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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is he abusive or do I push him?

260 replies

Uusallypositive · 03/02/2025 10:13

Hello
Me and BF have been together for 3 years. I dont wish to tell every single detail but I think it is relevant. When I met BF I was married and BF was effectively the other man for 4 months, until I left my xDH. BF suspected I wasnt seperated several times but didnt end things as I convinced him otherwise. He lied about when his ex moved out and when they split but he said that is because I said I wouldnt date anyone who had just split with an ex so he altered dates. I do remember saying this but he shouldnt have lied. For context, they were not together whilst we were, I have messaged his ex and she confirmed this.

However, back to my question. I am 6 months pregnant. We have always spoke about starting a family, living together and one day being married. BF has always been so lovely, gentle and caring. I have never met anyone who puts in more effort. Whether its breakfast in bed to asking about my day and genuinely taking an interest, no matter how boring my day has been.

After I left my xDH, I admit, I probably wasnt in a good place for a relationship. I anaylised everything BF had told me about his past and I used to spend hours and hours searching facebook, asking him questions (from morning to night) and even setting up fake accounts to message his ex. Little by little, I started noticing a change in his temper. He would often tell me that the more I argue with him, the more I damage the relationship. I have stopped all the past questions now. However, I have went snopping a few times around his house to find "past" items and then we have argued when I have found something belonging to an ex. I had stopped all of that and have been seeing a therapist. However, on friday, I went snooping in a drawer. I then saw he had an old watch and a braclet that looked like something he would give another woman. I then made up a lie to ask him about this. Said I was scattering notes around the house for him and found it. He was annoyed with the questions but answered them - it was a watch that he bought a gf 20 years ago and the bracelet he bought his ex wife ten years ago (his ex isnt his ex wife by the way). He then flipped after I asked more questions. He then demanded to see where the love notes where around the house, I then told him there wasnt any, he got angry. He then started saying things like "you havent changed" "You still dont trust" "you have no self control" etc etc. He then said he didnt care if I was in his house or if I went home. I promised him I wouldnt do it again and he said it was just words. He then started getting angry the more I pushed him to talk to me, trust in me again and to talk to me. He shouted and said I had no right telling him what to do and then he said he doesnt trust me at all now.

He then started saying that he is fed up putting in effort when I dont (which is not true). He means he is fed up fixing our issues when I keep doing the same thing over and over again. The last time was in August when he went to the bathroom and I went down his phone. But I am happy I did as that is when I found out when him and his ex really broke up and I always had doubts over that. He kept wanting space and to stop speaking about it but I didnt leave it and he then started shouting at me and shouting in my face.

Last night he agreed to still come out with family. It was a nice evening, not too much chat from him but it was civil. He then slept in the car on the way home. When we got home, he didnt want to cuddle in bed and said he was "too full". When i questioned this he got angry. Said he wanted to sleep, told me he wanted me to go home earlier but I wouldnt. So after shouting and calling me "damaged" he went to sleep. This morning he said "hello" to me. I then said "okay, so you have had your sleep, what is going on with us" and he got immediately angry again. Telling me that there is something wrong with me that I want forgiveness and not do anything for it. He then started shouting in my face when I kept trying to hold his hand and apologise. He said I keep pushing him and he wants a quiet morning before work. I asked him for a time when we could talk and he got angry and said I had no right to demand anything. I then said it feels like you dont want me here, he said he didnt care, and that he doesnt want to speak to me, and he said he doesnt. I then said that I am the only one putting in effort and that I am fighting an uphill battle. He agreed and said he has no fucks left anymore and he wont be putting in effort and it is for me to do to win his trust back, again. he then got up, angrily said I had ruined his whole morning and he was now in a bad mood for work. I then said I would come work in his upstairs office (I have a desk there too but have been working int he livingroom for months, out of choice, it is more cosy) He said no, he didnt want me to work in the same room as him, I said I didnt care and I was going to make him a coffee and come up stairs. He said there wasnt the room, I said I would make room. He then got angry and grabbed me and forced me up the stairs to see the room, and he was right, there was mess everywhere and nowhere for me to work - he then said "here we go again, always think I am lying".

