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Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Really need advice before I blow

37 replies

RoxyLady · 04/09/2010 11:12

I will give you a quick run down. Been with my boyf for 5 years. About 2 years ago we went on a break for about a year, he started seeing his ex (they were together 5 years). When I found out I told him it was over and I wanted to move on with my life after I discovered she had got pregnant by him and had an abortion. He said it was over and wanted us to work out, I told him she would have to disappear from his life. And she has done, she sends him the odd text and the only reason she knows we are back together is because she was stalking me on facebook. He didnt tell her. They are both 38 and I am 30. I am now 5 months pregnant and I know he hasnt told her I am pregnant either. He hasnt been initiating conversation with her and I thought he was dedicated to me again. His father has had cancer for the last 8 months and last week she sent a card to our house..this is after weeks of not really getting a response from him. I found this hugely disrespectful. And I told my partner, he tried to defend her saying she was being nice and he would do the same thing but when I broke it down he then told me to calm down. I left it with "Please tell her not to send anything to our home, I find it extremely disrespectful and if she carries on next time I will be contacting her myself"
His father died on Sunday, he stayed with his mum for a few days and in this time the Ex sent another card to our house.
I also then checked his phone and they have been in constant contact with eachother.
His father has just died so I dont want to make an issue but I really dont know how to handle this anymore. I just want her to go away and leave us toget on with our lives.
Please advise me!

OP posts:
Flighttattendant · 04/09/2010 11:18

Oh God, how horrible for you.

It sounds, very sadly, as though she is not going to disappear from his life, mainly because he doesn't want her to.

He's still very attached to her by the sound of it. It doesn't mean he isn't attached to you but you are basically sharing him.

I'm not sure what you ought to do - there aren't that many options. you could tell him to go away and make your own life for you and your baby, or you could put up with sharing him for the foreseeable future - but he isn't going to stop seeing her or talking to her.

This is a horrid situation for you and I am really sorry you've gotten into it somehow, fwiw I'm in a sort of similar situation with a bloke who can't seem to leave his ex alone.

I've decided to move on but I'm not pregnant which puts a different spin on it.

So sorry Sad

taintedpaint · 04/09/2010 15:05

Is she in contact with him with a renewed relationship in mind or is it just friendship? This makes a big difference. Also, you seem to be suggesting that she shouldn't have sent cards because your DPs father was ill and then died. You can't be serious about this event in and of itself, as a standalone, this was a nice thing for her to do (she was in the family's lives for a long time, it's reasonable to send a sympathy card IMO). That said, if it's part of a larger scale of behaviour, that's something else.

You can't dictate your DP being in contact with an ex, that's not fair, some people are capable of maintaining a friendship with someone they've been involved with. I'm starting to think you're hormonal and this is maybe a part of the issue? I'm failing to see what this woman has actually done to you? If there's an issue here, it's with your DP. The friend/ex of his had done nothing wrong from what you've said. Not sure about your definition of stalking on Facebook? Are you sure and what do you actually mean by this?

If he still has feelings for her, he needs to be honest with himself about this, and then distance himself from her. If it's just a case of him being in contact with her....what's the problem? Does he have other female friends? If so, how do you feel about them?

cazbear · 04/09/2010 20:35

This is a an awful situation to be in for anyone but being pregnant doesnt help.
it sounds to me that he still wants his ex in his life and that he cant let go of her.(sorry if that upsets you) I am a great believer that exs should stay where they belong and thats in the past. You dont need them involved with your bf or your relationship. I think you should try talking to him once it all settles down as his dad has just died. Tell him you dont want his ex in your lives and ask him the truth about how he really feels about her.
Try not to get too stressed,for the babies sake and your own. i really hope you can sort this

LittleMissHissyFit · 05/09/2010 01:07

Many Men basically are pussies, they are unable to tell adoring women to back off, it is against their nature. They don't confront, and they don't get rid of fawning women. It's great for their egos....

IME - 9 Y E A R S of the Ex GF.... South American crazy woman who literally knew the score, but refused to move on.

Story goes they were together for a few months, She left the UK, I met P a few weeks later. A year or so later, when he and I moved in together, she got Leukaemia, so he couldn't tell her then. Fair enough. She knew about me, we emailed once or twice, that turned out to be an utter novella, so I knocked that on the head. I was always pleasant to her if she rang for support, she was always Amor this and te amo that, but what could I do really? she really could have died. As it was she was infertile at 30-odd due to the treatment.

