP, he'll pursue her then come back to you if it goes wrong. He doesn't sound like he has any respect for you, he doesn't see your worth.

Be kind to yourself and move on.

Mothership4two · 04/07/2024 16:07

I have told him very clearly I wanted to sort things out. The man wouldn't offer me any commitment at 34.

And nothing's changed. You are still not "his one" and he has probably met someone else. You can only 'move on' too.

He sounds awful. One day you will probably realise you have had a lucky break.

Cattery · 04/07/2024 16:07

Which bit of his piss-taking do you miss?

jannier · 04/07/2024 16:07

So he was controlling and abusive....even if you don't see it ...you dumped him now your upset he got annoyed at you doing the controlling of the relationship and is reeling you in by ghosting ....wow.

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:08

The last time I saw him before the break up, he'd seemed hesitant about the future with me, I started crying and he went to play his guitar.

OP posts:
Arlanymor · 04/07/2024 16:08

Break ups are the pits, they really are. But they happen for a reason... please face forward and not back. I think he needs to be part of your past because a lot of what you have said about his behaviour is disgraceful. There is something much better for you around the corner and frankly the fact that you have had a crush is good because somewhere deep down you are starting to feel that there is a different future for you. Don't be set back because the crush didn't materialise into anything, instead be happy that you are able to have feelings for someone new. Honestly, try to look at this whole situation objectively... all the signs are telling you that moving on was the right decision, just give yourself a break, be single for a while and see what the world might have in store for you.

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:09

I have apologised to him several times, I said a few months ago to him I wanted to sort things out but he didn't answer, and I said it again last month.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 04/07/2024 16:09

If your daughter/sister/friend said their partner was mocking their appearance, hiding food, berating them for credit card debt, refusing to commit, vanishing out without telling them, criticising their choice of reading matter - would you encourage them to stay in that relationship, @Canttakemuchmoreofthis1?

I would be very surprised I you would encourage someone you loved to stay in an abusive relationship - so why don’t you deserve the same consideration? You deserve so much better than this sort of treatment, and you need to love yourself enough to believe that you deserve better.

I understand why you are hurting now - you are mourning the future you thought you had - but from what you have said here, you wouldn’t have got the future you want with this man, and his treatment of you would only have got worse, so this is the best thing in the long run, even if it doesn’t feel that way now.

Sending you a hug.

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:11

Apparently his parents told him he was mean to me (in general).
I told him I'd won a Tesco voucher and he said 'oh great! All stocked up on frozen dinners now are you?'
Stuff like that (that was recently)

OP posts:
UpThereForThinkingDownThereForDancing · 04/07/2024 16:11

Staying friends postpones the grieving process, so you're feeling that delayed onset now.

But as much as you felt he was the one, his personality (the critical undermining side to him) isn't going to change and he wasn't going to become someone on whom you could rely for commitment either. So although the chemistry was obviously there, and it sounds like you are well ready to settle down... It wasn't him really.

It hurts. But in time you'll be glad you didn't tie yourself to him for life, time has a way of making those negative things matter in the end.

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:11

I seldom made frozen dinners though, the occasional frozen pizza but certainly not every day.

OP posts:
MimitteAndElsaGoToSwitzerland · 04/07/2024 16:11

I get you. I like to stay friendly with my exes, where possible. I'd be a bit upset if they started blanking me.

But that said, it's their right to do that. And it's not a reflection on you as a person.

It sounds like maybe a part of you is still addicted to their approval, especially if it was very sporadic during the relationship. But please don't take it as a rejection or a comment on your character. It's just not always possible to become friends after a breakup.

Dust yourself off and concentrate on the future. It's ok to feel sad but stay hopeful.

fedupandstuck · 04/07/2024 16:11

Does "sort things out" mean get back together? Why would you want to do that when you've given many sensible reasons for splitting up in the first place. He sounds unkind, immature, unsupportive, and frankly bullying. Why would you want to go back to that?

AutumnFroglets · 04/07/2024 16:12

That goodness you managed to leave this abusive twat. I remember your other thread and I'm so pleased it helped you to get out.

Now you need to be happy that he's ghosted you so you can finally move on and heal. Block him so he can't come back until you've done some therapy work on yourself. He wasn't a good man, remember that.

MimitteAndElsaGoToSwitzerland · 04/07/2024 16:13

He also doesn't sound like he'd be a great friend.

PomomPomBears · 04/07/2024 16:13

He sounds like a not very nice man who had little respect for you.

You need to move on

jannier · 04/07/2024 16:14

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:11

I seldom made frozen dinners though, the occasional frozen pizza but certainly not every day.

Stop trying to be logical about his abusive nasty ways move on you haven't said one good thing about him he's horrible and drags you down....stop

LoreleiG · 04/07/2024 16:14

He sounds awful OP. Ghosting you is just him trying to upset/control you again, surely you can see that. Block him and move on. He didn't show commitment, which means he wasn't committed. Even his parents thought he was horrible to you.

RivkaTheBold · 04/07/2024 16:14

He hid the sauce? What a prick.

Thank god you're not stuck with that one.

CookStrait · 04/07/2024 16:16

He was a cunt, & it seems that he’s reeled you in just so that he can do this to you. Let it go, you’ll meet someone else.

DaisyChain505 · 04/07/2024 16:17

What you need to work on is your self respect, self esteem and self worth because no person who had any of the above would miss this piece of shit.

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:18

I guess we never officially said it was over for good, I just went to stay at my parents.
I still have the message from a fortnight after I left saying I wanted to sort things out, and he didn't reply.

A month later, I asked him if I could come back, and he said he wasn't sure. So I have tried.

OP posts:
TruthThatsHardAsSteel · 04/07/2024 16:18

He sounds like an absolute shit head. Those horrible things he did to you - that's his inherent personality. You can't train someone out of that. That's the person he is.

Please,take off your rose tinted glasses love. This man is a nasty bully and his behaviour would have continued to escalate. I think you're idealising it, but nothing would have been different. He was abusive. Nasty.. Demeaning. Nobody deserves that.

Mirabai · 04/07/2024 16:18

Canttakemuchmoreofthis1 · 04/07/2024 16:11

Apparently his parents told him he was mean to me (in general).
I told him I'd won a Tesco voucher and he said 'oh great! All stocked up on frozen dinners now are you?'
Stuff like that (that was recently)

What is it with him and food? Did he mistake you for his mum/chef?

Did he ever make food? Why did you pay for the meal last time you saw him?

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