He kept shouting he had a meeting in "5 minuts". I grabbed his hand and apologised and said I had changed and I wouldnt break his trust again. He said he wanted me to go away, I refused and then his alarm went off reminding him his meeting had just started (online). He got angry, shouted that he wanted to be left alone. I said no. He then raised his fist and told me to go away. He didnt hit me but when I said "dont ever threaten me with violence" he said I have pushed him to that as I wont respect his feelings or boundaries. We are now in seperate rooms not talking with him making arsy remarks.

I dont know what to do or how to move on from this.

I am 6 months pregnant and I dont need the hassle.

Please dont say "LTB", please give honest opinions.

Is he abusive or have I pushed him to this?

Thank you

OP posts:
Princessconsuelabananahammock9 · 03/02/2025 11:28

I think you should ask your therapist about Borderline Personality Disorder.

Can I ask what your relationship with your parents is like?

What do your friends think of everything?

I think the reason you’re insecure is because you’re the cheater.

You think it’s easy to do because you did it.

MissUltraViolet · 03/02/2025 11:29

username299 · 03/02/2025 11:27

This whole situation is all kinds of messed up. Your constant snooping, invasion of privacy and lack of trust would be enough to drive anyone up the wall. You also need to learn when to back off.

However, you're heavily pregnant, he pushed you up the stairs and threatened you with violence.

This is a really toxic situation and you need to end it. I can't see this getting any better. Please contact the National Domestic Abuse Helpline and get some support to leave.

You read the OP and are telling her to contact the domestic abuse helpline?

Alright.

AliceLooksThroughTheGlass · 03/02/2025 11:30

Can you summarise this in a few short paragraphs OP?

It's far too long to read.

username299 · 03/02/2025 11:30

MissUltraViolet · 03/02/2025 11:29

You read the OP and are telling her to contact the domestic abuse helpline?

Alright.

Yes. When a man raises his fist to a heavily pregnant woman, I tend to advise her to get support to leave.

riverislanjeans · 03/02/2025 11:32

Uusallypositive · 03/02/2025 10:29

I only wonder if he is abusve as I have been crying and asking for forgiveness and he has been shouting in my face (literally) and banging / hitting things around me.

YES BECAUSE YOU ARE PUSHING AND TORMENTING HIM!!

It sounds like he has the patience of a saint with you! No he should not be shouting in your face or banging things around you but my god, it seems he has said repeatedly that he doesn't want to talk and you push and push and push.

Get some help for yourself. This is no environment to bring a baby into.

ZebedeeDougalFlorence · 03/02/2025 11:32

Uusallypositive · 03/02/2025 10:24

But is it okay to raise his fist and threaten me with violence or grab and push me up stairs?

No, it is not okay for him to do that, under any circumstances. That is a separate issue that he has to take responsibility for.

You have to take responsibility for your actions. It is going to be hard to hear, but you have also been quite abusive and controlling. I didn't understand why you didn't trust him about leaving his ex, when you are not so trustworthy yourself because you cheated on your ex. I pick up that your ex might have been abusive(?), but you haven't said.

This is a very toxic situation. If you want to stay together you will have to seek couples counselling, I believe.

AnonymousBleep · 03/02/2025 11:32

So you lied to him right from the start of your relationship by pretending to be single when you weren't, and now you don't trust a single thing he does and are obsessionally checking up on him and refusing to get out of his space when he asks you to. OP you are the problem. You need therapy because I'd have walked by now if I was him.

Scarydinosaurs · 03/02/2025 11:32

Does he know he was the OM?

You are abusive. If someone asks for space, give it to them.

You shouldn’t be in a relationship. You should use this time before the baby is born to have CBT and try and address your trust issues.

If possible, you should move out and give him space. It must be nightmarish for him to be constantly questioned and challenged. He is allowed a past you have no right to snoop.

