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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU? Boyfriends Christmas Night out

258 replies

Alessoutingname · 14/12/2024 04:34

TW

I’ve been with my boyfriend over a year. Both mid thirties, own homes (although he seems incapable of spending any time away from me). Mostly happy relationship apart from the fact he’s very codependent.

I don’t know if I’m feeling this way because I’m at the point where I very much need a couple of nights and days away from him or if he’s massively overstepped a personal boundary. I fear the latter.

Backstory, I don’t really like being around drunk people (I do socially drink but rarely). Grew up with an alcoholic father so I’m always on edge and generally feel unsafe around drunk men in particular as a result of my childhood.

Boyfriend comes back to mine at around 1.30am, this is fine. He’s very drunk. Gets into bed and starts the usual drunk nonsense nonstop talking and repeating himself. Mildly annoying but ok. He says something along the lines of “you best not try have s€x with me tonight,” I reply jokingly “I doubt you’d be able to get it up anyway.” For context, I was in bed with just my pants on because I was warm.

The next part is what has shocked me. He proceeded to take his boxer shorts off and intimately touch me. I told him to stop and put his boxers back on. He didn’t. He kept going. He bit my shoulder and I had to be quite forceful and state “I am not consenting to this” to make it ABUNDANTLY clear to him. Not something I ever thought I’d have to nor wanted to do.

He only stopped because I made an excuse to go downstairs. When I returned to bed he had his boxers back on but was touching me again. I ended up shouting at him.

In the end I’ve felt so uncomfortable I’ve came to my guest bedroom.

I’m upset with myself for a number of reasons. Mainly that I didn’t ring him a taxi to send him home after he made me feel so uncomfortable but I’d worry he would come to some type of harm due to his level of intoxication. I’m upset that another person who I trusted has made me feel violated in my own home, in my own bed and that I’ve felt I need to sleep in another room while he snores loudly in my lovely king sized bed!

I do love him and I’m possibly overthinking/reacting but right now I don’t ever want to be around him when he’s drunk ever again. I feel like he’s royally f#cked up and irreparably ruined our relationship.

How do I approach this in the morning? I will certainly be addressing it with him and do not want to be around him. He will be unfit to drive for a considerable time. Currently I’m thinking that I’ll be leaving him home and telling him to arrange a lift to collect his car and belongings from my home.

AIBU to feel this way?

OP posts:
Berga · 14/12/2024 11:39

I hope you are ok OP and can take some time and get support when you are ready.

The fact he didn't leave and was just sat on your sofa is another boundary push. Watch very carefully what he does next.

Thelnebriati · 14/12/2024 11:44

I agree - and whatever his problem is, its not co-dependency. Co dependency is a dynamic between two people; he sounds more like he's controlling and possessive.
I think you've dodged a bullet.

thepariscrimefiles · 14/12/2024 11:48

That was sexual assault. You are not safe with this man. Even if he apologises, I don't think you should stay with him. I would also worry about his reaction if you do break up with him.

Naunet · 14/12/2024 11:50

possibleusername · 14/12/2024 10:16

@SmileEachDay sorry, I am not sure taking your pants off or refusing to put them back on is sexual assault.

Why are you acting so fucking dumb on this thread? Obviously its not the pants that's the sexual assault, it's the refusing to stop touching her when she told him to. Are you into self humiliation or are you really just that stupid? Learn what the very basics of consent are because you sound painfully ignorant.

OP, I'm so sorry this happened to you, I don't think this is forgiveable.

daliesque · 14/12/2024 11:55

Warning - Sleeping naked near any man in a loving relationship can trigger a drive for sex!)

Even if it did then one would expect a decent man in a loving relationship to respect his partner enough to not attempt to rape her in her own bed.

That's called basic decency. I'm sorry for the people on here who obviously have such a low bar.

Teanbiscuits33 · 14/12/2024 11:58

Naunet · 14/12/2024 11:50

Why are you acting so fucking dumb on this thread? Obviously its not the pants that's the sexual assault, it's the refusing to stop touching her when she told him to. Are you into self humiliation or are you really just that stupid? Learn what the very basics of consent are because you sound painfully ignorant.

OP, I'm so sorry this happened to you, I don't think this is forgiveable.

