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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

ExH, his new girlfriend and the family beach house

305 replies

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 00:52

ExH and I split in late 2022. I left him
after years of abuse, including physical abuse. Haven’t regretted it for a second. I have a new partner who I am very very happy with, exH has a new girlfriend, I have as little to do with exH as possible. He has our two children every other weekend. He pays bare minimum child support, won’t buy clothes for them to keep at his house, is generally a shit dad and human being. My 9 year old son came home with a bruise on his arm a couple of weeks ago from Dad pinching him. Not the first time my son has been hurt by his father. This has been logged with the police.

I bought exH out of the family home last year. It’s nearly killed me with massive mortgage + peak interest rates, but I am lucky enough to have a great job and have been able to manage. We also co-own a beach house. This is about to be listed for sale - for various logistical reasons it was financially advantageous to delay the sale. (Had we sold a year ago we would have paid circa $150K in extra tax and the market was v v depressed).

When I bought the family home the (substantial) beach house mortgage was paid off from my mortgage to save us from usurious interest rates. Both of us have good jobs - exH earns slightly more than me. He rents a property for about half what I pay in mortgage. ExH is waiting for the beach house to be sold before he buys a house. I gave exH the option of buying me out of my interest in the beach house so he was the sole owner. He refused - he doesn’t want to be “left with it”.

I have never taken my boyfriend to the beach house - in fact have gone to considerable expense booking airbnbs when we have gone away together. My view that when we split was that the beach house was a family home, it was special to our kids and what was once our family and taking new partners there would be disrespectful of that.

Despite this, exH nagged to take his girlfriend there. I said I wasn’t comfortable but I am used to him disregarding my wishes on everything so I said not with the kids there and not sleeping in my bed.

A month later (at Easter) he took the kids away as his sister was visiting from the UK for a family long weekend. Unbeknownst to me (or the kids), the girlfriend was invited. When he was told, my eldest son (9) cried and asked t go home (he told me later). ExH then refused to allow the kids to call me for 48 hours to make sure I didn’t find out.

Since then, exH takes his girlfriend regularly and I can tell they have been sleeping in my bedroom. I have tried to be grey rock about it all tbh as he’s such a lying cunt I can’t be bothered engaging with him.

Over the last month, exH has got very busy preparing the house for sale and announced he was going to plaster and paint the interior walls. This is a man who, in the 21 years we were together, couldn’t paint a doorknob. It transpired that New Gf is quite a dab hand at renovations and plastered and painted 3 bedrooms over the course of a week. For free.

I said to exH that was weird and he could afford to pay someone and I hoped that at least he was paying her… his first reaction was to say “she wants to help!” and the second was to ask me to chip in for half of it. That would be a no.

This weekend just been was a long weekend here and I took the kids to the bach. New Gf has been very busy, reorganising the linen cupboard (I can tell as the towels are folded into thirds, something exH never mastered in 20 years). My wardrobe… with all of my clothes hanging in it … has been tidied up and reorganised.

The house is far from Manderly but at this point the Rebecca vibes are off the chart. My tampons are literally in the bathroom drawer.

My strong suspicion is that exH has told New Gf it’s his house (“I let her have the family home for the kids… I took the beach house in the separation … but I still let her take the kids there on holiday because I’m Such a Great Dad”).

Whether she knows or not, AIBU to find it massively creepy and intrusive and go full Mrs Danvers on both of them?

OP posts:
Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 02:43

Lostsadandconfused · 31/10/2024 02:01

You both go and enjoy it!!

Going to our country place with my bf has helped me make new memories there, that aren’t painful reminders of my marriage and what used to be.

That is a nice way of looking at it - I will.

OP posts:
Lostsadandconfused · 31/10/2024 02:46

Yep, shag him in ALL the beds 😛

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 02:57

😂😂😂

OP posts:
banality101 · 31/10/2024 03:09

She sounds nice 🤷🏼‍♀️ she's not your enemy, don't let your XH's relationship be the hill you die on.

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 03:16

banality101 · 31/10/2024 03:09

She sounds nice 🤷🏼‍♀️ she's not your enemy, don't let your XH's relationship be the hill you die on.

I couldn’t care less about their relationship! I care about her fossicking around my tampons and sundresses.

OP posts:
Whothefuckdoesthat · 31/10/2024 05:56

It’s incredibly weird. I mean, the plastering and decorating is great; anything that’s going to benefit you in the long term, but going through and rearranging your things is definitely overstepping. I can only think that she’s been blinded by the man she thinks he is, and has just got too enthusiastic about the ‘project’ of getting the place ready to sell.

On the plus side, all bets are now off. You don’t have to stick to any agreements previously made and can now do whatever you like.

Greentreesandbushes · 31/10/2024 07:06

When you go next time move your ex’s stuff around.

Newnamehiwhodis · 31/10/2024 07:16

I would find that weird and intrusive too - she shouldn’t be touching your things - but who knows what he told her.

I mostly am concerned about the safety of her and of your children - that your son came home with a bruise is truly awful.
and has anyone warned this woman that she’s in a relationship with an abusive man? :(

you're well rid. Hope the house sells soon.

