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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:
XelaM · 01/06/2026 23:43

MrFluffyDogIsMyBestFriend · 01/06/2026 22:53

Please be careful leaving this man. Maybe ask for advice from Women's Aid.

Don't leave him in person - it would not be safe. Can you stay with a friend or family member for a while? Abusive men are at their most dangerous when you leave them because they have nothing to lose.

I agree. This man sounds very dangerous. Be careful when you leave him. Don't be alone with him when you tell him.

BlazenWeights · 01/06/2026 23:44

Are you really this much in need of love, validation or sex that you’re willing to put up with this. If you were married I’d get the excuse of “stuck”. So why are you with him again?

GaurdRails · 01/06/2026 23:45

OP I am so glad you posted your concerns here today. When we're in the deep of it with someone telling us we're wrong all the time, we lose trust in ourselves and what's true. You posting today has cracked open the door and you can leave and save yourself so much pain. You deserve so much better.

MyCottageGarden · 01/06/2026 23:54

Text book abuser’s script ‘Isolate them by kicking off every single time they spend time with family (even their own kids etc’), find problems with said family and turn you against them (or try to) so that they eventually have you allllll to themselves to control everything you do. Everyone you see. Eventually it’s everyone you even speak to….. Nobody can turn you against him then or make you see how abusive he is..! Also, the more isolated you are, the less likely: in his eyes, that you’ll feel able to leave him as you’ll have nobody else in your life to turn to.
It’s a script as old as time.

lornad00m · 01/06/2026 23:56

I've just read all your replies in this thread. It's obvious you now realise you're in a serious abusive relationship. I hope you will take steps to end things as soon as possible to get this awful man out of your life. But please contact organisations who can offer you the best advice on how to do this safely. For instance Refuge or Women's Aid.

Wishing you all the very best for the future. 🌸

Onthemaintrunkline · 02/06/2026 00:03

I’m hoping with all I have you have ended the engagement and any ongoing relationship with this truly frightening man.

takemetochurchhhh · 02/06/2026 00:16

please do a Clare’s law on this man. He sounds unhinged.
Also, please know your worth. You don’t deserve abuse.

Nogreenskittles · 02/06/2026 00:16

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 13:05

It was really late so I had to stay at his that night as couldn't get back to mine. In hindsight I could have got the expensive Uber at this point but didn't occur to me as I was kind of in shock, I think. I don't even know if he did get her number / instagram etc. as it was so loud in the bar and I couldn't hear anything. I could just see him talking to her.
She and her friend just looked at me with such pity, it was horrible.

If they were looking at you with pity, I’d doubt they’d be thinking this guy was a catch.

if they were decent women, they’d have thought he was a prize twat and pitied you because he was your boyfriend.

Anonymouseinthecity · 02/06/2026 00:38

Weedingtodo · 01/06/2026 12:54

Leave him.

Exactly what I was going to say.

Applewisp · 02/06/2026 00:39

The main unreasonable thing here is why you can’t recognize when you’re being abused. This man is abusive. If you don’t walk away and end it now, you’re going to end up in some serious trouble down the road.

Newnamehiwhodis · 02/06/2026 00:45

He’s an absolute creep. I’m sorry, OP

CraftyYankee · 02/06/2026 00:47

If he's looking at your phone enough to kick off about the Air BNB site then please make sure he doesn't see this post or know your MN username. A man like this would be enraged to read your posts.

Don't delete the thread, you need the support.

I hope you never actually see him again but if you do make sure your web browsers are closed and your cache is clear so he can't snoop.

Please contact police or WA about the best way to break up with him. It sounds like an extremely dangerous situation for you.

usernamemustnotcontainspecialcharacters · 02/06/2026 00:57

Throw this one back. Can you imagine your grandchildren around this man?

Franjipanl8r · 02/06/2026 00:57

This sounds like you need some professional advice on how to end this relationship safely. He sounds dangerous.

pinkyredrose · 02/06/2026 01:13

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.

Blimey! What culture is he from?

ItstoolateformeDaveyourselves · 02/06/2026 01:24

AcrossthePond55 · 01/06/2026 22:27

I may be duplicating others as I haven't finished RTFT

But do you realize that 'sleep deprivation' is considered a form of torture and is prohibited under the Geneva Convention?

"Under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, sleep deprivation is strictly prohibited. Deliberately denying a prisoner of war or detainee sleep is classified as psychological torture and a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading"

I hope by the time I finish RTFT you will have posted that you either will or have ended this relationship.

My ex used to tell me that it was. He would instigate arguments at exactly the timing of seeing friends or family or as you describe "something big going on for me" He could go on for hours, even when I said I'm sorry (but it wasn't my fault). He wouldn't let it go.

