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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

AIBU for thinking who TF does she think she is?

1000 replies

CFornot123 · 26/06/2026 19:57

Aibu for thinking this is overstepping the fcking mark

Long story so will try to condense and keep to relevant details.

Been with ‘D’H for 13 years (married 6). We have 2 DCs aged 4 and 3. He’s 38, I’m 31. He has been bestfriends with a woman, let’s call her Jane, for 25 years (since they were teens) and there’s never been any romantic history between them.

In general she’s not really my kind of person. She’s quite blunt and a bit rude, uses racist language (I’m Asian) like it’s a casual word and tbh is a bit of a bully. However, knowing she means a lot to my husband, at the start of our relationship I made A LOT of effort to be friends with her and she was even one of my bridesmaids when we got married (the theory being that if she’d have been a guy, she’d have been a groomsman so wanted her to feel involved in the wedding as she Hs best friend). We were on maternity leave at the same time, both had baby girls at the same time (she’s married) etc. but around this same time (so 5 years ago) she stopped engaging with me, started ignoring messages, every plan I made with her she cancelled and then we weren’t invited to her daughters first birthday. Throughout all of this she maintained contact with my husband and they met up regularly for coffee. I raised concerns with H at the time and he brushed it off as “it’s just what Jane does, she’s a bit flaky, don’t take it personally”.

I’ve not spoken to her now for about 4 years, bar the odd hello if she happens to be at a family/friends event (a lot of shared mutual friends/large friendship groups). But she frequently meets up with H for drinks, dinner, brunch, they have regular video calls.

H and I have been going through a lot recently (we relocated from California after spending two years there for his job, I quit my corporate legal career to basically follow him around the world for his high paying role and have moved 10 times in the last 10 years) due to stress with house moves, redundancy and, me trying to figure out what career to do around the kids following a career in law (I’m a high achiever, degree from Oxbridge) and taking a back step. He works very long hours, lots of traveling as we moved to be closer to family as the girls are starting school soon so I said no more following him.

He met up with Jane last Saturday (they’d both been invited to their mutual friends wedding - I wasn’t) and when he came home on Sunday, he asked me to “make some time in my calendar to meet with him on Friday afternoon” (like I’m a business associate…). He told me today that he “discussed me at length with Jane” and THEY had decided that WE don’t communicate in our marriage enough. SHE also, in her expert opinion as a mental health nurse, diagnosed me with a borderline personality disorder based on everything she’s heard and seen from my husband over the last 13 years and that he should gently suggest I go to the GP. For context, like (so it seems) every other woman in their 30s I’m undergoing an ADHD assessment (VERY different to BPD).

So my AIBU - wtf has DH been saying to her about me that has led her to diagnose me with BPD after not speaking to me for 5 years? And who TF does she think she is?

We had no falling out, no cross words were said, I simply stopped making an effort with her and suggesting meeting up because she never made an effort with me and somehow that’s my fault and she hates me enough to say I have BPD?

Frustratingly H said she’s sent him to information to read up on about it.

So far I’ve not reacted or responded to H. I told him that I needed some time to process the conversation we’d just had and I’d discuss it with him when I felt ready

OP posts:
Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 27/06/2026 08:43

Jennalong · 27/06/2026 08:29

How have they managed to keep such a close contact ( you say they meet up regularly ) if you've moved 10 times around the world in 10 years ?

What someone thinks about you is their concern , not yours . It shouldn't effect you in anyway .

Will add though , you don't have a ' Jane ' problem , you have a husband problem .

With social media and email it’s probably easier than you think to keep in close contact. I bet if OP did some digging she’d find a lot of phone, email, social media contact with Jane. Enough for evidence (not that this happens these days) for an EA. Which this is sounding more and more like.

LiveLaughGoblin · 27/06/2026 08:46

BeardySchnauzer · 27/06/2026 08:31

I’m not sure how you can stop bursting out laughing when he says these things!

All of us who have kids and travel for work are certainly laughing. When I’m away and can go to the gym or for a drink with friends while DH is solo parenting, I know who is having more time for themselves!

