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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:
ohfourfoxache · 24/10/2016 20:40

Is fil still in the picture? (Bil's father, I mean- actually, DH's too come to that)?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:45

ohfour, BIL's DF isn't in the picture, no. MIL remarried - I'm not sure how old BIL and his elder DB were at the time - and StepFIL has been a constant in their lives for many years. Their own father wasn't interested in maintaining much of a relationship with them, by all accounts, but I don't know the details.

DH's DF is still around. He and MIL divorced when DH was 4.

OP posts:
Mrsemcgregor · 24/10/2016 20:53

So they are half brothers? That can add extra tension for sure.

Sounds like he was more of a lodger than an equal partner to the situation? If your DH was doing all the adulting?

He showed a huge lack of compassion to the situation. I would like to think if DH invited his dsis to live with us after DV even though it may be a pain in my ass and financially not great, I would have enough compassion to silently put up with it until a better solution could be worked out.

flippinada · 24/10/2016 20:54

Musical you are absolutely not at fault and your BIL sounds like a thoroughly nasty piece of work. He's bloody lucky not to have been charged with assault.

Your DH hasn't covered himself in glory either and I'd be very hurt in your position, wondering why he was so desperate to make up with him and he certainly shouldn't be insisting you live and let live. You are right not wanting to have anything to do with him.

BTW that poster Flab reminds me of someone who used to post in similar fashion quite regularly...maybe I'm imagining things. Either way though, they're out of order.

ScrambledSmegs · 24/10/2016 20:57

I'm trying to put it from the brothers side.

Oh god, won't someone think of the abusers?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:58

Half brothers, yeah. BIL's DF made DH's life a fucking misery - he was nice to him right up until he married MIL. Then DH became the scapegoat and bore the brunt of his moods, often physically.

He was behaving exactly the same way as when he lived with the ILs, which was basically having his arse wiped because he didn't see why he should help around the house.

I like to think I could show some compassion in those circumstances too!

OP posts:
MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 20:59

Oh god, won't someone think of the abusers?

That did make me Grin

OP posts:
MissHemsworth · 24/10/2016 21:04

I hope you are taking note OP there is some brilliant advice on here. Maybe now it's time to hop in a time machine, go back 4 years & get those council house /rented accommodation keys Hmm

I agree with PP that this is between your DH & BIL, stay out of it. Your BIL sounds horrible there is never an excuse for being violent regardless of the situation. You acted with good intentions at the time that were not well received, BIL overreacted massively.

ScrambledSmegs · 24/10/2016 21:05

Grin Sorry, it was a case of if you don't laugh about it you'll cry!

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 21:09

MissHemsworth, if only I'd consulted the MN counsel all that time ago, eh? I'd be living it up in taxpayer funded glory!

But yes, I fully intend to stay out of it. I've said my piece to DH, he knows how I feel, I don't want to keep rehashing it with him as it breeds bad feeling. I just wanted to know if I was being reasonable about everything Smile

OP posts:
MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 21:11

Scrambled, this thread has been quite the emotional rollercoaster, so laughter is much appreciated! Still can't quite believe what it descended into Confused

OP posts:
ScrambledSmegs · 24/10/2016 21:16

It's half term. It always goes a bit weird at half term. I don't even think half of the strange posts are by under-18s though, there must be another explanation.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 21:21

Some people on here are just antagonistic pricks the whole year round Grin

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EllaHen · 24/10/2016 21:42

This has to be one of the worst threads for awful cunty responses. Ever.

Poor violent BIL had to live with his brother's girlfriend and baby. I have three siblings and if any of them needed me to live with their other half and baby I would gladly do so because I fucking love them.

And the forced, insincere apology and sending your brother to Coventry. And posters STILL want to defend the awful violent BIL.

I'm so angry that posters are trying to blame you for such cunt behaviour.

Think that's the sweariest I've ever been on mn.

Drbint · 24/10/2016 21:56

I think let it go. He is not your brother.

Yes.

For whatever reason your DH wants to reconnect with him and you should respect that.

