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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:
nodramaplz · 03/02/2025 13:16

Your question is
Is he abusive or did you push him.
You pushed him.
He made bad choices in his reactions, but for your pushing he wouldn't have blown, sounds like you've pushed him to his limits.

nodramaplz · 03/02/2025 13:16

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.

You've pushed him past the point of no return.

Thisismyusername1234 · 03/02/2025 13:17

I know you don’t see it but it’s YOU that’s the problem here! Poor guy sounds like he’s been pushed to breaking point!!
Just leave him alone!!

WoolySnail · 03/02/2025 13:21

Honestly op you need counselling, both individually and as a couple. You are in each others lives for the foreseeable now there is a baby on the way and need to sort this out, it's just not sustainable at the moment x

LadyMary50 · 03/02/2025 13:24

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.

Jesus Christ,just leave him alone.You are the abuser.I would be banging and hitting things if my partner wouldn’t just leave me alone.He is the victim not you which ever way you try to spin it..

Derbee · 03/02/2025 13:25

OP you are abusive. If you are unable to change, I would recommend that he leaves you.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 03/02/2025 13:25

I've literally never said this before as generally there is no excuse for aggressive or violent behaviour but you push and push and push then seem surprised that he gets angry and doesn't accept a meaningless apology that he has probably heard a million times before, and refuse to give him any mental or physical space to calm down

rainbowsky22 · 03/02/2025 13:29

You need serious serious help, you're clearly mentally unwell. He asked you to leave him alone and you keep saying no? This is off the scale behaviour

diamondpony80 · 03/02/2025 13:32

He should LTB. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could cope with you. The fact that you're bringing a child into the world is incredibly worrying.

LAMPS1 · 03/02/2025 13:36

My goodness OP!
Your abuse of him is terrible.

If somebody says ‘leave me alone’ that’s what you do. You leave them alone. Immediately. Every single time. Without fail. There and then. You walk out of the room and out of the house.

I can’t believe how much you pushed and pushed. How much you have overstepped. How you torment deliberately. How little you respect him and his privacy. How you jeopardise his job. How much you bombard him with your overbearing, crazy behaviour. How you threaten him. How little peace you allow him. Your harassment!

Please get help for yourself. No way is that love. The very opposite. You are breaking him if you haven’t already.

No apology will help. Just Leave Him Alone now. Get right away from him.
You have already lost him if he’s got any sense of himself left at all.

MellowCritic · 03/02/2025 13:38

Op there is no excuse for making a threat of violence and I think especially as you are pregnant you need to seek the appropriate advice from the relevant women's charity's as no one here has the right to say you pushed him to it. That's not the correct way to manage a situation like this. His behaviour was unacceptable and your behaviour does also appear to be unacceptable, I say this but one does not excuse the other and so on. Your behaviour is each of your own to take the correct accountability for.

MayfairRose · 03/02/2025 13:43

LAMPS1 · 03/02/2025 13:36

My goodness OP!
Your abuse of him is terrible.

If somebody says ‘leave me alone’ that’s what you do. You leave them alone. Immediately. Every single time. Without fail. There and then. You walk out of the room and out of the house.

I can’t believe how much you pushed and pushed. How much you have overstepped. How you torment deliberately. How little you respect him and his privacy. How you jeopardise his job. How much you bombard him with your overbearing, crazy behaviour. How you threaten him. How little peace you allow him. Your harassment!

Please get help for yourself. No way is that love. The very opposite. You are breaking him if you haven’t already.

No apology will help. Just Leave Him Alone now. Get right away from him.
You have already lost him if he’s got any sense of himself left at all.

Yeah the people of MN have spoken. He should LTB @Uusallypositive

You just push and you push and you push and you push. You're being so controlling and being the CF you are you post here and ask "Is he abusive?"

No, you're just nuts.

PastIsAnotherCountry · 03/02/2025 13:43

Neither of you is coming out of this well. In common with PPs, to outsiders, it looks like you both need to split from each other as you're bringing out your worse attributes. This is so sad to read because it sounds like your DP started out by behaving in loving, respectful, supportive ways and the relationship has, nonetheless, become toxic. It's not just each other you need to consider, but the baby.

OP, I see you're working with a therapist and wonder if it might be helpful to read this:

Researchers have discovered that narcissism can come in two types: grandiose and vulnerable…women more commonly display the vulnerable form, involving introversion, defensiveness and low self-esteem…
Green believes this is because bragging and chest-thumping simply aren’t socially acceptable for women. “Narcissistic women are abusing in ways that society allows,” she argues. “They often leverage their femininity, present themselves as soft-spoken, but it is cunning; it’s premeditated.” They may still lie, cheat and control others.
…Women with vulnerable narcissism…had more paranoid thoughts and the worst mental health of all. This is potentially because they are more insecure…
But we may fail to recognise these traits as narcissistic…There’s certainly aggression beneath the surface. Vulnerable narcissism is more strongly linked to aggression in relationships, as well as physical and verbal bullying, than the grandiose type.

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/02/female-narcissism-is-often-misdiagnosed-how-science-is-finding-women-can-have-a-dark-streak-too

Does this sound similar to your lies to your DP, setting traps for him, frequent expression of mistrust of him etc.?

‘Female narcissism is often misdiagnosed’: how science is finding women can have a dark streak too

Research into the ‘dark personality traits’ has always focused on men. But some experts believe standard testing misses the ways an antisocial personality manifests itself in women

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2025/feb/02/female-narcissism-is-often-misdiagnosed-how-science-is-finding-women-can-have-a-dark-streak-too

SpeedyMcNobhead · 03/02/2025 13:44

You are by far and away the abuser in this situation! This relationship is never EVER going to work and you’d be best off letting the poor man go.

