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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:
Spudthespanner · 03/02/2025 12:50

You have BPD. I ran a mile from someone like you that I was in a relationship with.

Love your excuse for going through his drawers: "I was looking to see if he had bought me a birthday card" 😬 Psychotic.

Leave him and talk to your GP about BPD. You will continue to treat him like this, so end the relationship for his sake.

Goodluckanddontfitup · 03/02/2025 12:51

Wow this is a lot. No he shouldn’t have raised his fist. But you are so intense, and are seemingly deliberately pushing and pushing, gaslighting until he reaches breaking point and then assuming that if you cry and hold his hand you should be instantly forgiven and have love and care heaped upon you. And when this doesn’t happen you are able to change the narrative making yourself an innocent victim. Not healthy at all for anyone involved and you need to sort this out before bringing an innocent baby into this mess.

NoBinturongsHereMate · 03/02/2025 12:51

I've re-read the bit about messaging his ex. I was wrong you don't have potential to become a stalker - you are a stalker.

newyearsresolurion · 03/02/2025 12:52

It's called coercive control . You are the one doing this

whycantibeselfishforonce · 03/02/2025 12:52

You sound like you are not good for each other. You pushed and pushed him when he was getting ready to go for a meeting. It's hardly surprising that he got angry. I don't blame him for this.
I think you really need some extra help with your insecurities OP.
He might be a male and raising a fist at a woman isn't good but really? He is human and can only take so much. He said no, he didn't want to talk to you, yet you kept at him.
No means no when a woman says it, so why does the same not apply to a man?
I think you need to be keeping yourself calm and not working yourself up to antagonise him in this way.
This is not normal healthy behaviour.

allthedragons · 03/02/2025 12:52

I only got half way through this and I was thinking that HE should LTB

Thelnebriati · 03/02/2025 12:54

'Reactive abuse' is when an abuser pushes someone to the point they snap and react, and the abuser then claims they are abusive.

Cherrysoup · 03/02/2025 12:54

Your behaviour is appalling. No, of course he shouldn't raise his fist, eventually he is likely to hit you f he ahs done this but omg, do you not see how much you are pushing him with your endless searching for problems? He is allowed a past life without you in it, he shouldn't have to bin everything from former relationships. You know he has exes, why do you keep confronting him about them?

whathaveiforgotten · 03/02/2025 12:55

You've emotionally abused him for three years.

His behaviour in pushing / pulling a fist was completely unacceptable.

Both things can be true.

Your behaviour for the last three years has been abusive, controlling and unfair.

I felt smothered and panicky just reading about how you've treated him so I can't imagine how anxiety inducing it has been for him.

That doesn't change the fact that his behaviour in using physical force to intimated you was entirely wrong.

Neither does his behaviour yesterday justify anything you've done for the last three years.

Poor baby set to be in the midst of this toxic nightmare.

You'd be much better to split and coparent amicably rather than forcing a child to grow up under the same roof as this dysfunctional, unhealthy dynamic.

Motomum23 · 03/02/2025 12:56

You pushed him past breaking point. He wanted to be left alone and you refused. I'd leave you in a heartbeat.

TheOddSocks · 03/02/2025 12:56

https://nationallegalservice.co.uk/what-is-reactive-abuse/

To echo what others have said. You sound abusive and your partner has hit a breaking point. I would give the above link a read and then walk away from this relationship before you have this baby.

milada vigerova kTtsYZYE unsplash min

What is Reactive Abuse?

Abuse can take many different forms, both physical and emotional. And no matter what type of abuse is being experienced, there’s only so much a person can take.

https://nationallegalservice.co.uk/what-is-reactive-abuse

LBFseBrom · 03/02/2025 12:56

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

Oh for goodness sakes, you are a nightmare, Uusally. Everyone has limits and he didn't hurt you.

I don't get why you are together and certainly not why you are pregnant. Bringing an innocent child into this mess is very irresponsible.

You are going to end up alone.

CombatBarbie · 03/02/2025 12:59

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.

That is his frustration, I feel really sorry for him. He is clearly at the end of his tether and when he snaps, which it sounds like he already is, he will be labelled an abuser when it's actually you that's abusive!! Well played.....

Literallynoonecares · 03/02/2025 13:00

Skandar · 03/02/2025 10:50

Yeah, you sound like you're abusing him. If you re-read what you've written:

  • you are angry that he 'lied' to you about when he broke up with his ex, when you were lying to him about being married!
  • You have endlessly snooped and accused him of things, lied about what you were doing when you snooped.
  • You 'push for him to talk' when he has said he doesn't want to, and keep doing this on multiple occasions
  • You won't leave him alone when he asks for space
  • You got annoyed when he says he's too tired to 'cuddle' and 'questioned' him about it

It all sounds awful. No, he shouldn't raise a fist to you or drag you to look at things, but it does sound like you have pushed and pushed and pushed and are now acting the victim when he finally reaches breaking point.

Exactly this ^^

You sound like you are pushing and pushing and pushing him. You don't listen to him when he asks you to leave him alone or he tells you no. You just do what YOU want. You constantly snoop through his things and his phone. It sounds like you are almost enjoying pushing him and watching him get more angry and frustrated with you. Everyone has a breaking point and it sounds like he has reached his. Its like you actually WANT him to hit you so you can play the victim in all this.

