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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

Arsehole BIL and what to do for the best

233 replies

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 16:15

NC'd for this but am a regular. This is going to be a bit of an essay, so apologies in advance.

Long story short, DH and his DB fell out about 4 years ago. This was DH's (then DP's) fault - they lived together at the time, I'd not long escaped a violent relationship (DH and I got together soon after, we'd been friends previously though), and DH moved me into his house with my baby DS. It was a big move for me, about 5 hours from my hometown. DH told me he'd cleared it with his DB, and that he was fine with me moving in - there's no way I'd have done it had he not been okay with the idea.

It turns out that no, his DB was not okay with it. He confronted me when we were on our own one day, and said he'd had no idea I was moving in, and was seriously pissed off about it. I was shocked, told him I was under the impression that he'd known and given his approval, and suggested we talk to DH together and try to sort it out. He stormed off. DH came home from work, I asked him what the fuck was going on, he admitted that he'd only sent his DB a text to tell him I was moving in and had had no reply! Now, I KNOW DH is the one who fucked up here, and there's no denying he was absolutely in the wrong.

The atmosphere at home was awful. BIL ignored us both, unless I was in the kitchen washing up, in which case he'd dump all his dirty plates in the sink and storm off. Eventually, I'd had enough of it, and told DH to clear the air with him. DH has always seemed a bit scared of his (10 years younger) DB, and was reluctant too cowardly to 'upset' him, so I knocked on BIL's door and told him this needed to be sorted out once and for all, as the current situation was helping nobody.

BIL told me to fuck off. I repeated that we had to sort things out. He shoved me, hard, knocking me over. He then proceeded to slam my foot in the door several times, resulting in a trip to hospital to check nothing had been broken. DH helped me up, but said nothing to his DB. As I mentioned above, I wasn't long out of a violent relationship, and I was distraught.

BIL was forced by MIL to apologise to me, but it was completely insincere and wouldn't have happened had MIL not put him under duress. The atmosphere continued til BIL moved out a few months later. He refused to speak to DH following that.

DH's DGM died recently, and her funeral was a couple of weeks ago. I had the DC so couldn't attend, but DH went on his own. BIL was there, he shook DH's hand and they made small talk. DH seemed disproportionately delighted about this - in the past, he'd had very low self esteem, and always tried to please the wrong people. The worse he was treated, the more he'd try to do to please that person. That might have some bearing here.

On his return home, DH sent BIL a text, thanking him for shaking his hand Hmm and saying he hoped they could move on. BIL hasn't replied, and it doesn't look like he had any intention of doing so - no doubt he was keeping the peace in order to save my already distraught MIL from any further upset at the funeral, but had no real interest in smoothing things over with DH.

Now DH is very eager to build bridges, and he's upset that I'm not very supportive about it. Don't get me wrong, I completely understand that falling out with close family is awful, but I know DH is very often too keen to sweep past issues under the carpet. He's grown a lot of backbone in the nearly 5 years we've been together, and doesn't take nearly as much shit, but this business with BIL is a bone of contention between us. The thanking him for the handshake just came across as desperate to me, like a dog who still rolls over even when it's been kicked. DH says I need to stop bearing a grudge, and to support him, to which I replied how can he be so happy to make up with someone who assaulted his now wife?

I really don't know what to do for the best here. I'm the first to admit that I'm a champion grudge holder - I have BPD, so I'm all too aware that my thinking is very black and white when I've been wronged - but I don't think that BIL should be forgiven so easily. I know for a fact that DH wouldn't ever bring up what happened, nor would he say that I needed a proper apology. I've made it clear that whilst DH is free to build bridges with BIL, he's not welcome in my house (and yeah, I do get the irony there!).

So what do I do? Do I let this go for DH's sake? Is there any way around this? Thanks for reading, if you got this far!

OP posts:
MilkTwoSugarsThanks · 24/10/2016 18:09

Sounds to me like like OP and her BIL are harbouring grudges against each other and are quite content with being NC.

It's the husband that's the problem... and was right from the start.

AnyFucker · 24/10/2016 18:11

Your BIL is an arse hole and your husband is a pathetic licker of said orifices

Lennoxjones · 24/10/2016 18:12

I am not blaming the op for the above. But she has to take part of the responsibility for him shutting the door.

Bil made it clear he didn't want her and her baby there. She stayed. She could have and I think should have moved out.

And instead of accepting that the op badgered bil and insistes in talking to him after her DH made it clear it wasn't a good idea.

She stood in the doorway to berate him. What was she wanting? He had made his position clear already and he then told her to fuck off.

He should not have pushed her but honestly he had every right to be pissed off and not want the op having a go at him.

To be honest I think the best thing is that they continue to have no contact. I'm also surprised that the hospital didn't phone the police.

Lennoxjones · 24/10/2016 18:13

My phone changed shove to above.

I am not blaming the op for the shove.

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 24/10/2016 18:14

What a horrid thread. Watch yourself OP, better not try to have a conversation with a man again otherwise you're liable to get shoved and repeatedly smacked on your foot. And you'd only have yourself to blame. He didn't want to talk, didn't you know?