Lostinbrum · 27/06/2026 08:47

He has zero respect for you is what it boils down to and I suspect Jane's been feeding into that. I couldnt stay with a man who didnt value me

LogicVoid · 27/06/2026 08:49

CFornot123 · 27/06/2026 06:35

Update - had a conversation with him last night where I expressed how I was feeling (thanks to the confidence from the support here) in a calm way without getting emotional. He said I was coming across as cold and unemotional. He also said he felt broken because everything he does is for me and our children and it sounds like I have a lot of built up resentment towards him when he’s been trying his best. He said he never takes any time for himself (which is true) and feels guilty when he does because his life is work, plus me and the girls. That then made me feel terrible. I suggested we have some time apart (whilst still living together and parenting the children) to both work on ourselves as he also clearly has issues to deal with. I explained to him I felt emotionally neglected by him and unsupported which he agreed was fair and he’d been guilty of dismissing me. He felt I was pushing him away so he’d “showered me in gifts” to try and keep me without understanding it wasn’t what I needed or wanted.

so now I’m confused because I explained to him he’d broken my trust in talking to Jane and I needed some time away from him to figure out if that trust could be rebuilt.

He's panicking - you were supposed to react in a very different way... and now he is trying to manipulate you in a another way (guilt). Prick.

Take stock (aka ducks in a row). Observe carefully. Get independent advice. Act in the best interests of yourself and children (clue: he has only his own interests in mind).

dapsnotplimsolls · 27/06/2026 08:53

Notonthestairs · 27/06/2026 08:27

What does he think ‘time for himself’ looks like?

Time with Jane, presumably.

Wowisthisit · 27/06/2026 08:53

OP look up DARVO

alpenguin · 27/06/2026 08:53

You have a nice guy problem. I. That he genuinely believes he’s the good guy and cannot and will not see how he is hurting you. He thinks providing for you and the kids is enough. He thinks his “platonic” friendship with Jane is platonic (and for one of them it may well be but it isn’t for both). With the gaslighting and moaning about you in your absence I’d guess he’s started upon the playbook steps
to an affair. But he’s a “nice guy” so he doesn’t recognise it yet because he’s so good and nice.

He will keep telling himself he’s a nice guy and is doing nothing wrong while not providing you the emotional stability and safety you need. Unless he’s willing to 100% ditch Jane thenYou have to decide whether you’re going to accept his behaviour for the rest of your life or not.

I don’t know if they’re actively in affair territory yet but if they’re not they have a weird emotional co-dependence that will end in some kind of inappropriate behaviour. It probably won’t last either but that should be of no consequence to you.

I’ve seen this play out many times - the good guy can never take accountability for his actions because he’s so good.

This means you have to be making decisions about your future alone.

FairKoala · 27/06/2026 08:54

Whilst you might have ADHD, your dh is definitely delusional and completely blind.

He doesn’t get time for himself yet regularly goes out with his mates

Everything he does is for you and dc, yet he went to a wedding of mutual friends without you, he discusses his private life with someone who hasnt even seen you in years and believes every word she says

He has declared his undying love for Jane

Yet you are someone who makes him work.

If he will never consider cancelling his friendship with this woman then you can only walk away.

I would point out that maybe Jane needs to look in the mirror instead of coming up with some pseudo 3rd party diagnosis of BPD. And he needs to take a long hard look at why he is so gullible

FlyingApple · 27/06/2026 08:59

Your husband sounds manipulative. Are you even sure Jane said these things? He has probably been talking shit about you for years.

oliviaAustin · 27/06/2026 09:00

CFornot123 · 27/06/2026 08:25

His opinion is that when he takes weekly trips to London for work and stays in hotels etc or goes on regular trips to Europe again for work that he’s in work mode so it’s not really time for himself and he’s making that sacrifice for us. He regularly stays in London with his friend (male this time) who meets him after work and they go out for drinks. But again, this isn’t time for himself

OK so what does he want? Why is he saying this to YOU? What is he proposing changes?

LakieLady · 27/06/2026 09:00

CamillaMcCauley · 26/06/2026 20:32

On the basis of this post alone I’d abandon attempting to understand your husband and focus on extracting as much money as possible from him in the divorce. What an asshole, he deserves to be alone with his bitchy friend.

Totally agree with this.

He has been very disloyal imo. He should have your back and shouldn't even have been having the discussion with her. It would be the end of the marriage for me.

