My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

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

Relationships

Caught him on dating site - bullshit excuses

45 replies

suchafool1967 · 16/11/2014 14:51

Hi,

Just need some advice please, as I'm wondering if I am being too harsh on my OH.

We've been together a year, but the past six months have been troubled as we argue a lot.

We have talked about splitting up and I have told him I don't think we'll be together in the new year because we can't stop arguing. But he always wants to try again. When I ask why, he says: "Because I love you."

We had a very unpleasant row a week ago, and he brought up that he also had doubts about us.

I have felt something was off for a couple of months and have tried to work out the password on his phone without success. We don't live together.

That night, I went on to the dating site we met on to see if he'd been online and did a search. Lo and behold his profile came up, saying "Online Today".

After 3 months of dating, at my instigation, we had both agreed to delete our profiles, which I did, and he did too. But bizarrely, before doing so, he wrote on his profile that he had met someone and would "soon be deleting his profile". Three weeks later he did.

On this "new" profile that I found a week ago, he'd used all the same details but has a different username and there is no picture on the profile - which is the giveaway, as attached/married men using the site generally have no picture.

I had to know the truth. I set up a fake profile and sent him a wink/ expression of interest. And I found a random picture online of an attractive woman that I used on my fake profile.

The next day he'd sent me a message that said "Hi, would you like to have a chat sometime?"

I wrote back asking him to tell me a bit more about himself and asked what he was looking for in someone.

My plan was to set up a meeting and show up myself to confront him.

Sadly, I couldn't hold it together. I was too upset and confronted him with the info I had, which I really regret.

At first he denied being on the site and I suggested that perhaps a ghost was operating his profile, seeing as it said "Online today".

Then he said he looked online because he was "angry at me".

When I asked about the profile he had up, with no picture, he said it was "an old profile" that he'd "forgotten about".

I said "have you messaged anyone?"

"No".

"Has anyone messaged you?"

"No."

"Are you sure? Think carefully now"

But he insisted he hadn't messaged anyone.

I said: "You might want to rethink that answer. Because I know you messaged someone today".

He didn't admit it until I told him I'd set up a fake profile and contacted him, telling him the username I'd used and describing the picture of the woman on the fake profile.

Then he said he answered the "wink"/whatever with a message because "he saw it early in the morning" when he "wasn't thinking straight and was still half asleep".

He "would never have met up with her", "has not cheated on me or met anyone from the site". It was "a mistake" he made while in "a petulant mood".

Which is why I regret spilling my guts too soon. If I'd have kept it going, I would have known for sure whether he was going to turn up on a date with another woman.

I said that on top of the arguments, I now didn't trust him and think it's time to end it. He thinks I am "being brutal" and "obviously looking for an excuse" to end it. And that it "was nothing. It's not as though I sent 'her' a photo of my di*k".

He is furious that I don't want to see him or talk about it further and thinks he can just talk me round.

He is constantly ringing, emailing and texting. All of which I'm not responding to. He just seems to assume that everything is normal, or will be after a chat!

We are supposed to be going away for his birthday next weekend to a hotel in the country to go walking. If I don't go I will feel guilty for wrecking his birthday but I also know that if I go it sends the wrong message. I don't WANT to hurt him or punish him.

But just during this past week of not seeing him or talking to him, I've felt such peace. I went out on a meet-up last night for a curry with lots of people I'd never met before and had a great time. I felt I could be myself. I felt as though I could make new friends. I am not looking for another man.

I told him on the day I confronted him that I don't want to be looking over my shoulder checking up on him forevermore. But he just says he wants to rebuild my trust in him.

I loved him once, but the constant arguing has worn me down.

He sent me a text yesterday that said: " I want to and have made you happy, cherished and loved. I will make it my continuing task to do so again, and in future, my darling."

Today he has rung me (I let it go to voicemail) and texted twice asking if he could see me. The last text said; " I am thinking about you incessantly."

I feel as though I've got King Kong coming after me. He is relentless.

What I want to know is: Am I being too harsh to want to end it?
To me it's clear: he responded to a woman online, then lied about it. How am I ever going to trust him again when I don't believe a word he says?