How is it you get to say what you want, but a simple boundary from him (ie leave me alone) and you can’t respect that for him.

You have issues girl!

waterrat · 03/02/2025 13:46

Op try to see this from a distance.

You are in a very very dysfunctional relationship and your own behaviour has been controlling, coercive, jealous, unkind.

that does NOT mean your partner has the right to be abusive to you

You seem to want to know if your OR your partner are the abusive one.

it seems that this is a very nasty relationship with you carrying past trauma and enacting it through constant control

you need some intense therapy to pick apart your childhood/ trauma patterns and learn that you do not achieve love through control.

HawkersNorth · 03/02/2025 13:48

You're the abusive one, he needs to LTB.
I don't think you're capable of understanding/accepting this so maybe you should show this thread in full to your therapist

TopshopCropTop · 03/02/2025 13:49

The poor poor innocent baby who is going to be born in to this complete and utter shit show. Hopefully somebody intervenes in their interest because this is terrifying set of circumstances to be raised in.

Maurepas · 03/02/2025 13:52

Read all your P - you sound like a complete nightmare and a total attention seeker.

LillyPJ · 03/02/2025 13:54

In answer to your question, you are pushing him. You're also not being honest with yourself. You say you'd 'stopped all that' but then went snooping again. I imagine he's at the end of his tether with you, maybe because he's realizing that you'll maybe never stop. Everyone has their limits.

SnowflakeSmasher86 · 03/02/2025 13:54

If you care about him at all, please leave. You can coparent amicably with some rules and boundaries in place and your baby won’t have to grow up in a house with angst, drama, shouting and screaming, pushing and grabbing. None of that is ok behaviour.

Usually I’d hesitate to say that anyone was “pushed” to be aggressive, but you have harangued this man, following him around the house, not giving him a moment, making him late for work and basically being a massive drama queen and then act surprised when he breaks. He doesn’t deserve this in his own home (& workplace!). Give the man some breathing space, work on your issues before your baby comes and when its here please allow him to be a dad without having to deal with your toxic bullshit too. Your baby needs two mentally healthy parents and while you clearly have some things to resolve, he doesn’t stand a chance of being a good dad while he’s with you, being chased around and shouted at for every perceived wrong. Leave him for all your sakes.

Oddsocksanduglyshoes · 03/02/2025 13:56

Neither of you is entirely innocent, but your behaviour is emotionally manipulative and your partners reaction is bordering on emotionally abusive with potential for escalation. This relationship is unsafe in its current state, especially with a baby on the way. You both need therapy - separately.

RochelleGoyle · 03/02/2025 14:01

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?

It's not ok but neither is your behaviour.

Ohhmydays · 03/02/2025 14:02

Deary me op i feel sorry for the fella. I would say you’re are definitely pushing him and how he hasn’t walked yet is beyond me. I would tell him to LTB. however he shouldn’t have raised his fist, although i can see why he did. He has asked multiple times to be left and your not respecting his boundaries at all. I do think use need time out and you really need to get the help you need before continuing this relationship. Use will have a baby in a few months and this needs sorting asap!

TwigletsAndRadishes · 03/02/2025 14:03

When I met BF I was married and BF was effectively the other man for 4 months, until I left my xDH. 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.

Hang on. Why did you get to lay down the law about his past relationship status when you yourself were still married? Not even recently separated, but actually still married? Hmm

He's 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..

You are happy you did that? You think it was justified because you finally caught him out on a technicality about exactly when he broke up with his ex? Even though it was before his relationship with you, and you were still married anyway? Do you have any idea how fucking unhinged and controlling that makes you sound?

I grabbed his hand and apologised and said I had changed and I wouldnt break his trust again.

You haven't changed though, have you? You were literally rummaging through his belongings three days ago, looking for something from his past to confront him over. Then you started a row over some things he's owned for 10 to 20 years when he's only known you for three. You are behaving like a complete bunny boiler.

In your post I counted seventeen times where you either interrogated him, or refused to give him space when he asked for it, or physically attempted to stop him from leaving the room by holding onto his hand/arm, or followed him when he left the room, or refused to end the conversation or line of questioning when he asked you to. Seventeen over the course of one argument spanning a couple of days.

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.

He's right. You don't respect his feelings or boundaries. He would have been very wrong to hit you, in spite of all that provocation, but he didn't hit you. He was pushed, needled and provoked to a point where he nearly lost control but he didn't. Next time you might not be so lucky.

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

For someone who doesn't need hassle you certainly sound intent on creating it for yourself.

Is he abusive or have I pushed him to this?

We can't possibly know how much rope you've got before he finally snaps, or if he'll snap. Perhaps he's a saint with amazing powers of restraint. But if you keep grabbing his hands and getting in his space when he's asked repeatedly to be left alone, if you keep following him from room to room to carry on an argument he never wanted or started, if you keep demanding answers from him over pointless things that don't matter and are none of your business, then this could end up very badly for you. That's if he doesn't see sense and leave you first. Which might be for the best all round.

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

If anyone is saying LTB to all of this they are probably saying it to him, not you.

ChristmasFluff · 03/02/2025 14:09

OP, look up 'reactive abuse'. This is when an abuser pushes their victim so far that they eventually strike back. THAT is what happened when he lifted his fist.

I agree that this relationship has to end, the sooner the better.

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