When she got better, she reverted to the cow of before, riding rough shod over my time on birthdays, christmas etc ringing him a second past midnight, knowing she'd interrupt a date, calling all night. Calling and talking to me and lying about what I'd said, done etc.

Then I got PG. P didn't tell her. Over the last 4 years he never rang her once, she rang and rang and rang until he answered. The system there is to prepay the call whether you make it or not, so he felt bad if he didn't answer cos he knew it would cost her heaps anyway.

We were thinking of moving to the US at one point. She got a job in the US, the visa and the flight was booked. Again she rang and rang and rang, told him this. He told her that the US was not viable and that we were going back to the UK. She didn't take the job in the US, she blew the visa, after literally waiting 6m for an appointment with the US embassy, and lord knows what other hoops she had to jump through to be cleared for the role.

He only told her we had DS last year, DS is 5 in December. I was happy he told her, and thought she would finally understand the softly softly way... she rang a few times mroe, he didn't answer.

I read him the riot act after I heard about the US thing, it is so clear that she is obsessed and unhinged. he literally has not given her any encouragement for 9 years, yet she was giving up everything on the basis of one snippet of conversation, actually told to her to get the message across to her that he is out of reach, as the US is extremely hard for citizens of that nation to enter.

When DH came over here, she rang a few more times, said he'd call her back but never did. Eventually she stopped ringing... for now.

I told you all this, cos it's not always the man being weak, it can be that she is obsessed too. dunno if that makes it easier or harder.

Men are also woefully naive when it comes to women sometimes too... oh she is only being nice, being friendly... they just can't see agendas sometimes.

Let the dust settle with his dad and then sit him down and explain that she has no place in your relationship, that you need him, and she needs to move on. Tell him that somehow he may be keeping false hopes raised and that is unfair on her and disrespectful to you. Tell him you know he is a good man, that he doesn't want to hurt her, but this is what needs to be done, gently but firmly.

Jeez, long! but 9 years of crazy is not easily condensed...

Be firm. You have that right.

RoxyLady · 06/09/2010 10:42

God you are so right, this is all about his ego.

Ill give it a couple of months, if this "woman" is still sniffing around Ill put him straight on it. If she continues, Ill be loosing my manners. THis has been going on for too long.

OP posts:
LittleMissHissyFit · 06/09/2010 20:51

I utterly agree with you to give him a while to get over his Dad's death, his old relationships forged when Dad was alive may have a minuscule thing to do with him not wanting to let her go too, but it's right and proper for her to move on and for him to let her/encourage her to go.

I only realised the stuff about the ego, I'm 42 now, you are 30.. you have learned this way earlier than I...Grin may that information serve you well!

As time goes on you will realise how fragile that ego is, and it'll answer many questions in your mind...

Once you have had the baby, then tbh, it's line in the sand time, it's time for him to close that old book and to open a new one with you and your baby...

Good luck and all that, let us know how it turns out?

LittleMissHissyFit · 10/09/2010 14:09

I just have to share.... that fecking witch has just tried to contact him again!!!

WHAT is it with her.... the last time he saw her, he left her country early, after a massive fight in 2001 FGS! It's been years since he actually called her.... but of course as they say about stalkers, if you only answer after 50 calls, the stalker will learn that it takes 50 calls to get to you....

She sent a flaming MSN offline message, Hello my sky, how are you? I sent her one back, I am not your sky, I have a family, remember? Go look for your own life, Good luck, Good bye.

She will doubtless ring and ring him now.... I will skin him slowly starting with his family jewels if he answers her call.

Email blocked, MSN blocked. Wake up woman.

OK so I know I shouldn't have done any of the above, but it's 9 years fgs, someone has to tell her to check herself.

Pyscho.

RoxyLady · 11/09/2010 07:49

Don't worry u did the right thing!!

Checked his phone and they r speaking everyday now. I came
Home from work yesterday and he told me of this song he liked.
He played it for me and asked if I liked it. I find out she suggested the song.
The funeral is on wednesday
I'm sick of this woman
What do I do?

OP posts:
macdoodle · 11/09/2010 08:16

I have been there, and I understand your anger at her.
But its your spineless, selfish twunt of a P you should be angry with. If he wanted no contact with her, then it could be done, HE is the one treating you with no respect or care or love, playing you both along. He is a fuckwit!