InALonelyWorld · 03/02/2025 11:33

Omg! This is on you @Uusallypositive. If anything your the abusive one. Your constantly antagonising him, looking for reasons to start an argument, secretly monitoring everything and creating fictional dialogue to try and get away with it. Your prodding him until he snaps and then you beg for forgiveness without actually doing anything to show you have reflected on your behaviour and actually put steps in place to change. I really don't know why he is putting up with you because if I was him I'd run FAR away!!

Why are you torturing him when it was infact YOU who started the relationship cheating and lying to your BF?

I hope you sort yourself out before the baby comes because this is no place to raise a vulnerable child!

deydododatdodontdeydo · 03/02/2025 11:34

He should be the one leaving TB.
Seriously, you have sabotaged your relationship from day 1 by the sounds of it.
I'm kind of pleased a relationship which started with your cheating has had some karma for you.

AliceLooksThroughTheGlass · 03/02/2025 11:34

Your behaviour is unacceptable.

You have zero respect for this man.
You snoop, you try to 'catch him out' , you set' traps for him'.

I'm sorry but I think he should end it and you should spend time talking to a therapist about your issues with trust.

It would be better that your baby was brought up by you alone than in the madhouse you've created.

Lillygolightly · 03/02/2025 11:35

I am sorry to say that this is what happens when you enter a relationship without a clean break from the previous one. If you have been betrayed in the past this certainly isn’t going to help matters.

You have questions, badgered and blown past any boundaries this man has had. He has repeatedly expressed that he needs space and yet you refuse to give it. On top of that reading your post you seem quite unapologetic about the snooping and subsequent questioning of him. Yes you’ve apologised but when you have continued to repeat these actions, or continue to do other things of a similar manner I can quite see why he has lost his patience with you. At the point he just flat out doesn’t believe any of your apologies as you just keep reoffending and you keep apologising as if that will make it better, but it won’t. He has humoured your questions repeatedly and answered them and it doesn’t solve anything no matter what he says because you still are just on a mission to catch him out. He can not win, so of course things will feel pretty hopeless and desperate to him.

You need to respect the space his is asking for and give it to him.

I am in no way excusing his actions, they were wrong and definitely should not have raised his fist to you, but you cannot take this one action and use it to shift the blame from yourself to him. You have to take some serious accountability and address your own issues here, you need to do some serious work on yourself before you can have a healthy relationship. This relationship may be beyond help but you are not, so take time, give him space, and use it to reflect on your actions and work on how to repair what’s broken in yourself so that you can be happy and healthy for your child and not repeat toxic behaviours in future relationships.

I wish you all the best 💐

Cappuccinowithonesugarplease · 03/02/2025 11:35

Good lord OP
Dial back on the drama!
Lying about notes etc is fucking crazy behavior and he has clearly had a gut full.

Haemagoblin · 03/02/2025 11:36

OP I haven't read the whole thread but have you been assessed for Borderline Personality Disorder? That's what your post screams to me. The impulsivity, the lack of firm moral values, the suspicious and compulsive behaviour, the volatility.

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/symptoms/

If this is not an avenue you've explored I would, as it might help you get a better understanding of your own drivers and behaviour.

But specifically I would say your behaviour (especially refusing to leave him alone when he asked you, even to the point of making him miss his meeting thus putting him under a lot of pressure and stress in the moment) is very abusive. Him physically threatening you and manhandling you is also abusive, but it is difficult to see what else he could have done in that situation when you were not just disrespecting but deliberately violating his reasonable boundaries. Your relationship was dysfunctional from the very first moment (you lying to him about your marriage, him lying to you about his relationship history); your compulsive and intrusive snooping and interrogating and physical boundary pushing (grabbing his hand to stop him leaving, refusing to give him space) is making it a toxic and dangerous one.

The fact he is now showing an inability to control his anger means you are in danger if you carry on behaving like this, which I don't think you are able to stop doing from within the relationship. You need to separate for both your sakes before something terrible happens.

nhs.uk

Symptoms - Borderline personality disorder

Read about symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD), which include emotional instability, impulsive behaviour and intense, yet unstable, relationships with others.

https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/symptoms

Undisclosedlocation · 03/02/2025 11:36

Your behaviour is abhorrent. Any sane person would tell him to leave you.