No, she shouldn't if she doesn't want to. There is no way I would respect my husband's decision to 'reconnect' with someone who smashed my foot in a door and sent me to hospital. Particularly not when I got smashed thanks to that same husband's pathetic lies and inability to resolve fuck-all, and never even got an apology. I think that's an absolutely shite decision. I'd tell him so.

That's not to say I'd try to stop him, but respect it? No chance.

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 22:09

I think that's an absolutely shite decision. I'd tell him so.

Me too, and yes, I've told him. I said to DH to make absolutely sure he's happy to offer an olive branch to someone who assaulted his wife. He knows I never forget, which is just as well, because in the past DH has refused to listen when people are telling him who they are.

OP posts:
TempusEedjit · 24/10/2016 22:26

Was DH close to his DGM? Could grief be playing any part in his decision to want to reconnect with his family?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 22:30

He was very close to her growing up - she helped raise him, after his parents' divorce.

I'm not sure if it's grief as such, but he's always been afraid of 'losing' people, even those who are no good for him or have hurt him in some way. If a friendship goes tits up for whatever reason, even if it's just a natural drifting apart over time, it niggles at him and he can't let it go, so he starts rolling over and trying to please people, to 'bring them back' - does that make sense?

OP posts:
MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 22:32

I also believe DH should look into counselling, and have gently suggested it many times. His childhood has dictated the kind of relationships he's found himself in, in the past. He seems reluctant to engage in counselling though, as it'd rake up a lot of stuff he's tried to put to bed for years - I can understand that.

OP posts:
TempusEedjit · 24/10/2016 22:35

Yes it does make sense. Why do you think he is more concerned with trying to please his brother right now rather than you? Would you say your relationship a good one apart from this issue?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 22:41

I don't believe he IS more concerned with trying to please BIL - I think he's upset that he can't have it all. In his ideal world, everything would be forgotten about, and we'd all get along swimmingly, but sadly for DH life just isn't fucking like that. I find it much easier than he does to cut people off when they've behaved like shits.

Other than this, we have a great relationship - we've worked bloody hard at it. He was extricating himself from a failed marriage to a narcissist when I first met him, he had absolutely no healthy boundaries, no self esteem, and was a very different man to the one I know now. We sort of fixed each other. He's actually come a very long way, but he's by no means there yet, as this business with BIL proves.

OP posts:
TempusEedjit · 24/10/2016 22:52

In light of what you've said I still think it would be best to leave your DH to get on with it. However will he also let you deal with the situation in your way or will he continue to insist you support him?

Would joint counselling be something he would consider?

MusicalFuckYouParty · 24/10/2016 22:56

I believe he'd let me deal with it in my own way - he'd like it if I supported him, but he knows better than to push it and in this instance, he knows he'd be very much in the wrong for doing so.

I might pitch that idea to him - I'd be willing to go along, if it helps. He needs SOME sort of helping hand with looking objectively at his childhood etc.

OP posts:
TempusEedjit · 24/10/2016 23:08

My DH came along to counselling initially to support me but actually the counsellor quickly identified things we could both work on and it's helped our relationship immensely. The counsellor also gave DH the tools to help me when things got tough...if I'd tried to explain second-hand to DH what I needed it wouldn't have been as effective.

Just make sure you find a decent counsellor and don't be afraid to shop around if you don't click with one!

pluck · 24/10/2016 23:57

Absolutely disgusting victim-blaming on this thread. SHAME!

I wonder if BIL attacked you, Musical because you were a softer target, and would show more upset than his utterly accepting and confrontation-averse brother. If BIL was really so prone to losing his temper and lashing out, he could have done it when he first realised what had happened and that he didn't like it. And he should have targeted the real architect of his misfortune, not the fellow victim of DH's fuckup. Being violent to you seems more calculated, to hurt, to gain some satisfaction. No risk. You weren't in a position to fight back. Similarly, he's stringing your DH along now, because he can see his own power in DH's open pain. Nasty bloody piece of work. Don't have anything to do with him!

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