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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:
MegMortimer · 01/06/2026 13:20

You are going to have to leave him sooner or later because he is a serious abuser. Make it sooner, get out today.

PurpleLovecats · 01/06/2026 13:20

So given everyone is saying he’s abusive, Will you leave him?

SandyHappy · 01/06/2026 13:20

Something is really off about this one IMO.

He is a boyfriend who you don't even live with, calling him (and being) his fiance, lends more gravity to your relationship that CLEARLY is not their in terms of respect or commitment.

But why have you prioritised your activities with him and completely forgotten about plans made with your daughter? You are subconsciously putting him front and centre in your life and treating others as an afterthought.. maybe you should think about why you are doing that?

You probably do it because you know what the consequences are if you don't, as soon as you stop dancing to his tune, he punishes you, is that really the life you want??

monkeysox · 01/06/2026 13:20

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?

Throw him in the bin

JoWilkinsonsno1fan · 01/06/2026 13:20

Of course he was overacting.

You need to run, and then run some more and never, ever, look back. This is abusive and nasty.

He will get worse, it will get worse. You deserve better, but please get some help first because he is a controlling prick who needs to grow the fuck up.

But please leave, block him and do not listen to his ‘I will never do it again’ and ‘it was all your fault.’

waterrat · 01/06/2026 13:21

I am not meaning to be unkind OP but the only reason this post would even make sense is if you were 15 years old and he was your first boyfriend and you had no adult wisdom to see how abusive and unpleasant he is.

Please don't waste any mroe time even wondering about this - you are a parent/ adult human with life experience.

This man is abusive and you should literally never see or speak to him again.

GingerdeadMan · 01/06/2026 13:21

He sounds like an utter cunt, I'm so sorry you experienced this.

None of that was normal, and deep down you probably know it.

This is abuse and its designed to keep you off balance so you can't work out what's going on and just leave. Its not your fault you feel confused. But please listen to all the women here telling you you are worth more.

Contact women's aid, they can help and support you. Its not an over reaction to do that 'just' because he hasn't hit you yet.

LarksAscending · 01/06/2026 13:21

His reaction is abusive Op. Don’t marry him. He will try to stop you seeing your DD and he will get worse.

SallyAnnDrivesACar · 01/06/2026 13:23

You should have left his as soon as her ripped up a letter of threw away a present.

Dear God, please leave him.

ilvautmieux · 01/06/2026 13:23

You must be completely loco in the coco if you think this relationship is a wizard wheeze.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 01/06/2026 13:23

More red flags than a military parade in Russia, @Sunglasses1979. He is abusive and bullying and you deserve much, MUCH better!

pitchblackromance · 01/06/2026 13:23

I really don't understand the significance of the Uber?

Just end things OP, you don't live together and he's horrible. Who gives a fuck if you double book or often running late - those things really shouldn't matter in a relationship, let alone to this extent

jessycake · 01/06/2026 13:23

Please say Ex Fiancé

disturbia · 01/06/2026 13:24

End the relationship now he sounds like a perpetrator of domestic abuse beginning to show you his real self. How dare he treat you like that ...so many red flags. Keep your dignity and self respect you have done nothing wrong.

Bikenutz · 01/06/2026 13:24

@Sunglasses1979 what will your next steps be?

Please call women’s Aid and take some advice.

He sounds absolutely unhinged and not safe to be around. These people never get better.

IdentifyingAsAWoollyMammoth · 01/06/2026 13:24

Dump this total arsehole immediately.

GingerdeadMan · 01/06/2026 13:24

waterrat · 01/06/2026 13:21

I am not meaning to be unkind OP but the only reason this post would even make sense is if you were 15 years old and he was your first boyfriend and you had no adult wisdom to see how abusive and unpleasant he is.

Please don't waste any mroe time even wondering about this - you are a parent/ adult human with life experience.

This man is abusive and you should literally never see or speak to him again.

That's really not a helpful thing to say - please don't shame the OP.

She's already been abused and is feeling terrible.

If she's got a history of even mild abuse in previous relationships it can make shitty behaviour feel weirdly normal/ familiar/ difficult to spot and very difficult to extricate yourself from.

Women in abusive relationships don't need the judgement of 'why don't you leave', they need support and understanding.

CurbsideProphet · 01/06/2026 13:25

He's disgusting. This isn't what a real relationship is. You need to end this and get on with your life.

Bristolandlazy · 01/06/2026 13:26

I was thinking end it with him before I'd read halfway. This isn't normal or healthy. You're not even married yet, this is supposed to be loved up stage. What are you doing, walk away and thank your lucky stars you figured it out. Run lady. That's all messed up. He's an idiot.

nightowlzzz · 01/06/2026 13:26

Christ on a bike, drop his insecure abusive arse. He sounds horrific.

allthingsinmoderation · 01/06/2026 13:26

He's abusive run for the hills.....

MrTiddlesTheCat · 01/06/2026 13:26

You are in an abusive relationship and the worst part is that this is just the start. He's been abusive before and now he's massively escalated. Next time he'll escalate further as he will think this time wasn't enough.

Notsosweetcaroline · 01/06/2026 13:27

Sunglasses1979 · 01/06/2026 13:18

His friends are fine as far as I can tell, he just made me look really bad by pretending to them that I was running late by not saying I had just got on the train and then putting me on speakerphone so they could hear me saying "I don't care!" without any context of being out the night before and me having spent about 7 hours arguing and crying with him the night before. All for a silly lunch.

Oh gosh, you still can’t see it, even with everyone telling you. It wasn’t about the lunch, it was about control and abuse. It could have been anything, it didn’t matter what it was, it was about the fact he wanted to control you and was going to punish abuse and humiliate you as you went to the lunch, and it’s sinister, the going out to the bar so he could humiliate you even more.

and you still can’t see it.

Wordsmithery · 01/06/2026 13:27

He sounds deranged.
And from your updates, the signs have been there for a while.
Wake up and leave. Now.

SiberFox · 01/06/2026 13:27

You’re missing the whole idea of what a normal relationship looks like OP. This man doesn’t give a shit about you.

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