If you've got this far, thank you for sticking with it.

OP posts:
Report
Fairenuff · 17/11/2014 16:24

What would have been cruel would be to give him false hope. He cheated and he lied and even when you gave him every opportunity to come clean, he still lied.

What is he upset about, exactly? That you don't want a cheating, lying boyfriend? He'll get over it. Well done for sticking firm. Is he still trying to contact you, or have you blocked him?

Report
Rebecca2014 · 17/11/2014 16:48

Seriously I was in a relationship like this and it ended badly, why? because one day the passion will go and all you will have are arguments. He obviously isn't happy as he is online seeking someone else. You aren't either so If I was you, I wouldn't go back.

Report
Bluebelle38 · 17/11/2014 20:34

Well rid. He would never have made you happy. An A- grade liar is what he is.

Report
AnyFucker · 17/11/2014 20:38

He's not a 6yo who would be upset by having a birthday spoiled

He is a liar and a cheat. You did right to bin him.

Report
TeaForTara · 17/11/2014 20:44

You're not the one who spoiled his birthday, he did that all by himself. He's not devastated, he's just kicking himself for getting caught.

He set up a dating profile. You asked him about it, he lied about it.
He messaged another woman (as far as he knew). You asked him about it, he lied about it.

You would never trust him again.

There's nothing else you could have done. Stop feeling guilty - he's the one who should be racked with guilt, and he's not - even his texts are "I want.. I will.. I am.." me me me

Report
Zebraface · 17/11/2014 21:03

Well done for ditching the useless, lying toe rag.

Now stick to it...you sounded happier without. Too much hassle. If its not fun,move on,You are number one!

Report
Hissy · 17/11/2014 21:10

bloody well done!

he ruined his birthday. him.

the worst thing you could have done is to have gone on that holiday.

as others have said, you've known this guy a matter of weeks, been arguing for half the 'relationship' and supposeddy exclusive for 12 weeks, and the remaining 12 weeks are taken up by the to-ing and fro-ing of the early days of online dating.

he's a dud. block him and don't let him back anywhere near you.

focus on how you've felt this week without him. that's what life without this millstone feels like!

Report
Cambridgechick · 18/11/2014 09:51

Reading your story is like reading the story ofa me trying to break up with DH 18 mths ago. Feel grateful that you discovered his true nature so early on. I first discovered my DH on a dating website 8 years into our relationship, but I think he'd been on them for years. 10 years on, and it's been a repeating pattern of dating websites and inappropriate work relationships, culminating in him getting sacked. But guess what, when I tried to leave, he couldn't live without me, adored me etc, etc. Sound familiar? There are many more lies I could tell you about, this is just a brief summary. I just wanted to say, I wish I'd known before I married that he had this emotional neediness, to be adored by random women, and that he would not change, despite his protestations to the contrary. Feel no guilt, you deserve a man who will not cheat and lie and remember that whatever he says, it is just a means to get you back and then the behaviour will continue ad infinitum ( wish I could take my own advice). You don't need to be vindictive but you absolutely do need to put your own needs first and let him take care of himself.

Report
Gingerandcocoa · 18/11/2014 10:03

You've "wasted" a year of your life on him, please don't give him not even one more day!

Report
FreakinScaryCaaw · 18/11/2014 10:07

No you shouldn't have waited. He's not 3. Am sure he can blow his candles out alone.

Best of luck for a peaceful future Smile

Report
Writerwannabe83 · 18/11/2014 10:24

He sounds EXACTLY like my ex who I also caught on a dating website. He came out with all kinds of crap excuses. And the trite about 'loving' me was as vomit inducing as what your OH is giving you!

His name isn't Christian is it? Grin

I managed to get access to his online phone bill statements (very immorally) and saw there were reams and reams of texts and phone calls to a number. I phoned the number and SHOCK HORROR - it was a woman from the website.

You are doing the right thing, don't listen to his crap excuses lies Smile

Report
Only1scoop · 18/11/2014 10:37

To be honest if things weren't going to well maybe part of you didn't quite trust him anyway. You obviously had your doubts....