I felt so so tired. We looked "good on paper" to the outside world and I actually married him. There were other things after.

My confidence was so low that I felt that embarrassment you describe. But my friends and family have always stood by me. My embarrassment was my own feelings in the relationship I got to realise.

If you are thinking of leaving him. If might be worth opening up conversation with you friends and family again.

I left him eventually and have never looked back. It's when you realise that moment that this is the life you are in and you are not to blame ...I hope you have found solace and action in this thread OP.

ItstoolateformeDaveyourselves · 02/06/2026 01:43

ItstoolateformeDaveyourselves · 02/06/2026 01:24

My ex used to tell me that it was. He would instigate arguments at exactly the timing of seeing friends or family or as you describe "something big going on for me" He could go on for hours, even when I said I'm sorry (but it wasn't my fault). He wouldn't let it go.

I felt so so tired. We looked "good on paper" to the outside world and I actually married him. There were other things after.

My confidence was so low that I felt that embarrassment you describe. But my friends and family have always stood by me. My embarrassment was my own feelings in the relationship I got to realise.

If you are thinking of leaving him. If might be worth opening up conversation with you friends and family again.

I left him eventually and have never looked back. It's when you realise that moment that this is the life you are in and you are not to blame ...I hope you have found solace and action in this thread OP.

Quoting to add that my friends and family stood by me comment was that they stood by me when I decided to escape.

He was civil to their face but afterwards lots and lots to say which didn't ring true but I didn't know at that time what to do with it.

Mightymighty · 02/06/2026 02:40

Yeah, this is all totally normal. Nothing wrong here. 🙄

HoppingPavlova · 02/06/2026 03:17

I think you are extremely unreasonable- in that he is still your fiancé! That would have ended pronto for me, as what a complete prick, surely you can see your standards should be way higher than this!

Lexilexci · 02/06/2026 03:29

You deserve better.

Remember your worth, you do not need anyone in your life who humiliates you or brings you down for being a loving supportive parent.

They are the one with the issues not you.

Sugarnspicenallthingsnaice · 02/06/2026 03:41

BellesAndGraces · 01/06/2026 22:34

31 pages and 741 posts and still no indication whatsoever that you actually agree that your DP is abusive and you will at least make
an effort to try and leave him. Some people just love the drama and being the centre of attention, even if it’s just a MN thread. It’s disrespectful to the kind people who have taken the time to share their own experiences and try to help you.

I notice you're not one of the people who shared their own experiences and tried to help. It seems like YOU are the one here for the drama, not the OP.

The OP has been through a lot and has a lot to process. If you had real, helpful lived experience of an arsehole like this guy you'd be more compassionate and less demanding.

TaggieOharasLostBra · 02/06/2026 05:24

Run.

nomoremsniceperson · 02/06/2026 05:36

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 13:38

He talks a lot about his exes and in the argument we had had previously he ended up sending me a photo of 2 of his exes and how they respected him. But I know one ex has him blocked now and the other he doesn't speak to but does speak to her mum. They have a strange relationship she is like a surrogate mother to him even though she is his ex-MIL. It is all quite strange.

It is strange, but also telling... his ex's mother's behaviour here is very toxic towards her own daughter. Toxic people find each other.
I had a relationship that was similar to yours in my twenties, he would have tantrums and break and throw things. He tried to isolate me from my friends. I have a supportive family but my parents' emotional immaturity in some aspects led me to be a people-pleaser and self-sacrificial, and he somehow saw that in me and that formed the basis for our attraction and how he was able to manipulate me once the relationship was established. Do you have people-pleasing tendencies by any chance OP?

Anyway, do not marry this man - he will turn violent. He may turn violent when you break things off too so you need to work out how to extricate yourself carefully from the relationship. It might be worth doing a Clare's Law check on him actually, and if he has a prior record of domestic violence you need to get professional advice for how to safely leave him.

Bandit24 · 02/06/2026 05:54

You are being unreasonable by even thinking this is a mere overreaction. This man is as abusive as they come. Do you not like yourself? Why do you think it’s okay to subject yourself to this abuse?

I imagine you have a house and can fend for yourself. There’s really nothing to keep you attached to this man but your own will.

I hope you choose yourself OP. This is a nightmare you can walk away from - do!

Cartwrightandson · 02/06/2026 06:35

Freedom program PDF

https://freedomprogramme.co.uk/docs/fp.pdf

Also buy why does he do that by Lundy Bancroft

Your partner is controlling when he fears losing control he shouts his screams he keeps you awake he isolates and gaslight she you need to get away

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