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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Could I have handled this better? Made him leave

495 replies

Brooklans · 25/06/2025 21:06

I originally met a man 18 months ago. Although nothing happened, we kept in contact as friends through text and social media. Recently, we started to get closer. For a month we spoke everyday, talking about our days, and deeper conversations to do with our families, past grief, and bad relationships we’d had. So after a month, we decided to go on a proper date. Date went well, although no kiss, both went home separately.

A few days after our date I was due to go abroad for a month to take some time out and relax at my mum’s timeshare apartment in a hot country. As we’d just had our date and I didn’t want to wait a month to see him again, I invited him to fly out and stay for 6 days (6 hour flight away)

We both agreed no pressure, it’ll be a friendship holiday for us both, we’ll each have our own rooms, and we’ll just see what happens. I also told him he can feel free to do his own thing sometimes if he wants. So a week after I flew out, so did he.

He arrived on Sunday very late at night, I picked him up at the airport and we both went to bed soon after we got back, to our separate rooms.

The following morning, on Monday, we went to the beach together. Then we went back to the apartment, and I went to visit my friend for a couple of hours. I came back, and we went out for a meal. During the meal I started to realise that I don’t feel the spark I was hoping and couldn’t see us progressing into anything beyond a friendship. We got back to the apartment and he asked if I wanted to watch something with him. I excused myself and went to bed early but told him to make himself at home and watch whatever.

The next morning on Tuesday I went to the gym alone and ran some errands, I texted him to say I’d be home no later than 4 hours, and once I’m back we’ll go to another beach together. I took slightly longer and he texted me asking how long I’ll be. The apartment is in the middle of no where and nothing I’m walking distance, so I could tell he was getting a bit restless. When I arrived back he didn’t say it but I could tell he had got a bit impatient. I grabbed my things to go to the beach, and told him I’d drop him off at the beach and meet him there later as I had to help the friend I saw the day before with something. He looked put out. I gave him some swimming equipment as I know he likes water sports/swimming. I dropped him off at the beach and said he’d see me later. It felt awkward.

A few hours later I rung him to say I’d only be another hour then I’d pick him up. He said “Pick me up? I thought you were joining me not picking me up?” I said I just wanted to relax at the apartment, it had been a long day. But he was more than welcome to stay there and I’ll pick him up later. He said okay he’ll stay, and will speak to me later.

Then I get a text saying “Do you even want me here? You seem to be taking your time with everything and last night you went to bed early you said to sleep, but I heard your tv on still a couple of hours later. I don’t need free accommodation and lifts if i wanted a holiday alone I could do that. I came to spend time with you.”

I reminded him of our talk before he arrived, that he’ll be free to do his own thing too. It was a casual arrangement and that I can’t put everything on hold because he’s here for 6 days. Said that I’m tired and I don’t feel like chilling on a beach and I need to help my friend. He just replied “Okay help your friend, I’ll call you later when I’m ready to come back”.

At that point it felt more awkward than it had done when I dropped him off, so I screenshotted a flight home for that night, at 11:30pm to him with the message “If it’s going to be awkward like this now and you’re going to make me feel like I can’t do what I’d usually do, I’d rather book you this flight home. You’ve woken up in a mood this morning I’ve not done anything wrong”. He immediately texted back “Okay book it”. I told him to book it and I’ll transfer the money. And said it had been an awkward day.

He said “You’re the one making it awkward, I’ve not been here 48 hours yet and you’re sending me screenshots to flights home because I asked you one question. I said help your friend and I’ll see you later tonight. I can’t fly home tonight It’s 5:30pm already I’ve been swimming I don’t have time to shower and pack and make it to airport in time. I’ll fly home tomorrow, don’t worry no awkwardness from me. See you later”

At this point I’m annoyed that he’s dictating when he will leave as he’s the guest. I texted back “I still think it’s better you leave tonight to be honest I don’t want any awkwardness”. He replied “Okay”.

When we got back to the apartment it stated we were unable to book the flight online as it was under 5 hours from the departure time. As the airport is a while away and there wasn’t a guarantee he would get a seat once arriving there, I said he could stay the night and I’ll sort him a flight for the next day. He was annoyed, he said that he’d also realised we weren’t right together romantically but that I was treating him unkindly and kicking him out so soon because of it, he was still prepared to remain friends. I said I’d asked him to leave as he’s was being awkward, not because of that. He went for a long walk after that, then went straight to his room.