Seriously, you need help!

pikkumyy77 · 03/02/2025 13:01

MissUltraViolet · 03/02/2025 10:45

This sounds a lot like a thread from a few weeks ago, where someone was attempting to get people to agree her partner was abusing her because after snooping through his phone she woke him up to scream at him then followed him around the house grabbing at him and tormenting him until he raised his hand (didn't touch her).

If that was you OP, you're not going to get different replies. If it wasn't you, like her partner, I hope yours leaves you too.

I, too, think it sounds like that poster.

Same answer “you are both mutually abusing each other at this point in your own way. OP by distrusting, spying, obsessing, manipulating, and controlling and the bf by shouting and becoming reactively anxious and aggressive near a pregnant woman.” For safety you need to end this cohabitation and relationship. Get therapy OP.

Barryplopper · 03/02/2025 13:02

So you're the one that cheated on your ex and now you're paranoid because of your own actions. Asking questions and hounding someone is going to push them away, focus on the now, the present. You worrying about his exes and going on at him isn't going to make him want to be with you for much longer!

PeonyBlushSuede · 03/02/2025 13:03

"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.

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 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"

So even just from this morning - you were on him starting an argument from the moment he opened his eyes. He asked for space and you refused this. He even was trying to go to work and have a meeting, and you also wouldn't let him do that.

What did his employers think of this if he was late to his meeting or could still hear you shouting?

HashtagShitShop · 03/02/2025 13:04

I'm wondering now from thinking about it if he did raise his hand in anger or, if he snatched it away from you because you wouldn't let go or let him move away so all he could do was snatch his hand back and hold it in the mid air as if he put it down again you'd only grab for him and not let him have the space he so clearly needs.

Yeah. Either way this isn't the right relationship for you both, he needs space and to be free of his abuser so he has 3 months to try come to terms to be on a healthy place to coparent with you as I can imagine you're going to be a nightmare of the baby reaches for someone else or forms a bond to someone else.

You need intensive help and I'd even go as far as to involve your doctor as your reactions are intensive and boundary crushing and you do not back off and one day you're going to meet your match and the relationship will not be healthy for you or your child(ren) if you don't stop the cycle now and let people enforce boundaries and have boundaries yourself.

MayfairRose · 03/02/2025 13:05

You're a bit full-on aren't you

Making fake accounts and going through his personal belongings?

Would you appreciate someone doing this to you?

NoBinturongsHereMate · 03/02/2025 13:06

Over40Overdating · 03/02/2025 12:50

He is an angry, violent liar.

No he’s not @NoBinturongsHereMate?

He was single when he met OP but changed the dates very slightly to make the break up seem longer away. She, on the other hand, was married and lied about it even when questioned. She’s admitted several more lies in her OP.

He has not been violent - his behaviour this morning was aggressive. And reactive to a situation where someone was repeatedly refusing to respect his boundaries after going back on their word about problematic behaviour.

If the behaviours were reversed everyone would be telling OP she was in an extremely coercive and abusive relationship.

I stand by my assessment. Which is not at al to justify or diminish the OP's behaviour. She is undoubtedly worse. But he's not perfect either.

His lie was small. But it's a poor basis for starting a relationship.

His anger is caused her behaviour and is understandable. But he is angry, and that's an awful environmental to bring a child into.

And she described him lashing out at objects - which is violence. It may be to an extent an understandable reaction to anger but it's not justifiable. And again an awful thing for a child to be around.

He is in a coercive, abusive relationship and needs to get out. His behaviour in response to that is an additional reason that they need to separate. And I'd say the same in the reverse situation.

PeonyBlushSuede · 03/02/2025 13:06

Uusallypositive · 03/02/2025 10:59

I dont know how to make it better. I wish it could be better instantly as I wont do these things again. I want this to be the last time we ever have words about this stuff. I only looked in the drawer to see if there was a birthday card for me. I then saw something that I was curious about the snopping started. I didnt intend on snopping through his things out of distrust. I do trust him.

If you trusted him you wouldn't snoop. You don't trust him and/or are trying to catch him out

I 100% trust my husband and it wouldn't even enter my mind to snoop

MzHz · 03/02/2025 13:06

AnneLovesGilbert · 03/02/2025 10:28

Jesus Christ, what a mess. You’ve got some really serious issues and being pregnant doesn’t absolve you of extremely shitty, bullying, abusive behaviour. He shouldn’t have raised his arm but you should stop every single awful thing you’re doing. You’ve cheated and lied and you’re projecting your appalling behaviour onto him.

What an environment to bring an innocent baby into.

He should LTB.

Nailed it.

HE needs to LTB.

seriously, he really really does.

youre a head case @Uusallypositive

commonsense61 · 03/02/2025 13:08

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the poster's request.

PeonyBlushSuede · 03/02/2025 13:09

Poppyseeds79 · 03/02/2025 11:16

It's like literally harassing a dog and then acting surprised when it turns around and bites you 😒

100% this is the best analogy

Yes he shouldn't have raised a hand, but that action exists in context with everything else that has been going on

MaryGreenhill · 03/02/2025 13:11

You have made both your lives a misery OP .
I am sorry for your poor child tbh with you .
You have pushed him till he cannot stand it anymore .

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