That poster sounds like a weird incel. Very creepy.

TypingoftheDead · 14/12/2024 12:03

possibleusername · 14/12/2024 08:03

@Codlingmoths this is the problem. Your are talking about 'rape' while I see I don't a your man in his thirties getting into his Lloyd's and long standing attractive partner (which he never violated or raped before), while he is a bit drunk and she is naked, and saying things like 'I bet you can't even get it up' (assume tone of voice at that point was friendly), and then he goes and try it off anyway, he fails, she goes to another room, he never try again or follow her, and that is that really. Where did you get the impression that this was rape??

OP isn’t the one who brought sex up initially. You’re completely wrong, this was a rape attempt because OP ended up leaving the room, after trying to stop her (hopefully STBX) boyfriend trying to have sex with her, SEVERAL TIMES - and now she’s feeling violated and looking at potentially ending the relationship over it.

Wheresthebeach · 14/12/2024 12:04

Glad he’s gone OP. The belittling you, saying you couldn’t cope without him is emotional abuse. He’s trying to make you feel useless so he can then treat you anyway he wants. Last night was just another boundary test. He’s hoping you’ll forgive him and he can then keep pushing, these men are very good at presenting one side of their personality and then slowly start the abuse.

Brefugee · 14/12/2024 12:15

well done, OP. I would do as others have suggested and change security code, and all pw for online accounts - log out of all other devices if poss, including your Netfix etc. Log back in again with the new PW.

And if you feel it's necessary, given your security alarm maybe not - change your locks.

pikkumyy77 · 14/12/2024 12:21

Some weird posters here tonight!

OP: I am so sorry this happened to you. He seems like the kind of person who is specifically almost engineered to hurt you: superficially pleasing, lovely, quickly attached, love bombs you, and “only” drunk three times a year. But the drunk-drinking is actually intolerable to you, as it recreates your childhood experience. And that is true for all the rest of the 362 days when he (says) he won’t drink, or promises he won’t behave badly when drunk. He has all an alcoholic’s control over you, he has all the agency.

Please stay strong and don’t let him back in. He assaulted you and is quite demeaning/diminishing of you just to flatter his own ego. He is very bad for you.

LuckySantangelo35 · 14/12/2024 12:21

Dump him OP@Alessoutingname

BrightonFrock · 14/12/2024 12:21

Could you really ever trust him again after this? I know I couldn’t in your shoes, and I don’t even have your history with an alcoholic parent.

Maybe he’s kind and sweet the rest of the time, but that doesn’t give him or anyone a free pass to behave like this. And I don’t think the rest of the time will make up for the lack of trust.

veganmayo · 14/12/2024 12:23

Alessoutingname · 14/12/2024 05:09

Thank you for this.

Drunkenness is not an excuse for this type of behaviour at all.

I’d actually considered attempting to voice record so that he couldn’t use the excuse that he couldn’t remember. Even the fact I thought about recording is bad enough.

The codependency is a massive issue for me. I’m an incredibly independent woman. Many times he’s stated that I’d be “lost” without him or wouldn’t be able to do certain things without him and many times I’ve reminded him that I spent 30+ years on this planet without him and could easily do it again.

His comments about you being lost without him are a projection of his codependency onto you. It’s likely that he wants to feel that you are codependent as he is so has created these ideas for himself because you aren’t forthcoming with the proof he needs (because it doesn’t exist). It’s not a huge red flag, but something to look out for. There are probably other areas where he ‘makes up’ things about you to fit or validate his own narrative.

Alessoutingname · 14/12/2024 12:25

BrightonFrock · 14/12/2024 12:21

Could you really ever trust him again after this? I know I couldn’t in your shoes, and I don’t even have your history with an alcoholic parent.

Maybe he’s kind and sweet the rest of the time, but that doesn’t give him or anyone a free pass to behave like this. And I don’t think the rest of the time will make up for the lack of trust.

Nope. Even if I could get past the massive breach of my trust I could never ever see myself wanting to be intimate with him.

