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Relationships

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:
MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:34

Boney, yeah, I can see how you've reached that conclusion Sad

OP posts:
Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:37

If you said you were homeless the council could of sort temporary accomdation, there's the women's refugee, family? You could of got an emergency loan for a deposit. If I knew I had ended up in the situation you were in I would of set new arrangements to find new housing.

Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:40

Did you tell BIL it was on a temporary basis when he expressed his feelings? Did you make any plans when you find out to put money aside to find alertive accommodation or did you just think he should stuck it up and stay?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:40

Bubblegum, I had NO family here, and no ties to the place other than DH - the council don't rush to house people who have no family ties to the area. They also temporarily house people in a city a good 2 hours away from this one, which is no good when you have no transport, childcare issues, and have only just started a new job. It wasn't as easy as you seem to think it is.

OP posts:
Onenerfwarfrombreakdown · 24/10/2016 18:41

Absolutely your BIL was totally unacceptable to assault you as he did.

But I agree with Boney, I think you have a bigger problem - your DH. I would find it very hard to have any love or respect for a man who let me be assaulted without query and then still chased pathetically after that person seeking affirmation and approval, relative or not. You say he's grown up a lot in 5 years or so, I sincerely hope so but still seeking his brothers friendship makes me doubt this. He should respect his brothers wish to be NC.

AyeAmarok · 24/10/2016 18:45

Your BIL is a violent fuck for assaulting you. No excuse for that, and you're right to never want to see or spend any time with him ever again.

Your DH sounds like a total wimp and needs to get a backbone.

You should not have stayed there for even a night longer when you discovered your BIL wasn't told and didn't want you there though.

Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:48

Why did you move away from family could you not chosen to stay at there's? Again I ask as I do think it's important when your BIL expressed his feelings did you say it was temporary and you would need abit to save for another place?

Joysmum · 24/10/2016 18:49

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?

Lennox sweetie, when you're in a hole it's best to stop digging my love Hmm

Yet again you're victim blaming Angry Plenty on women on here haven't reported rapes, assaults and abuse for all sorts of reasons that are clearly beyond your understanding Biscuit

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 18:52

Bubblegum, I moved because I was trying to get away from my violent ex and his family - I changed my name and everything. I was living in terror, I had a non molestation order against him, but the police had been so bloody useless I didn't trust it. I was trying to build a new life.

In hindsight, I should have made it a temporary thing, in that house. I wish I had, but my head was all over the place and I was in a terrible way. I was very much overwhelmed and still hadn't found my feet, in ANY sense.

OP posts:
Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 18:57

I think op if you had considered your BIL and made measures in place that it was temporary than I don't think the outcome might not necessarily happened. I do think you need to put your hands up alongside your DP. I do think all three of you have been at fault in the situation.

AnyFucker · 24/10/2016 18:59

You say your husband's doormat behaviour has improved over the last few years ?

I dread to think what he was like before. It is possible to be worse than described on this thread ? Confused

RunRabbitRunRabbit · 24/10/2016 19:01

All of this is hypothetical though, isn't it?

BIL shook DH's hand at the funeral. DH sent a text to BIL but BIL hasn't answered. Nothing else has happened.

Encourage DH to wait for BIL to make the next move. If BIL isn't bothered then it will never happen (and it sounds like that's the most likely result).

Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 19:02

Why is everyone so bloody defensive of the BIL, he was acting like a spoilt brat. He was 19 years old (if I have worked it out correctly) and acting like a moody teenager.

So bloody what if his brother moved in a woman and her baby, where was his compassion regarding his situation? Why didn't he make any effort to resolve the situation in an adult way?

So he wasn't happy, he could have constructively made his displeasure known. They could have made an arrangement between them, they could have set a timeline for OP and DP to get their own place ASAP. Her DP can't have been expected to stay living with his brother for ever. Or you know what, he could have taken this as an opportunity to find his own place?

Stomping around, being rude and ultimately assaulting a young mother was NOT acceptable. Regardless of how he felt.

She has every right to not want to see hi again and to not be over the moon that her DH is eager to kiss his ass again.

Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 19:03

*her situation

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 19:10

Mrsemcgregor, he was around 25 when it happened, so even older than you thought. Thank you for your sensible post, when it really feels like some people are trying to wilfully misunderstand the situation here.

OP posts:
TempusEedjit · 24/10/2016 19:11

You said you wouldn't have moved in had you realised BIL hadn't been told, so when you realised this why didn't you revert to whatever arrangements you would have made had you known BIL hadn't agreed?

Btw I wholeheartedly agree there was no reason or excuse for the assault and that you have DH problem.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 19:12

RunRabbit, you're quite right.

It's pretty clear that leaving the ball in BIL's court is the only way forward at the moment - as you said, everything else is hypothetical. I was just trying to process my own very conflicted feelings about everything!

OP posts:
ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 19:12

Read the fucking thread, donuts.

The op DID NOT RAILROAD THE BIL INTO LETTING HER LIVE THERE.

The DP/DH LIED To BOTH of them. By the time op found out she's already moved a long, long way and she couldn't afford to move back or into her own place.

Yes, there is a massive dh problem. Or at least there was.

But this isn't op's fault.

To those posters suggesting she should have gone to women's aid/gone to a refuge- really? So she should have taken up resources for women and children fleeing domestic violence/abuse just because her dp was a dick? You would rather someone else stayed in a dangerous situation because her Bil couldn't handle a situation without being a violent thug?

Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 19:16

Does it really matter the OP didn't immediately up and leave the house when bil made it clear he was unhappy?

Even if she had claimed squatters rights for her and her child he could have still acted like an adult about it. He could have engaged in a mature discussion.

If he had to be angry at anyone it should have been his brother, not the poor woman escaping abuse who had been just and deceived about the situation as he had. She thought it was ok, she had no plan b. She was alone in a new city with no back up. She deserved his compassion not his aggression. Any issues he had were with his bother NOT her.

Bubblegum18 · 24/10/2016 19:23

This reply has been deleted

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ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 19:25

Another victim blamed -greeeeaaaat Hmm

ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 19:25

Blamer, not blamed

Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 19:26

We don't know that? If you are starting again from nothing it's not like you can change things within a week or two. It was clearly going to take time to sort out. The first thing that needed to be done was an adult conversation between the 3 of them. With her DH coming up with a solution as it was ENTIRELY his fault that his brother was unhappy and OP had nowhere to go.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 19:28

She wouldn't of moved in had she not known but when she did she made no efforts to find somewhere else.

I explained why I was unable to find another place, but you're clearly not interested in that. I wonder how many of you on here really know how it feels to escape DV, and how it completely decimates you as a functioning human being.

OP posts:
BoneyBackJefferson · 24/10/2016 19:28

Mrsemcgregor

Nothing the OP has posted says that he was apprised of the situation in anyway shape or form, other than 'i'm moving someone in'.

I get the feeling the theOP's DH expects people to do what he wants or at very least go with the flow.

One way or the other there is a back story to the two brothers, that I suspect the OP is not aware of.

(non of this excuses violence)

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