It wasn't great what your dh did at all and I'm not sure what he was thinking really...perhaps he's always been scared of Bil and that's the only way he could think to do things - just move you in and hope for the best?

Your BIL sounds like a nasty piece of work and I totally understand why you'd dislike the idea of your dh falling over himself to 'make up'.

I agree with pp that your dh would benefit from some counselling. There's something not right in the dynamic with his brother.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:15

I couldn't have 'just got a council house' - what planet are you on?

Why would the hospital phone the police? They were there to check me over, not to go wading in.

OP posts:
ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 18:16

Good. I'm glad you're not blaming the op for the assault in any way, shape or form. Because that would be beyond shit, don't you think?

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 24/10/2016 18:16

Lennox do you have children? If so, do you teach them to get physical if they're not happy with how someone is behaving, or if they want someone out of their way?

Would you blame your child if they were trying to sort a disagreement out and the other person hit them? Would they be 'partly' to blame in that instance?

Because you seem remarkably at ease with using force to make a point. Not ideal, but understandable, it seems according to you?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:17

It wasn't great what your dh did at all and I'm not sure what he was thinking really...perhaps he's always been scared of Bil and that's the only way he could think to do things - just move you in and hope for the best?

ItsNice, that's very much it - I believe he was hoping for the best too, probably hoping BIL wouldn't notice I was there!

OP posts:
Lennoxjones · 24/10/2016 18:17

When I was seriously assaulted the hospital phoned the police. That's what surprises me that they didn't - surely if you'd told them you were violently assaulted they have an obligation to contact the police? And social workers, given there was a baby in the house?

ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 18:18

Musical you've just got to laugh at the council house comment. Seriously, let it be a tiny bit of sick humour in amongst some appalling comments.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:20

ohfour, I was expecting some divisive responses on this thread, but I'm stunned by some of them. Thanks for being a kind voice on here - I can accept when I'm in the wrong, but I think there's been quite a bit of unfair comment on here, made by people who weren't even there.

OP posts:
Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:21

You could of put yourself on the list for one or declared yourself homeless you chose to stay in a house that was hostile with someone who didn't want you there and made their feelings perfectly clear on the matter.

Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:22

I agree the assault was wrong but things were escalated to the point of this happening. I don't think the full blame can be put on the BIL some of it is with DP and OP for continuing to stay.

mum11970 · 24/10/2016 18:22

Would love to hear bil's side to this story. I'd guess it is somewhat different. Did you pay rent when you moved in? Was he told to change his behaviour with a baby in the house? He, obviously, is still unhappy with the way he was treated and sounds like he has made no attempt to reconcile. Have you not learnt to leave him be?

WeAllHaveWings · 24/10/2016 18:24

He doesn't get to assault you, that is unacceptable and he apologised after, he can't do more than that and it's up to you if you accept that or not.

What you and your now dh did to him was unforgivable and you both individually owe him apologies too. You should have moved out when you realised he had not given his consent for a stranger and their child to move into his home with no warning.

BoneyBackJefferson · 24/10/2016 18:26

MusicalFuckYouParty

I think that you are passing the buck re your DH.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:26

mum11970, I paid rent, bought most of the food shopping, and contributed to bills - I was on benefits at the time and had a very small amount of savings. I found a job within a couple of weeks and continued to contribute.

I HAVE left him be. If you read the OP, DH saw him at his DGM's funeral. I've not spoken to him at all for years.

OP posts:
MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:28

Boney, how am I passing the buck?

OP posts:
Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:29

So you go a job in that time so you could of moved out and got a place of your own?

2kids2dogsnosense · 24/10/2016 18:30

Lennox

OP might have been prepared too sleep on a park bench herself while waiting for a council house, but she had a BABY! You can't look after a baby on the streets.

Do you think you just go in and say "I'd like a council house, please - 2 bedrooms and a bit of a garden - not too big" and they say "Hang on (opens drawer). Here's the keys. Just drop them off when you get somewhere else."

It's not quite like that.

Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:31

It's no fun living with a family, being unable to come into the communal space and feel you can't relax. He was a single lad who's brother invites two per ant house guests.

BoneyBackJefferson · 24/10/2016 18:32

Musical

You keep making excuses for him.
but
He should have asked his brother
He should have sorted it out with his brother
He should have stood up for you when your brother slammed your foot in the door
He should be respecting your wishes with regard to his brother.

You have a DH problem

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:32

Bubblegum, I couldn't scrape up the deposit for a rented place in the space of 4 weeks, funnily enough Hmm If it'd been THAT easy, or affordable, I'd have found somewhere. But it appears I'm in some kind of MN parallel universe where council houses become available at the drop of a hat, and getting your own place with very little money is easy.

OP posts:
WeAllHaveWings · 24/10/2016 18:34

Doesn't matter if you paid, rent, bills. I wouldnt want a stranger and their child uninvited in my home even if the paid my mortgage. It's my home, my personal space and I get to decide who I do and don't share it with. You and your dh were beyond unreasonable railroading him into a living situation which was so untenable he had to leave.

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