OP posts:
FictionalCharacter · 14/12/2024 12:29

TheSilkWorm · 14/12/2024 05:26

This is a very bad situation for you and I really hope you don't brush it under the carpet and actually end it. He's not codependent, he's controlling. He's trying to make you dependent on him. Him turning up drunk is a massive violation to start with, and then he attempted to rape you. Let's not beat around the bush, that's what it was. There should absolutely be no going back from this, ever.

100% this. This isn't a relationship problem that can be worked through. This is a dangerous abusive man.
@Alessoutingname please save yourself and get rid of him.

BellissimoGecko · 14/12/2024 12:29

I'm so sorry this has happened to you. I think you've dealt with it perfectly.

The dependency/clinginess and ignoring your boundaries would have pissed me off and concerned me, but this? Deal breaker.

NotbloodyGivingupYet · 14/12/2024 12:40

How are you now OP? Has he gone yet?

MyrtleStrumpet · 14/12/2024 12:46

When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.

This is who he really is. I'm so sorry he did that to you.

MyDeftDuck · 14/12/2024 12:50

You need to end this relationship now....No! MEANS NO!. He has well and truly overstepped the boundaries and he is not safe to be around.

Apart from how he was with you, just how has he behaved in the past when he's been drinking and in the company of other females? Is there a pattern to his behaviour? Has he done this before? Alcohol is NOT a licence to shag anyone at any time.

Alessoutingname · 14/12/2024 12:53

NotbloodyGivingupYet · 14/12/2024 12:40

How are you now OP? Has he gone yet?

He’s gone.

It’s strange I thought I would have felt a weight was lifted but I don’t. This is going to sound ludachris but I’m almost sad he made no effort (it’s definitely a good thing he didn’t, he’s shown his true colours and it will help me get over him).

I’m tired, I’m emotional and I’m really sad. I know it’ll take time but I’m grieving what we had. This time last year I was so so happy only to be left heart broken but his true colours have shone through.

Tomorrow and over the week I’ll pack up his remaining items and arrange to leave them in his property when he will be in work and I’ll post his key through his letterbox.

OP posts:
MrsJRHartley · 14/12/2024 13:05

Has he got a key to yours?

Alessoutingname · 14/12/2024 13:07

MrsJRHartley · 14/12/2024 13:05

Has he got a key to yours?

He does. I’ll be asking for it back but I’ll also be getting the locks changed.

I don’t think he will make an appearance and my house is really well kitted out security wise if he were to show up.

OP posts:
pikkumyy77 · 14/12/2024 13:11

It is awful! Lije the rug was pulled out right before Christmas. But try to focus on the fact that he finally showed his true colours and you reacted appropriately with alacrity. He chose to push your boundaries and behave drunkenly (pretty awful) and assault you and frighten you (intolerable) in the run up to Christmas. To my mind he was feeling the strain of masking his true nature for the first year. Don’t look back on the false him of the first exciting months. That was him before he had shown his true colours.

Alessoutingname · 14/12/2024 13:13

pikkumyy77 · 14/12/2024 13:11

It is awful! Lije the rug was pulled out right before Christmas. But try to focus on the fact that he finally showed his true colours and you reacted appropriately with alacrity. He chose to push your boundaries and behave drunkenly (pretty awful) and assault you and frighten you (intolerable) in the run up to Christmas. To my mind he was feeling the strain of masking his true nature for the first year. Don’t look back on the false him of the first exciting months. That was him before he had shown his true colours.

I always said for the first 6 months of a relationship you get someone’s PR manager and not them. He played it well.

Stupid me was out collecting his Christmas presents this morning!

OP posts:
PeggyMitchellsCameo · 14/12/2024 13:31

OP you deserve far more than this.
If he’s willing to behave like this now, he will just escalate if you stay with him. He may have seemed perfect and sweet but the fact is he’s not.
You seem to have a lovely home and I also have a feeling he wanted to stay with you also for that reason.
But you stood your ground over that.
You are clearly very intelligent and resourceful and it’s time to not take in anyone else for a while at least.
And you may seem fine about being around a partner who stinks but I think it’s an added stressor on you dealing with a drunk partner.
Stay strong and don’t listen to anything resembling an apology. It’s simply too late now.
You haven’t been an idiot, you have trusted someone who has betrayed that trust.
Get back to living your own life, and give yourself some time and space.

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