Following morning, on the Tuesday I went out again. When I came back he was sat on the balcony and stayed there. I made some food and went for a shower. Before I go in the shower I texted him “Hey, what time is your flight? I might be able to take you to the airport, if not I’ll get my friend to take you. He’ll do it for half the price taxi drivers charge around here. I can also drop you off at another beach for the day. Just let know what time your flight is so I can plan my day”.
After my shower he knocked on my door and said with a snarky attitude “Why are you texting me when you can see I’m on the balcony? And you say I’m awkward ! I haven’t booked my flight you said yesterday you’d sort it” I replied “No I told you to book it and I’d send you the money for it but fine I’m not going to argue I’ll book it now” I booked him a flight, paid for it with my own money. Only time for that day was at 11:30pm. Told him what time his flight was, and I’d get my friend to take him to airport. He says, again with an attitude “Great nice 6 hour flight at midnight. Fantastic” At this point I can’t wait for him to leave.

Dropped him off at beach for the day and my friend picked him up in evening for airport, he didn’t even say bye to me. Has since blocked me on everything.

I really struggle with awkwardness. Was I BU or was he?

OP posts:
Youremylobster86 · 26/06/2025 00:13

Wow. Poor guy!

He deserves an apology and you treated him badly. If there was no spark that's fine, but you should have been honest and not ignored him for the rest of the day.

Evaka · 26/06/2025 00:15

This is hideous reading. The poor guy.

cryptide · 26/06/2025 00:16

Brooklans · 25/06/2025 21:33

Not sure of the point of this? He wanted to go

You asked him to go to the beach with you. Then you just dropped him there and fucked off on your own activities again.

ItDoesntHaveToBeASnowman · 26/06/2025 00:20

Meh. I mean you handled it better than I would have. I’d have probably ended up marrying him because I’m a people pleaser and desperately need people to like me 🫠

Christmaschildcare · 26/06/2025 00:21

Are you neurodiverse @Brooklans ?

Delphiniumandlupins · 26/06/2025 00:22

You could have "rectified the mood" at any point if you had apologised for the shitty way you were treating someone who was supposed to be a friend. It's unbelievable you wrote your OP, trying to paint yourself in a good light, and still got it so badly wrong.

Bobbie12345678 · 26/06/2025 00:22

If this is true you sound like an awful person with zero compassion or empathy.
I so hope it is a wind up.

cryptide · 26/06/2025 00:23

I feel so sorry for this man. Last minute bookings for two 6 hour flights can't have been cheap and basically it was just money thrown away because you couldn't be bothered to show him ordinary politeness and consideration. Even if he was only coming as a friend, that's no excuse for treating him as a rather inconvenient lodger, to be binned off and sent home at midnight if he dared to ask you to behave any differently.

I only hope he is now dining out on the full horror of his experiences and feeling very grateful that he has dodged a bullet.

AlpacaMittens · 26/06/2025 00:23

What the actual fuck did I just read. Please tell me this is a reverse.

If it's not a reverse then yes you are being a million billion percent completely and utterly unreasonable.

So so so rude and entitled of you. Incredible cheek. I'm sorry OP, this was really bad. I hope it was a one off. Live and learn.

Sunshineandrainbows23 · 26/06/2025 00:27

CountryMumof4 · 25/06/2025 23:45

All I can say is is that if anyone treated one of my sons like that, I'd be absolutely devastated for them. You've completely messed him around. If the spark isn't there, that's fair enough. But to invite someone to a place so far away and essentially abandon them in the middle of nowhere while you happily go about your life is beyond rude. Fine, you gave him lifts... He flew out to spend time with you, either platonically or romantically. Either way, it doesn't matter - if you have a guest, you just don't do as you've done. You owe him an apology and then to leave him well alone.

This.

FarmGirl78 · 26/06/2025 00:30

You've asked if you're being unreasonable and THOUSANDS (LITERAL PLURAL) of people have told you yes, and you're STILL set on blaming him. If you can't see that then my god you're a complete loon.

Dumbledoresniece · 26/06/2025 00:31

I can’t believe what I’ve just read.

Something else must be going on with you because your emotional intelligence is non-existent. No empathy whatsoever. I would seriously encourage you to get help because you can’t even see how wrong you were.

Is it possible that you’re a teenager? I’m hoping so because that would help to explain what I’ve just read.