Mumdiva99 · 27/06/2026 09:02

I was with you on working on this until i got to the - he spent 10 days with her. Did he stay at her house? If so - something has gone on. Especially if that led to you not being invited to the wedding.

Remember if you split to get a decent lawyer involved - you need acknowledgement in the package that you followed him around and have impacted your earnings potential. You need to factor all his pensions and investments in the split. (I am usually one for saying try to work it out).

Can i just ask about the dog though. Why did you not just make an appointment and say - look, he's probably fine but I really want to take him to get checked out - it will make me happy. And go to the vet. Why did you feel you needed husband's permission?

Balloonhearts · 27/06/2026 09:05

I'm sorry, how many people are in this marriage?

TwinklySquid · 27/06/2026 09:05

I have no issue with a partner having a friend of the opposite sex. As long as there are boundaries.
I feel you’ve been very accommodating to your partner (in more ways than one). But this has gone too far. He needs to pick which camp his loyalties lie in.

GreyCarpet · 27/06/2026 09:06

alpenguin · 27/06/2026 08:53

You have a nice guy problem. I. That he genuinely believes he’s the good guy and cannot and will not see how he is hurting you. He thinks providing for you and the kids is enough. He thinks his “platonic” friendship with Jane is platonic (and for one of them it may well be but it isn’t for both). With the gaslighting and moaning about you in your absence I’d guess he’s started upon the playbook steps
to an affair. But he’s a “nice guy” so he doesn’t recognise it yet because he’s so good and nice.

He will keep telling himself he’s a nice guy and is doing nothing wrong while not providing you the emotional stability and safety you need. Unless he’s willing to 100% ditch Jane thenYou have to decide whether you’re going to accept his behaviour for the rest of your life or not.

I don’t know if they’re actively in affair territory yet but if they’re not they have a weird emotional co-dependence that will end in some kind of inappropriate behaviour. It probably won’t last either but that should be of no consequence to you.

I’ve seen this play out many times - the good guy can never take accountability for his actions because he’s so good.

This means you have to be making decisions about your future alone.

Completely agree.

HazelMember · 27/06/2026 09:14

CFornot123 · 27/06/2026 08:25

His opinion is that when he takes weekly trips to London for work and stays in hotels etc or goes on regular trips to Europe again for work that he’s in work mode so it’s not really time for himself and he’s making that sacrifice for us. He regularly stays in London with his friend (male this time) who meets him after work and they go out for drinks. But again, this isn’t time for himself

Why do you accept this crap?

Because of his salary?

GreyCarpet · 27/06/2026 09:15

Can i just ask about the dog though. Why did you not just make an appointment and say - look, he's probably fine but I really want to take him to get checked out - it will make me happy. And go to the vet. Why did you feel you needed husband's permission?

To.me, this just exposes how much emotional manipulation and gaslighting is present in the marriage.

I think she is deferring to him and seeking his approval and permission because she has got to the point where she doesn't trust her own judgement on things, which is exactly what gaslighting is designed to do.

He only agreed to take the dog to the vet once a family member he respects told him it was necessary. He'd have taken the dog if it had been his idea. He was being deliberately contrary but once someone else got involved, he couldn't appear to be negligent in someone else's eyes so allowed himself to be persuaded.

If she'd taken the dog on her own and it had turned out to be a false alarm, he would just have used it as more evidence of her mental instability.

But, OP, it's a very important question and one you need to reflect on.

You're an intelligent woman but your word/perspective can't be trusted on anything? Doesn't make sense, does it?

justasking111 · 27/06/2026 09:16

@CFornot123 between the long hours at work and trips away you seem to be solo parenting. Make time for yourself. He sees the children as another job. Which it is when they're young. Tough luck.

KrazyKatty · 27/06/2026 09:19

CFornot123 · 27/06/2026 08:25

His opinion is that when he takes weekly trips to London for work and stays in hotels etc or goes on regular trips to Europe again for work that he’s in work mode so it’s not really time for himself and he’s making that sacrifice for us. He regularly stays in London with his friend (male this time) who meets him after work and they go out for drinks. But again, this isn’t time for himself

FFS. He’s really done a number on you, hasn’t he?

He gets evenings off with his mates whilst you’re stuck in looking after HIS young children and he’s still whining about not getting time to himself?

