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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU to think my fiance overreacted by getting a younger woman's number because I double booked by accident, and threw my belongings about?

1000 replies

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 12:52

I am trying to work out whether I am being unfair or whether my fiancé genuinely overreacts to situations.
I was spending a long weekend with him and we had plans for Monday. Friday to Sunday eve were lovely and we did sightseeing etc. then went to his and were planning to stay there for a few nights.

However, I realised I had accidentally double-booked the Monday because my adult DD had arranged for me to meet her new boyfriend and his father over lunch. It was important to her and had been organised for a while. DD has is ND and has severe MH issues; this is the first "normal" relationship she has had and it's a huge deal for her.

I told my fiancé on Sunday afternoon that I would go to the lunch for a few hours and then come back afterwards so we could still spend the Monday evening together and the following days.

He was furious. He said I was choosing other people over him and repeatedly referred to my daughter's boyfriend and his father as "strange men". He seemed particularly upset that I would be spending time with another man, even though it was DD's BF's dad not just a random stranger.

After I had told him I had double booked and would need to go for a few hours we were arguing about it non-stop for hours. I was crying at one point and I kept saying I was sorry, it was human error, not deliberate. After all this arguing I was tired and wanted to stay in, but at around 11pm he insisted we go out. While we were out he deliberately started talking to a much younger woman, introduced himself to her, claimed he got her Instagram and then repeatedly talked about how he was meeting her for dinner the next day. His argument was that if I was going for lunch with strange men the next day, then why couldn't he meet up with a new person too? Even though it was not the same at all, obviously. The young woman must have been about 20 and we are both in our 40's so it just felt really weird and "off".

The argument continued after we got back to his for most of the night and I got very little sleep. The next morning I had to get an extremely expensive Uber to make sure I did not let my daughter down and miss the lunch. He had said not to come back to his after lunch but then called me when I was in the Uber and asked me to come back to his after all.

The lunch itself was lovely. Afterwards, I travelled back to his. However, when I arrived we had another argument. During it, he picked up my bags and threw them across the room in anger, they went everywhere as he threw them so hard.

He later continued to use the lunch as an example of me not caring about him enough and prioritising other people over our relationship, and how I like "strange men".

From my point of view, I attended an important family event for a few hours and still made the effort to return afterwards. From his point of view, I had disrespected him and chosen other people over him.

When I told him how much the Uber cost he took offence because I have never gotten an Uber to his even if I am running late; he said he didn't realise I have money in this way.

When I went back to his after the lunch I had to get a standing room only train in the middle of the heatwave; I don't like public transport at the best of times and he kept asking when I arrived what did I want to do; meet his friends in the pub or go straight to his. I said I don't care and was almost in tears as I was finding the journey so stressful. I didn't realise but he had me on loud speaker so all his friends heard me when I said "I don't care" and now he's saying his friends all think I am horrible and rude to him. When it was taken out of context and they didn't know we had been arguing all night and that he'd got a much younger woman's contact details the night before.

Am I missing something or was he overreacting?

OP posts:
Newmummypamela · 01/06/2026 20:51

OP, this is very concerning 😥 - no coming back from this. He has repeatedly shown you his true self. Please respect yourself to end things immediately. In fact, it's way more than disrespect, he is abusive. Listen to all the advice you have been given.

Ohnobackagain · 01/06/2026 20:51

@Sunglasses1979 only got as far as 5th para - please get rid of this abusive arsehole. Red flags all over! Dump.

OverheardBreakup · 01/06/2026 20:55

SocialistMummy · 01/06/2026 20:40

Of course I'm not saying it's OK that he's abusive!

I'm just saying that some of the arguments they have might be due to misunderstandings on both people's part (including him) because he is a Muslim.

I don't think the relationship is salvageable but that doesn't mean all Muslim men are like this or all relationships with one Muslim and one non-Muslim end up this way.

I get the impression the brilliant OP isn't as judgemental against Muslims as some of the people on this thread.

I haven’t see a single poster comment on his religion other than in response to you.

The man is abusive and people have commented as such before his religion ever came into it.

MyCrushWithEyeliner · 01/06/2026 20:56

SocialistMummy · 01/06/2026 19:59

If he's Muslim then what might appear to be abusive could just be his culture / cultural misunderstandings that need to be discussed.

It does change things - it's potentially Islamophobic to pretend it doesn't.

What??

Freezinghotlikeaweevil · 01/06/2026 21:01

This is not normal behaviour at all. Run!

BrokenWing · 01/06/2026 21:03

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 19:04

He is from a culture which is a lot more conservative than here with regards to women's rights and has an extremely high level of women being killed every year and most of the time they get away with it.

It is like I am his possession especially since we got engaged.

You can’t change this side of him, he is a mature adult,and it is ingrained in him.

So your choice is do you want to live that life, it will get worse? Do you want to risk being made a shadow of yourself and reduced to someone else’s possession.

Speak to your family get them to help you unravel this.

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 21:04

I didn't buy the engagement ring; he did. It wasn't very expensive but he made a big deal out of the proposal, the fact we are now engaged, and so on.

No we don't live together.

I am going to end things but I am quite scared to in all honesty and not sure in what way would cause the least stress.

To the PP who said about keeping me awake all night arguing then him taking the day off work when you had to go into the office, this is exactly what he does to me all the time. Didn't realise that this was a thing till you said it.

OP posts:
Dressfinder · 01/06/2026 21:07

Don't marry this man.
Leave his house and then quietly block him.
He's abusive. It escalated over the weekend. You experienced emotional and verbal abuse, coercion and manipulation. He had a violent outburst with your things. You could be next.
Don't risk your life for this man.
Leave him.

