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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

I don't know how I feel about my DP anymore

17 replies

cherrybombxo · 13/10/2014 12:13

Hi everyone, I'm not sure what I hope to get out of posting here but my head is all over the place and the girls at work have heard enough about my relationship woes! This will be long, I'm sorry.

Basically, DP and I have been together for two and a bit years, we rent a flat (in his name, I moved in after him) and we have a dog but no kids. We're both 24. We are completely separate financially. I met him online a few years ago but neither of us were ready for anything serious, so we kept it light with chatting on Facebook and the occasional text. Finally we decided to go on a date but he lived 50 miles away so, as things progressed, we could only see each other at weekends due to our working hours. I was living in a horrible flatshare with a horrible flatmate, so when my tenancy was coming to an end a year after we started seeing each other, DP suggested that I look for a new job out by his flat. I quickly found a good job and within a month I was living with him. Things were good at first but I noticed that things weren't as good in the bedroom as I'd imagined they would be, as we'd had a very good sex life previous to this. Don't get me wrong, I didn't imagine Olympic sessions at all hours of the day and night just because we lived together but it was pretty much once a week, tapering off until we weren't having sex at all and he wasn't bringing it up. We've talked about it and I've tried absolutely everything from lingerie to pushing him about it to leaving him to have his space. I've done everything he has asked and he puts it down to stress-induced ED, but he point blank refuses to get any help. On the odd occasions he is in the mood, he is happy to engage in foreplay but never full sex. We've had proper sex twice in 2014 so far. I've tried initiating it and his exact words were, "can you not see that the signals aren't there? You're just embarrassing both of us." I was mortified and so hurt.

Aside from that issue, things were okay. I was willing to wait for him to work through his issues and we had a few promising talks but nothing came of them. It was almost as though he felt relieved, like he'd gotten me off his back for another few weeks. I've (shamefully) checked his phone and can't find anything that would suggest cheating but he has admitted to masturbating (sorry, TMI), which I don't understand. He doesn't want it with me but he will do it by himself?

I have had a slow, bubbling resentment for the past year regarding his laziness. He does absolutely nothing around the house, even when begged, and if he does deign to help out, it has to be on his schedule. He says that I secretly love it when he doesn't do housework because it "gives me something to moan about". He knows that it is a major bone of contention with me and I've actually been in tears with the stress of it all. I work full time, I'm now in college 6-9pm two nights a week, I do bootcamp classes when I can, I do the food shop, I cook, I wash up, I clean, I do laundry and he sits in his pants playing FIFA. He is a postman so he is home from 3pm, but claims he is too tired to do anything when he first gets home.

Finally, it all came to a head on Thursday last week. I had a really busy work/college week and didn't manage to get to bootcamp until Saturday morning. We are going to New York next month and we are both looking to lose a bit of weight, but he relies heavily on me to keep him track, because he seems to have no will power at all. He kept asking all week when I'd be at bootcamp and when, by Thursday, I said that college that night was the final session before my first assessment so I'd be focusing on that, he completely lost his shit. He said that it was a "poor effort" on my part, clearly I didn't want to lose weight as much as I said I did, it would ruin his holiday because I'd spend it all moaning about how uncomfortable I was, I should find some other time in the day to exercise (When? Around the cooking and cleaning and studying and working?!), I was probably avoiding it because I was secretly eating junk at work... blah blah. He asked if I'd weighed myself and I said yes, so he said, "and that's not motivating enough for you?", which was a horrible comment. I started to cry and he groaned and said, "oh for god's sake, why are you crying?! I wondered when the waterworks would appear...". He insists that I only cry to make him feel bad and "win" the argument.

I walked out and went to work without saying anything. He texted me at lunchtime that day, apologising profusely and asking if I could get Friday off work because he wanted to make it up to me. We spoke at length and spoke again when I got home, laying down some ground rules and making it clear that he couldn't speak to me that way. We agreed on weekly date nights because we never, ever leave the flat together. I told him that it sometimes feels as though he doesn't actually like me very much but he assured me that is not the case. He was full of good intentions and things seemed okay, but by Saturday he was back to starting arguments over stupid stuff. He did it again yesterday, and it's like a lightbulb has gone on in my head. I keep thinking of all the controlling things he has done in the past (asking me to wear contacts when we go on dates because he doesn't like glasses, asking me not to change my hair colour, telling me when clothes aren't "flattering"). We feel like bad flatmates right now and I have no idea what I feel for him anymore. I do love him but I don't think our relationship is very good. I dropped everything to be here, I have no friends here even a year later, my work are paying for college which means I have to stay with them for three years after the course finishes (in 18 months!) or I have to pay them back. We are going to NYC and he owes me £1000 for his half of that, plus half of the new couch which is due to be paid in April. I would have to leave because the flat is in his name but it kills me to think of leaving the dog, and I can't imagine giving him to people I don't know. Neither of our parents would have him but I couldn't take him to a flatshare and DP wouldn't have him alone. I know a dog isn't a reason to stay but not having him would make things a lot easier.

Sorry for this being so long, it just helps to get my thoughts down. I've made so many sacrifices to be here but I don't feel like I'm getting anything back from him.

OP posts:
CogitoErgoSometimes · 13/10/2014 12:33

I think what you're describing is a relationship that has reached a natural end. Realise people get attached to dogs but you don't organise your entire life around one... there are much more important things. Meanwhile, don't waste any more time. Start looking at alternative accommodation (one that allows dogs, perhaps) and get the money off him that he owes you if you can.

mammadiggingdeep · 13/10/2014 12:45

Don't waste anymore time...exactly that

This relationship us going absolutely nowhere. Imagine the next 40 years of this?! Honestly, leave, as soon as possible. Can you cancel the ny trip? Take a mate instead?? If he hasn't paid it all maybe you can get a name change?

