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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 19:58

Flab, I don't know why I'm responding to you, but I can assure you that there was no financial pisstaking going on. I paid my share.

OP posts:
Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 19:59

I don't have a plan b every time I move house. I don't have a back up if the worse happens, if there is a flood or fire the day I am meant to move in. Or if a rogue landlord rented me a place that he had no legal right to rent etc. All sorts can go wrong when moving house and not everyone is lucky enough to have a back up plan of savings or family to fall back on.

Could she have claimed homelessness? I doubt it, you can't get emergency housing for a personal dispute. She had a place to live and someone with the authority (her DH) was allowing her to live in his property (albeit shared). With the number of genuinely homeless mothers and babies out there the council would have laughed her out and advices the brother seek a court order of eviction before they considered offering anything.

SangtheSun · 24/10/2016 19:59

Flab, are you deliberately being a goady fucker? I think you must be.

Or hope you must be.

ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 19:59

Sorry Musical- I'm getting distracted responding to people with disgusting attitudes Blush

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 24/10/2016 20:00

Flab you DO condone violence. Otherwise you wouldn't need a 'but' after that sentence.

BoneyBackJefferson · 24/10/2016 20:00

MusicalFuckYouParty

I not sure that you have anything to worry about, from the sounds of it your BiL doesn't want to have contact with his brother.

I would be more worried if your DH pushes your BiL for contact.

TempusEedjit · 24/10/2016 20:01

Ah that makes sense OP. Your BIL is an arsehole but I'm afraid your DH is as well in his own way by the way he treated you and his brother at the time, and by trampling all over your feelings now.

I don't think you can expect too much from someone like that so assuming there are no other dealbreakers in your relationship just step back and leave him to it.

ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 20:02

Christ, Boney has a worryingly good point Sad

ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 20:04

That's not me being sarcastic btw Boney - just brings into question exactly how much dh has changed Sad

SangtheSun · 24/10/2016 20:05

foxache -thanks. High praise indeed.

OP, it's the lack of compassion shown by posters on this thread that is shocking. What the fuck is the matter with them?

I'd ignore Flab, I think they are being deliberately provoking. Or hard of thinking and heart.

witsender · 24/10/2016 20:05

What the actual fuck? Her husband (then boyfriend) behaves thoughtlessly towards him and as such she should just put up with being assaulted? He sounds like a vicious cunt OP, and you were in no way deserving of what happened. And even if he had done that to your husband I would have said it was an overreaction.

I'd be pretty pissed off at DH for wants jg contact with such an asshole tbh, and would think less of him for creeping up to him..."thanks for shaking my hand"...what's that all about?

But you sound to be sensible about this...if dh wants to pursue this relationship fine. But not in your home or your presence.

ScrambledSmegs · 24/10/2016 20:05

I don't condone violence but... then you go ahead and do it anyway.

That's what everyone on this thread who is making excuses for what the BIL did is doing.

BoneyBackJefferson · 24/10/2016 20:05

fourfox

Its ok, I know what you meant. :)

Soubriquet · 24/10/2016 20:06

Holy fucking shit

What the fuck have I just read?!!

OP some people really do have their heads up in la la land don't they?

Sorry this happened to you. Your BIL is prick and your Dh is a twat for letting it all happen.

Surprised you stayed with him and married him after that tbh. I probably would have left when I felt completely unsupported

Let your Dh do what he wants with his brother. Chances are he probably won't get anywhere anyway

You are being more than fair with Dh can do what he wants but you want nothing more to do with him

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:07

I don't believe DH will push for contact - he'll be sad he was ignored, but I think that's about it. He's entirely non-confrontational, and to be frank that doesn't always serve him well.

I will leave him to it. I've made my feelings very clear, and I've told him just as clearly that there's no way he'll make everyone happy in this situation. He can't just shrink into a corner and hope it'll go away if things blow up.

OP posts:
ScrambledSmegs · 24/10/2016 20:08

And I agree with Boney^^. Your DH needs to think about how his brother will respond to his repeated attempts at contact, given BIL's past history.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:11

Scrambled, that's right and bears thinking about. BIL is the sort of person who'd laugh at DH's attempts at contact, in a derisive way - I cringed when he thanked him for shaking his hand, that's quite the display of weakness to someone like BIL.

OP posts:
ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 20:14

It sounds like Bil has an "I'm better than you" attitude- possibly because his father abused mil and dh? Sorry if I've read it wrong, my brain cell is beginning to pack up! Blush

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:18

ohfour, quite possibly. No doubt there are countless unaddressed issues surrounding their upbringing - MIL doesn't discuss it in any great detail as she was deeply scarred by the abuse, as was DH.

OP posts:
Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 20:24

Can I ask what were the circumstances in which the 2 brothers ended up living together? It's not very common is it? (Maybe it is, I am not sure) was it a shared rental/ownership/social housing?

Obviously it makes no difference to the situation, but I am nosey curious.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:26

Soub, thank you. I don't intend to stop DH seeing BIL if that's what he wants (and he knows he needs to think through that carefully), but I've been firm about the fact I want him nowhere near me or our house - it's not THAT house anymore, DH and I moved last year, but no doubt some prick would come along sooner or later to tell me I'm wrong for calling it 'our house' Confused

OP posts:
MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:28

Mrs, DH had been living with friends for a couple of years, and wanted his own place. BIL still lived at home with the ILs, had never lived away from there. Rent is expensive around here, so they agreed to get a place together. Both were on the tenancy agreement.

It was a financial/convenience thing, I think.

OP posts:
Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 20:33

Fair enough, so they both had equal say over the property, it's not like your DH was massively taking the piss and moved you into a place his brother owned or rented first and let him move into. You DH had equal say to what went on in the house.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:38

That's right. DH is a fair bit older than BIL, and was very much 'in charge' of the house in terms of the running of the place - all bills went out of his account, he did all the housework etc. He washed up after BIL and had to ask him to tidy his room when it'd been picked up on the house inspection. BIL just used to hand over his half of the bills/rent in cash, that was the only thing different to when he lived with MIL.

OP posts:
FlabulousChic · 24/10/2016 20:40

I'm trying to put it from the brothers side. He was young someone had just gate crashed a place he paid half for. He now couldn't live the life he had before his life now being dictated to by a child and a woman he didn't know. Paying half the rent on a place his activities were now curtailed in. And also financially subsidising someone else's child and the mother of said child. She antagonised him by not not giving him the space to digest everything he had no choice in sharing his home that he was paying half for. I do hope the ops partner paid two thirds after she moved in. If not they owe him that money

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