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 07:17

Whothefuckdoesthat · 31/10/2024 05:56

It’s incredibly weird. I mean, the plastering and decorating is great; anything that’s going to benefit you in the long term, but going through and rearranging your things is definitely overstepping. I can only think that she’s been blinded by the man she thinks he is, and has just got too enthusiastic about the ‘project’ of getting the place ready to sell.

On the plus side, all bets are now off. You don’t have to stick to any agreements previously made and can now do whatever you like.

Yes I think so too. Part of me feels sorry her - he is very manipulative and will be masking madly but also part of me thinks grow a brain, get therapy and set some fking boundaries for God’s sake - we are mid 40s and this is not her first rodeo with a total loser. Goes to show a good job and a full head of hair is enough to fool some women 😂😂😂 The fact she hasn’t done any DD with mutual friends suggests she is being wilfully blind.

OP posts:
Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 07:21

Newnamehiwhodis · 31/10/2024 07:16

I would find that weird and intrusive too - she shouldn’t be touching your things - but who knows what he told her.

I mostly am concerned about the safety of her and of your children - that your son came home with a bruise is truly awful.
and has anyone warned this woman that she’s in a relationship with an abusive man? :(

you're well rid. Hope the house sells soon.

Part of me feels I should warn her but I would just look like a crazy bitter ex?

it was really awful @Newnamehiwhodis - it was what prompted me to finally go to the police. Who were really great. I wish I’d gone years ago. They said it was up to me if I took action but that it would involve DS being interviewed and that as the kids are largely with me they considered he was low risk. If ExH and I were still together it would be a different matter.

OP posts:
FabulousPharmacyst · 31/10/2024 07:22

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 01:52

I am still using it - I just haven’t taken my partner there and he hasn’t taken it upon himself to tidy exH’s undie drawer.

Well there’s a wasted opportunity not to introduce some itching powder into the situation.

curious79 · 31/10/2024 07:25

She’s helping make it look nice so it can sell well. Get over it and just ignore it.

Mummyoflittledragon · 31/10/2024 07:27

I am glad the gf is nice to your children. I get her behaviour is weird and intrusive. You’re doing the right thing venting on here so that you’re less tempted to vocalise your annoyance to her or your ex, which from what you said would be a bad move. It sounds as if it’s best to have her on side for your children’s sakes. In time, maybe she will see him for who he is and if you’ve kept on good terms, this will be easier for both of you. And if she sees something from him she doesn’t like, which may impact your dcs, feeling she is able to contact you can only be a good thing.

Blueblell · 31/10/2024 07:29

It sounds like he has told her it is his and you are just an occasional visitor with the kids.

Eenameenadeeka · 31/10/2024 07:29

I think the renovation is fine but the organizing your clothes is not at all.

Hazeby · 31/10/2024 07:31

She’s either done it to wind you up and exert control in which case you ignore it and don’t give her want she wants.

Or she’s just being nice or clueless and didn’t mean any harm.

So no, I don’t think you should go Mrs Danvers on them. Just rise above it.

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 07:35

Hazeby · 31/10/2024 07:31

She’s either done it to wind you up and exert control in which case you ignore it and don’t give her want she wants.

Or she’s just being nice or clueless and didn’t mean any harm.

So no, I don’t think you should go Mrs Danvers on them. Just rise above it.

I think it’s the latter - she’s clueless - but that’s next level IMO

I cannot imagine rummaging through DP’s ex-wife’s clothes!!!!

OP posts:
F40ish · 31/10/2024 07:35

I’m in the rise above it camp. It is weird and who knows why she’s done it but it hasn’t actually harmed you.

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 07:35

Blueblell · 31/10/2024 07:29

It sounds like he has told her it is his and you are just an occasional visitor with the kids.

I agree

OP posts:
SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 31/10/2024 07:43

Having Your stuff moved around is annoying but it has been done respectfully. Best to keep focused on caring for the children and yourself. Mrs Danvers was not a happy woman.

whatatodoaboutnothing · 31/10/2024 07:45

I’d care more about my ex being physically abusive to my child than his new gf tidying up my wardrobe

AlertCat · 31/10/2024 07:48

I imagine he hasn’t been honest with her about the situation with the beach house. He might have told her the things you left there were literal holiday-home stuff, the kinds of things people leave in AirBnB.

Maray1967 · 31/10/2024 07:49

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 01:52

I am still using it - I just haven’t taken my partner there and he hasn’t taken it upon himself to tidy exH’s undie drawer.

I’d leave her a note where she will find it but not him. Linen cupboard? I’d make it clear that I paid for the house and can she please not move anything of mine.

Endoftheroad12345 · 31/10/2024 07:52

whatatodoaboutnothing · 31/10/2024 07:45

I’d care more about my ex being physically abusive to my child than his new gf tidying up my wardrobe

oh you reckon? Yeah I only care about my linen closet being reorganised. Hasn’t occurred to me to care about my child being hurt.

OP posts:
Sampler · 31/10/2024 07:53

I’d find that as creepy as fuck OP. I expect your ex has told her a great story…
move their stuff next time if you’re bored.