His pathetic lies when already caught show the coward in his true colours....

You are better off out

Report
suchafool1967 · 18/11/2014 14:40

Thanks so much everyone for your replied. It's very hard to stomach that I've wasted a year of my life on this person. It makes me question the reality of the whole relationship.

As what else don't I know about?

Yesterday, after I had told him I was done and feeling haunted by listening to him bawling down the phone, he sent me a text a few hours later that said: "You will always be in my warmest and most loving thoughts. I hope we may be reconciled at some future date but recognise the decision will be yours to make in all probability. I truly do love you, my darling and never betrayed you (or was unfaithful) to any other woman (or man for that matter).

WTF?

I said I'd posted on a message board for advice and told him everyone without exception thought I'd done the right thing, and he said that the kind of people responding to my post would say that because they are probably bitter and twisted.

So just for good measure, I asked my sister, who really likes him and is really shocked by this news, and even she said the same as what everyone's said here.

I told her he'd begged me to go to counselling, which he would pay for, but she said to me: "Even if you do go down that route, would you ever be able to trust him again? You've had a lot of shit in your life, and if I'd had the shit you've had, I wouldn't want to take that chance of getting hurt by him again. Life is too short. I would cut your losses now."

(Not that I think I've had any more shit than anyone else - judging by these boards - probably a lot less in fact. I've just had my heart broken a lot of times - like about 10 times! But to the woman on here who's going through hell and has asked for advice on how to get over it, I can only reassure her that she really WILL. Sadly, it takes quite a long time.

Luckily I know that as I have a lot of previous experience of heartbreak and now I "know the drill", which works for me every time.

My sister is having similar issues with her boyfriend, who she also met online and she's now in the process of trying to find out what he's up to online too.

Online dating - this is the trouble with it. Too easy to just log on and contact other women for whatever reason.

Everyone has given me sterling advice and I thank you sincerely.

Cambridgechick - there is a lot more I want to say to you but have to go out now, damn it!

All I will say to everyone is that this really hurts and I feel as if I'm on a roller coaster from one minute to the next.

I may keep posting for moral support. Thanks everyone. So many wise and clever people on here. I'm so grateful for this site. I really am.

Flowers

OP posts:
Report
Hissy · 18/11/2014 22:08

You may have wasted a year love, feel a bit stupid about it perhaps.

Imagine spending 5 yes or 10 or more.... I'd not wish that feeling on anyone.

You've done the right thing and soon, within days, you'll see this

Thinking of you

Report
Gingerandcocoa · 19/11/2014 10:43

well instead of thinking you've wasted a year on him, think that you've earned yourself 5-10 years by breaking up with him NOW ;)

Report
Only1scoop · 19/11/2014 10:55

Oh Op you did the right thing....

Something extremely similar happened to me years ago....we ended up staying together ....even went to counselling as I had the whole sob story.

I never ever trusted him again and the distrust did zero for my emotional and mental well being in the end.

Sorry to rant on projecting but you have so so done the right thing.

Report
Jan45 · 19/11/2014 15:57

Horrible but this is happening more than folk realise, it's only when they are caught that the truth comes out - a lot think it's just looking, curiosity, whatever......

Tbh, I was going to say if you want to give him another chance then do but not without making him suffer your absence for quite a while so he gets the message loud and clear.

The fact you have only been together a year made me think otherwise, it's not looking good at all so I think you've definitely done the right thing.

Report
magoria · 19/11/2014 18:37

If you hadn't dumped him now just before his birthday, then you would be stuck not able to do it just before Christmas, then stuck before New Year, then stuck before Valentine's day, then stuck before his mum's neighbour's dog's birthday...

There is never a good time.

Well done.

With others at least it is only a year you have wasted and 6 months of that are crap.

Report
Vitalstatistix · 19/11/2014 18:42

You don't owe him a relationship. He needs to realise that.

Report
VanitasVanitatum · 19/11/2014 18:46

LTB. He is absolutely wasting your time.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.