And I know I was, my XH played me and the OW for 6 months, in that time he got us both pregnant! And all that time I blamed her, hated her, wanted her to go away. She was indeed a nasty skank, but it was my XH who was betraying and hurting me. and I did evntually get rid of the lying arse and my life (and that of my DD's) is immeasurably better for it :)

kmac80 · 11/09/2010 15:16

I agree... While it is completely disrespectful of his ex (and vie been through the same thing), your partner needs to wake up and smell the coffee and respect you by cutting her off. Exes are exes for a reason.

perfumedlife · 11/09/2010 16:19

Been there too. Met someone when i wasnt ready for a relationship. He was mad for me, really tried to change my mind. Told me he had been single for three years, but before that was with his ex for eight years. Fast forward two years, and i go out with him. Fall in love.

Having a quiet drink in the local and the ex is there. I am charming and friendly, but she starts quizzing me when we met. I tell her, and she tells me she was still with him that time two years back.

Not happy with him but foolishly continue the relationship. Two years later i call time, as i find out he is feeding her dog and staying over at her place when she is out the country. In her bed, the old bed they shared. Way too much.

They go back out after i dumped him, but it didnt last as he wouldnt commit.

That is your problem. She was an ex, and then he went back to her when you and he split. There is unfinished business there, for whatever reason. And you need to have it out with him.

I dont believe ex's should stay friends, i think its disrespectful to the new partner. Surely he has enough friends, and surely you should be helping him chose funeral songs.

Get this sorted once and for all.

LittleMissHissyFit · 11/09/2010 17:09

AF was right perfumedlife... for a newbie, you are a very welcome addition! I too am liking your style! Grin

I'm calmer now, so far, as far as I know, no repercussions and tbh, bring em on... I can flaming handle it! I've checked the phone and no missed calls from her or witheld number, so far...

I still maintain it's all about ego...

roxy i think the funeral song needs to be the catalyst. As a mark of his commitment to you, it's important that he carries out certain tasks with you, otherwise what the heck are you really doing in the relationship.

I appreciate it's a delicate moment for your P, but there somehow needs to be a conversation that states your disappointment that he has turned to an ex, and excluded you. That as his partner your role is to support him in his grief and she is somehow overstepping the boundaries and elbowing you out of her way.

I think she may have unfinished business with him, but he is a bloke so even if clueless about her behaviour just laps the fawning attention anyway. I think you need to gently explain that in Female Land, what she is doing is actually not at all Cricket, and how would HE feel if you were comforting an ex... or allowing an ex to comfort you.

She IS being disrespectful, and she damned well knows it, he is being polite at best, of of course it's OK with Roxy, she's great etc etc, but he's not seeing that he's unwittingly allowed the ex to score points.

RoxyLady · 13/09/2010 13:33

I cant tell him I have been through his phone otherwise that will mess up my chances of checking things in the future.
How do I go about this?
I want her to know I am not one to be messed with and I have had about enough of her shit.
She must think I am some stupid little girl, but I know if she finds out Im pregnant it will devastate her. I know she wanted the baby but my boyf didnt, so she had an abortion.

I feel like Im holding this trump card to smash her to bits, but why do I want to stoop to the same level as her.

At the same time I want her to just piss off!

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 13/09/2010 13:40

roxy...have you read the rest of your thread at all ???

your latest post is still all about her

wake up, fgs

sort this out with the father of your baby

she could be the bunny boiler from hell, or nice to Kylie Minogue proportions for all you should care

your partner is behaving like a dickhead...and you are still banging on about her "shit"

your partner is shit...why can't you see that ?

perfumedlife · 13/09/2010 14:01

Totally agree with AnyFucker. Its him deceiving you Roxy, not her. She is a free agent, with a hang up about her ex and he is allowing her too much space in his life, and lying to you about this contact.

I wouldnt think in terms of not being able to check his phone in future if you tell him you did. Why are you projecting a future of not being able to trust him still, after this is sorted?

If you call him on this and tell him what you need to happen, there shouldn't be a repeat. Insist on it, its your right. She is an ex, he is a father to be and he is telling you lies. Its not nothing.

Thanks for the welcome btw Littlemiss Smile

AnyFucker · 13/09/2010 14:10

and roxy, you are not coming across as quite the nice, beleagured, pregnant lady that you think you are

"I am holding the trump card to smash her to bits..." Hmm

lovely

LittleMissHissyFit · 13/09/2010 14:45

OK, AF, but it's natural for her to feel like that.