Poor little child being brought into this absolute mess 😢

SilverDoe · 03/02/2025 11:37

Uusallypositive · 03/02/2025 10:26

I am trying to distinguish abuse vs anger.
Would someone abusive be "pushed" or would they just act out

How can you distinguish this in the context of a toxic relationship where you are being controlling and possessive and deceitful?

You have to look at motivation a bit don't you. Is he raising his fist or shouting because he's in control of the situation, trying to control you and being callous and threatening, or is he reacting in anger and hostility to your behaviour?

You are not respecting his boundaries, you are controlling and jealous and crossing all sorts of moral lines which nobody should do to someone you love.

You are being controlling and manipulative by pushing him to anger and upset and then claiming to be the victim. That's a technique of emotional abuse.

I hope your partner leaves you, it sounds like he wants a stable loving relationship and is not going to get that from you. You're going to bring out the very worst of each other.

godmum56 · 03/02/2025 11:37

Haveyouanyjam · 03/02/2025 10:34

His behaviour isn’t acceptable but neither is yours. Your behaviour has been abusive for years and the whole relationship is completely unhealthy. You are treating him as if he was the one who cheated and lied about it for months, when it was you. You have repeatedly invaded his privacy and treated him as if he has done something awful when he hasn’t. He repeatedly told you he needed space and to leave him alone and you kept on ignoring that and just doing what you wanted.

You need to separate and you need help to address your issues as you still have them.

this. The situation is toxic no matter who started it and it needs to end before one of you gets hurt.

FetchezLaVache · 03/02/2025 11:39

Just to pick up on one thing, why on earth did you not leave him alone when you knew he had a work meeting about to start? Why did you refuse to go even when the reminder went off? Did you think he ought to prioritise going round in circles with you over his actual working hours, or did you hope he'd be so wound up he'd fuck up in the meeting, or what? What an absolute lack of respect for him and his job.

Jumpingthruhoops · 03/02/2025 11:41

Raising fists is always a no-no but, respectfully, you sound like hard work and it sounds like he is on his very last nerve.
Also, your relationship starts as an 'affair', now you're the one who doesn't trust him!?
This is not a healthy relationship, you'd be doing yourselves both a favour to call time on it.

SilverDoe · 03/02/2025 11:42

FetchezLaVache · 03/02/2025 11:39

Just to pick up on one thing, why on earth did you not leave him alone when you knew he had a work meeting about to start? Why did you refuse to go even when the reminder went off? Did you think he ought to prioritise going round in circles with you over his actual working hours, or did you hope he'd be so wound up he'd fuck up in the meeting, or what? What an absolute lack of respect for him and his job.

Exactly. I would consider my partner abusive and controlling if he did this to me.

JackGrealishsCalves · 03/02/2025 11:43

But it seems like there is no cheating or lying other than you think he lied about dates an ex moved out 3 YEARS AGO.
Why are you still picking this scab? You are living with him, having his child.
Tell us this, let's say he comes clean and says ex moved out a month later than he originally said, what does it change? What will you do about it?
If you suspected he was cheating on you now I could understand the constant questions.
Sadly I think you alone have killed this relationship

ThisLuckyOpalShaker · 03/02/2025 11:43

Are you not embarrassed writing what you have written OP? you sound insane. Poor baby coming into this environment

Ttcpph · 03/02/2025 11:43

You both seem very immature and not ready for a long term relationship, as clearly there is no trust. Certainly don't seem like a united couple for having a baby together but you're in it now and will have to make the best of the situation.

ludicrouslycapaciousbags · 03/02/2025 11:44

Very classic him pulling away, which is causing you to act irrationally by not leaving him alone . I understand this behaviour way to well, you have to step away for everyone's sake. The more you keep pushing him the further he will pull away.

You cannot go on living under the same roof, not what you want to hear but plenty of time apart and intensive therapy for you.