Seriously- this is a clear cut example if LTB. You can't waste any more time with him. He's nasty and a waste of space to be honest.

You sound like you have so much going for you...sack him off! Onwards and upwards.

Good luck!

notthatshesaid · 13/10/2014 12:51

He sounds dreadful! Life is too short, get out of there and have fun being single for a bit. You're far too young for this. He won't change incidentally. They don't. You'd be doing the housework forever. It's very sad about the dog, it's a shame about the trip, but I would like to think the dog will end up in a loving home and will be ok. You have to put yourself first here.

Now you know what you will expect from the next relationship. You have lots of time to find someone more suitable. It will all be ok.

WhatsGoingOnEh · 13/10/2014 12:54

Ugh, he doesn't care for you at ALL. Rehome yourself and the dog ASAP. This must be killing you! You are going to feel SO HAPPY when you're out of this.

cherrybombxo · 13/10/2014 13:02

I'm so scared to consider moving out because I'll need to stay in this city for work and college, probably for years, but I have no friends here and my family live two hours away by public transport. I'd rather go home but the hassle of job hunting and the expense of paying back my current job for the college course is daunting. Part of me thinks that I want to stay with him just because it's easier, which is a ridiculous attitude.

OP posts:
mammadiggingdeep · 13/10/2014 13:17

You will make friends easily if you want to. If you're not busy cleaning and cooking for a lazy arse of a boyfriend then you'll have time and energy to start living some more! You might make friends through college, or the gym or through work?

Why not look at house shares in the area and maybe you could make friends that way?

If you have to stay in the area for another 2 years then you could manage if you had a few friends.

Do NOT stay with him because its easier, for goodness sake.

cherrybombxo · 13/10/2014 13:19

Sorry, I've realised how that sounded, I didn't write it very well. I don't plan to stay with him because it's easier, I meant that I'm worried that a small part of me would consider it.

I need to talk to him seriously tonight, things aren't good between us.

OP posts:
AMumInScotland · 13/10/2014 13:27

You moved in with him because it seemed the easy option at the time, and you are staying because it is the easy option. That's not meant as a criticism - it's really quite normal to pick an easier over a more difficult option.

But it isn't working.

It hasn't turned out to be a great relationship, in terms of sex or even dates.

And it isn't working well as flatmates, since he's a lazy git who is more than happy to leave you to do all the housework.

It isn't working as friends, because he's being nasty and undermining about your efforts to get in shape.

So what is this? It's not much of anything.

You are 24. A perfect time to share a flat with other young single peopla. You can quite likely find one through college or work, or from an ad.

Don't let the little practical niggles of arranging to move out stop you from making a sensible choice for yourself. It's time to get back to your life and stop being an add-on to his.

punygod · 13/10/2014 13:37

He sounds a total arse.

Onwards and upwards, dearie.

Quitelikely · 13/10/2014 13:44

Hey cherry don't despair you can transfer college courses. Why don't you ring your hometown college and see what they say. Usually if the modules are similar etc then they will accept you over!

I agree with others who think this relationship has run its course. He's nitpicking and also does not want to have sex with you. Erectile dysfunction? Hmm more like he needs a death grip to ejaculate because he has masturbated so much that a normal woman's bits can't do it for him anymore!

Run, leave, go. And thank your lucky stars!

cherrybombxo · 13/10/2014 13:50

Transferring college wouldn't be the problem, it's the fact that it's a £1300 course for the two years. I suppose I could apply for SAAS (not sure of the English equivalent, sorry!) and get it funded that way.

I feel like I want to be with him while he's there but when I'm alone at work, etc then my head is full of negative thoughts about him. I think distancing myself from him would be the best thing. I'm gutted to think that my holiday might not happen though, I'm looking forward to it

Thanks for your responses. I know what I need to do, it's just hard because I didn't see it ending this way.

OP posts:
Cricrichan · 13/10/2014 13:51

The good thing is that the answer is very clear. There us no doubt that there us nothing in this relationship for you. Moved on and you'll soon find new friends and have an enjoyable life.

AlwaysWashing · 13/10/2014 13:53

Life is too short to stay with someone who doesn't make you happy.
This man is making you miserable and you are worth way more.
Even if it were all your fault, if you did nag and push and complain you are still unhappy and life is still too short.
Flowers

ImperialBlether · 13/10/2014 14:42

There isn't ONE THING about this man that would make me stay with him. He's lazy, insulting, critical and doesn't want sex with anyone except himself.

You are so young! You should be living with friends, having a great time, not living with a miserable abusive man who makes you do all the work and then criticises you!

I thought you were going to say that your fees were several thousand pounds per year. For the sake of £1300 I would definitely move away.

The thing is, though, you could stay in the same city in a house share and you would never run into this guy because he doesn't go out unless he's posting letters. As long as you're not on his route, you don't have to worry about seeing him!

mammadiggingdeep · 13/10/2014 14:48

Unless he's posting letters

Grin

Op, it does seem you have more get up and go in your little finger than he does in his entire being!

thisisnow · 13/10/2014 14:59

He doesn't sound very nice and you sound like you can do better. Sad

FunkyBoldRibena · 13/10/2014 15:12

There are other flats, move out to one, look for a new job and fuck that shit. Don't waste your formative twenties on this loser.

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