You might be academically extremely bright, but you’ve zero understanding of human nature. He’s now got you doubting yourself and feeling sorry for him, and that’s allowed him to carry on doing exactly as he pleases for years.

It’s time to ditch the bastard!

oneoffname · 27/06/2026 09:22

I've only read the OP's posts, so apologies if I repeat what others have already said.
First, I voted YABU because I think your problem is your DH, not Jane.
He reminded you about his 'sacrifices' for you and the dcs. Did he acknowledge yours? You are the one who sacrificed your career to follow him around the world so he could pursue his? You moved away from family support at a time when you probably needed it more. You didn't have the option to fly home for ten days when he lost his job - you were left in limbo. Jane is only a problem in your marriage because your DH is allowing her to be one. IMO, know that you have had reservations about her since she 'dropped' you, he should never have discussed you with her. I don't care that she is his best friend, she is not a friend to your marriage and he knows that. As soon as she began to diagnose you, he should have shut her down. If he had concerns, he should have discussed them with you or arranged for you both to attend some sort of relationship counselling, with someone independent , not his best friend.

I rarely say this, but at this point I would be reviewing marriage and quietly putting things in place in case I decided to end it, because if I decided I couldn't trust DH to look out for me, I couldn't continue being married to him.

OchreRaven · 27/06/2026 09:22

CFornot123 · 27/06/2026 08:25

His opinion is that when he takes weekly trips to London for work and stays in hotels etc or goes on regular trips to Europe again for work that he’s in work mode so it’s not really time for himself and he’s making that sacrifice for us. He regularly stays in London with his friend (male this time) who meets him after work and they go out for drinks. But again, this isn’t time for himself

I’ve never felt so strongly that someone would be better off divorced. You do all the childcare anyway. You are entitled to half of everything he has (more if you take on full time parenting role) and he treats you awfully. I think you have slowly just accepted his neglect of you. You give him the facade of having a family and being a family man but ultimately he’s selfish, his job comes first, then his friend Jane, then his kids, and then you!!

Your life is so full of possibilities and the chance to find someone who actually loves and adores you as well as a career you enjoy. Please start prioritising yourself

CFornot123 · 27/06/2026 09:23

I raised the point about how he’s not my back and broken my trust. His response was “give him examples of how I have his back”. So I explained I make him his meals (if I don’t he doesn’t eat because he’s too busy) and I recognized he wasn’t happy/not taking time for himself so I moved my gym sessions from 6am (I used to get up at 5am to go to the gym before he went to work) to allow him to go and I physically booked and put the times in his calendar for his PT sessions to ensure he’d go. But apparently that’s just normal. Writing this out seems laughable but it’s just how things have become?!

OP posts:
ThreeLocusts · 27/06/2026 09:24

'DH problem', I'm afraid, combined with world-of-work problem. Yes he must be feeling the weight of being the single earner, but that's no reason to stop communicating with you properly while still having time for online and real-life hangouts with assorted old mates.

You can judge ppl by their friends to an extent, and 'Jane' boils my piss. You don't say the N slur like a rapper if you're a white woman with no musical career, however you feel about it. Makes as much sense as saying Burnham is a women because he likes social policy. Sorry, I digress.

I can easily believe that his working life is alienating and stressful for DH, but in what world are the choices he's making any kind of solution to that?

And him buying into Jane long-distance diagnosing you with personality disorder?? 'Cheeky' doesn't begin to cover it. I think you have to reexamine your whole marital situation, from ground up. Sorry, OP. Ugh, men sometimes, honestly...

BeardySchnauzer · 27/06/2026 09:26

I suspect pp is right who says he actually does have racist expectations of you because you are Asian. Thinking those things are normal shows he expects tradwife behaviour. Does he also expect you to come to the door and sort his jacket/shoes out when he gets home?

he doesn’t see you as an equal - he sees you as a trophy. Having a highly educated housewife is a real ego boost to some men

ThreeLocusts · 27/06/2026 09:30

PS. you sound incredibly together, ten moves in ten years and you and the kids are OK? Wow. The attempt to pathologize you is gaslighting, really.

The more I think about it, the more it sounds like affair-affair. Does Jane not want to see you because she has enough decency to be ashamed?

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