Natural, but doesn't indeed help, or make it at all right... but natural all the same.

Roxy, why are you so down on yourself? where IS your self esteem? You are strong enough and loved enough to sit him down and tackle him should you so wish.

She IS hanging on, getting some delicious guilty pleasure from it perhaps or hoping that she'll have him back in her life again some day... who knows?

He's got his ego pandered to left, right and centred and you meantime are freaking out about it all.

Tell him you understand about his vulnerability at this time and looking backwards to past relationships can be comforting, but that he has you now, and there is a baby on the way, and that the past is comforting, but the future is more important. It his HIS turn to head the family, his own and this new one. Tell him that you and he need to be the ones planning the funeral/send off and that there really is no place in any of this for a woman who may have ulterior motives.

If it were all above board, and hunky dory, you'd be discussing it as a trio, including both her and you, but it's not like that.

He has to man up and cut ties with the past.

AnyFucker · 13/09/2010 16:24

LMHF, you are right

I didn't mean her feelings were un-natural

I am trying (as her latest post doesn't seem to be getting it) to highlight that her strong feelings of rage and wanting "revenge" are directed at the wrong person

she should feel sorry for this poor girl, or rather better, they both as a together couple should

the problem is not the leech-like ex

the problem is the partner

wanting to seriously hurt the leech-like ex won't miraculously turn her partner into a decent bloke who doesn't play games with women's heads

AnyFucker · 13/09/2010 16:25

oh, and the ridiculously violent language is just a bit too icky for me

< takes all sorts emoticon >

booyhoo · 13/09/2010 16:31

I'll be honest here and say that if i were in your partners shoes i would be really doubting a relationship with someone who tried to dictate who i could reman in contact with.

i understand that him lying to you is a big problem and definitely one that needs sorted but i think you either need to accept that he has a relationship (not romantic i mean) with her or you end your own relationship.

i ended my relationship with my EX but we are in contact most days. he was my friend before my partner and he still is my friend and i get alot of support from him, he knows me very well and I him, we do very much still enjoy each others company and would hate for any new partner to expect me to end that friendship.

mathanxiety · 13/09/2010 16:41

You have a man who really likes to live dangerously and gets some sort of thrill from getting away with things.

He didn't want a baby with his ex, into whose arms he threw himself while on a break with you, but he didn't take the simple and necessary precautions.

He got back with you after your ultimatum and then got you pg (giving you a stake in the relationship that is ultimately stronger than his stake as you are the mother to be) but didn't take the precaution of changing his number and generally making himself unavailable, then somehow his ex found out his father was ill, then dead, and is now back in his life full time apparently...

He is playing with you both. He will always conduct himself like this, because he doesn't want a relationship with any one single person, he wants the thrill of getting away with bad behaviour.

Why do you really want him anyway, apart from the fact that he scared you into seeing there were other fish in the sea for him when you broke up temporarily? Do you want to 'win' him from this other woman just for the sake of wounded pride?

He sounds like a booby prize tbh.

perfumedlife · 13/09/2010 16:44

But the thing is booyhoo, you dont know how your unknown future partner will feel about your friendship with ex yet. Many people are uncomfortable with this.

And the difference is, the op and dp split and he re-aquainted himself with the ex, always going to be a sore point. I would be wondering why she was like an itch he had to scratch. That puts a whole other gloss on the 'friendship' in this case.

AnyFucker · 13/09/2010 16:49

boo, I see what you are saying

but I really don't think we are talking about a "normal" friendly relationship with an ex here

booyhoo · 13/09/2010 17:03

ah, ok. is i t more than just a friendship OP?

i can totally see why that is a problem and tbh, if he is continuing to have that sort of a relationship with her then i would leave him.

AnyFucker · 13/09/2010 17:10

he got this ex pregnant whilst "on a break" with the OP

methinks the OP is feeling very insecure, in the light of his continued deceit about how much he is contact with the ex, that at the first sign of discord the ex will be waiting with open arms to welcome him back

all due to this dickhead's fucking around with women's heads

why do we put up with it ?

but more to the point...why is all the vitriol extended to the other poor sap the OW) in this situation ? She will have been lied to as well...

the bad guy here is the bloke...he must be like a dog with two dicks, to be quite honest

the best thing both of these women could do is tell him to fuck right off