CantUnderstandMyself · 01/06/2026 21:07

OP, please leave while it's still safe to do so.

You sound like me. I'm a few months into a breakup and I'm still in the severe trauma bond. It is getting better, I'm learning to love myself and see what he did to me. I was too dissociated to see it at the time.

I'm glad you've posted here, please listen to these women.

I know how harsh some of the responses seem but they highlight how utterly unacceptable his behaviour is and how unfathomable it is to other people that anyone would put up with it for even a second.

It's not your fault, these people brainwash you. My mum said I was acting like I'd been in a cult.

Please see you deserve so much better. If you need anyone to talk to, feel free to send me a message.

NotAWurstToIt · 01/06/2026 21:07

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 21:04

I didn't buy the engagement ring; he did. It wasn't very expensive but he made a big deal out of the proposal, the fact we are now engaged, and so on.

No we don't live together.

I am going to end things but I am quite scared to in all honesty and not sure in what way would cause the least stress.

To the PP who said about keeping me awake all night arguing then him taking the day off work when you had to go into the office, this is exactly what he does to me all the time. Didn't realise that this was a thing till you said it.

Tell family members what you are going to do. Make sure you have changed the locks. Text him ‘this relationship is over do not contact me again, any attempts to do so will result in your abusive behaviour being reported to the police”. Report him anyway so it’s logged and tell them you have ended the relationship. Post the ring back and block him,

Brokentoes85 · 01/06/2026 21:09

Do you really have to ask?

He's abusive, controlling, rude and oppressive.

You're right to put your daughter first. Please ditch him, it'll only get worse.

CantUnderstandMyself · 01/06/2026 21:09

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 21:04

I didn't buy the engagement ring; he did. It wasn't very expensive but he made a big deal out of the proposal, the fact we are now engaged, and so on.

No we don't live together.

I am going to end things but I am quite scared to in all honesty and not sure in what way would cause the least stress.

To the PP who said about keeping me awake all night arguing then him taking the day off work when you had to go into the office, this is exactly what he does to me all the time. Didn't realise that this was a thing till you said it.

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture, you can't be with someone like this, you could end up dead. I know that seems extreme but it really isn't.

TenTenTenAgain · 01/06/2026 21:09

@SocialistMummy I'm really struggling to understand your point. What are you actually talking about?

Papster · 01/06/2026 21:10

Selfish, childish, manipulative. The list could be endless.
Id simply tell him the relationship is over.
Cue begging, pleading with every excuse going and promises to change.
Ignore
Bin

Shesellsseashellsunluckyshespoor · 01/06/2026 21:11

Run and don’t look back, he’s shown you his true mask when you dared to disobey
Don’t marry him for gods sake, your life will be hell

Mapletree1985 · 01/06/2026 21:13

SocialistMummy · 01/06/2026 19:59

If he's Muslim then what might appear to be abusive could just be his culture / cultural misunderstandings that need to be discussed.

It does change things - it's potentially Islamophobic to pretend it doesn't.

What might appear to be abusive is, in fact, abusive. There is no misunderstanding. If his culture endorses abuse then his culture is abusive.

jinglejanglescarecat · 01/06/2026 21:14

Can you make sure you stay somewhere else for a bit in case he gets angry. You need to be around other people and not on your own.

Turnitoffnonagain · 01/06/2026 21:17

What are you doing?
LTB, ASAP. He's a bully. Do better. 💐

comoatoupeira · 01/06/2026 21:19

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 19:14

Last year we had an argument the day before I went away with my sisters and the day before my birthday which was when we were seeing a lot of my friends and family.
We also have had arguments before I had a job interview.
Basically every time something important was happening, we would have a big argument the night before.

Oh my god! this.
With my coercive controlling partner (long time ago now), the worst day was my birthday party. God, it was awful trying to host friends with this going on in the background.
I thought I knew all the signs by now but this is a key one, isn't it? So reassuring to hear it's happened to others.

WHY is coercive control not taught in schools?

Laura95167 · 01/06/2026 21:19

So hes jealous, manipulative, gaslights and is physically violent (granted with your things not your person THIS TIME) honesty run for the hills.

Honestly the best thing hes ever done is shown his true colours before you marry him

You do not want to be tied to this kinda coercive bully. He didnt like that you had an errand for your DD and tried to pick up another woman, played games, shouted and threw your stuff. Absolutely not.

YWBU to stay with him.

Youtookyourtime · 01/06/2026 21:20

jinglejanglescarecat · 01/06/2026 21:14

Can you make sure you stay somewhere else for a bit in case he gets angry. You need to be around other people and not on your own.

They don’t actually live together

DeathNote11 · 01/06/2026 21:20

Have you had a Clare's Law check completed on him OP? If not, I'd highly recommend one now. It's a dangerous time leaving men like this, better to be informed.

BlueMum16 · 01/06/2026 21:21

I'm glad you've made the decision to end this.

Please do it soon and then ignore him.

Tell friends and family so they can support you.

MauriceTheMussel · 01/06/2026 21:23

I know you don’t see it right now, but you are being abused.

There’s a lot of word soup and irrelevant detail like the train…none of this matters. You only think it matters because he’s got into your head. This is a deliberate tactic.

I’ve been sort of where you are before - please just leave. Don’t swish it around in your head and make excuses. Everyone else can see it for you. He’s abusive and this is no life.

notatinydancer · 01/06/2026 21:23

Go home , even if you have to leave some things at his house.
Message him to say it’s over.
Block him on everything.
Freedom programme.
Get a ring doorbell.
Speak to Women’s Aid about possibility of a non molestation order.
Do you think he’d come to your house ?

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