Irrespective of romance, you invited him to spend time with you. Furthermore, he was your guest! You spend time with your guests, plan/do activities with them, pull out the red carpet for them while they’re there and breathe a sigh of relief when they happily go home - that’s what normal people do. You don’t invite them, leave them trapped in your house or at the beach alone (while you do anything to get away from them) and make them feel unwanted and uncomfortable and at the mercy of your whim. He’s not just some inanimate part of your time-share, there for your amusement if and when you feel like it. Forget romance, you didn’t even treat him like a friend.

I think I’m feeling second-hand sadness for this guy.

SallyDraperGetInHere · 26/06/2025 00:36

You need to write him a letter to apologise for your behaviour. Not one that justifies your abandonment of him - as your INVITED GUEST - but your poor communication and the way you clearly made him feel even more unwelcome when he was being sent packing. You made a bad situation immeasurably worse by your texting and screenshotting. Are you always this avoidant?

Kittyfleur · 26/06/2025 00:37

What a horrible way to treat someone!!! He’s probably going to have PTSD from the way you’ve behaved towards him. Appalling.

sellotapechicken · 26/06/2025 00:40

You acted horrendously. I actually wouldn’t be surprised if he posted about this on TikTok or something similar because it would 100% go viral. I really hope he has nice friends around him

Seventree · 26/06/2025 00:41

You have behaved horribly. I feel so sorry for him.

Aavalon57 · 26/06/2025 00:42

The poll was closed by the time I saw this thread, but you were definitely being unreasonable. And that’s putting it politely! Callous, rude, nasty. Who sends a screenshot of a flight telling that person to leave. He’d done nothing wrong. That poor man. I hope he’s okay.

andthat · 26/06/2025 00:42

You were awful.

ChessorBuckaroo · 26/06/2025 00:43

Only read OP's opening post (my response may be premature but I felt compelled to respond to just that).

Christ he's had a lucky escape.

ItDoesntHaveToBeASnowman · 26/06/2025 00:44

i feel like, the OP probably gets the message now. This all feels a bit…unnecessary 🫤

Tetchypants · 26/06/2025 00:48

Brooklans · 25/06/2025 23:38

I accept my actions before I took him to the beach caused his upset. But after that conversation over text I didn’t see anyway of rectifying the mood or coming back from that. So believe that getting him the flight home was the best option

I did offer to drive him places if he wanted to get food and stuff. I didn’t completely ignore him.

You texted a man who was sitting on the balcony of the apartment you were both in, having spent several weeks chatting about pretty deep life events including bereavement.

You can’t see how that’s really fucking weird of you?

ChessorBuckaroo · 26/06/2025 00:54

ItDoesntHaveToBeASnowman · 26/06/2025 00:44

i feel like, the OP probably gets the message now. This all feels a bit…unnecessary 🫤

Having just read her follow up comments, I don't think she does.

Part of me is also thinking though, is this thread legit? The OP was obnoxious as fuck, and needed clarification? Can anyone be this oblivious? The vast vast majority of us know when we have been an arse, instead she doubled down.

There are bogus threads on MN and I have a strong suspicion this is another one. If however this actually happened and the OP is really like this, God help her.

Todayismyfavouriteday · 26/06/2025 00:58

Oh my God... do you even need to ask? You are incredibly rude, and you were awful to him. He was actually too kind. I would have said you are an entitled, rude bitch with no manners, before storming off.

ItalianWays · 26/06/2025 00:58

I see how this started - you got the “ick” and you just wanted to be as far away from him as possible. I know that feeling, I get it. It’s even worse when you are along together in a timeshare in a foreign country a whole flight away from home.

However that doesn’t excuse your behaviour. He is still a person with feelings too and you were really rude.

PinkArt · 26/06/2025 01:03

Brooklans · 25/06/2025 23:38

I accept my actions before I took him to the beach caused his upset. But after that conversation over text I didn’t see anyway of rectifying the mood or coming back from that. So believe that getting him the flight home was the best option

I did offer to drive him places if he wanted to get food and stuff. I didn’t completely ignore him.

Not gonna lie, I love this thread 😂 I only wish we had that poor fucker's version too, given that this version must be, and yet isn't in the slightest, more sympathetic to your own actions.
So you accept that it was you who made it hugely uncomfortable. But did you really think the best way to resolve that was to kick him out of the country as quickly as possible?

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